Nashville Banner September 26th 1997

 Shazam!

Amid the ever-present smoke, 10,000 years later, the saber-toothed tiger returns to life.

He's wearing ice skates much like a modern-day hockey player, and all set for the next Ice Age.

Wearing shades of blue, silver, orange and gold, the saber-toothed animal -- who likely will answer to the name of Fury, Predator, Tiger or Ice Tiger -- stands above the spot where a May 1971 excavation of a site that became the First American Center unearthed a treasure for the ages. Inside a cave, workers found a nine-inch fang and a foreleg bone in what apparently was a den.

Sports entrepreneurs Craig Leipold and Jack Diller introduced Mr. Saber Tooth as the marketing logo for their Nashville NHL team Thursday.

Diller, in fact, wanted to hold the news conference closer to the cave site instead of that open area on the first floor of the bank in downtown Nashville.

``In order to get into it, you've got to show you are an archeologist and so it just wasn't going to work out,'' said Diller, standing near an exhibit of the 1971 find.

A flood of media members, First American employees and a few other passersby attending the announcement appear to approve of the logo.

``I don't know if the folks in here are representative of what everybody's reaction is going to be, but I feel so great about the way it has been received today (Thursday),'' Diller said after the announcement.

``You're talking about something that involves taste, and there's no right or wrong, but we did put a lot of time in on it and tried to bring a lot of elements into it.

``We're in a game that has a lot of power and speed, and, hopefully, that comes through it. We feel it does. We really feel good about it.''

Both in the same room where Leipold and Diller spoke and three or four blocks away in the bustling Second Avenue business district, the logo was met with near-100 percent approval by sports and hockey fans.

Baron Harmon, who works for the Metro Police department, heard about the news conference, and was intrigued by Leipold. Harmon said he would attend Saturday's Ice Breaker Bash season ticket kickoff campaign at the Nashville Arena, but was non-committal on buying season tickets.

``I'll come and see what's available,'' he said. ``It could influence me later.

``I thought this was exciting. Mr. Leipold is doing a fantastic job of informing the Midstate. The way he is going about it, giving people the chance to put a vote or voice in what they'd like to see in the (nick)name and logo. The people he has picked (for his staff) are really outgoing, and he has come in and made himself visible.''

Susan Henderson, an administrative assistant in the treasury management department for First American, said: ``It'll be a tossup for my husband and I between Arena (football) and the NHL. It'll be either or, but not both. A bunch of my friends are hockey fans.

``Nashville's just now getting professional sports. I'm interested in all of it, but not so much the (football) stadium. I find the Arena league is more exciting than the NFL.''

At Graham Central Station and the 2nd & Goal Sports Cafe, the logo was met with rave reviews.

``I like the colors,'' said Jeff Myers, club manager and member of the Nashville Sports Council, who likes Fury for the nickname and plans on getting two season tickets. ``It's very distinct. I like the fact that something finally says Nashville. There should be some good merchandising with that. That's a killer (logo), man.''

Bartender Matt Hendrix plans to be in a group of 8-10 people who will buy at least four seats.

``I have a friend (Al Gross) who lived in New York and started following the Rangers the same year we got the (minor league Nashville) Knights,'' Hendrix said. ``I grew up in Nashville an SEC football fan. I didn't have any reason to get into it.

``The logo's cool. I'm leery of the name. I'd rather it be Attack or Fury. I had a name -- Nashville Hits.''

``The logo is pretty decent,'' said Keith Reimert, a central auditor for Cigna Health Care. ``It's better than the Mighty Ducks. I like Ice Tigers, but Fury's not bad either.''

A new father, Reimert doesn't expect to buy season tickets.

``Money's tough,'' he said. ``I'm originally from Pennsylvania. I'm a big (Philadelphia) Flyers fan. I'll definitely go when the Flyers come around. I'll be as supportive as I can. I just can't afford it. Not this year anyway.''