Official Nashville Predators Thread

[05_never_again]

This is the biggest gut punch I can recall as a sports fan since UT blew a chance to play for a national title in the 2001 SEC title game.

Not quite.

It is easy to forget now, but remember that the Predators had the least amount of points among all the playoff teams. 16th out of 16 teams. They had to get semi-hot in the last couple weeks of the season to even solidify a playoff berth. I fully expected them to get bounced in the first round, and it wouldn't have been shameful if they did.

But I agree, it is still painful, because once they do get there you think they still have a great chance to win it.

 

[NashVol11]

Not quite.

It is easy to forget now, but remember that the Predators had the least amount of points among all the playoff teams. 16th out of 16 teams. They had to get semi-hot in the last couple weeks of the season to even solidify a playoff berth. I fully expected them to get bounced in the first round, and it wouldn't have been shameful if they did.

But I agree, it is still painful, because once they do get there you think they still have a great chance to win it.

Yeah, that offers zero consolation. I'm firmly in the gut punch camp

 

[05_never_again]

Yeah, that offers zero consolation. I'm firmly in the gut punch camp

The way we lost games 1 and 2 individually were gut punches considering how Nashville actually dominated face offs, puck possession, shots, and scoring chances.

But to look at how this season turned out based on your expectations before it started, or even based on your expectations before the playoff started, you'd be thrilled. There is absolutely no shame in losing a Stanley Cup Final to a dynastic franchise led by a guy who is going to go down as one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

I was wrong to declare that the series was over after game 2, because we did come back and tie it up, but I still did have doubts we would win the series even after game 4. Getting at least a split of those first two games is so crucial when you don't have home ice. This was the first series we didn't do that. Also, having Johansen out was costly. It's one thing to have to play a game or two without your best center. It's quite another to have to play several games without him against a very good team.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Well that was quite an exciting diversion from the usual sports slump that kicks in this time of year. I used to get distracted by some of the men's tennis majors and the TDF back when Americans were winning those events but I've lost interest in both in recent years. Maybe the US Open will be good this year?

As for Game 6, the ref made a bad call. Hopefully, that guy is not officiating any more NHL games ever although I suspect he'll be back. The call may have affected the outcome of the game. It probably did not affect the outcome of the final.

As for the rest of it, I think the faultline between traditionalists and more recent fans/markets got some exposure that it hasn't had in a while. So many of the NHL's traditional powerhouse clubs come from cities and states that have been dying a slow economic death for decades and many of them struggle to find the corporate and pedestrian fan support that it takes to turn a profit. The matches rarely appear on major network television because not that many people outside the traditionalist markets have an interest. Without the country music stars and hype about smashville, I'm not sure that any of the final matches this year would've made it past NBCSN. I think the NHL needs to think about whether they want to be forever hitched to the traditionalist markets with unyielding binds that cast everyone else as an interloper or are they going to really open themselves up to the new markets and fans by letting go of some of the "traditions" that give the appearance of bias.

 

[ShowSomePride]

Good run. I think it'd be in the team's best interest to move Rinne if possible, but Winnipeg and Calgary are about the only teams that might want a #1 and Flower and Raanta are there for less.

A fluke injury to Johansen was all that separated Nashville from the cup. I would target Brian Boyle or Bonino in the offseason to add some serviceable talent down the middle. Free agency is barren, but there's a lot going right in Nashville.

To be fair, Pittsburgh was missing Letang as well. Arguably their best defenseman. But it feels crappy to win off a poor call like that.

 

[05_never_again]

As for the rest of it, I think the faultline between traditionalists and more recent fans/markets got some exposure that it hasn't had in a while. So many of the NHL's traditional powerhouse clubs come from cities and states that have been dying a slow economic death for decades and many of them struggle to find the corporate and pedestrian fan support that it takes to turn a profit. The matches rarely appear on major network television because not that many people outside the traditionalist markets have an interest. Without the country music stars and hype about smashville, I'm not sure that any of the final matches this year would've made it past NBCSN. I think the NHL needs to think about whether they want to be forever hitched to the traditionalist markets with unyielding binds that cast everyone else as an interloper or are they going to really open themselves up to the new markets and fans by letting go of some of the "traditions" that give the appearance of bias.

Going outside of your traditional markets, as a sports league, is a risky proposition. It failed in NASCAR. It has been hit or miss (mostly miss) in the NHL. Generally speaking, I think you eschew tradition at your own peril when it comes to sports.

