What Makes A Hockey Game In Nashville So Unique (Jeremy Gover -- Section303.com)
Thursday, 08.25.2011 / 3:32 PM
Print
By Jeremy Gover (section303.com)
Is it the organized chants? Is it the occasional star power on the band stage between periods? Is it the impromptu TV timeout standing ovations? What makes a hockey game in Nashville, Tennessee so unique?
All of the above.
Nowhere else in the National Hockey League do you have a crowd that essentially acts as a team member. And because Nashville Predators fans feel like they’re part of the team, they take the term “home ice advantage” to a whole new level, cheering the Preds on to one of the best home records in the Western Conference (24-9-8). In 2010-11, only the mighty Vancouver Canucks had a better home record.
So what gives the Preds the advantage? One of the main factors are the organized chants that originate up in 303. The Cell Block has been around since day one, literally. Founder Mark Hollingsworth and his band of rowdy misfits decided that they were going to take it upon themselves to make the early expansion years fun and exciting. Because, let’s face it, the early days of an NHL franchise can be long and painful. Like the Predators were building their organization over time, Hollingsworth, et al built the Cell Block over time. Since the Fall of 1998, it’s taken on a life of it’s own, having grown from just a few loud fans in section 303 to organized chants that are recited throughout the arena. The section is so famous around the league that it even gets a shout-out in EA Sports’ NHL video game franchise.
“You’re part of a family that’s united in their love for the Nashville Predators and the disdain for the opponent,” said Codey Holland, a season ticket holder in The Cell Block. “You laugh, you taunt, and above all else, you have a great time!”
But that’s not the only thing that makes Smashville unique. Where else do you have live music during the intermissions? Nowhere. In every arena around the NHL, it’s the same old thing: ads on the jumbotron, a video about an upcoming team event and some music. All while you go out and grab a hot dog. In Nashville, however, that’s not good enough. Alice Cooper, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill are just a handful of big names that have entertained Preds fans between periods on the band stage. And the list of stars is sure to grow over the next few years. Could Nashville residents Jack White, Taylor Swift or Tim McGraw be next? You never know who’s going to grace that stage on any given night.
The organized chants and heckling are great. The hall of fame musicians are great. But there’s another thing that sets Nashville, Tennessee apart from all the rest. And, if you’ve ever witnessed one first hand, you’re getting chill bumps right about…. now.
The TV timeout standing ovations are truly something to behold. 17,113 people stand, applaud and cheer in unison, all with the purpose of giving their hockey club that extra push to get that tying goal, or kill off that important penalty, or close out the final seconds of a close victory. Sure fans cheer and get loud in every arena, but this is something completely different. The Bridgestone Arena crowd senses a momentum change and does everything it can to help the Predators gain or keep that momentum. They can’t strap on the skates and get out on the ice so they do it the only way they can: with their voices.
“It’s awesome,” Head Coach Barry Trotz said. “It just energizes you. It’s like a shot of adrenaline. Especially when you smell blood.”
On January 15, 2011, that Predators smelled blood. They had scratched and clawed their way back from a 2-0 deficit to the Central Division rival and defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. 12:17 into the final frame, a TV timeout occurred and Preds fans took to their feet. Their cheers and applause and all-around noise making was deafening and their team fed off of it. Just three seconds after the networks returned to live coverage – and with the standing ovation still going on – captain Shea Weber one-timed a shot past Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford to tie the game. It was the loudest that building had been in years. Maybe ever. The excitement of trying to help your team and then seeing the immediate pay off was beyond words.
“Are the Blackhawks taking a timeout here?” Predators play-by-play man Pete Weber exclaimed on the FS-Tennessee broadcast. “It’s so loud, I can’t hear.”
The TV timeout standing O’s only happen about 10 times a season. They’re hardly an everyday thing. But, in the end, that’s what makes them special. They would lose their effectiveness if they were planned or staged or forced. They wouldn’t have the same impact if they were predictable or frequent. They’re perfect the way they are.
