Readers roar about All-Star snubs, Preds and more 

	It doesn't help the Predators that they're woefully underexposed while the woeful Flyers make four appearances on NBC. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
	MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Allan. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Time to dig deep into the NHL mailbag. But first, this reminder to the passionate fans of Nashville: My column on Monday was not about me advocating relocation by the Preds. It was an examination of the possibility that owner Craig Leipold might consider relocating if he fails in his efforts to bring in local ownership and find a way to reverse the declining interest in the team from the local business sector. So ease up on the name-calling. My wife reads your e-mails and even she's starting to think I'm a jerk.

Sharon Hunt of Nashville writes: There's no basis for this story. Craig Leipold specifically said he would never move the team.

It's clear that Leipold has no strong desire to move the team, so his opening gambit does a good job of keeping the fans on his side. But remember that this is a business, and the Preds aren't getting the corporate support they deserve in Nashville. That's not a tenable situation long term.

If local buyers don't emerge -- and right now, the number of names in the hat stands at zero -- his tune eventually will change. Just remember, every move by a pro sports franchise starts with someone saying something defiant just like Leipold did. That doesn't mean a move in inevitable, but you'd be naïve to rule it out given the circumstances.

(An update: A reader sent in this link listing all the local businesses that support the team. So here ya go, Preds fans. If you want to encourage their continued involvement -- and to spur on other businesses currently sitting on the sidelines -- you know what to do.)

Heather Erwender of Tennessee blames the media. This team gets little to no support from the local media, and the national media is even worse. How can one of the best teams in hockey be limited to one national TV appearance?

Right there with you. The last thing anyone wanting to promote the game should do is put another dreadful Flyers game on Saturday afternoon TV, especially when there are better options. The NHL has a good product to sell in Nashville, and the league should be legitimizing it on the national stage with more appearances on NBC and Versus. It might not seem like much, but that's the sort of support that catches the eyes of potential ticket buyers.

Joe Britt of Sun Prairie, Wis., wonders why Milwaukee isn't considered as a relocation option: It wouldn't kill the NHL to plug a team into a traditional hockey market where people actually like the game, would it?

Given the state's rich hockey tradition, it might seem surprising that Milwaukee isn't mentioned more often. A couple of possible reasons: the 20-year-old Bradley Center isn't outdated, but it's heading that way, and its schedule is already pretty crowded with NBA Bucks and Marquette University games. The AHL Admirals also play there, and they aren't exactly doing boffo box office business. Even though they've put a good product on the ice -- winning the Calder Cup in 2004 -- average attendance was around 5,000 last season. That's not a number that suggests the potential for NHL success.

More important, Milwaukee's long-term prospects for growth don't match those of cities such as Houston, Las Vegas or Portland, and that's a factor that a team on the move would weigh heavily.

Eddie Tahinos of New York wasn't happy with the reserve rosters named for next week's All-Star Game: Yanic Perreault? Justin Williams? Jay Bouwmeester? In what alternate universe do these guys deserve an invite to the All-Star Game? It's not like every team has to be represented, right?

There's no rule that states every team has to be accounted for, but I think the league had an ulterior motive for making sure that every club was represented by either an All-Star or a YoungStar. The reason? They'll use the big stage of Dallas to reveal the new "uniform system" for next season and I'm betting they wanted one player from every team on hand to model the new duds.

Plenty of readers are steaming over roster omissions. Here are two of the more compelling examples:

Jacob Huttash of Dallas: Why in the world is Maxim Afinogenov not going to the All-Star Game?

Karen Pedersen of Atlanta: Where's the most exciting player in hockey, Ilya Kovalchuk?

Both of those guys deserved the call to Dallas. But the biggest snubs? Take out the players like Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla who were allowed to take the time off to recuperate, and I'd say Dominik Hasek in the West and Marc Savard in the East. Hasek's spot went to Marty Turco, who earned his berth strictly by virtue of being a hometown Star. Savard? There's no good reason. Guess they already had Zdeno Chara to model the new togs.

From Bryan Whitman of Manitoba: With Jeremy Roenick watching the game at a restaurant across the street, who'll deliver the annual All-Star Game hit?

Now that's funny! I'll put my money on Ryan Smyth, with Bouwmeester on the receiving end.