A huge part of the reason the town embraced the Predators is because Nashville itself has changed a lot over the last several years and it is doing so well economically. It is a hip, trendy, destination town with some charm that out-of-towners want to visit and it even has carved out a little place for itself in the national culture. Every time I am in Nashville I run into people visiting from Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, etc. who absolutely love it. It's the epitome of a somewhat large city that feels a lot smaller than it actually is. There are lots of transplants there now and that has something to do with it as well, although having transplants didn't help Atlanta keep a hockey team so there is more to it than that. I'm absolutely thrilled that it has worked in Nashville, but even I will admit that I didn't anticipate that people would get this fired up about them.

NHL fans, particularly Canadian fans and fans of the traditional powers, give Bettman a lot of crap (and mostly rightly so) for his ventures into non-traditional markets. The Florida Panthers should relocate. It hasn't worked in Phoenix or Raleigh, despite the latter team winning a Cup. It still feels funny having a team in Tampa, despite them winning a Cup too. I'm not sure having a team in Vegas is a good idea. It has worked in places like Los Angeles, Dallas, and now Nashville.

 

[jakez4ut]

Going outside of your traditional markets, as a sports league, is a risky proposition. It failed in NASCAR. It has been hit or miss (mostly miss) in the NHL. Generally speaking, I think you eschew tradition at your own peril when it comes to sports.

A huge part of the reason the town embraced the Predators is because Nashville itself has changed a lot over the last several years and it is doing so well economically. It is a hip, trendy, destination town with some charm that out-of-towners want to visit and it even has carved out a little place for itself in the national culture. Every time I am in Nashville I run into people visiting from Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, etc. who absolutely love it. It's the epitome of a somewhat large city that feels a lot smaller than it actually is. There are lots of transplants there now and that has something to do with it as well, although having transplants didn't help Atlanta keep a hockey team so there is more to it than that. I'm absolutely thrilled that it has worked in Nashville, but even I will admit that I didn't anticipate that people would get this fired up about them.

NHL fans, particularly Canadian fans and fans of the traditional powers, give Bettman a lot of crap (and mostly rightly so) for his ventures into non-traditional markets. The Florida Panthers should relocate. It hasn't worked in Phoenix or Raleigh, despite the latter team winning a Cup. It still feels funny having a team in Tampa, despite them winning a Cup too. I'm not sure having a team in Vegas is a good idea. It has worked in places like Los Angeles, Dallas, and now Nashville.

good points. and as for Raleigh, it was a lot like NAS a few years back when they were good, and many who went to games up there said it was like tailgaiting for college football, fantastic atmosphere etc....plus they were good, and won a cup...problem is they let that team kinda go by the wayside, and support has waned. they're not very good, and it's an extremely small market.

i think for Canes fans, they're looking at Nashville and saying "that was us 10 years ago, wish we could do that again".

heck, 15 years ago, the Pens were playing in the igloo, a dump of an arena, and there was serious news of them moving from Pittsburgh. Mario bought in and as has been said many times this post season, saved that franchise.

Hockey is a thoroughly entertaining sport, but as a somewhat new fan (last 10 years) i totally understand why so many don't latch on to it.

nashville did itself proud, and even tho y'all didn't win, if they continue to support that franchise, they'll be fine.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