Unique. Just like hockey in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jeremy Gover is a long-time Preds season ticket holder and the lead blogger for section303.com.
Is it the organized chants? Is it the occasional star power on the band stage between periods? Is it the impromptu TV timeout standing ovations? What makes a hockey game in Nashville, Tennessee so unique?
All of the above.
Nowhere else in the National Hockey League do you have a crowd that essentially acts as a team member. And because Nashville Predators fans feel like they’re part of the team, they take the term “home ice advantage” to a whole new level, cheering the Preds on to one of the best home records in the Western Conference (24-9-8). In 2010-11, only the mighty Vancouver Canucks had a better home record.
So what gives the Preds the advantage? One of the main factors are the organized chants that originate up in 303. The Cell Block has been around since day one, literally. Founder Mark Hollingsworth and his band of rowdy misfits decided that they were going to take it upon themselves to make the early expansion years fun and exciting. Because, let’s face it, the early days of an NHL franchise can be long and painful. Like the Predators were building their organization over time, Hollingsworth, et al built the Cell Block over time. Since the Fall of 1998, it’s taken on a life of it’s own, having grown from just a few loud fans in section 303 to organized chants that are recited throughout the arena. The section is so famous around the league that it even gets a shout-out in EA Sports’ NHL video game franchise.
“You’re part of a family that’s united in their love for the Nashville Predators and the disdain for the opponent,” said Codey Holland, a season ticket holder in The Cell Block. “You laugh, you taunt, and above all else, you have a great time!”
But that’s not the only thing that makes Smashville unique. Where else do you have live music during the intermissions? Nowhere. In every arena around the NHL, it’s the same old thing: ads on the jumbotron, a video about an upcoming team event and some music. All while you go out and grab a hot dog. In Nashville, however, that’s not good enough. Alice Cooper, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill are just a handful of big names that have entertained Preds fans between periods on the band stage. And the list of stars is sure to grow over the next few years. Could Nashville residents Jack White, Taylor Swift or Tim McGraw be next? You never know who’s going to grace that stage on any given night.
The organized chants and heckling are great. The hall of fame musicians are great. But there’s another thing that sets Nashville, Tennessee apart from all the rest. And, if you’ve ever witnessed one first hand, you’re getting chill bumps right about…. now.
The TV timeout standing ovations are truly something to behold. 17,113 people stand, applaud and cheer in unison, all with the purpose of giving their hockey club that extra push to get that tying goal, or kill off that important penalty, or close out the final seconds of a close victory. Sure fans cheer and get loud in every arena, but this is something completely different. The Bridgestone Arena crowd senses a momentum change and does everything it can to help the Predators gain or keep that momentum. They can’t strap on the skates and get out on the ice so they do it the only way they can: with their voices.
“It’s awesome,” Head Coach Barry Trotz said. “It just energizes you. It’s like a shot of adrenaline. Especially when you smell blood.”
On January 15, 2011, that Predators smelled blood. They had scratched and clawed their way back from a 2-0 deficit to the Central Division rival and defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. 12:17 into the final frame, a TV timeout occurred and Preds fans took to their feet. Their cheers and applause and all-around noise making was deafening and their team fed off of it. Just three seconds after the networks returned to live coverage – and with the standing ovation still going on – captain Shea Weber one-timed a shot past Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford to tie the game. It was the loudest that building had been in years. Maybe ever. The excitement of trying to help your team and then seeing the immediate pay off was beyond words.
“Are the Blackhawks taking a timeout here?” Predators play-by-play man Pete Weber exclaimed on the FS-Tennessee broadcast. “It’s so loud, I can’t hear.”
The TV timeout standing O’s only happen about 10 times a season. They’re hardly an everyday thing. But, in the end, that’s what makes them special. They would lose their effectiveness if they were planned or staged or forced. They wouldn’t have the same impact if they were predictable or frequent. They’re perfect the way they are.
Unique. Just like hockey in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jeremy Gover is a long-time Preds season ticket holder and the lead blogger for section303.com.
