(Jamie is guest writing for CST. Hailing from Cleveland, he now cheers from two hours south, where the Ohio NHL representative doesn't let him forget his roots.)
In case you aren't following the happenings with Ohio's lone representative in the NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets are having their worst season in the 12 year history of the franchise. Going into the All Star Break this past weekend, the Blue Jackets are dead last in the NHL. 23 points out of a playoff spot. 32 points out of fourth place in their division. Adding to the insult, the Blue Jackets have one of the highest payrolls in the league. This is not a good hockey team and the problems start at the top.
This past Saturday saw an estimated 250 Blue Jackets fans stage a protest at Nationwide Arena. Fans gathered to console each other and call for change, hoping their voices would be heard by majority owner John P. McConnell. Pleas to mercifully remove GM Scott Howson and President Mike Priest from their positions were both spoken and written on signs. The Columbus Dispatch did an admirable job of covering the protest,
which you can read about on their website.
I first heard about this protest last Wednesday. I admit that I thought it was a waste of time by a lot of self-proclaimed internet heroes. To my surprise, less than a week later, their impact is already being felt.
Less than 2 days after the first plans were being bandied about, majority owner John P. McConnell
did an interview with Dispatch beat writer Aaron Portzline. Whether this was a preemptive strike or not, McConnell showed that he respects the fan base by acknowledging their protest and agreeing that things need to change. He also said that he would make sure that “hot liquids” would be there for the rag tag group of protesters on the cold January afternoon.
My first instinct was that this was a PR move, complete with attempts at humor. Then, less than a few hours after the interview was published on the Puck Rakers Blog,
Mr. McConnell sent a letter to the season ticket holders. I was hoping that it would be written in Comic Sans, but apparently that is reserved for
a different type of frustration. McConnell's letter detailed his disappointment, but it also didn’t indicate any solutions. He said changes would be coming in the next few weeks and months, but they could not be shared at this time. This sympathetic PR machine was in full force and it wouldn’t be doing so if the movement wasn’t happening. Regardless of the sincerity of the letter and interview, the protest plans were gaining momentum.