NHL Tweetup Predator Auction Items

You see some of the items that have been generously provided by the Nashville Predators and will be available at the NHL Nashville Flood Relief Tweetup as auction items. There is a signed David Legwand jersey; a Smashville canvas print signed by Ryan Suter; a Black and Blue Smashville poster signed by various team members; a "Rivals" collectible poster from Hatch Show Print signed by the team; a Shea Weber and Ryan Suter signed Olympic photo (8" X 10"); a signed and framed Jordin Tootoo photo; and official game pucks signed by Steve Sullivan and Jordin Tootoo.

Head Coach Barry Trotz is providing four tickets to a game next season and a tour of the locker room. More hockey related items are being added even as we speak.

There will also be non hockey related auction items as well. A collectible print by award winning photographer Robin Hood of downtown Franklin will be available for bid. There are some surprises that we are working on as well.

This event will raise funds for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and their flood relief program. 100% of proceeds will be donated.

The tweetup will be held June 7th at the Tin Roof at 1516 Demonbreun from 6-9.

The gracious folks at Tin Roof are not only hosting the event, but will be making a donation to the flood relief effort as well.

To confirm your attendance, go to: http://nhltweetup.com/2010/05/nashvilleflood-relief-nhltweetup/              Please do this even if you are not a Twitter user. There is a link on the site to register if you are not using Twitter. This will allow us to get a count to give to the folks at Tin Roof.

Come out and join the fun with your fellow Predator fans as we support a great cause.

Nashville Flood Relief Tweetup Is On!

The Nashville Flood Relief Tweetup has been set for June 7th at the Tin Roof, located at 1516 Demonbreun St. in Nashville from 6-9:00. There will be silent auction items from the Predators as well as other items that will be of interest at the site. We are also attempting to get coaches, players and members of the broadcast team that are in town to stop by for pictures and visits with the Pred nation.

In addition to the on-site silent auction, there will be an on-line auction of donated NHL merchandise on the Community Foundation's site on E-bay Giving at http://www.ebaygivingworks.com/ Just go to the site, type in the name of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee under the "search non-profit" section. You will be directed to their site.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Flood Relief Fund.

This will be a great night of food, fun, and fellowship as the Predator nation gathers for a good cause.

To confirm your attendance, go to http://twtvite.com/nashfloodnhltweetup

Social media is changing the way we communicate and get our information. it is also changing the boundaries of our community. The outpouring of support and prayers from around the country after the flood has been phenomenal. Much of this information, communication, and support has come via Twitter. Twitter continues to change the dynamic of hat we call  our community.

Upon learning of the situation in Nashville, Dani Muccio, known to twitter users as dani3boyz, got in contact with me and said why don't we do a "tweetup", a meeting of twitter users in a general area, and use it as a fund raising effort for flood relief. Great idea, and it is going to come to pass on Monday, June 7.

However, Dani said that the hockey fans in Nashville are part of a bigger community drawn together by their love of the sport, and she thought that she could get support for the fund raising effort from teams around the NHL. And through her efforts, we are receiving items form the L.A. Kings, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, and other teams.

Social media has changed the way we communicate. It was in the venue of social media that the rallying cry "We Are Nashville" was spawned and took flight. It has been through social media that countless volunteers hae been organized to meet the needs of a hurting people. It has drawn in the support of hockey teams and fans from L.A. to New York.

And it is re-defining what we call a community.

Re-View and Pre-View: A Look at the Second Round and the Conference Finals

It's time for the View to look back at his second round picks and see how they turned out, and look ahead to the conference finals. Without further ado, here is a review of the second round of the playoffs:

Pittsburgh versus Montreal

The Pick: Pittsburgh in 6

Outcome: Montreal in 7

Jaroslav Halak continued to shine in post season play as he was outstanding in net for the Canadiens. As solid as his play was, the defense in front of him did a great job of limiting the high powered flightless birds offense. The Canadiens were very solid in the neutral zone, aggressive on the forecheck, and generally did a great job of controlling the Penguins scoring threats. Nevertheless, the Penguins had a chance to win the series with a seventh game on their home ice. However, Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury absolutely melted down in the deciding contest, getting pulled in the second period after allowing 4 goals on 13 shots. For the Habs, their storybook season continues as they have now knocked off the beasts of the East with their victories over Washington and Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia versus Boston