The whole Predators history here and their ties to the city were weird. I've lived here since the early 70s and recall it well. Based on past support of minor league teams and (no joke) the slow pace of life that was associated with this town, the one sport that all the experts thought was made for Nashville was baseball. We were finalists for the 1993 expansion but the teams went to Colorado and Florida. I think that hurt the city's ego pretty bad and it became a point of emphasis for then Mayor Phil Bredesen to make Nashville a "big league" town so they built the GEC (now Bridgestone Arena). They got arena football in there but really coveted NBA or NHL and I don't think the municipal boosters cared which as long as it was a top level of competition team. I recall that they actually offered a bounty to any team that would relocate here. We tried to bribe the Devils to move here and it fell through. Same with the Sacramento Kings. Enter Mr. Leipold who was awarded the expansion franchise for Nashville. Unlike the Panthers with their early Cup run and the Thrashers whose ownership actually opened up the checkbook to bring in some big names, the first decade of the Preds was very under the radar and not many people in town paid them much attention. Lack of attention could probably also be attributed in large part to the arrival of the Titans and their incredible run in the late 90s/early 2000s. Turn the page to 2007 and suddenly everyone freaks because Leipold may sell the team to the Balsillie, who would move them to Hamilton. The Balsillie deal fell through and Leipold then started working on a deal to sell to Del Biaggio, who was going to move the team to St. Louis. A narrative develops that Leipold never wanted a club here long term, just a franchise that he could relocate. Throughout all of the rumors of sale and move, a big groundswell of local support for keeping the team here occurred. It was very spontaneous. Frankly, I was surprised by the number of people who seemed to care. I think it was that effort to thwart the move in 2007/08 that really made the Predators Nashville's team. People got invested, attendance went up and stayed good. Local ownership took over and I think people here got the feeling that this is something they can count on to be here for a good long while. There are some financial realities that a person must accept when becoming a Predators' fan. First, there is an ownership group and while I don't think they're cheapskates, I also don't think they're going to be a club that is gets into bidding wars for household name free agents. Second, without revenue sharing I'm not sure if the Predators would be financially viable in "normal" seasons. When you accept those financial realities, you understand that cup runs will not be the regular order of things for your club unless by some divine intervention they happen to call your number for the first pick in the draft the next time a Sidney Crosby comes along.

I'm not sure why I felt compelled to post all this. You could probably look it up elsewhere. I guess it's my little catharsis having gotten mildly caught up in hype.

 

[jakez4ut]

The whole Predators history here and their ties to the city were weird. I've lived here since the early 70s and recall it well. Based on past support of minor league teams and (no joke) the slow pace of life that was associated with this town, the one sport that all the experts thought was made for Nashville was baseball. We were finalists for the 1993 expansion but the teams went to Colorado and Florida. I think that hurt the city's ego pretty bad and it became a point of emphasis for then Mayor Phil Bredesen to make Nashville a "big league" town so they built the GEC (now Bridgestone Arena). They got arena football in there but really coveted NBA or NHL and I don't think the municipal boosters cared which as long as it was a top level of competition team. I recall that they actually offered a bounty to any team that would relocate here. We tried to bribe the Devils to move here and it fell through. Same with the Sacramento Kings. Enter Mr. Leipold who was awarded the expansion franchise for Nashville. Unlike the Panthers with their early Cup run and the Thrashers whose ownership actually opened up the checkbook to bring in some big names, the first decade of the Preds was very under the radar and not many people in town paid them much attention. Lack of attention could probably also be attributed in large part to the arrival of the Titans and their incredible run in the late 90s/early 2000s. Turn the page to 2007 and suddenly everyone freaks because Leipold may sell the team to the Balsillie, who would move them to Hamilton. The Balsillie deal fell through and Leipold then started working on a deal to sell to Del Biaggio, who was going to move the team to St. Louis. A narrative develops that Leipold never wanted a club here long term, just a franchise that he could relocate. Throughout all of the rumors of sale and move, a big groundswell of local support for keeping the team here occurred. It was very spontaneous. Frankly, I was surprised by the number of people who seemed to care. I think it was that effort to thwart the move in 2007/08 that really made the Predators Nashville's team. People got invested, attendance went up and stayed good. Local ownership took over and I think people here got the feeling that this is something they can count on to be here for a good long while. There are some financial realities that a person must accept when becoming a Predators' fan. First, there is an ownership group and while I don't think they're cheapskates, I also don't think they're going to be a club that is gets into bidding wars for household name free agents. Second, without revenue sharing I'm not sure if the Predators would be financially viable in "normal" seasons. When you accept those financial realities, you understand that cup runs will not be the regular order of things for your club unless by some divine intervention they happen to call your number for the first pick in the draft the next time a Sidney Crosby comes along.

I'm not sure why I felt compelled to post all this. You could probably look it up elsewhere. I guess it's my little catharsis having gotten mildly caught up in hype.

you can go back to the 80's and 90's when Nashville and Memphis were seemingly competing for who would get a pro sports team too. forget when the grizzlies moved to Memphis, but i remember clearly there being a divide in the state as both cities thought they were deserving, and really, hur both their chances (at the time anyway) of getting a pro team, as most feared that whichever city got one, the other wouldn't support it out of jealousy, and regionally, the support wouldn't be there.

then Nashville started growing and growing, and Memphis, well, didn't.

all that to say, i think it's probably fair to say that Nashville has done wonders in making it a sport friendly city, and across the state, at least from what i can tell form afar, support for the state's pro teams is pretty good 25-30 years later....but back then, it wouldn't have been successful in either city.

