TiqIQ, an SB Nation partner which offers a pretty nifty service for buying tickets to sporting events (just check the Tickets link in the menu bar across the top of this site) is sponsoring a new contest across the various SBN hockey sites, in which you can win tickets to an upcoming regular season game, and all it takes is a tweet to make your entry!

To enter, make your guess as to which Nashville Predator will lead the team in Penalty Minutes as of November 30th, including the name of the player, and how many penalty minutes they will have for the season on that date.

Specifically, here's what you need to do:

1. Follow @TiqIQ on TwitterFollow @TiqIQ
2. Send a tweet to me Follow @Forechecker , with the name of the player, the number of penalty minutes, and the hashtag #TakeASeat. Just follow the example in the picture below, and include your own guess as to the player and the number of PIMs.
3. Entries must be made on or before October 31st, 2011.
   
4. The winner (matching the player and the number of PIMs) will be announced December 9th.

And.... go!

The SB Nation iPhone app is now available in the App Store! And it's Free!

Now you can stay on top of all the latest news and commentary for On The Forecheck and all 300+ SB Nation blogs from your iPhone. With the SB Nation iPhone app you can:

• Get the latest, breaking sports news as it happens
• Customize your news with your favorite teams (like the Preds), sports (I've heard there are others besides hockey out there) and blogs (including On The Forecheck)
• Get notified of updates to the stories you choose to follow on SBNation.com, regional sites, Baseball Nation, or MMA Nation
• Read and reply to comments

Here's how to get it:

Go to the App Store on your iPhone and search for "SB Nation"

-- OR --

Go here and click "Download Now"

FAQ

1. An Android version of the app is coming soon. Hopefully by the end of the year
2. The app is free
3. Comments are basic read-and-reply, but SB Nation has plans to enhance them in future updates
4. You can use your existing SB Nation user name and password to log in to the app

Any questions, feedback, comments? E-mail support@sbnation.com.

And in case you haven't seen the preview video before...

One of the great things about blogging here in Nashville is the vibrant community of folks who are active online, and the biggest and best opportunity to rub elbows with that crowd is coming up on Saturday, March 26 at the Cadillac Ranch downtown - yes, it's time for Podcamp Nashville 2011.

Picture several hundred folks interested in podcasting, blogging, social media... running the gamut of online content creators, gathering together for an all-day mind meld to share insight and make connections.

It's a tremendous opportunity to get outside your niche, and see what works (or doesn't) for people tackling the same sorts of issues you're interested in, just from a different perspective. There are sessions galore covering topics like podcasting, mobile marketing, leveraging YouTube, and a whole lot more. For many, the real value can be found in the informal discussions that crop up in the nooks and crannies around Cadillac Ranch, however.

Whether you create content online for work (for example, you have a small business and you know you should have a presence on Facebook, but don't know where to start) or do it as a hobby like myself, spending time at Podcamp can be one of the most enlightening days of the year. Better yet, the connections you'll make can help keep those ideas churning all year 'round.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over and sign yourself up! I hope to see you there!

Hockey season is truly upon us here in Nashville, as the temperature has plummeted while strange, crystalline formations of water have been seen (some call them "flurries", and they provoke mad scrambles among the natives to stockpile milk & bread). What better time, then, to offer something to the community here at On The Forecheck to help keep you warm?

Announcing the OTF Facebook Contest

So here's the deal - Facebook is becoming a greater and greater presence for online conversation with each passing day, so as an adjunct to all the Nashville Predators talk we have going on here, we've also set up our virtual 40 acres at www.Facebook.com/OnTheForecheck, where you can share your comments, post photos... do all those crazy things that people do on Facebook these days.

So in order to boost our ranks (557 and counting at this time), I'm offering up a prize which was sent to me by the good folks at Easton Hockey; a charcoal-colored fleece Power Plus Hoody (size Adult Large), which retails for around $35, and will be awarded at random to one of the people who "Like" the OtF Facebook Page as of next Monday night, December 13, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. If you already "Like" us over there, you're entered to win!

All entries are subject to the following rules & regulations:

OTF Facebook Contest Rules and Regulations (Word document)

You can use the handy-dandy widget above to "Like" us, or head over to the OTF Facebook Page and join in the discussion!

Thanks to a tip from Russell Scibetti's The Business of Sports blog, fans can now get a quick look at the overall social media reach of various sports organizations, via Coyle Media's Sports Graph. In a nutshell, it combines the followings of each group on Twitter & Facebook to get an idea of how many fans each team or league is communicating with on a regular basis.

Follow after the jump for a look at how the various NHL teams are faring, and what that means for the Nashville Predators...

Continue reading this post »

Nashville's hockey community will be stepping up to provide support for Middle Tennessee Flood Relief on Monday, June 7th, with a "Tweetup" from 6-9:00 p.m. at the Tin Roof on Demonbreum in Nashville. A Tweetup is basically a gathering of people who share a common interest and normally interact on Twitter, but any and all hockey fans are welcome.

There will be a 50/50 raffle, and also some incredible hockey merchandise put up for bid on eBay, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Flood Relief program. Dani Muccio (@Dani3boyz on Twitter, who  now works on social media for the New York Islanders) has been in touch with several NHL teams, and is striking gold! This way, even if you're not here in Nashville you can help out the cause, by bidding on these awesome items:

• A Washington Capitals hat, signed by Alex Ovechkin
• A Carolina Hurricanes jersey, signed by Rod Brind'Amour

More details about the memorabilia will be forthcoming, as the Nashville Predators and several other NHL teams will also be providing items for auction.

In the meantime, you can head over to the invitation and let us know you'll be there!

Mark Willoughby, the Nashville blogger behind The View From 111, has been the driving force behind this event, which will provide a great opportunity for Predators fans to get together and not just watch some hockey, but help with the flood relief efforts in Middle Tennessee at the same time.