The Pick: Boston in 7

Outcome: Philadelphia in 7

The Bruins looked as if they were going to sweep this series, jumping out to a 3-0 behind Tuuka Rask and an offense that scored timely goals from the entire line up. However, the Bruins lost Marco Sturm and David Kreiji, and those injuries proved devastating to them as their offense went into a funk. After losing three straight games, the Bruins had a chance to win the series on home ice. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the contest and then proceeded to implode, eventually losing the game 4-3. This is a series that will be a sore spot for Bruins fans for a long time to come, and is being referred to as one of the greatest collapses in sports history.

San Jose versus Detroit

The Pick: Detroit in 6

Outcome: San Jose in 5

The Sharks made a giant step toward shedding the label of perennial playoff choke artists with a very solid series against the Wings. Uncharacteristically, the Wings spent a lot of time in the sin bin, and the Sharks made them pay for their transgressions. With the exception of a 7-1 debacle in game 4, the Sharks looked like the better team throughout the series. Evgeni Nabokov was strong in net, but the real story of this series was the play of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Both players have been notorious for disappearing in the playoffs, but they were prominent in this matchup, playing up to their regular season prowess. The Sharks defense did a great job of limiting the explosiveness of the Wings offense, as Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Holmstrom, and Fransen (with the exception of game 4) were non-factors in the series.

Vancouver versus Chicago

The Pick: Chicago in 7

Outcome: Chicago in 6

As this series went along, Chicago just exerted their will on the Canucks. Dustin Byfuglien was a beast, scoring six goals in the series and generally creating havoc in front of Roberto Luongo. Luongo looked good in spurts, but generally was shaky throughout the series. The Chicago defense was very good in front of Antti Niemi in shutting down the Sedins, Mikael Samuelson, and Alex Burrows. Chicago was the more physical of the two teams, and their bruising style of play took a toll on the Canucks. Vancouver opened the series with a win at the United Center, and looked as if they would make this a real contest between the two teams. Chicago then reeled off three straight wins and were dominating in the process. Yet again, Vancouver will have a long off season to stew about their shortcomings against the Hawks.

Once again, the View has proven why you should never follow his advice when placing your bets on hockey games. 25% success rate in the second round. Yikes!

Is that going to stop me from making my fearless picks for the finals? Is our tax code fair? Uh, wait. Anyway, on to the picks for the finals.

Philadelphia versus Montreal

The Pick: Philadelphia in 7

The storybook run for the Habs comes to an end here. Philadelphia will be too physical and put too much pressure on the Habs for them to pull out this series. I expect Halak to continue to play very soundly, but the pressure that the Flyers will bring to this matchup will be too much. Michael Leighton has moved back into the starting tender's position for the Flyers, and I see him playing a strong series. Look for the Flyers defense to contain the Smurfs from Montreal and for them to cool down the red hot Michael Camillieri. Montreal is playing loose and with the mindset of an underdog, and will make it a tightly contested series.

San Jose versus Chicago

The pick: Chicago in 7

This is one of the most compelling finals matchups in a while. Can San Jose's big guns continue to produce? Will Antti Niemi hold up under the relentless pressure from the Sharks offense? This series could be decided by the play of the third and fourth lines for each team. If Chicago can outplay the Sharks in this regard- and I think they will- then they will capture this series. Niemi is going to have to be at his best against the Sharks, but I look for the Hawks defense to step up in front of him. I expect the powerful Hawks offense to eventually get the best of the Sharks defense. This is a series that is going to be fun to watch.

And there you have it, my fearless, and some would say faulty, finals predictions. Remember, these are for amusement purposes only. Meaning that my predictions are always good for a laugh.

My View

Random thoughts from a warped and fevered mind...


