This could only happen off the ice, but it’s still a welcome sign from yesterday’s Columbus Dispatch:

The Blue Jackets should be happy that a chief rival will stay put. Now that [the Blue Jackets] are on the way to respectability, there’s no reason they can’t renew a nasty rivalry with the Predators.

Of course, they’ll have to beat them first. The Blue Jackets have lost 10 straight to the Predators.

This rivalry has been nasty, in my opinion, since the beginning when Columbus whipped Nashville 5-1 in their very first matchup. The Blue Jackets do appear to be improved this season, so things should only get more intense. Here’s hoping for many more grudge matches to come.

Life has a way of reminding us that final scores and other distractions ultimately aren’t all that important. The Nance family and everyone involved in this tragedy have my utmost sympathy today. I honestly can’t imagine what they and those close to them must be feeling right now.

There have been plenty of rumors for weeks that the new Preds ownership group is not enamored of executive vice president of business affairs Steve Violetta, who is reportedly heading to the Detroit Red Wings. A hardcore hockey veteran who helped launch the Ottawa Senators and spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and baseball’s San Diego Padres, Violetta hasn’t made a lot of friends in the city’s business community.

The writing has been on the wall for a while that Violetta was likely to be fired if the local ownership group moved forward with its purchase of the team, but it’s easy to make one person a scapegoat for what have been lackluster, at best, ticket sales for the franchise. I think Violetta is an intelligent and experienced guy who isn’t necessarily the most personable fellow in town, and his skills may be better suited for more traditional hockey circles and cooler climates. Detroit is probably a much better fit for the Central Michigan University graduate.

Paul Nicholson hinted at this change in leadership a week ago. The early response in Michigan appears to be mixed, and hopefully it will be a successful shift in direction for both franchises.

Speaking of Nashville’s unique character, there’s an interesting conversation taking place right now on food media site Chowhound about restaurants that haven’t survived in Nashville. Recent departures such as The Sutler, Belle Meade Buffet and Vandyland are mentioned alongside older disappearances Shakey’s Pizza, B&W Cafeteria, Ireland’s and Seven Hills Drug. Restaurants that have relocated but stayed in business, including Jimmy Kelly’s and Gerst Haus, are on the list, too, and I’m sure happy they are only included as honorable mentions. Those are two places I would hate to lose.

Swati Hasbe is in the midst of moving from Raleigh, N.C., to Seattle with his wife. Hasbe described the couple’s stop in Nashville last Friday on his blog:

The drive was good with perfect late fall colors. The smoky mountains were so beautiful with deep red leafs. We went to Broadway street in downtown Nashville and I was amazed at the music scene there. Every bar had different music which could be heard walking down the street itself. Music city to the core. We went to Robert’s western world and there was this band playing country music. Every song of his made us tap our feet on the floor, truly amazing. We went to BB Kings next. You almost could sense the history and Nashville’s rich music heritage inside these bars.

David Briley mentioned frequently during his campaign for mayor this summer that the New York Times and visitors to Nashville tend to flock to the unique elements of our city that give it its rich character. I don’t spend a lot of time on Lower Broadway (though certainly more than I ever would have 20 years ago, prior to its revitalization), but the area is one of our best local treasures that showcases what you can find in Nashville that you can’t find anywhere else. I’m sure glad it and all the others are here.

The Hotel Preston, a boutique hotel near Nashville’s airport, has entered the local blogosphere. Sabrina, a member of the hotel’s front desk staff, has been blogging on the venue’s behalf since late September about entertainment and other happenings in town.

I’m not sure how Sabrina’s Super Bowl prediction will pan out for the Titans after Monday’s thumping by the Denver Broncos, and she is definitely confused when she reported earlier this week that the Preds are headed to Canada as a result of the team’s impending ownership change. Sorry, Sabrina, hopefully they’re here for the long run, and at least three to five more years.

Nonetheless, it’s notable to me to see a local business supporting a local blog and sticking with it. The Internet is littered with Web sites and blogs that are out of date or feature one or two initial posts bursting with optimism about producing content, and I’m pleased to see that the Hotel Preston’s blog isn’t one of them.

The state stopped offering free golf to its former governors, and I think it should do the same when it comes to free rides for past top executives. Providing transportation to official events and when safety considerations require an escort is fine. Otherwise, this is an unnecessary expense for taxpayers and, as noted in the paper, at least the appearance of cronyism. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has more than its share of such appearances already, though more is being done to address that in recent years than ever before.

