Are the Tennessee Titans' troubles good for the Nashville Predators?

by Dirk Hoag on Oct 4, 2009 7:29 PM EDT

There's an interesting, if slightly impolite question that will be on the minds of many Nashville sports fans this week, as the Predators prepare for their home opener on Thursday night against Colorado. It comes in light of the NFL's Tennessee Titans and their surprising 0-4 start, the latest loss coming today against woeful Jacksonville.

It's a question that will persist in the background, as legions of fans bombard sports radio with calls for Vince Young to take over as quarterback, or question whether the time has finally come for Jeff Fisher to leave as head coach. In light of the rough economy, and the headwind that all professional sports teams face to sell tickets and maintain revenue, it's an especially critical question for our local hockey team:

Are the failures of the Tennessee Titans good for the Nashville Predators?

Follow after the jump for the arguments for and against...

Titan troubles spell opportunity for the Preds

On the one side of this question, one could say that given the incredibly high likelihood that the Titans will miss the playoffs, that leaves money on the table from Nashville sports fans who would have bought playoff tickets and assorted memorabilia, to instead move some of that demand over to hockey once the NFL regular season concludes. Sponsorship opportunities might also open up for the Predators, as corporations that would normally hitch their brand to a playoff-bound football team instead look for another way to reach consumers.

Sports are a team game, and when one team loses in a city, they all do

The alternative way of looking at it is that as the barometer of the sports market here in Nashville, a gloomy Titans season might cause the general sports fan to tune out altogether. The fact that the Detroit Lions have a better record than the Titans might well cause NFL fans to find a different form of escape. Book club, anyone?

So what do you think? Are the Titans' problems going to help the Preds?

And by the way, for any of you Titans fans that want to see a winning team, come down to the Predators' home opener on Thursday, October 8 against the Colorado Avalanche and their sensational rookie Matt Duchene. Some tickets are still available, and I've got a discount to offer as well if you act now.

Poll

Are the failures of the Tennessee Titans good for the Nashville Predators?

Yes

126 votes

No

36 votes

162 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I'm convinced it's the Preds' year, since it isn't the Titans'

as sad as I am to say it. They are my only hope for some happiness in sports.

FOREVER #9

Official Graphic Designer/Researcher/Grammar Police of MCM.
Official Graphic Goon of OTF.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Oct 4, 2009 7:43 PM EDT reply actions

I'm a Cubs fan

how do you think I’ve felt my whole life

by Great Paperclip on Oct 4, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions

go preds

after an 0-4 start with the colts and the patriots coming up….I’ve already shifted from the Titans to hockey. Go Preds!

by JamieD on Oct 4, 2009 9:35 PM EDT reply actions

The Bright Side of Losing

I don’t think any Preds fan is relishing in the Titans losing season. However, since they ARE losing, I hope the Preds can capitalize on it by giving Nashvillians something to cheer about. From what I’ve read, the Titans have enough season ticket holders on the wait list to sell out every game for the next 35 years. They can afford to send a few ticket buyers our way.

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Oct 4, 2009 10:52 PM EDT reply actions

exactly

FOREVER #9

Official Graphic Designer/Researcher/Grammar Police of MCM.
Official Graphic Goon of OTF.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Oct 4, 2009 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Prescient Question

I thought about this very thing as I watched the Titans game, given the fact that they are likely to start 0-6 with the Colts and Patriots coming up. There are two key things needed to make this an opportunity for the Preds. The first is a red hot start for our hockey club, giving the community something to talk about. Which leads us to the second, will the media shift its attention to the Preds? Will the lead on the sports page/talk shows be about getting the Titans right or how good the Preds look (given a the needed hot start)?

We’ll know the answer in a few weeks. If the question dominating the airwaves is the chances of landing Sam Bradford instead of how well the second line is playing, then you will be able to recognize me anywhere you see me. I will be the one with a bruise on my forehead with a dent in a nearby wall.

by Matthew White on Oct 5, 2009 1:10 AM EDT reply actions

Expectations...

…it’s all a matter of playing against them. Entering their respective seasons, the Titans and the Predators presented opposite story lines: the Titans were expected to compete for a Superbowl berth while the Predators were given little or no chance for a post-season appearance. Now that the Titans are all but out of the playoff hunt, it’s up to the Preds to win early. That way, the general perception that David Poile failed to improve a weak team in the off season can be replaced with a new appreciation for what he has been able to accomplish on a shoestring. To that end, the performances of Dan Ellis and Mike Santorelli, in particular, offered a stirring first chapter for the revised story line.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 5, 2009 12:02 PM EDT reply actions