While much attention has been focused on what is going on in Washington with our federal legislature, many of the more ferocious tax and spend battles will be fought at the state level. Most states are waking up to the fact that overly generous pension plans for state and municipal workers will ultimately decimate state coffers. The typical reaction of most states has been to raise taxes and demand more from property owners and businesses within their borders. This is not without consequence. Chief Executive magazine recently ranked California as the worst state in the U.S. in which to do business for this very reason. The editors went so far as to call California "the Venezuela of the United States (ouch!). The top three states, based on a ranking of 12 factors that included tax rates, crime statistics and quality of life, among others, were: Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Each of these states has a low tax environment and they are pro-business.  Government at all levels is faced with tightening their  belt and re-thinking what services they deliver and how they deliver them. These battles at the state houses around the country will be interesting to watch. In the meantime, look for more companies to relocate to states that have a favorable tax environment.


I was going to work on my roof this weekend, but I got shingles.


Have you heard of the Independent Payment Advisory Board? No? You will. Tucked quietly away in the healthcare socialization bill is a provision establishing the IPAB. And who are they? According to the terms of the healthcare bill, the IPAB will be an advisory board appointed by the President that will consist of 15 members that will serve 6 year terms. And what will they be doing? They have one core function- to decrease healthcare costs that the government incurs. How will they do this? By determining where to cut Medicaid services and procedures. Simply put, this group will determine who will receive services based on a cost benefit analysis. Too old for that heart procedure? If the IPAB decides that you are, there will be no appeal. To override a decision by the IPAB will require the vote of 60 Senators. Should the Senate choose to override an IPAB mandate, the President has the right to veto their decision. So expect to see some rather draconian rulings from the IPAB regarding the delivery of healthcare services to the populace that needs them most- the elderly and those that are very sick. This is the only way to achieve the cuts in Medicare that have been promised to make socialized medicine work. The insinuation of this group into the doctor/patient relationship portends a very scary future for the ability for each of us to determine our medical outcomes.

Do you think that mountaineers rope themselves together to keep the sensible ones from going home?

Perspective is important when looking at the current fiscal situation in the United States. Let me give you a little perspective. In 2001, the total cost of our federal government was 18.2% of our GDP. As late as 2007, the federal government cost us 19.6% of our GDP. By cost, I mean the taxes the government took as a percentage of the total value of the goods and services we produce in this country. If our federal spending continues at the pace at which it is now going, the federal government will spend 18% of GDP just on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the national debt by 2028. This is not including the cost of national defense and other government programs. The exponential growth of our entitlement programs, which represent a massive transfer of wealth, threatens to swamp our federal budget. Our current debt and the funding of entitlement programs leaves a $56.4 TRILLION dollar deficit with our taxes at their current level, according to the non-partisan Peter Peterson Foundation. That means every man, woman, and child in this country is on the hook for $184,000. Want to guess where your tax rates are going? Unless we re-think our spending priorities, our country is heading toward unprecedented tax increases.

My bank called me about suspicious activity on my debit card. They couldn't believe I bought a gym membership.

And that, my friends, is my view.

My View

Images of the flooding and the aftermath in Nashville

This will be a departure from my normal state of the world "My View" post. Since I put up the last "My View" this past Friday, the world for many Nashvillians has been forever altered. The raging storm waters that were spawned by up to 18" of rain in parts of Middle Tennessee devastated property, dislocated families and businesses, and, tragically, took lives.

Now that the flood waters have receded, the extent of the physical damage is becoming apparent, and it is staggering. While the damages are still being assessed, the cost in lives lost is still rising as well, as numerous people are still missing, swept away in the torrent of nature's fury.

In the midst of the tumult, and especially afterwards, the character of the people of Nashville and the surrounding area has shown itself to be solid and sturdy. Neighbors reached out not only to neighbors, but to those they did not know to offer assistance and comfort. Businesseses put aside a profit motive and offered their support to the hurting. That effort is continuing unabated, as people from parts of Nashville unaffected by the floods have mounted efforts to remove debris, clean houses, and wash clothes for those displaced. The outpouring of volunteer efforts has been amazing to outsiders, but not for us that live here. 

It is what we do.

