Someone once said something about glass houses and stone-throwing

By J.R. Lind Posted on December 4, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Predators blog On The Forecheck reports a federal tax lien of more than $330,000 against Franklin’s The Personnel Department.

So what?

The Personnel Department is now Sommet Group, whose CEO, Brian Whitfield, popped the news the IRS slapped a $3.3 million lien on Preds’ owner David Freeman, which Freeman explained as fallout from his bailout of the team after Boots went belly-up .

On The Forecheck goes on report even more eyebrow-raising news:

The Personnel Department LLC is listed as having a delinquent business license as of July 31, 2009 for employee leasing (temporary staffing), while the Sommet Group is shown as an “unapproved applicant.” I spoke to someone there who said that while the firm is going through the process of getting this license renewed, they should not be conducting business until that is complete (perhaps as early as next week).

Despite all this, on Thursday, Preds veep Ed Lang said the team and Sommet could come to a resolution in the naming-rights spat “in the next short period of time.”

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Tags: Brian Whitfield, David Freeman, Ed Lang, hockey, hockey blogs, Nashville Predators, Sommet Center, Sommet Group, tax liens, taxation  

Canadian i-banker still in mix for Preds stake

By Geert De Lombaerde Posted on November 25, 2009 at 8:22 am

Forechecker Dirk Hoag shares some tweeting time with Brett Wilson, the Calgary investment banker and business associate of Preds top owner David Freeman, about Wilson’s ongoing interest in becoming a part-owner of Nashville’s NHL team.

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Tags: Brett Wilson, David Freeman, hockey, Nashville Predators, National Hockey League, sports business  

Preds in marketing deal with NASCAR racers

By Geert De Lombaerde Posted on October 8, 2009 at 8:16 pm

Nashville’s hockey team is teaming up with its NASCAR Nationwide Series team to help it sell tickets and give its sponsors some love outside Music City. The two organizations will officially announce the deal on Tuesday.

Locally owned and operated by Mike Curb – of Curb records fame – and Nashville businessman Gary Baker, Baker Curb Racing has positioned itself to be a consistent championship contender on the NASCAR Nationwide series. With an unmatched reputation of delivering results both on and off the track, Baker Curb racing has the distinction of representing some of America’s most trusted brands on a national level. In entering a joint promotional and sales agreement with the Nashville Predators, Baker Curb Racing can now help bring regional exposure to its sponsors. In turn, partnering with Baker Curb Racing gives the Predators a national outlet to help promote local sponsors.

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Tags: advertising and marketing, auto racing, Baker Curb Racing Inc., hockey, Nashville Predators, sports business  

Potential Preds investor surfaces

By Geert De Lombaerde Posted on February 5, 2009 at 8:50 am

A Calgary investment banker who has in the past partnered with Preds frontman David Freeman is interested in acquiring what he says will be a “nominal” stake in Nashville’s hockey team.

“We’re still returning each other’s phone calls but nothing’s finalized,” said Wilson, who is keenly interested in buying into the Predators, given his business connections in the southern U.S. city and affinity for hockey fans there. “We’ll see what happens in a week.”

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Tags: Brett Wilson, Calgary, David Freeman, hockey, Nashville Predators, National Hockey League, sports business