Commentary by Steve Gill Nashville has a lot to be proud of in the wake of the historic Stanley Cup Final run by the Predators: The class and skill of a team on the rise that promises to be back stronger and better next year. City officials who handled incredible crowds with efficiency and flexibility, especially when combined with the crowd control nightmare of CMA Fest colliding with a Stanley Cup Final all in a several block radius. Fans who fully embraced a sport that many were still learning and players they had never heard of when the playoff run began. Nashville’s reputation as an “it” town was already firmly in place before, but it is more “it” than ever in the view of hockey and sports media types who had never given Nashville more than a passing glance in the past. Terms like “Smashville” and “Prednecks,” and the visuals of catfish on ice, are now a part of NHL lore. But what Nashville can perhaps most be proud of is cementing our reputation as a place where Southern Hospitality is still a “thing.” Yes, there was some booing of the winning Penguins as they hoisted the Stanley Cup.…
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