Praise must be given to the men and women in the police and fire departments in Nashville and other communities. These men and women constantly put themselves into harm's way to rescue those trapped by the flood waters. Innumerable water rescues were performed without a single loss of life. Firefighters fought house fires standing knee deep in flood waters. Police, fire, and emergency management personnel worked for days to insure our safety. Thank you.

The recovery is under way, but it will not be easy. Nashville will take a hit economically. The financial impact to businesses and individuals goes far beyond the cost of the cleanup. The task of returning normalcy to our lives will be arduous. But we will return to normal.

It is what we do.

The support of the Twitter community from outside of Nashville has been amazing. Donations, prayers, words of concern have flowed in, and they are not stopping. A new medium of communication has tied together a new community, and in a time of distress, that new, electronic community, has done what all real communities do.

They responded.

For all of us as Nashvillians, we face our time of tribulation. We have been hurt physically, financially, and emotionally. It is going to take some time to bounce back. We will bounce back.

It is what we do.

And as individuals and collectively as a community, we will be once again solid and sturdy.

Out of the depths of this disaster, good will become visible. We will learn of acts of heroism. Not necessarily a dramatic rescue, but the heroism of a neighbor embracing a neighbor and helping them with their burden. We will forge new bonds of community across racial and economic lines as we attempt to restore our beloved city.  We will vanquish the challenges before us.

It is what we do.

We Will Stand Again

Nashville is a city built on the limestone bedrock prevalent throughout Middle Tennessee. A foundation for the edifices on both sides of the Cumberland River, the limestone is a lot like the people of Nashville.

Solid, sturdy.

This past weekend, the very foundation of the people of Nashville was put to the test as Mother Nature decided to see just how solid and sturdy a people Nashvillians really are. Storms that began early Saturday morning dropped nearly 14 inches of rain in the city before finally abating on Sunday evening.

Mother Nature decided to see how much of a punch Nashville and her people could really take.

And frankly, she knocked us down. Hard.

It is no disgrace to get knocked down. It happens to every person, community, or nation. It is painful. The telling part about the character of any person, city, or country, however, is if they will get back up and stand again.

In Nashville, we will stand again.

Images of people who had been flooded out of homes and lost everything were flashed across our televisions and internet feeds instantaneously. We watched in real time the grief, the horror, and the agony as our neighbors watched their homes being swept away; as their livlihoods were ruined; or worst of all, as loved ones were missing.

The damage was widespread and catastrophic, and as we viewed those images, we saw another image as well. One that should forever be indelible.

It was people of Nashville reaching out to help those that were in peril, that were hurting and suffering loss, that were completely flattened by the force of Mother Nature's punch.

Strangers that got people they did not know out of harm's way. Strangers that were sheltered by compassionate people who opened their homes and their hearts. A community reaching out to their own and lifting them back to their feet.

Solid. Sturdy. The people of Nashville.

Patten Fuqua wrote an eloquent piece entitled "We Are Nashville" on the Cellblock 303 website, and it can be read here. In his piece, he mentioned that you haven't heard much about what has happened in Nashville because the people of Nashville didn't loot, didn't riot. Instead, they helped their neighbor and set about to clean up and recover.

Solid. Sturdy. The people of Nashville

This won't be over quickly. The devastation to parts of the city are unspeakable. Lives have been forever altered by the fury of nature. The process of standing will be painful, and it will take time, immense effort, and determination.

But know this:

We will stand again!



If you want to help, please visit these sites to learn about opportunities or to make a donation:

Hands On Nashville


The Community Foundation of Nashville & Middle Tennessee


Text "Red Cross" to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross in Nashville

The Salvation Army- Nashville

All animal shelters in Nashville and the surrounding counties are in need of pet supplies.

Second Harvest Food Bank Nashville




photo by samuel M. Simpkins/The Tennessean

The View's End of the Year Awards

Now that the Predators season has ended, it is time for the View to hand out his much awaited end of the year awards. So without further ado, here they are:

The D.B. Cooper Award

This award goes to the player that took the money and disappeared. The vote on this one was not even close, as this award goes to David Legwand. After signing a new and hefty contract, David had a great December, lighting up the scoreboard and playing like many had thought- and hoped- he would since his days as the second pick in the draft. Unfortunately for Predator fans, David disappeared for much of the remainder of the regular season. A strong playoff series was not enough to wrest this award away from him.

