Most of Nashville is sheltered at home due to coronavirus concerns, and the Predators’ pair of catfish are among those participants.

These bottom feeders typically reside inside of their habitat in the AT&T Fan Information Center at Bridgestone Arena, but as Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s “Safer at Home” ordinance went into place and the closure of non-essential businesses took effect, it was necessary for the arena to close.

A majority of Predators front-office employees had already been working from home with the pause of the NHL season, and on Monday, as personnel became further limited in the arena, the catfish were moved to a secure location where they will continue to be fed and cared for during the quarantine.

As many of you know, the catfish didn’t end up residing at 501 Broadway by happenstance, but do you recall how the whiskered creatures came to be part of Predators lore?

The first documented sighting of a catfish in the building came on Oct. 30, 2003, when the Predators took on the Detroit Red Wings – arguably the franchise’s fiercest rival in the early days – in Nashville. During the game, a fan managed to toss a catfish over the glass and onto the ice after the Preds scored their first goal of the night.

So, why do it against Detroit? Red Wings fans famously threw octopi from the Detroit River onto the ice during big games, with the tentacles representing the only eight wins it used to take to win the Stanley Cup (it now requires 16 victories to hoist the prize).

With the rivalry between the Preds and Wings alive and well back in 2003, the idea of adding a catfish to the mix was born. The tradition has continued to this day, and it garnered national attention during Nashville’s run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.

The tank was added to the home building in the spring of 2018, and since then, thousands of fans have stopped to take a gander at the fish that has etched its place in Predators history.

So, until Bridgestone Arena is open and full of members of the Loyal Legion once more, Smashville’s catfish will remain safe until they – and we – can return home again.

On Wednesday, Major League Soccer has extended the team training moratorium through, and including, Friday, April 3. MLS training facilities remain closed to all players and staff with the exception of players requiring medical treatment or rehabilitation, under the direction of the team medical staff, that cannot be performed from the safety of their residence.

While MLS players are expected to remain in each club’s respective market, MLS will review individual requests by players to relocate to another market by car, taking into account the totality of a player’s situation.

MLS will remain in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on this continually evolving situation and provide further updates as they become available.

After almost 2 weeks of no live local sports in Manchester, Thunder Radio is just as anxious to broadcast sports as you are to hear them. In an effort to alleviate our withdrawal, we will begin broadcasting encore editions of some our favorite sports broadcasts. Each Thursday night at 6 PM, we will bring you the repeat of a Hometown Sports Series broadcast of a middle school sports event featuring Westwood Middle School or Coffee County Middle School. Each Friday night at 6 PM, we will bring you the repeat of a Coffee County Central High School sports broadcast.

Coming up on Thursday night, we will bring you an encore presentation of opening night for the 2020 season for the Coffee County Middle School Lady Raider softball team. Josh Peterson was on the call for that game as the Lady Raiders hosted White County on March 4th.

On Friday night at 6 PM, we will bring you the encore presentation of the Coffee County CHS Lady Raider basketball team’s District 8AAA championship win over Tullahoma from February 22nd.

Stay tuned to Thunder Radio each and every Thursday and Friday night as we will bring you prep rebroadcasts until prep sports resumes. We are your complete source for all the prep teams in Manchester because we are your hometown station.

by Alan Carpenter of Tomahawk Take

The delay in the start of the 2020 season has ramifications that could extend into next year, a scenario that might move the 2021 All-Star game, which is set to be hosted by the Atlanta Braves.
The 2020 All-Star Game was scheduled for Tuesday, July 14 in Los Angeles. The city of Atlanta and the Atlanta Braves were already looking toward the next year, where the Midsummer comes to the South for the first time since 2000.

The phrase “was scheduled” is intentional. It is still a point of speculation as to what might happen, but almost all commentators are in agreement: that July 14 date is almost certainly not going to be met.

This from Tim Brown and Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports: “The fate of the Midsummer Classic will depend in part on how long the coronavirus shutdown lasts — the longer it lasts, the more things that will get canceled. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony could get postponed simply because it still might not be safe to have crowds of that size gather. The Field of Dreams game is also up in the air now.”

So virtually all special events slated for this year could be in jeopardy: the Field of Dreams game, the London series between the Cubs and Cardinals, and yes: the All-Star Game.

As the reality of an altered All-Star Game is sinking in, there’s now a myriad of proposals coming in from all over in an effort to figure out what to do with it:

• Cancel the game outright (various floated suggestions, on the basis that the league will need all the days they can get to muster enough games for a credible season)
• Open the season with the game
• Play it between the League Championship Series matchups and the World Series (Brown/Keyser)
  Clearly, this last option would have some issues, mainly that there are at least 2 teams that would not be able or willing to provide players: the World Series contenders. I’d also suggest that the teams they had just vanquished might not be emotionally up to turning around and participating in an All-Star day either.

So omit All-Stars from the best teams in baseball? That doesn’t quite sound like a game that people would be clamoring to see right before the World Series starts (of course Atlanta Braves fans wouldn’t care if we were in that World Series!).