Nashville’s former mayor won re-election in a 2003 landslide and was widely hailed for his focus on neighborhoods and his smart and pragmatic approach to government. Purcell also received high marks for his eloquence, particularly in describing the city of Nashville in front of audiences local and elsewhere.

Despite these and many other accolades and accomplishments, another take on Purcell has been emerging since the runoff election that made Karl Dean his successor. Yesterday, the City Paper’s Richard Lawson reported on the business community’s “love-hate relationship” with the mayor and Purcell’s habit for “slow-walking” initiatives he didn’t support. The Sounds downtown stadium deal and plans for a new convention center are high-profile examples.

Outgoing Predators owner Craig Leipold was quoted in The Tennessean over the weekend praising Dean for his work in negotiations with David Freeman’s ownership group. I don’t think I’m assuming too much in saying that the following quote speaks volumes about Leipold’s opinions on Dean and on his predecessor: “It’s so exciting to have a mayor that understands the value this team has for Nashville. I was very impressed with his commitment to make it work.”

Privately, I’ve heard one insider discuss the major shift in leadership style that is taking place as Dean begins to make the mayor’s office his own. No one’s sure who knows how to manage a department, the source said, because none of the managers have been allowed to manage in eight years. Everything has been controlled centrally. It all had to come through the mayor’s office. The insider also mentioned that some council members were enthusiastic to have the new mayor meet individually and cordially with them after “having been ignored” for years.

Only time will tell how history regards Nashville’s most recent former mayor. There’s no risk here of another Bill Boner emerging from the aftermath that’s under way, but when the dust finally settles, what will the conventional wisdom look like on the space between the Bredesen and Dean administrations?

I think Nashville Post’s Ken Whitehouse is absolutely right:

While Nashville voters may think hosting a debate is not that big of deal, it is a major coup for Belmont and the city. While there was an overwhelming number of mayoral debates in the last year and the seemingly endless number of presidential primary debates that are ongoing and on television, competition for general election debates at the presidential level are intense.

Regardless of one’s political persuasion or cynicism about the political process, hosting a presidential debate (subscription required for link) is major, high-profile visibility for Belmont and the city of Nashville. It’s even better that the debate will take place in October 2008, barely a month before Election Day.

Governor Phil Bredesen, who gave most of the limelight to first lady Andrea Conte today, spoke briefly at the Preds rally. He thanked the key players and, most significantly, lauded praise on new Mayor Karl Dean and his efforts negotiating with the new ownership group.

“You really have done a great job with this,” Bredesen said. “It would have been easy for a newly elected mayor to offer verbal support and not much else.” Bredesen went on to say that negotiations such as these are “difficult technically and politically” and thanked Dean for his willingness to step up and get a deal done. “It’s an honor to be here with you today,” he said. “I’m a fan.”

It’s remarkable to observe this sincere goodwill from Bredesen, who many have speculated did not get along with former Mayor Bill Purcell. Bredesen’s show of favor on Dean, who now at long last has breathing room to start the rest of his term, can’t hurt as he turns his attention to the rest of his agenda.

Our Team Nashville chairman Ron Samuels said today that the local community needs to keep its focus on selling tickets to keep the Preds in town. The Our Team effort has aimed to generate per-game sales above the 14,000 mark required in the team’s lease to preserve its lease at the Sommet Center. Samuels today challenged the city to reach higher for a new goal of 15,000 tickets, a figure that puts the franchise on more solid financial footing than the lease’s baseline requirement.

According to recent reports, the team is drawing approximately 12,300 paid tickets per game, though it’s important to note that single-game sales typically are sluggish in October and increase as the season continues.

David Freeman, leader of the prospective ownership group, remained humble in the spotlight. He thanked all of the major players and expressed his gratitude to the fans most of all. “There’s a core base of fans here that is dedicated, passionate and loyal.” The group’s task, he observed, will be to recruit more people to become part of that die-hard fan base.

Freeman thanked outgoing owner Craig Leipold for his patience through the entire process. That willingness to give the local group’s efforts a chance, he noted, are why the team has the opportunity to stay in town.

The new group intends to focus on “winning on and off the ice.” The lease changes will give the team a real shot at success and will allow the owners to put a better product on the ice.