The Obama "Hope and Change" Award

This dubious honor is presented to the Predators power play. Awful for much of the season, it was hoped that this unit would change in the playoffs. Alas, like much of politics today, it was just more of the same old garbage.


The Tiger Woods Scoring Award

This award goes to the player that during this past season scored like Tiger Woods, and I am not necessarily talking about his golf game. Patric Hornqvist, you are a winner! Coming off a less than stellar rookie campaign, the Horn Dog (no, not Tiger) had a breakout year to lead the Predators with 30 goals. The Horn Dog scoring as consistently as Tiger was a very pleasant surprise for the Predators.




The Mark of the Beast Award

Players got religion when they were standing in front of the net and Shea Weber was getting ready to unleash a bomb from the blue line. Broken feet, ankles, and hands were common place when Shea fired the cannon. Even nets were no match for his rocket. The scorch marks on the Olympic twine were proof of the power of his shot. Congratulations, Shea! (Please don't shoot the puck at me!)




The David Copperfield Award

Copperfield is known for his vanishing acts, and for the Predators, the biggest vanishing act occurred in the playoffs by none other than Captain Jason Arnott. The big guy was held scoreless until the last game of the series, when he tallied two goals. Too little and too late.




The Terminator "I'll Be Back" Award

Steve Sullivan, you not only came back, but came back in a big way, playing every game in the regular season for only the second time in your career. This is remarkable considering the extent of your injury and the effort to come back. Yes, I know it is now the second season since you have returned to the ice after being out for so long, but you have the heart of of a champion. Here's to another season of good health.





The Jerry Lee Lewis "Great Balls of Fire" Award

Dennis Grebeshkov, you are a man! Not only did you sustain a severe injury to one of your testicles (I am cringing as I type this) in the first period of a game with the L.A. Kings, but you played two more periods. Later you went to the hospital where you were treated. Just another day at the office, huh? Wow. Just wow!


The Orville and Wilbur Wright Frequent Flyer Award

Awarded to the player that spent lots of time in an airplane shuttling back and forth between Nashville and Milwaukee. Early in the season, Cody Franson was called up, sent back, called up, and sent back again before finally being called up and sticking with the big club. Hope you enjoyed all those free peanuts, Cody.


The "Why Yes, I Am An Expert" Award

Awarded to a player that provided pithy insight and humor during the course of season with his in game comments from the bench, this honor goes to none other than Dan Ellis. Ellis absolutely gave some good commentary sprinkled with comedic comments during the course of the game. He was absolutely the best. Absolutely. (Absolutely count= 3). Andy Sutton would say you are an expert, sir.


The "Hey, We Have A Hockey Team?" Award

A tie for this coveted award goes to David Climer and Joe Biddle of the Tennessean. Both wrote articles during the Predators first round playoff series with Chicago. Before that- zero, zip, nada. For these guys, if it isn't UT or the Titans, it is non-existent. When informed they had to write an article about the Predators, both skulked back to their cubicles and pouted for most of the day. They then called John Glennon and asked if we really had a hockey team.




The "We Don't Need No Stinkin' Due Process" Award

Due process? What's that? So what if it does exist. This award goes to Rusty Lawrence and Steve North of the Nashville Sports Authority, who demanded that the Predators majority owner David Freeman forgo his due process rights in a dispute with the IRS. As award winners, Lawrence and North get free courses at Nashville State in accounting and constitutional law.


The "I Just Make It Up As I Go Along" Award

Goes to no other than the Hockey News "writer" Ken Campbell, who once again trotted out a tired and false meme that the Predators were going to relocate to Kansas City. Never mind that this issue was a non-issue and had no basis in fact. For his efforts, Campbell was awarded a first ever "Hattie" award by the View.


And there you have it, folks. The second annual End of the Season Awards as presented by the View. Hope all of you enjoy them, and if you have suggestions for others, feel free to let me know.