The notion of a possible cancellation was specifically raised by Jim Bowden today on MLB Network Radio (no link available), and his thought was that it would only be fair to give the Dodgers the 2021 game in place of one this season.

The thinking is that the city and the team had already begun preparations for hosting the event, and that money shouldn’t be wasted.

If that were to happen… then the Atlanta All-Star year would likewise be pushed to 2022. In turn, the 2022 contest, which could be awarded to the Colorado Rockies, would bump an additional year as well.

The writers from Yahoo Sports aren’t sold on the idea of a cancellation, under the quite correct notion that Fox Sports has paid quite a bit for the privilege of broadcasting the game, and they certainly would have a say in the discussions as well.

One obvious possible solution would be to extend their contract out a year to accommodate them in the event of a cancellation, but we’re well into the realm of speculation at this point.

Regardless: since we don’t yet know when we’ll get a season underway, everything discussed is merely ‘ideas being floated’.

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/GM David Poile announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Connor Ingram to a three-year contract worth $700,000 at the NHL level and $120,000 at the AHL level in 2020-21, $750,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 at the AHL level in 2021-22, and $750,000 in 2022-23.

Ingram, 22 (3/31/97), has posted the best statistical season of his professional career with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals in 2019-20, appearing in 33 games and recording a 21-5-5 record. He’s ranked among the AHL’s goaltending leaders in multiple categories this season, including third in both save percentage (.933) and goals-against average (1.92), and tied for third in wins (21) – all career bests. The 6-foot-1 netminder represented the Admirals at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic in January, his second career appearance in the game (2019) and the fourth Milwaukee goaltender since the 2014-15 season to earn a nod to the event. A three-year pro, Ingram has suited up in 90 career AHL games – 57 with Syracuse and 33 with Milwaukee – and has recorded a 55-23-7 record, 2.16 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and 11 shutouts.

Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round (88th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Ingram spent three seasons with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers from 2014-17 before joining the pro ranks. He was selected as the Blazers’ MVP in his final two seasons with the club, which included a WHL-leading .927 save percentage and a spot on the league’s second all-star team in 2016-17. A native of Imperial, Sask., Ingram represented Canada at the 2017 World Junior Championship, posting a 2-1 record, a 2.57 goals-against average and one shutout en route to a silver medal.

The start date for local prep sports suffered another delay on Monday.  Both the Coffee County School System and the Manchester City School System announced that schools would remain closed through April 12^th.   The closure of the local schools due to the COVID-19 Pandemic also means that interscholastic sports cannot resume practices or contests until school is back in session. 

In order to help local prep sports fans deal with the absence of live sports, Thunder Radio is going to bring you encore coverage of previous broadcasts of middle and high school sports.  Each Thursday and Friday at 6 PM we will rebroadcast one of our exclusive broadcasts of local prep sports.  On Thursdays at 6 PM, Thunder Radio will rebroadcast one of our previous broadcasts of Westwood Middle or Coffee County Middle School sports.  On Fridays at 6 PM, Thunder Radio will rebroadcast one of our previous broadcasts of Coffee County Central High School sports.   Thunder Radio will announce this week’s broadcasts later in the week.  Just another example of why Thunder Radio is your true Hometown Station. 

By John Brice, TSSAA

In the early morning hours of March 3, deadly tornadoes rampaged across the state of Tennessee as many of its residents slept.

By sunrise on that Tuesday, damage spanned from west of Nashville to more than 60 miles east along the Cumberland Plateau. The death toll in Tennessee would rise to 25; injuries were far more widespread.

Somehow, just two days later, Upperman High School’s girls’ basketball team mustered the fortitude to play in the Region 4AA championship game. Despite coming up short, they would have one last shot, 48 hours later, in the sectional round for a berth in the BlueCross State Basketball Championships.

On Friday, March 6, President Donald Trump flew to Tennessee and visited the devastated areas throughout Putnam County. Later that same night, Upperman High School’s boys’ basketball team ventured to nearby Tennessee Tech, where it lost the Region 4AA championship to York Institute.

Like the girls’ team, the boys’ would have one final chance for a trip to the state tournament in the sectional round.

In a magical rally, and within a 48-hour span, both would win challenging games on the road. The Upperman Lady Bees upended host Meigs County for a spot in the state’s final eight and on Monday, March 9, the Bees dismissed host Howard High School of Chattanooga.

Both Upperman teams had punched tickets to Murfreesboro. Both teams had won by an identical 44-42 margin.

And both squads played like cohesive family units.

Of course, they’re coached by the husband and wife tandem of Dana and Bobby McWilliams.

Sons Tyler and Austyn McWilliams are assistant coaches for Dana’s Lady Bees squad.

Youngest son, Jace, is a junior on Bobby’s team, his 20th at the school. He joined all three of his older brothers, including Covi, who have all earned state tournament berths as Upperman players.

