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Today this evening, Breaking news for COVID-19  :tw_mask:

The Southeastern Conference announced the Vanderbilt-Missouri football game on Oct. 17 has been postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests.

The game was tentatively set for Dec. 12. Individuals in the Vanderbilt University football program will be quarantined.

Edited by Sean blackdog
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55 minutes ago, markhollin said:

Predators are open to hosting outdoor NHL games for the regular season. 

“The Predators responded to the league that they would be willing to host an outdoor game if it made sense for the NHL,” according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. “And In fact, would be willing to have multiple games and teams play out of it whether that’s in a traditional stadium or a unique setting.”

Ponderings on my part:

Stadiums that could be considered would include Nissan, Vandy's Dudley Field, TSU's Hale Stadium, and First Horizon Ballpark. 

Unique settings where they could set up a rink and some bleacher seating might include in front of The Parthenon;  on south end of Bicentennial Mall (at base of Capitol grounds; Riverfront Park; Hall of Fame Park; and Nissan Stadium surface lot near riverfront. Any other ideas?

On several barges at Riverfront Park. (CMA Festival from Rolling Stone Magazine.) It would be awesome.

1696459220_Riverstage.thumb.jpg.256674d61146645a0bc6e4fc321c1e97.jpg

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Mayor and Bristol Motorsports still talking about improvements at the Fairgrounds racetrack in hopes of eventually bringing in NASCAR.   Makes me wonder what’s eventually going to happen between the Superspeedway and Fairgrounds track, since Dover is bringing NASCAR to the Superspeedway for what looks like the next 4 years…at least.  I can’t see both tracks having a top-level NASCAR race each year.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/21/nashville-mayor-bristol-motor-speedway-nascar-fairgrounds-racing/3956375001/

In May 2019, then-Council member John Cooper sat in an aging expo building at the Fairgrounds listening as Speedway Motorsports made a pitch to bring NASCAR back to Nashville. 

Now as mayor, Cooper says he is serious about making it happen — with the potential for such racing to take place as soon as 2022. 

He and Bristol Motor Speedway are going public with talks Monday to upgrade the city's historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway into a "significant money-making operation" that will shift financial responsibility of renovations and upkeep to the company. 

But how this will happen remains unclear. 

Discussions, the administration says, include Bristol overseeing operations and management of the track and Metro possibly seeing additional money as part of a shared-event revenue agreement. 

"The racetrack can stop being a financial drain on taxpayers. Instead, it can generate positive cash flow and help fund community improvements at the racetrack, at the Fairgrounds and at Fair Park," Cooper said in a statement. "This historic site can be a great, long-term asset for the community and the city." 

Similar to last week's news that Cooper is in talks with the Titans over Nissan Stadium renovations and a mixed-use development, the mayor mulling a deal with Bristol is not new. 

Speedway Motorsports previously floated a deal for $54 million in bond paymentsand $2 million in cash from the city. That was rejected by former Mayor David Briley, who insisted on private investment. In the last public discussion, the group said they wanted to be 50-50 partners with the city. 

"We can work together to transform Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway into an amazing multipurpose entertainment destination," Speedway Motorsports and Bristol CEO Marcus Smith said in a statement. "We're ready to roll up our selves and go to work to fully restore the speedway, recruit national events and breathe new life into a venue that has a legendary status in auto racing history."

Top NASCAR officials have said the Nashville market is "vital" for the sport. But even if NASCAR racing returns to the fairgrounds, it won't be the first in the Nashville market. 

Dover Motorsports owns the Nashville Superspeedway in Wilson County, and announced this summer it will bring NASCAR back to the track, a first in Middle Tennessee since 1984. The agreement is for four years. 

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2 hours ago, titanhog said:

Mayor and Bristol Motorsports still talking about improvements at the Fairgrounds racetrack in hopes of eventually bringing in NASCAR.   Makes me wonder what’s eventually going to happen between the Superspeedway and Fairgrounds track, since Dover is bringing NASCAR to the Superspeedway for what looks like the next 4 years…at least.  I can’t see both tracks having a top-level NASCAR race each year.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/21/nashville-mayor-bristol-motor-speedway-nascar-fairgrounds-racing/3956375001/

NASCAR appears to really like the Nashville market, so it doesn't seem impossible for Nashville to host two NASCAR cup events every year. Several tracks hold two NASCAR cup events every year already, including some in markets that are certainly less attractive than Nashville. We're fortunate here that both our tracks have people in charge who can get things done with NASCAR.

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