... the Predators and their fans call Bridgestone Arena “Smashville,’’ playing off the name of the city, hockey players’ congenital need to hit someone on the ice and, presumably, the strip of bars on Broadway after 10 p.m. Here are a few paragraphs from the team’s 2009 marketing campaign:

“Right in the heart of downtown Nashville is a place as friendly as it is ferocious. It is a place so full of raw energy and gut-wrenching excitement that the unexpected is a nightly occurrence. It is the place that the Nashville Predators proudly call home. Welcome to Smashville.

“But Smashville is more than just a place, it is a spirit that no other National Hockey League team can ever own or understand. It starts with the all-in attitude, energy and intensity the Nashville Predators bring to every game and it is brought to life by the passion of the fans. Simply put, Smashville is the raw ingredient of the ‘IT’ in ‘IT STAYS WITH YOU.’ ”

You know you’ve arrived as a sports city when things happen organically. Don’t get me wrong; The Hawks are as marketed as any team in the league. For years after they arrived in Chicago, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane found themselves being carted around Chicago for appearances as if they were petting-zoo animals.

But the Hawks aren’t a marketing idea. They are a competitive force. They are two Stanley Cups in the previous five seasons.

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