“For us, basketball has always been a big part of our lives,” said Dana McWilliams, a former Tennessee High School Coach of the Year with 26 seasons at the helm. “[The disaster] put basketball in perspective and it’s still something we enjoy and love to do, but it was really hard right after the storm. It was nice to kind of get back on the court, but also a little bit stranger.

“We were both fortunate to win our sub-state games, and it meant a lot to both teams for us.”

This journey, however, is like none before. When the tornadoes splashed across Tennessee earlier this month, they destroyed the homes of a trio of Upperman basketball players — girls’ team members Torie Brooks and Ashland McClellan; Rex Davis from the boys’ squad.

In all, Dana McWilliams explained, approximately 30 students from Upperman High School lost their homes. The middle school-aged sibling of an Upperman student was killed in the storm.

The school’s enrollment is only about 750 students.

“Well for us, it’s been a very emotional time,” she said. “We saw our community just struggle with a lot of things, we lost lives and many lost homes. But the flip side is, we have seen so many people reach out and it’s been emotional to see so much good in everybody. For us it’s just been kind of a roller-coaster. We were fortunate enough to make it to the State Tournament, but I look back and it definitely puts basketball in perspective.”

As the close-knit community rallied together around their state-bound basketball teams, an unprecedented health crisis — the global pandemic, COVID-19 — brought society to a full-stop. The girls’ basketball tournament got its first two days of games completed, albeit under surreal circumstances as all sports at all levels eventually ceased play across the country.

In one of Tennessee’s final games and one of the final athletics competitions anywhere in the country, the Lady Bees thwarted Gatlinburg-Pittman to advance to the Class AA semifinals.

“People were still struggling to find a place to live,” Dana McWilliams said. “Our players themselves, some were displaced, and they had endured the tornado and had to find places to live with family, and then they had to all move to a new apartment or a new place to rent, all in a five-day span. And also they were practicing and trying to prepare for a game.

“It was just overwhelming, I think, for those kids. We were emotionally and physically exhausted but our crowd and our community love sports. This all kind of put sports in perspective, but we just want to use it if we can, to take some time and give pleasure to people to watch. I’m thankful for that.”

Both coaches had given their student-athletes the option not to play the games in the wake of the natural disaster. Everyone voted to participate.

Brooks and McClellan combined for eight points, seven rebounds and two steals in 38 combined minutes on the court in that state tournament contest.

“Rex Davis lives directly across the street from Ashland, and Torie was staying with Ashland (the night of the storms),” Dana McWilliams said. “Rex was on the second level and his house was destroyed down the foundation. He was in the yard.

“People don’t realize what these kids have been through. I can’t imagine now every time anyone talks about storms, what is going through these kids’ minds. And these are great, great kids.”

No sooner had Upperman’s staff and students returned to school than had Tennessee and its local districts made the decision to suspend school operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now crested 100 known cases in Tennessee.

Nothing is normal for Upperman. Except, after all, the community bond.

“Our community is always such good supporters,” she said. “When we got back to school Monday, and we actually left Tuesday (due to the closures), so many kids there had lost our homes and their world just got changed around again.

“I’m hoping that if we get back and have some sense of normalcy, I feel certain our students and community will be together. We’re completely in support of them, and I know their support for us.”

By Jim Wyatt, TitansOnline.com

The NFL Draft is on as scheduled for April 23-25. And the Titans still have the 29th overall pick in the first round. With free agency not even a week old, right now there’s still a lot to be determined with the Titans, and across the NFL. But that hasn’t kept the mock drafts from doing their thing. Let’s take our second tour of the mock drafts for 2020. ….

Mel Kiper, Jr: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE/OLB, Penn State

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Charles Davis, NFL.com: Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Bucky Brooks, NFL.com: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

Todd McShay, ESPN: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

John Clayton, Washington Post: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal Constitution: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press: Grant Delpit, S, LSU

Vinny Iyer, Sporting News: Zack Baun, OLB, Wisconsin

Will Brinson, CBS Sports: Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

Corey Parson, Sports Illustrated: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

Kevin Hanson, Sports Illustrated: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

Lance Zierlein, CBS Sports: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

Jason McIntyre, Fox Sports: Austin Jackson, OT, USC

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE/OLB, Penn State

Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports: A.J. Epenesa, Edge, Iowa

John McClain, Houston Chronicle: Austin Jackson, OT, USC

Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

Dan Kadar, SB Nation: Terrell Lewis, Edge, Alabama

Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

Adam Hill, Las Vegas Review-Journal: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Lucas Niang, OL, TCU

Walter Cherepinsky, Walter Football: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE/OLB, Penn State

Vinny Soma, Heavy: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

R.J. White, CBS Sports: Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Chad Reuter, NFL.com: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE/OLB, Penn State

Nate Davis, USA Today: Austin Jackson, OT, USC

C.J. Doon, Baltimore Sun: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

Jay Skurski, Buffalo News: Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

Patrick Finley, Chicago Sun Times: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson