Nashville becomes Hot Chickens for a weekend
Nashville, Tennessee, is best known for country music. The city's Minor League team, the Sounds, owes its name to the subgenre of country music that became popular in the 1950s. But if there's a close second, it's Nashville hot chicken. The Sounds' mascot, Booster, is a red rooster referencing the
Nashville, Tennessee, is best known for country music. The city's Minor League team, the Sounds, owes its name to the subgenre of country music that became popular in the 1950s.
But if there's a close second, it's Nashville hot chicken.
The Sounds' mascot, Booster, is a red rooster referencing the city's famous food. And for one weekend, the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate will fully embrace the city's spicy roots and take on a new identity: the Nashville Hot Chickens.
From July 7-9, Nashville is donning specialty uniforms with red and green colors reminiscent of the original hot chicken restaurant, Prince's Hot Chicken, and featuring a number of spicy promotions.
Fans can purchase a package that includes a ticket, specialty hat and basket of hot chicken for $40, and the first 1,000 fans through the gate for Saturday's game will have a chance to win a free shirt if they complete a "hot chicken passport" that takes them to different restaurants around the city.
Love hot chicken? Love trying new restaurants? Then the Hot Chicken Passport is for you.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 7, 2023
Be one of the first 1,000 fans through the gate tomorrow, July 8th for yours.
🎟️: https://t.co/TRqfqtKO6b pic.twitter.com/Uors11AI1u
The Sounds are fully leaning into the theme and even created a "Hot Ones"-style video, where broadcaster Jeff Hem and catcher Brian Navarreto tried four different levels of hot chicken from Prince's while talking about baseball.
Navarreto, a Puerto Rican native, loves spicy food and says he puts Sriracha on everything. But he had never eaten Nashville hot chicken before, which made for a roller-coaster ride when trying the hottest levels.
"That was the first time, and I'm impressed," Navarreto said. "I love it. But actually, it was pretty spicy at the end, the extra hot and the hot ones. I had to get some milk, too."
The duo filmed the video before Thursday's game, for which Navarreto was not in the starting lineup. But after catcher Alex Jackson was ejected in the top of the third inning, Navarreto got to play most of a game with a full belly of Prince's.
"I had to take [heartburn relief] because I almost had to throw up because I was feeling hot inside," Navarreto said. "But after that, it wasn't that bad. I enjoyed it. My mouth felt hot for 30 minutes or an hour."
While consuming hot chicken and playing baseball aren't necessarily encouraged, fans can still enjoy the local delicacy all weekend without worry.
Ben Weinrib is a contributor for MiLB.com.