Sommet Center – Nashville, TN
Nashville was cold and windy and drizzly and lonely! Dawn was on a 9 day trip to Australia and instead of spending another weekend alone at home I decided to hit up a Nashville game. I arrived late Friday night, checked into the hotel and was surprised to see the complete fan base for the Baltimore Ravens in the hotel bar. I had no idea when booking this excursion I would be plopping myself into the middle of the Ravens / Titans playoff game in Nashville. Friday night came and went, Saturday morning was spent working a little and then around 4pm I ventured out towards the arena. A chilly 3 block walk landed me on Broadway St. and in front of Jacks BBQ. A quick glance at the menu and I was sold … Pork Shoulder, Corn, Beans, a bun and a nice cold beer all for $12! After my lunch and snapping a few pictures inside I walked the one block to purchase my ticket. Planning to spend $25 I ended up with a $42, Center Ice, 2nd row from the top. Seriously, I think I had to duck to get to my seat! I was sitting literally “in the rafters.”
Seeing I had an hour before the doors opened I walked down Broadway (not to far – it was coooooold!). I ended up at this cute bar that looked like a hotel, The Merchants was the bar and grille in a building built back in the late 1800’s … history ranged from soda fountain, pharmacy, general store, brothel, gangster bar, dive bar among other things. The bar top was a hammered copper top and next to that they still had the lowered marble counter that served many a kid during the soda fountain days. Since the Titans were playing the Ravens down the street, the Sommet Center opened early and they were playing the football game on the jumbo-tron. I walked around, took more pictures, talked to some ticket checkers and enjoyed the Nashville environment. 5 minutes into the game and Chicago looked scattered already. Nashville was capitalizing on their lack of focus and were able to keep the puck in their offensive zone for the majority of the first period. 1st ended with 15 – 2 Shots On Goal in favor of Nashville and Legwand netted their first goal of the night with 9:19 left in the 1st. I spent the first and second period sandwiched between two ladies who were hanging on every word that spewed out of their hubby’s mouth. 99% of what these guys said regarding the game and the strategy and their play by play was wrong and I had to remember where I was before I opened my mouth to correct them.
What really surprised me was how quiet the crowd was during the game. Sitting almost on the roof, I was able to hear the players talk to each other. The crowd was just not into the game, it was like they were at a convention listening to the keynote. A few times in my excitement I realized I was being looked at and judged … ok, that might be a projection, but they were looking at me. Aside from the silence and the ignorance … I had a GREAT time at the game in Nashville and look forward to the next arena I get to visit.
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I was at a Solar Bears playoff game once where this guy was talking out of his ass about the game right off the opening puck drop. His main criticism was that both teams were missing easy passes and it’s because they all “sucked”. I finally asked him if he played hockey, and he says, “Sure, all of the time”. I said “Can I see your hands?” He held them out and guess what? NO CALLOUSES on the side of his pinky. ANYONE who laces up hockey skates “all of the time” will have a hard callous there. His were as soft as a baby’s ass. So I said, “Buddy, you haven’t laced a skate in YEARS, if you ever did.” I then explained that as someone who plays several times a week, the reason they couldn’t catch a pass was because the pucks weren’t frozen. Eight ounces of rubber BOUNCES unless they’re frozen first. I then said to watch and see if someone doesn’t figure out a way to get that puck over the glass to get a replacement. Sure enough, mere seconds later, a player clears it into the bench, the linesman looks at it, bounces it on the ice once and throws it into the crowd. Ah, the satisfaction of being right. I never get tired of it. LOL.