connections to key decision-makers in each area. Sports can also h

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ring of Fire.A Boy Named Sue.I Walk the Line.One Piece at a Time.Oh yes, Nashville, P.K. Subban has them all lined up for you. Well, sort of.After wowing his new fan base by crooning Folsom Prison Blues on his first day in Nashville at an iconic downtown honky-tonk, Subban is prepared to unleash more Johnny Cash on the locals -- with one little caveat.We win the Stanley Cup, then Ill sing every single that Johnny Cash has ever done, the smooth-skating defenseman explained Monday afternoon during an interview in the workout room of the Nashville Predators practice facility. Ill do them all. And for as long as people want to hear it. But until then, I think that was just a little teaser of whats to come if we do what weve got to get done here.Few trades in any sport -- let alone hockey -- have generated as much buzz as the blockbuster deal on June 29 that sent Subban from the Montreal Canadiens, the team that drafted him with the 43rd pick in 2007, to the Predators for incumbent captain and franchise defenseman Shea Weber.?Hes liberated now, said former longtime NHL goalie?Kevin Weekes?of Subban, whom he has known since Subban was 8 years old. ?[Hell face] less hyper-scrutiny now.Both Weber and Subban are great people and players, added Weekes, now a national TV analyst.Both teams got what they wanted, with new direction, Weekes said.Still, one of the most fascinating elements of a deal that might well spark debate for years to come is how seamlessly Subban has become not just accepted in Nashville but embraced, adored -- revered, even.Hes an instant, smash hit, said longtime NHLer Stu Grimson, who provides broadcast analysis for the Predators.Grimson noted that post-trade rumblings in Montreal suggested that the deal might have been motivated by the fact that Subbans outsized personality was too much for the staid, storied Canadiens franchise.I have a hard time reconciling that with what we see here, said Grimson of Subban. Hes terrific. Hes just so energizing. Hes so comfortable being himself.Former player and Stanley Cup-winning coach Terry Crisp, now a Predators TV color analyst, was on the phone with his grandkids in Calgary the other night and all they could talk about was the outfit that Subban wore to the game and how Subban scored on his first-ever regular season shot as a Predator.In the 18 years he has been part of the club in various capacities, Crisp said he has never felt a buzz around the team like the one surrounding this version of the Predators -- and Subban is a big part of that.Crisp admitted that he initially wondered if there might be some backlash about trading Weber, the captain and iconic defenseman.But theres been none of that, he said.And Subban has done more than just singing an old Johnny Cash tune at Tootsies Orchid Lounge (although that was pretty magical) to connect with his new community. What people didnt know -- at least not from the get-go -- was that in addition to visiting Tootsies for his impromptu sing-along, Subban also dropped by a local police precinct with food for the staff.I like everything about him, said Predators GM David Poile. He makes lots of touches, whether its on the ice or off the ice.Two top-10 defensemen were traded one-for-one at a time when the salary cap makes finding and keeping these kinds of players so difficult. That fact alone suggests the sheer enormity of the deal and its many layers.But you dont have to spend much time with Subban to realize that there is little that is complicated about him -- and no topic thats off-limits. Like, did he worry about having to change his personality with a new team in a new country?First of all, the team that traded for me, the first thing that they told me was they wanted me to be who I was, Subban said. I dont think its fair for anybody to ask anyone to be someone theyre not. I would never ask any of my teammates or even my coach to be someone theyre not. I think what makes us all unique as people is how different we are, our personalities.Subban is nothing if not self-aware and wholly comfortable in his own skin. So he didnt waste much time soul-searching about why he was dealt. In short, he gave little thought to being someone else just because he had been traded.I think if you struggle to be comfortable in your own skin, youre going to live a very unhappy life, said the 27-year-old 2013 Norris Trophy winner. You have to be comfortable with who you are. And understand who you are and own it. I think ultimately, thats what people are going to respect about you. Because if you arent who you are, then who are you?But he knows that.That doesnt mean you cant evolve and you cant change and you cant be a better person and be a better hockey player, but you are who you are, he said.Its very early in this season and thus very early in the Subban era in Nashville. And whether the Cash-a-thon might actually take place sometime next summer, well, thats just a mugs game.But some things are undeniable. This Predators team is as talented as any that has ever been iced by Nashville. And the expectations are higher than ever before. Subbans presence here a significant part of that dynamic.Nashville fans are getting used to the fact their franchise is under a larger spotlight; again, that is due in large part to Subbans presence.He brings a lot of attention from across the continent that weve never experienced here, said team president and CEO Sean Henry.And the great thing about Subban is that whatever he is doing -- whether its dressing up like Jaromir Jagr at last years All-Star Game in Nashville or grabbing a baby and posing for pictures or, yes, singing country songs -- theres something completely authentic about it all.Hes not doing it for any reason, but thats who he is, Henry said. Hes having fun, and theres something contagious about someone who just has fun. I dont care what you do.Funny, its actually kind of simple when you look at it like that. Vapormax Plus Black Ireland . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Vapormax Flyknit Ebay Ireland . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. http://www.outletvapormaxireland.com/vapormax-flyknit-wholesale-china.html . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. Vapormax Plus Womens Ireland .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Cheap Vapormax Plus .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Video games and sports: Its a marriage that is somehow equal parts unlikely and inevitable. Im not talking about Madden, FIFA or NBA 2K. These games are certainly popular, but theyve never gained significant traction within the competitive gaming industry, more commonly known as esports.Instead, major players, owners and even teams from the world of traditional sports are expanding their business endeavors into games that dont resemble traditional sports, such as League of Legends, Overwatch and Counter-Strike. Put simply, people throughout the sports world are starting to bet big on the potential for video games to match or surpass their traditional sports counterparts in viewership and revenue generation. The question is: Could sports investment help alleviate the problems of monetization, dispute resolutions and sponsorships?Whats happened?Monday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers announced the acquisition of esports teams Dignitas and Apex, making them the first North American professional sports team to own an esports team. Twenty-four hours later, Team Liquid announced that Peter Guber, co-owner of the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Dodgers, and Ted Leonsis, majority owner of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, acquired a controlling interest in the esports organization.These acquisitions represent perhaps the watershed moment in a wave of interest and resulting investment from key figures throughout the sports world that are looking to capitalize on the relatively nascent, but incredibly popular esports industry.Former NBA player Rick Fox founded his own team, Echo Fox, while current Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko purchased the Renegades. Sacramento Kings minority partners Andy Miller, Mark Mastrov and Shaquille ONeal, along with Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins, all own a stake in NRG. Steve Kaplan, a co-owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, is an owner of Immortals. And all of this is just within the past year.European sports teams are following suit. German soccer team FC Schalke 04 bought a spot in the European League of Legends Championship Series. Football clubs Manchester City, West Ham and Wolfsburg have also signed individual players to represent their brands.The teams business isnt the only part of the esports industry attracting interest. Turner Broadcasting has now produced and broadcasted esports events in multiple different titles, while Heroes of the Storms college tournament, Heroes of the Dorm, has been on television for the past two years. Meanwhile, one of the largest talent agencies in the world, WME-IMG, acquired Global eSports Management and established an entire esports vertical.And thats not even everyone. The band Linkin Park, actor Ashton Kutcher, Nets point guard Jeremy Lin ... they all haave some vested interest in esports somewhere.ddddddddddddHow can sports help esports?The esports industry is already massive, and is growing quickly. Far more importantly, people from traditional sports are in a unique position to help springboard that growth and level up the business practices of the industry.Esports is at a major crossroads. While competitive gaming has been around since the advent of video games themselves, its never been a particularly successful stand-alone industry. Instead, esports have long been viewed as a great way to market games.Now were on the cusp of something much bigger. Esports have the potential to become full-fledged spectator sports that create global superstars and generate revenue in keeping with their popularity.In order to make this transition, the esports industry has a lot to learn. Esports shouldnt simply copy the infrastructure that has been built around traditional sports, but it shouldnt reinvent the wheel either. As Ive written about in the past, esports lack the type of dispute resolution mechanisms that are common throughout traditional sports. This is just one area where esports could benefit from integrating concepts that have been debated and developed in traditional sports for decades.Perhaps the biggest potential for growth lies in monetization. Having 36 million viewers for the League of Legends World Finals is amazing, as is selling out Madison Square Garden or the Staples Center. But popularity has to start translating to revenue.Traditional sports figures bring with them experience in selling sponsorships, merchandise, media rights and much more, not to mention connections to key decision-makers in each area. Sports can also help create ties to local fan bases and revenue streams, which is a major untapped resource in the esports industry because teams have historically not been connected to a particular city or even geographic region.I firmly believe that by 2060, the most popular video game in the world will rival soccer in competitive infrastructure, popularity and monetization. In order to get there, we need some help. The Sixers, Peter Guber, Shaq and wide array of other people and organizations from traditional sports that are already involved with esports, not to mention those who are eager to follow in their footsteps, are exactly what we need to level up the esports ecosystem and help it reach its extraordinary potential.Editors note: Bryce Blum practices at IME Law, where he represents a variety of esports teams, including many referenced in this article. Bryce represents Team Liquid and worked on the Sixers acquisition of Dignitas and Apex. ' ' '