Nashville Predators Are Continuing Crusade To Keep Blackhawks Fans Away, Episode 367
(CBS) The Chicago Blackhawks play their second game in Nashville of this season on Thursday night, which brings a tradition unlike any other: The Predators continuing their crusade to keep Blackhawks fans out of Bridgestone Arena.
In a bulletin presented on the team's official Twitter account on Wednesday, the Predators reminded everyone that Thursday's contest is "Passport or credit card entry only." This is another highly localized practice to "keep the red out" out of the Predators' home arena, which Blackhawks fans have longed flocked to for an easy and fun road trip.
As it sits for Thursday's game, fans can gain entry with their team passport, basically a season-ticket holder ID card. They can also buy tickets with a credit card, but the catch is that sales "will be restricted to residents of the Nashville Predators television viewing area -- Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside the viewing area will be canceled without notice and refunds given."
This continues a Predators crusade that dates back to at least 2013, when they attempted to dissuade Blackhawks fans from visiting by not offering single-game tickets to Predators-Blackhawks contests. To get a ticket to that contest, a two-game package had to purchased. Later that 2013 season in the first round of the playoffs, the Predators required tickets to be purchased locally and in person.
Last January, the Predators also employed the same practice they're using this week, limiting sales to those with credit cards in the television-viewing area.
The president of Nashville's main tourism agency has called the practice of highly localizing ticket sales "not a good thing."
