Blue Jacket fans will be multitasking today as two major things will happen that might have some of their heads spinning. At 2pm eastern, “Occupy Nationwide” takes place as a grassroots effort by the fan to protest the way the Blue Jackets are managed, how they have played and overall show the frustration of a still passionate fan base.
Possibly at the same time that fans will be raising picket signs and their voices in disgust, news could come out that Columbus will host the 2013 NHL All-Star game. Based off of several reports, the NHL is expected to tag the capital city as the next All-Star extravaganza site.
It will be interesting to see if the timing will be such that the fans will have to go from yelling and chanting in anger to screaming in jubilation. Both reactions will be warranted.
In an attempt to show ownership and management of the Blue Jackets that the fans no longer will sit idly by and support a franchise with blind faith that has consistently underperformed for more than a decade.
Fans, in all professional sports, have tried in many different fashions to show their anger, frustration and disappointment to the fans but most if not all have been flops. This one takes it to the streets and more accurately to Nationwide Arena where the perceived sins have taken place.
In an obvious attempt to calm down the masses, majority owner John P. McConnell put out a letter to the fans ensuring actions will take place.
“I understand you want to know what we’re going to do to fix this, but it is important for us to maintain a degree of discretion to prevent putting ourselves at a competitive disadvantage,” McConnell told fans in the letter. “I can tell you action will be taken in the coming weeks and months, be it around the trade deadline, the entry draft and/or free agency that will be indicative of our direction.
The one major problem that the Columbus organization doesn't understand that due to the slick selling former president/general manager Doug MacLean and through to this point, words are hollow at this point with the fans. Also what may even be a bigger misguidance by the organization is the underestimation of the fan base's knowledge and understanding of the sport and how an organization should look. There is a reason there is so many Red Wings jerseys in the stands when they come to Nationwide Arena. It's because many were fans of the team before the Blue Jackets came to town and thus have seen and know what a successful franchise looks like.
“Our goal as an organization is to build a team that wins consistently and competes for the Stanley Cup. Anything less is unacceptable! McConnell said in the statement. “Everything we do in the coming weeks, months and years will be done to that end and everyone in our organization – myself, management, staff, coaches and players – will be held to that standard.”
It all sounds good in a letter but fans are no longer excepting this at face value. Action, drastic action, is the only thing that will make fans believe that something is being done. The lack of a winning culture permeates the entire organization. It's obvious to see as the Blue Jackets work at an obsessive level to try and spin everything that is going on into a positive. It no longer works and it's just window dressing on a manure pit. You can make it look good and say all the right things but no one is going to miss the smell that is coming out.
The action that needs to take place is not just trading this player for that player. Fire this coach for that coach. It is a complete organizational purge of anything or anyone that is not 100 percent focused on winning. Some nice people and I'm sure talented people will need to find another place for those talents.
It seems obsessive but it is what it takes to win in professional sports. Anything less will just make you mediocre at best.
For a short time though, those same fans will get to cheer as the NHL is expected to bring it's most talented players to Columbus. Reports after Nationwide Arena was the host for the 2007 entry draft was that the NHL was extremely impressed but the lack of high end hotel rooms was the only thing holding back the NHL bringing the All-Star game to Columbus. That will be fixed as a 500 room Hilton will be completed in September of this year and sits only blocks away from the arena. This seems to be the final hurdle for the NHL and now it looks like Columbus and the Columbus Sports Commission are going to get what they have wanted for years.
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • 
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