Nashville's major league pro sports teams are really bad
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Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
Five years ago Nashville was named the best pro sports city in America by the Sports Business Journal.
Now look at us.
- Nashville's major league pro sports teams have taken a collective nosedive to the bottom of the standings.
- Postseason playoff games in our city are like affordable housing or convenient downtown parking: they're a thing of the past.
Why it matters: Despite the bad on-field products, Nashville fans still basically come out to support their teams.
- All three franchises enjoy solid attendance marks, but they're not rewarding their supporters with reasons to celebrate.
- There's also the issue of tax dollars. Nashville and the state of Tennessee have ponied up billions to build pro sports venues and support the teams' operations.
Flashback: In 2019 when we were named the No. 1 pro sports city, Nashville was basking in the glow of hosting the NFL Draft, while the Predators and Titans routinely reached the postseason.
- Nashville's pro sports scene was epitomized by the throngs of fans who flooded downtown in 2017 for the watch parties during the Predators' thrilling run to the Stanley Cup finals.
- The Nashville SC was on the brink of launching and the overall pro sports vibes in Music City were better than ever.
Zoom in: Let's start with the Titans.
- The team's streak of missing the playoffs is now at three seasons following the latest debacle.
- The Titans are now 3-10 this year under new coach Brian Callahan.
- Finishing with the worst record in the league is not out of the question.
The Predators spent more money on free agents this offseason than any team in the NHL, a whopping $128 million according to Spotrac.
- The big spending has not paid off. The Preds have the worst record in the entire league, with a measly 20 points.
- The first-place Minnesota Wild, by comparison, have 42.
The Nashville SC are not immune to Music City's losing ways.
- They missed the playoffs this year for the first time, finishing 13th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. As a result, the team made a coaching change in hopes of getting back on track.
The bottom line: Diehard support + government tax breaks should inspire our teams to give Nashville fans the winning teams they deserve.