Catfish Throwing Predators Fan Charged In Pittsburgh; Radio Station, Local Bar Promises To Cover Fines

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Nashville Predators fan who tossed a catfish on the ice of Pittsburgh's PPG Arena during Monday night's Stanley Cup Final Game One is facing charges for his piscine pitch.

According to a police report, Jacob Waddell of Nolensville, Tenn. bought the catfish in Tennessee and vacuum sealed it before putting it in his compression shorts. The report says that Waddell removed the fish from his shorts in a men's room before heaving it iceward in the second period. Ryan Ellis tallied the Predators first goal of the game almost immediately afterward. Waddell is charged with disorderly conduct, disrupting a meeting and possession of an instrument of a crime. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

Presumably, the catfish is the aforementioned instrument of crime.

Among the many mocking the arrest (or making t-shirts profiting off it) are the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Nashville attorney Daniel Horwitz blogged that, under Pennsylvania law, possession of instruments of a crime can carry a five-year prison term and $10,000 fine.

Speaking to the Midday 180 Tuesday, Waddell said he was just "a dumb redneck with a bad idea."

“The cop told me, to my face, ‘You are being charged with disorderly conduct. You will get a ticket, a citation in the mail.’ … That’s what I was told. Now they come out with a couple other trumped-up charges, which are BS. I mean, a catfish isn’t an instrument of whatever-the-hell-they’re-saying-it-was, and I didn’t disrupt a meeting. It was an athletic event,” he told the station.

Ellis' post-catfish goal started a furious comeback for the Predators, as they stormed back from a 3-0 first period deficit to tie it 3-3 in the third period. Ultimately, though, the Penguins would go on to win Game One 5-3.

Nashville's catfish toss dates back to the early days of the franchise, a Southern response to the long-standing Detroit Red Wings tradition of heaving an octopus onto the rink. It's now so associated with Nashville that famous Pittsburgh fish market Wholey's is requiring ID to buy the bottom-feeding delicacy and will not be selling it to Tennesseans.

Waddell tweeted Tuesday morning that Midtown watering hole Losers had committed to pick up his fines.

During his interview, 104.5 also committed to chip in for any fines.

A petition is also circulating to have the Predators designate Waddell as the pre-game towel waver when the series returns to Nashville Saturday for Game 3.