If you've checked Jets wide receiver Quinton Patton's Twitter account since April, you probably know who he's rooting for to bring home Lord Stanley.
*Seriously? Is this guy really making me check?
*Don't worry. I'll give you a hint. Patton is from La Vergne, TN.
*There's hockey in Tennessee?
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- *Indeed there is. And the team happens to be making a great underdog run as they had the worst regular season record of the 16 playoff teams. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I am honored to introduce you to the Nashville Predators.
*Does quick Google search, chokes on drink. Holy smokes. Their logo is sick!
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- *"I don't care who they play," Patton said when asked about their opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins. "I just know we're going to win. That's it."
So how many games will it take them to take care of business, Quinton?
"It doesn't matter as long as they bring it home," he said.
Hockey may be a newfound love for the 26-year-old, but he's wearing his heart on his sleeve as if he grew up a diehard.
"I always liked the hometown team, but we haven't really had any excitement like this since the Titans went to the Super Bowl in the 1999 season," he said. "That was the last time we really had something to be excited about in Nashville.
"The Predators are representing right now. We were the No. 8 seed in the West and we've been taking out everybody. Now look at us."
Patton went to his first Preds game when he was in middle school, but hasn't made it back to #Smashville since.
*Smashville? That, um, sounds cool, but I have no idea what that is.
*"I really don't know the reason behind it, but I think it's because we're smashing people on the ice," Patton said. "We have a smash car right outside the stadium and you get a chance to have a sledgehammer and beat up the car. It has the opponent's logo on it."
*Whoa. I like that idea. Can we get one outside MetLife?
*Hate to be a heartbreaker, but #SmashLife will not be coming in 2017. As for Smashville, the term was originally coined to brand a spirit that no other NHL team has. NHL.com wrote, "It's a one-of-a-kind Nashville entertainment experience that shouldn't be missed."
Just for the record, as someone who's been to Bridgestone Arena to watch the Preds live, I can second that. Plus, if the league's website is putting those words in print, it has to be true.
Despite being away from home because of OTAs, Patton doesn't mind cheering from afar.
"I get the best seat in the house with my TV," he said. "I don't have to worry about anyone walking in front of me or being cold. All I have to worry about is commercial breaks."
*So real. HD > nose bleeds. My couch > stadium seats. Anything > getting beer spilled on me.
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