It’s amazing to me that one group of people can forgive someone for killing a member of their family while another group can condemn a man they don’t even know.

How? How? How? He should be executed. Period.

The condemnations (including the one above) are coming from commenters on a story about a man with mental illness who was released despite killing one of his neighbors. It is highly likely, in my opinion, that John Henry Roberts should be institutionalized or incarcerated because of what he has done, but I don’t believe that means that he should lose his life. For me at least, one life lost in this story is more than enough, and I sure won’t be the one to call for another.

What is bad news for the Predators in the short term may be good news over the long haul. Like many local hockey fans, I haven’t been pleased to see coverage about the Preds’ ownership situation following a series of lawsuits filed against team minority owner Boots Del Biaggio.

Many cynics of Del Biaggio’s involvement in last year’s franchise sale were quick to claim that the California businessman would ship the Preds to Kansas City at his first opportunity. As Ken Whitehouse and others have pointed out this week, that fate looks increasingly unlikely with each passing media cycle, as legal actions against Del Biaggio continue to pour in.

While no one who roots for the Preds is happy to see another offseason where any level of instability emerges in the team’s ownership group, it may ultimately prove to be a blessing for Del Biaggio to be replaced by someone with fewer motives and, ideally, a local address.

Mike Byrd is right that Councilmember Eric Crafton’s plans for an English-Only ballot initiative are a waste of time and resources:

When immigrants are already learning proper English at faster rates than native born Americans are, Crafton’s ballot initiative is grand-standing designed to further his own political ambitions and ultimately destroy progress in our community.

Crafton, naturally, is claiming different motives:

“The reason it’s so important is because any logical, intellectually honest person would have to admit that English is the success language in the United States,” Crafton said. “If you don’t know English, you’re going to be trapped in a lower strata of society, not having a voice, having menial jobs and no education.”

I agree that fluency in English is a major stepping stone toward success in American society, but I don’t think trying to force people to learn our language will carry them any closer to that goal.

I wish Councilmember Crafton would spend his time tutoring non-English speakers rather than wasting our time on what is, in my opinion, a silly measure likely to embarrass the city (again) and accomplish little else. We need leaders who are looking for ways to create meaningful and positive change in our community, not ones who are consumed with scoring political points.

I can’t say I’m crazy about the logo design, but Nashville should be a slam dunk for its bid to host the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four for one year sometime between 2012 and 2016. There are twelve other cities* vying for the five opportunities to host, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Nashville and Tennessee have a strong heritage of success in women’s basketball, and it isn’t all from Pat Summit. OK, a big chunk of it is, and her success is hard-earned and well deserved. Vanderbilt and MTSU have had plenty of women’s hoops success, too, and there are many high schools (most notably Shelbyville) that have been extremely successful. The SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament has been well attended each time it has been played in Nashville, too.

This would be a nice boost for the local economy and good national visibility for the city (despite the logo), and I’m all for it. Regarding the logo, I’ll leave the larger debate about whether Nashville’s country music industry helps or hinders the city’s image for another time, but my short answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”)

[*The other bidding cities are: Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio and Tampa.]

The Preds averaged $600,000 per game in ticket revenue this past season, according to The Toronto Star (team-by-team list). That figure represents an increase of 9 percent over the 2006-07 season, when the team averaged $500,000 per game. The Preds ranked 24th in the 30-team NHL and ahead of Washington and Atlanta, larger markets fielding playoff teams.

The article reports that the league’s six Canadian franchises are responsible for roughly one-third of the NHL’s ticket revenue. Teams north of the border made up six of the top seven league franchises based on ticket revenue per game. Canadian teams performed well because of a strong Canadian dollar and strong ticket sales despite generally higher ticket prices than most American teams.

The story makes the argument that, based on the significant ticket revenue generated by Canadian teams, the NHL would benefit from one or even two more teams in Canada, whether by relocation or expansion. Thankfully for Preds fans, the Phoenix Coyotes are mentioned as the most likely candidate for relocation rather than our beloved franchise. Smartphone manufacturer executive Jim Balsillie is mentioned as a potential suitor for the Coyotes, who ranked last in per-game ticket revenue at $450,000.

Other hockey items of interest:

• The NHL continues to struggle to lure more fans to its arenas and to its TV broadcasts (Wall Street Journal).
• Preds executive Ed Lang says all is well with the home team this offseason.
• The Chicago Blackhawks will reportedly host the Detroit Red Wings in next year’s outdoor Winter Classic (TSN).
• Ellis, Suter may not remain Preds for long.