Predators CEO rips Pittsburgh media ‘schmuck’ for crowd noise conspiracy
PITTSBURGH – When the Nashville Predators won Games 3 and 4 at home in the Stanley Cup Final, there was a lot of love given to their raucous crowd. Enough love where some Pittsburgh media got their knickers in a twist and read it as criticism of their City of Champions.
Like that weatherman who said “I’m really getting tired of hearing about Nashville’s fans … supporting a team in one Stanley Cup Playoffs does not make a Hockey Town.” Which is historically and statistically incorrect, but whatever.
But the most grandiose attempt to knock Nashville down a few rungs as a hockey town was from Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now, who accused the Predators of pumping audio into their arena and creating fake noise:
I’m convinced the Bridgestone Arena is using the PA to amp crowd noise. Facts–the arena plays warm-up and in-game music at 110-112dbs, as measured by my own device. At the height of the crowd mania in Game 4, I believe my radio trained ears heard the pops and cracks of over-modulation. Lastly, the sound levels are never shown in the arena, unlike every other arena in which I’ve covered games.
Yes. He used his own decibel measuring device. And has anyone ever seen a noise-o-meter and assumed that it wasn’t fake science masquerading as a Jumbotron bit?
He continued:
Why would the “record holder” not show the sound level?
Again, because they’re [expletive] game operations gimmicks to get the crowd louder, but the Nashville fans never have a lull, so it’s unnecessary.
The loudest the sound meter (on my iPhone) hit was about 114dbs. 114 is a great number and the crowd is engaged for a full 60 minutes. People don’t leave 10 minutes early to hit the bars or beat traffic. However, I believe I call “bunk” on the 130dbs claim, at least achieved organically. However, the Predators are welcome to prove it.
Well, the CEO and President of the Nashville Predators, Sean Henry, opted not to offer evidence when he joined The Greg Pogue & Big Joe Show on Thursday before Game 5.
No, he decided to use this time to call Kingerski a “schmuck,” which we didn’t even know was a word they used in Nashville.
“I just don’t understand that moron that keeps talking about how bad Nashville is or how we pipe in music. He’s a schmuck, to say what it is. And there’s some other reporter quote, un-quote, I don’t know who or what he writes for. But I just don’t understand why it’s just so important to knock Nashville and then say ‘Pittsburgh’s good too.’ Pittsburgh’s incredible on its own, regardless of how good or bad our fans are,” he said.
Later, Henry brought him up again, unprompted. “I don’t get him. I want him to call me and let me go on his show so I can say ‘what’s wrong with you? Did you wear diapers too long? Seriously, what happened to that poor kid on the playground?’” he said.
The interview ended with the hosts saying that the headline will be “CEO calls idiot ‘a schmuck.’” And Henry reiterated his feelings on the matter.
“He is a schmuck. He really is. I can’t wait for him to call me out for calling him a schmuck, but that’s what he is. I don’t even know his name. I’m sure he’s a great guy. But just enjoy how great it is in Pittsburgh. There’s no reason to knock someone else.”
We assume he heard that, loud and clear.
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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.
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