Could Preds hockey be on thin ice?

?It?s not you or me; it?s them.?

Leipold sent a letter to Predators season ticket holders Thursday, which could be summarized in three key points:

? The fans are great.

? We did everything we could do to build a winner.

? The city gave us no support.

Leipold pocketed a cool $220 million for the team, as confirmed Thursday, from Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie. In his explanation of his decision delivered to his team?s fans, Leipold?s comments suggest just how proud he was of the Predators? support over his 10 years at the helm, while constantly hinting that the city of Nashville, itself, could have done more.

?…we developed a loyal fan base ? every team should be fortunate enough to have a Cell Block 303 and the loudest arena in the league,? he said. ?We built a team that the community could be proud of on and off the ice.

?…We gave back to the community ? well over $2 million in grants and in-kind donations through the Nashville Predators Foundation. We created an entertaining in-arena atmosphere for every game night. And, we did it all while keeping our ticket prices near the bottom of the league.?

But…

?While individual fan support has always been strong, we’ve worked aggressively to increase our local business support since Season Four,? he continued. ?We?ve tried a variety of approaches with minimal success.?

Translation: There?s a lot of money in this city, and no corporation has stepped up to the plate to help us out.

?Our records show today that corporate support for the Nashville Predators makes up about 35 percent of our season ticket base. The average in other markets is around 60 percent.

?…It has been well-reported that we have attempted to attract local ownership since 2002. The truth is, we had only one serious inquiry in that time from someone who was interested in a small minority share of the team.?

The long and short of it is this: With sports teams, just like anything else, the new eventually wears off the product. And in the Volunteer State, which is home to some of America?s most fickle fans, once that new-team feeling is gone, the ticket-buying public moves on.

Any state whose fans will call for a football coach?s head on a platter after his first missed bowl bid in a dozen years or so, won?t continue to support a team that continually goes just one round into the playoffs.

Without municipal or corporate support, team ownership loses money, and eventually has to sell. And if the support doesn?t look like it?s there for the new owners, they?ll find a city where they can provide fans with a shiny new team to root for.

So, are the Predators headed for greener pastures? Only time, and the efforts of the Nashville city government, will tell. But if I had gotten this letter yesterday, I would hesitate before ordering up those 2008-2009 seats.

But if the Preds should happen to move, fans, just remember: It wasn?t your fault.