It's a tenet almost as old as sports itself. You don't mess with a streak. Never. No way. No how.
Hall of Famers know it. Little Leaguers do too. Fans, broadcasters, parents—nearly anyone who's ever been emotionally invested in some sort of sporting event accepts it as fact and keeps it in mind through the best of times.
Somehow, the Nashville Predators forgot.
Riding a seven-game win streak, one short of the franchise record, they made a change. Last Friday, they played for the first time in their new-look, classic-style jerseys.
They lost. A 3-1 defeat to St. Louis Blues marked the first time in more than two weeks they were anything but victorious.
The streak ended. The truth about the sanctity of streaks was reinforced.
If only they had heeded the immortal words of Kevin Costner's Crash Davis in Bull Durham: "...A player on a streak has to respect the streak.... You know why? Because they don't happen very often.... If you believe you're playing well because you're getting laid, or because you're not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, then you are."
Style over substance
There is nothing to suggest that this particular winning streak was merely a product of fashion, but the Predators' traditional look was a part of every one of those victories. To make a change of that sort simply was begging for trouble.
Three days before the contest, coach Barry Trotz acknowledged the possibility that a wardrobe change was a potential streak-buster, but tried to stay positive.
"The crest is the same, and the team and the name's the same," Trotz said. "It's what's in those uniforms that really matters. It's not what's on the outside that matters."
He had to know what was coming.
Keep in mind, this is a coach who over the years has demanded the same people eat lunch with him at the same time and place on game days when things have been going well. Not only that, but moments earlier he noted that he had resisted making any changes to the lineup for fear of messing with the streak.
Then as the game unfolded, it was tough not to wonder. For example, when goalie Pekka Rinne was forced to freeze the puck with 1:30 to play in the first period because he lost his balance despite the fact that no one was nearby—would the same thing have happened in the heretofore standard attire? How about the moment a little more than 12 minutes into the second period when Jason Arnott's shot went off the glove of St. Louis goalie Chris Mason and then off the post? Where might that puck have gone in one of the regular uniforms?
After all, Rinne had stood up to everything in recent weeks as he played every minute of all seven victories in the streak. Similarly, Arnott had four goals, including at least one in three straight games, during the run of seven straight triumphs.
Never mind that the Predators came back and won the next night in those same uniforms. The damage was done.
Out with the old
In fairness, the decision to go with the new look in that particular game was not made in haste. It was part of a process that lasted well over a year in terms of designing, debuting and finally dressing in the team's "third" jersey, one that completely forsakes any shade of one of their original colors (yellow).
The date was picked well in advance and was designed to create maximum impact at the start of the holiday shopping seasons.
A similar decision was made in 2001 when on Nov. 21 of that year Nashville debuted its original third jersey. The Predators had played 21 games prior to that contest and not once had they won two straight.
One night after a loss to Detroit, they came out in their third jersey for the first time and won 4-3 against Chicago. Two nights later they won again and they had their first win streak of that season.
It should be noted that the one color that defined that particular look, known by many as the "mustard jersey," is the one that is notably absent from the new one.
Say what you will about the old third jersey—and a lot of people did—but Nashville's team typically was something to see in those uniforms. The all-time record in that get-up, which was retired following the 2006-07 season, was 38-19-2, and in the last two years it was in play the team went 21-3-2.
"Some guys might be a little superstitious," Trotz said. "Well, this is a brand-new thing. This might be the greatest Saturday night, Friday night uniform going. This is now part of our history."
Looking ahead
It's also a part of the future—a big part. Word is it will become the primary home uniform next season with a complementary white version to be used on the road. Eventually, a new alternate, third jersey will be designed.
That's a lot look forward to for jersey collectors and other sorts of sporting fashionistas.
Still, they're always going to have to look back and ponder what might have been. After all, Nashville missed out on the postseason by three points last season. How costly will it be to have given away two points this season because they decided not to defer to a streak?
In a recent column, Warwick (R.I) Beacon sports editor Ed Owens detailed his role in the New York Yankees' latest World Series championship (a haircut) as well as Tom Brady's knee injury and subsequent resurgence (a wardrobe malfunction, of sorts) and came to one simple conclusion: "You have to respect that streak and continue to do your part because, well, they don't happen very often."
They sure don't.
Just ask J.P. Dumont.
The 31-year-old Nashville forward dressed down a local reporter following last Friday's morning skate because the reporter wanted to talk about the win streak. Dumont made it known some time ago that he prefers not to talk about streaks—team or individual—because they're best left alone.
Only once in their history had the Predators won as many as seven straight games before last month. That was a little over four years ago.
Who knows how long it will be before they do so again?
What team management, staff, coaches and personnel should have known, though, was not to mess with this latest one. Plans should have been changed. Common sense should have prevailed.
Instead, marketing won out. So did the Blues...not the new blue jerseys.
Email editor@nashvillescene.com.
