They've become the unofficial mascot of the Nashville Predators: Catfish. Before each Predators playoff game, right after the anthem, at least one is thrown onto the ice to get the crowd going crazy.
"Playoffs come, people start calling, so we start bringing them in!" Chris Little of Little's Fish Market in Germantown, said.
Normally, the market doesn't stock full catfish with skin, head, and all, but during the playoffs, Little puts them on ice and welcomes people to come get the perfect projectile to get a crowd going.
"It's awesome, it's great. Fans come in, everybody gets excited about the whole catfish, it's a whole lot of fun," Little said, adding that while many throw them on the ice, others get them for other Predators-related activities. "We've got people that play games with them, use them for centerpieces at their house when they're having parties, someone tossing them around when they're watching the game."
Little's Fish Market has been chosen as the Nashville favorite for catfish picking, with folks like Catfish Jake shopping there, and Little wouldn't have it any other way. He loves the Preds and is happy to help feed the frenzy in any way he can.
As for throwing Catfish, Little hasn't done it at Bridgestone himself, but he's got some advice. "Get a good hold of it and give it all you got, I guess!"
Little said he'll keep selling the full catfish as long as the Preds keep winning, but once the season is over, he'll once again focus on selling the catfish with the intent to have them eaten instead of having them fly.