 

[05_never_again]

The whole Predators history here and their ties to the city were weird. I've lived here since the early 70s and recall it well. Based on past support of minor league teams and (no joke) the slow pace of life that was associated with this town, the one sport that all the experts thought was made for Nashville was baseball. We were finalists for the 1993 expansion but the teams went to Colorado and Florida. I think that hurt the city's ego pretty bad and it became a point of emphasis for then Mayor Phil Bredesen to make Nashville a "big league" town so they built the GEC (now Bridgestone Arena). They got arena football in there but really coveted NBA or NHL and I don't think the municipal boosters cared which as long as it was a top level of competition team. I recall that they actually offered a bounty to any team that would relocate here. We tried to bribe the Devils to move here and it fell through. Same with the Sacramento Kings. Enter Mr. Leipold who was awarded the expansion franchise for Nashville. Unlike the Panthers with their early Cup run and the Thrashers whose ownership actually opened up the checkbook to bring in some big names, the first decade of the Preds was very under the radar and not many people in town paid them much attention. Lack of attention could probably also be attributed in large part to the arrival of the Titans and their incredible run in the late 90s/early 2000s. Turn the page to 2007 and suddenly everyone freaks because Leipold may sell the team to the Balsillie, who would move them to Hamilton. The Balsillie deal fell through and Leipold then started working on a deal to sell to Del Biaggio, who was going to move the team to St. Louis. A narrative develops that Leipold never wanted a club here long term, just a franchise that he could relocate. Throughout all of the rumors of sale and move, a big groundswell of local support for keeping the team here occurred. It was very spontaneous. Frankly, I was surprised by the number of people who seemed to care. I think it was that effort to thwart the move in 2007/08 that really made the Predators Nashville's team. People got invested, attendance went up and stayed good. Local ownership took over and I think people here got the feeling that this is something they can count on to be here for a good long while. There are some financial realities that a person must accept when becoming a Predators' fan. First, there is an ownership group and while I don't think they're cheapskates, I also don't think they're going to be a club that is gets into bidding wars for household name free agents. Second, without revenue sharing I'm not sure if the Predators would be financially viable in "normal" seasons. When you accept those financial realities, you understand that cup runs will not be the regular order of things for your club unless by some divine intervention they happen to call your number for the first pick in the draft the next time a Sidney Crosby comes along.

I'm not sure why I felt compelled to post all this. You could probably look it up elsewhere. I guess it's my little catharsis having gotten mildly caught up in hype.

That's a good point about the team having been "through the fire" so to speak and now owned by local folks as being key to the appeal of the team. And the fact that Nashville is so behind them should lead to more people in the surrounding cities (Chattanooga, Knoxville, etc.) to get behind them too.

Your synopsis of the team is 100% accurate. I remember going to Predators games with my dad in the early days of the franchise; late 90s, early 2000s. Attendance to a Saturday night game outside of football season was good (those were the only ones we went to), but crowds were sparse during the week and especially during football season. I was a kid (young teenager) but I do remember walking around Broadway before games, and if we ran into someone on the street or in a restaurant and we mentioned something about the Predators, you'd hear a lot of stuff like "Oh, I've never been" or "Oh, I didn't know there was a game tonight." Can you imagine hearing that today?

Nashville is never going to be a big market team, but they have paid a lot of money to some players in the past (Weber, Rinne, etc.) They do have several core players (Forsberg, Subban, Josi, Ekholm) locked up for multiple years. Johansen is arb eligible and they have one more year of Neal. They have 2 more years of Rinne, although if his skills start to deteriorate his $7m/year salary is quite steep. I don't expect them to make deep playoff runs every single year but I would be surprised if they just fell off the face of the earth.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

I'll post one more thing on history and yesterday. I don't know if people were booing Bettman last night or booing because they anticipated Crosby being awarded the CS trophy. I have no problem with people booing Crosby. Bettman OTOH had a lot to do not only with the initial award of the franchise but keeping it here in 2007/08 and he probably deserves this city's eternal gratitude.

