NBC bribing Predators fans to get rid of anti-Mike Milbury signs

NASHVILLE – Richard W.F. Swor is a Nashville Predators fan. He’s not a fan of NBC Sports analyst Mike Milbury.

Please recall that moment in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, when Nashville’s P.K. Subban and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby were tangled up behind the net. Subban had a hold of Crosby’s ankle. Crosby responded by slamming Subban’s head to the ice a few times in an effort to break free.

“He gets a little bit of a pound of flesh against Subban,” said Milbury on NBC during the game. “It was cagey, and Subban had it coming.”

Swor was insulted, as a Nashville fan and a hockey fan. “I don’t really think it’s great for a commentator to say that a player deserves a head injury,” he said.

So he decided to fight back. Armed with tickets to Game 6 at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday night, he made a large sign that featured Milbury with a clown nose and the words: FIRE MILBURY HE HAS IT COMING.

[Follow Puck Daddy on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]

He brought the sign outside to where NBC was doing live pregame coverage near the arena on Sunday, and proudly held it aloft. That is, until an NBC Sports employee approached him.

“I was holding up the sign out there and I kept trying to get it on camera. At some point a guy came up to me and said, ‘They’re not really thrilled about the sign,’” said Swor.

So the NBC rep offered him a bribe.

“He held up a hat, and he said ‘I’ll give you a hat if you want one.’ And I said OK,” said Swor.

Ah, but there were strings attached!

“Then he said, ‘but I have to take the sign, and you can get it after the game,’” said. Swor. “I said, ‘No, I’m good. Actually, I’m gonna take it into the arena.’”

Swor wasn’t the only fan that was approached by NBC to get rid of anti-Milbury signage:

And it wasn’t just NBC. This Predators fan told us that he attempted to get his sign on NHL Network’s coverage, and was threatened with confiscation of his anti-Milbury sign.

As the Predators skated around during warmups, there were a handful of anti-Mike Milbury signs pressed up against the glass and held in the air. Apparently, Predators fans weren’t into trading their opportunity to hit back at the NBC analyst for a free hat.

Incidentally, what kind of hat was it? A Predators playoff hat?

“No,” said Swor. “An NBC Sports hat.”

Let’s pause for a moment and meditate on this: These Predators fans, who hates what NBC said about their team, is offered an NBC hat to get rid of their anti-NBC commentator sign.

“Yeah, I’m not going to wear an NBC Sports hat in the middle of a Predators game,” said Swor, raising his sign at the glass.

“If P.K. had that coming, then Milbury has getting fired coming.”

—

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS