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Let Your Voice Be Heard

March 6, 2012, 8:31 AM ET [3 Comments]
Eric Smith
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When your a fan of the Blue Jackets, that means it's not about one player, one coach, general manager or even the mascot. You cheer for the crest on the front of the sweater and in some small way you hope or believe that the fans are a part of that crest. Due to this, you would like your voice to be heard by supporting the team versus disparaging the same team you cheer for but you also want to let them know at what level your expectations are of the team.

During the playoffs, you will here fans of the home team chant, “we want the cup.” This is there hope as their team is in the post season. There is no reason that this same chant can come down from the masses at Nationwide Arena and there's no reason that it doesn't start happening now.

With the mantra of “we want the cup” from the fans showering down on players, coaches, management and owners it will let them know what you expect without the tearing down of players, management or owners. Timing is important too. Right after Leo finishes his rendition of the 'Star Spangle Banner,' fans should rise together in a loud voice chanting over and over “we want the cup.”

The timing of this will allow those words to ring in the players ears as they get ready to drop the puck. Thus being able to cheer and support the team while still demanding excellence from them.

This also can't be a one and done type of thing. It must be a chant that is heard every time they open the doors for a Jackets game. Consistency is just as important in this as it is with the play and coaching of the Blue Jackets. One or two solid games means little if you don't perform for the next 20. It's the same with this. Repetition and consistency will deliver the message. It also will help build the impact to the organization with a crescendo happening on the final home game this season on April 7th against the Islanders.

The frustration of the fans is more than understandable and the desire to protest or hold signs showing your discussed with the performance of the organization through its history is not a shock. What will happen though is that you set a stage of the Blue Jackets against those fans and they try to squash any negative display against the team. With fans organizing with what is both a demand and a cheer of “we want the cup,” you won't have the organization fighting you. Don't be surprise if they try and support it.

Fans can continue to do what they are doing with little having any effect on the direction of the organization as a whole. Or fans can do something that reaches the highest levels of the Blue Jackets and all the way to the lowest levels that will help spur a winning culture that the organization has been void of since its start. A culture starts with demands and expectations and is consistent and unwavering. That's what fans need to be now if they ever want to chant “we want the cup” when the team actually has a chance to raise Stanley's Cup over their heads.
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