Fan seeks catfish tosser via Craigslist for Predators playoff game

Sean Leahy
·Contributing writer
A Nashville Predators crew employee skates off the ice carrying a catfish before the start of Game 3 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Nashville Predators in an NHL hockey first-round Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
A Nashville Predators crew employee skates off the ice carrying a catfish before the start of Game 3 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Nashville Predators in an NHL hockey first-round Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

The Nashville Predators return home Tuesday night for Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. And before the puck drops on their game against the Anaheim Ducks, a Smashville tradition will likely continue.

The tossing of the catfish dates back to the early years of the franchise, and one fan was looking for a little help on Craigslist to help fulfill a bet.

Chris, first name only, made a wager with some colleagues that he would chuck a catfish onto the Bridgestone Arena ice should the Predators reach the conference final. Well, once they dispatched the St. Louis Blues it was time for him to pay up.

There was just one problem: he’s allergic to catfish. That curveball led to two options for Chris, according to his now-deleted Craigslist ad this week. Either Chris would get a catfish tattoo on his lower back or he had to hire a fellow Predators fan to toss a catfish before Game 3 or Game 4 this week.

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The Craigslist post offered $75 to anyone who already had tickets to Tuesday or Thursday night’s games, and there are qualifications for the job.

Sufficient strength to chuck a 2lb catfish over the glass. Stones large enough to stand there and fire up the crowd after the guts have splattered over the ice. Bravery necessary to smuggle a slimy dead catfish saran-wrapped to your belly through security. Willingness to be a God and go down in Preds history.

Bridgestone Arena’s website explicitly states, “The throwing of projectiles inside the Arena is prohibited,” but there have been enough flying catfish over the years inside that building that it’s obvious, like the octopi in Detroit, that while it’s not encouraged, it’s a *wink-wink* sort of policy.

Chris, who told The Tennessean that he’s received a large response to his ad, added that he’ll provide the catfish and saran wrap to help you smuggle it inside the arena. While it might be a stinky proposition, it’s $75 for beer money, and if they can sneak a shark inside HP Pavilion for a San Jose Sharks game, a catfish shouldn’t too difficult of a proposition.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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