 

[05_never_again]

I'll post one more thing on history and yesterday. I don't know if people were booing Bettman last night or booing because they anticipated Crosby being awarded the CS trophy. I have no problem with people booing Crosby. Bettman OTOH had a lot to do not only with the initial award of the franchise but keeping it here in 2007/08 and he probably deserves this city's eternal gratitude.

1. It's just tradition, basically a reflex, to boo the commissioner in any sport.
2. Bettman will always be hated, even by fans of teams that he fought to keep in their cities, because he's seen as being primarily responsible for 3 separate lockouts since he's been commissioner, including one that eliminated an entire season. The loss of an entire season was unprecedented in North American sports.

 

[jakez4ut]

To be fair, Pittsburgh was missing Letang as well. Arguably their best defenseman. But it feels crappy to win off a poor call like that.

eh, i'll be the first to say the ref blew it. he made the right call given the rules he's supposed to operate in, but it was still a mistaken call.

that said, they gave the preds 4 power plays, including a 5 on 3, to 0 pp for the Pens...and there were AT LEAST 2 no calls that should have been called.

Nashville had opportunities, despite the mistake. Pekka played well enough to win that game, as did Murray.

it was by far the best game of the series, and that would be true regardless of who won....best hockey of the final was played last night....my wife was stressed out, but i thought it was awesome to watch....and of course, i have no issue w/how it ended....

i think in the end, you boo the mistake, but you tip your hat to the Pens for the penalty kills, Murray playing lights out, and the Pens just kept getting the puck in front of the goal. one slipped in.

great game by both teams.

 

[Biopsyman]

you can go back to the 80's and 90's when Nashville and Memphis were seemingly competing for who would get a pro sports team too. forget when the grizzlies moved to Memphis, but i remember clearly there being a divide in the state as both cities thought they were deserving, and really, hur both their chances (at the time anyway) of getting a pro team, as most feared that whichever city got one, the other wouldn't support it out of jealousy, and regionally, the support wouldn't be there.

then Nashville started growing and growing, and Memphis, well, didn't.

all that to say, i think it's probably fair to say that Nashville has done wonders in making it a sport friendly city, and across the state, at least from what i can tell form afar, support for the state's pro teams is pretty good 25-30 years later....but back then, it wouldn't have been successful in either city.

Nashville keeps getting better.. Memphis keeps getting worse.. the speration between the 2 is like the Grand Canyon

 

[jakez4ut]

Nashville keeps getting better.. Memphis keeps getting worse.. the speration between the 2 is like the Grand Canyon

oh, it's not even close now.

 

[Biopsyman]

oh, it's not even close now.

Where would you rather live?

 

[jakez4ut]

Where would you rather live?

well i grew up in Memphis, left in 94.....wouldn't eve move back. i live in Charlotte now, and love it. i see a lot of similarities in NAshville and Charlotte....both have turned in to transient cities, Nashville has a nice downtown with plenty to do, has some star power with all the country music stuff going on....Charlotte, same kind of downtown, really upgraded a lot of the "things to do" with the epicenter, knights baseball stadium, area around BofA, and the Hornets Arena....and while it doesn't get the notoriety Nashville has gotten for star power, Charlotte has turned in to a destination for a lot of retiring athletes...NBA, NFL, Nascar, Golf, etc...

both cities have surrounding areas that are growing like crazy. and you get what you want out of a big city, without the big city.

so, if i had to move somewhere in TN (aside from EAst TN), it'd be the mid state.

but i've been here for 20 years and it's home now....:thumbsup:

memphis....like to visit....and like to leave.

 

[SDV]

I saw that we might be one of the teams undergoing newly designed jerseys under Adidas. Being released on 6/20

 

[05_never_again]

well i grew up in Memphis, left in 94.....wouldn't eve move back. i live in Charlotte now, and love it. i see a lot of similarities in NAshville and Charlotte....both have turned in to transient cities, Nashville has a nice downtown with plenty to do, has some star power with all the country music stuff going on....Charlotte, same kind of downtown, really upgraded a lot of the "things to do" with the epicenter, knights baseball stadium, area around BofA, and the Hornets Arena....and while it doesn't get the notoriety Nashville has gotten for star power, Charlotte has turned in to a destination for a lot of retiring athletes...NBA, NFL, Nascar, Golf, etc...

both cities have surrounding areas that are growing like crazy. and you get what you want out of a big city, without the big city.

so, if i had to move somewhere in TN (aside from EAst TN), it'd be the mid state.

but i've been here for 20 years and it's home now....:thumbsup:

memphis....like to visit....and like to leave.

