Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has issued a statement saying the charges against 36-year-old Nolensville resident Jacob Waddell might have been a little too harsh.
At the start of the second period of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in Pittsburgh, Waddell chucked a dead catfish he smuggled into PPG Arena onto the ice. He was ejected, and charged with disorderly conduct, disrupting a meeting and possession of an instrument of crime. The misdemeanors could carry a 6-year sentence and over $12,000 in fines.
Peduto thinks community service at a famous Pittsburgh fish market would be a more suitable penitence for Waddell.
"This has turned into a whale of a story. From my perch, I agree with Mayor Barry that we shouldn't be baited into interfering with this fish tale, but if the charges eventually make their way to a judge I hope the predatory catfish hurler who got the hook last night is simply sentenced to community service, perhaps cleaning fish at Wholey's."
Earlier Monday, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry issued statement asking for leniency, saying, "We would hope that in the spirit of good sportsmanship that any charges for throwing a catfish onto the ice would be quickly dismissed."
A handful of Metro Nashville councilmen have also expressed support for Waddell, calling for their county government counterparts in Pittsburgh to pardon to Predators fan.
Several GoFundMe campaigns have also been launched to raise money for a legal defense.
Barry and Peduto have issued a friendly wager over the Stanley Cup Final, with the losing mayor having to donate to a veterans charity in the winning city.
Catfish tossing has been a tradition of the Predators since 2003, and Metro Nashville police say that no one has been prosectuted since the tradition began.
The puck drops for Game 2 at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Predators trail the Penguins 1-0 in the series.
