After reading the news today that the Preds are interested in changing the name of the Gaylord Entertainment Center back to the venue’s original name, the Nashville Arena, I couldn’t help but wonder whether The Tennessean might be trying to stoke controversy where there is none. In my opinion, this is much the same move that the Titans made when Adelphia ended its sponsorship of what temporarily became known as the Nashville Coliseum (and is now LP Field):

The Predators, already struggling with lukewarm fan support, have apparently had no luck finding a sponsor to step up and pay for the naming rights to the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and the hockey team wants to change the name back to the Nashville Arena. Metro will decide later this month whether to accept the team’s request to change the name of the 17,113-seat hockey and concert venue.

Gaylord Entertainment Co. signed a 20-year, $80 million naming rights and partial ownership deal with the Predators in 1999. But the agreement was terminated in 2004, with Gaylord agreeing to pay the Predators more than $9 million over the next five years.

No one is happy that the Preds have not been able to secure a name sponsor yet, but naming deals don’t typically happen overnight. It also took the Titans years (plural) to partner with LP. Reporter Bryan Mullen opens his story by calling out the Preds’ lukewarm fan support, even though the team’s attendance has been markedly improved since late January.

Furthermore, Mullen and the copy editor, who likely wrote what seems to me to be a sensationalized “if Preds get their way” headline, appear to me, at least, to be implying that this change will be questioned and criticized. No one quoted in the article says anything to indicate that they have any serious concerns about the name change, and a presumably unbiased marketing executive from another city is quoted saying he thinks it’s a good idea:

“Go to the trouble to change the name back to a generic name because that will make it more palatable for a new partner to come in and begin to distance itself from Gaylord,” [Denver-based The Bonham Group's president Shawn] Bradley said.

Metro Finance Director David Manning weighed in for the story to note that the city is not expected to be on the hook directly for any costs associated with the change, and team owner Craig Leipold, who has bent over backward working to make the Preds a success in the city, reiterated that the team has no plans to do anything but stay in the city and play hockey, as reported by Mullen: “Predators  owner Craig Leipold has said he plans to stay in Nashville and has no interest in moving the franchise.”

The name change is definitely news in Nashville, but there doesn’t appear to be much controversy alongside it. If you ask me, it’s a no-brainer to change the name to stop providing Gaylord with free advertising and to make the naming rights more attractive for a future sponsor. Consider the City Paper’s much less dramatic approach to the same news in its story headlined GEC to be renamed the ‘Nashville Arena’:

The GEC will not be the GEC much longer. The Nashville Predators have notified Metro the team intends to drop the “Gaylord Entertainment Center” appellation of the downtown arena it calls home and to re-title the complex, at least for the time being, the “Nashville Arena…”

“We recognize the commitment the Nashville community made in building the Nashville Arena and we are committed to securing a naming rights partner that all of Nashville will be proud to have associated with the City and the facility!”

“Effective March 16, 2007, all communications and references (website, game and event broadcasts, advertising and promotion, etc.) will identify the facility as the Nashville Arena,” [Predators executive vice president Ed] Lang wrote to [Sports Authority Chairman Kevin] Lavender.

The Predators can rename the arena per contract with the Sports Authority. The city owns the GEC.

Note that last sentence. The Predators have the legal right to make the name change, and everyone quoted seems to think it is a good idea or at least not something that will cause the city any problems. The Preds have been at or near the top of the standings all season long, and their small-but-rabid fan base has been joined by more fans in the seats as the playoffs draw near. The team’s front office has been dedicated to this city since day one, and it’s working hard to make this a successful franchise on and off the ice. Why pile on the Preds when there doesn’t appear to be a reason to do so?