Predators ownership provides guarantees to Nashville

Nate Rau of the Tennessean reports that Nashville's Metro Sports Authority accepted new financial guarantees from the Predators ownership group at their meeting today, which should pretty much wrap up the David Freeman tax lien issue for the present time.

An interesting comment was added, however, which indicates in part that the revised lease agreement that the ownership group negotiated with the city is having its intended effect of increasing overall business activity at the arena:

Ed Lang, president of business operations for the Predators, told the authority that the Bridgestone Arena is operating at its highest levels ever. During the 2006-07 season, before the team's new lease agreement with the city went into effect, the arena brought in $16 million in non-hockey events.

In the last year, Lang said those revenues had jumped to $26 million.

If memory serves, this is the first time I've seen the Tennessean acknowledge the increase in business at the arena, even though these numbers are reported on a monthly basis in the Sports Authority meetings.