Nashville certainly has a charm and a distinctiveness to it that places like Atlanta and Charlotte do not.

Memphis is a dump.

 

[jakez4ut]

Nashville certainly has a charm and a distinctiveness to it that places like Atlanta and Charlotte do not.

Memphis is a dump.

charlotte and atlanta are not comparable. i've lived in Memphis, Atlanta and Charlotte, and it's not even close which one is best.

i don't expect someone from Nashville to overcome the inherent bias of saying another city is as good as theirs, but i can tell you Charlotte today vs. 20 years ago is night and day....just like Nashville. and the charm...i've spent a good amount of time in Nashville too...like the city...i would live there. but aside from the country music factor, there's not really anything separating it from Charlotte. just like aside from the Nascar roots, there's not much separating Charlotte from Nashville.

they're very similar. someone says Nashville, they think Country Music. someone says Charlotte, they think Nascar. there's more to both.


agree about Memphis.

 

[05_never_again]

charlotte and atlanta are not comparable. i've lived in Memphis, Atlanta and Charlotte, and it's not even close which one is best.

i don't expect someone from Nashville to overcome the inherent bias of saying another city is as good as theirs, but i can tell you Charlotte today vs. 20 years ago is night and day....just like Nashville. and the charm...i've spent a good amount of time in Nashville too...like the city...i would live there. but aside from the country music factor, there's not really anything separating it from Charlotte. just like aside from the Nascar roots, there's not much separating Charlotte from Nashville.

they're very similar. someone says Nashville, they think Country Music. someone says Charlotte, they think Nascar. there's more to both.


agree about Memphis.

I'm not from and have not lived in any of these cities we're discussing, so I guess I'm fairly objective here. When I think of Nashville, I absolutely think of country music (and it's even turning more into live music generally, a la Austin). It has a much broader appeal to people generally. When I think of Charlotte, I don't think of NASCAR even though the speedway and a ton of the teams are there. But then again I'm not a NASCAR fan.

Aside from the sports teams (which come to my mind when I think about any city) I really don't think about any one thing in particular when I think of Charlotte. About Atlanta, it's either the traffic or the airport I guess that is what I mean by "charm" or being known for some kind of cultural reason - cities like Portland, Nashville, and Austin have them and places like Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, etc. don't.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

When I started college in GA in 90 I listened to a lot of kids from Fulton, Dekalb and thereabouts pine for how Atlanta used to be. I never knew how it used to be so I couldn't relate. With everything that's happened in Nashville in the past 10 years, I can finally relate. I try to enjoy some of the new stuff that's come with the growth but I can see a day coming where this place won't be Nashville anymore.

 

[jakez4ut]

I'm not from and have not lived in any of these cities we're discussing, so I guess I'm fairly objective here. When I think of Nashville, I absolutely think of country music (and it's even turning more into live music generally, a la Austin). It has a much broader appeal to people generally. When I think of Charlotte, I don't think of NASCAR even though the speedway and a ton of the teams are there. But then again I'm not a NASCAR fan.

Aside from the sports teams (which come to my mind when I think about any city) I really don't think about any one thing in particular when I think of Charlotte. About Atlanta, it's either the traffic or the airport I guess that is what I mean by "charm" or being known for some kind of cultural reason - cities like Portland, Nashville, and Austin have them and places like Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, etc. don't.

or....you have no frame of reference....lol:

 

[05_never_again]

When I started college in GA in 90 I listened to a lot of kids from Fulton, Dekalb and thereabouts pine for how Atlanta used to be. I never knew how it used to be so I couldn't relate. With everything that's happened in Nashville in the past 10 years, I can finally relate. I try to enjoy some of the new stuff that's come with the growth but I can see a day coming where this place won't be Nashville anymore.

As long as Nashville has the country music component to it, I think it will still "feel" like Nashville. Of course I say this as someone who lives 120 miles away and visits frequently; a Nashville native or long-time resident probably thinks differently. As cities grow, they become more cosmopolitan and attract "outsiders" (I don't mean that in a pejorative way). For better or worse, the city is going to change for that. Naturally the people who have been there for longer are resistant to the change and the more recent residents or visitors embrace it.

It also can be dangerous when the leadership of a city starts doing things more for the benefits of visitors and tourists than the people who actually live there.

 

[Wickman]

Picked this up