Predators are in dire straits...actually, no, they're fine

The Nashville Predators are in grave danger of going bankrupt and leaving the city forever.  They've no longer got a place to play as their arena sponsors have sued them and broken the contract.  They've got ownership problems as one guy that tried to buy them is in jail, and another owner filed for bankruptcy and needs to sell the team to pay back his credtiors.  And finally, they've defaulted on their lease and need to either get out of the lease or they're going to have to leave.

It's a terrible market and the team has to go.

via www.theehl.com

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On the Forecheck

Or not.  Each of these problems has been addressed by a prudent, though stressed, ownership group and their partners and the situation remains stable as they wait on the outcome of the former owner's bankruptcy trial before bringing aboard a Daddy Warbucks owner that will keep the franchise on an even keel indefinitely. 

What's the heck is going on in Nashville?

According to the mainstream media, the sky is falling in Nashville and it's only a matter of time before the Kansas City Predators or the Seattle Predators emerge from the ruins.  As reported by SBNation's own Dirk Hoag of On The Forecheck, the Tennessean takes a less than neutral position when it comes to reporting on the Predators.  Essentially, Nashville's media has become nothing more than a giant tabloid, trolling for readers and viewers with innuendo.

Yes, David Freeman, Nashville's principal owner is having cash flow difficulties, but he's selling off assets to manage that difficulty, not necessarily the team itself.  And yes, Calgary billionaire Brett Wilson is the Daddy Warbucks-in-waiting to take a stake in the Predators and that will bring stability to the franchise, but he's waiting for the dust to clear from the never-ending saga that is the Boots Del Biaggio bankruptcy. 

Yes, the Predators were close to a possible lease default, but anyone peeking behind the curtain saw that the Sports Authority was more than willing to throw open the terms and come to a solution.  Oh, and the naming rights issue?  Turns out it was a pissing match over a T-Shirt contract.

The traditional media likes to trot out the old canard that new media sites aren't responsible to editorial control.  Where is the editorial control in Nashville?  Dirk is modest in reporting that the Nashville Business Journal is doing a stellar job on some of these issues, because he himself has been on top of all of these issues all along with pointed, unbiased commentary.  When it comes to journalistic integrity in Nashville, it's the guy in his mom's basement that is running laps around the credentialed talking heads and headline writers.