CURRENT lol
- Killian

Matthew Barnaby

I think that Columbus has a chance to become a good hockey city, but you wonder how much their first dozen years of struggles has tainted the team there.

But just from an outsider's point of view, you have all of these crazy Ohio State football fans in the area, once that season is done, there is a bit of a void for that passion. If the Blue Jackets can put together some playoff seasons, maybe they can capitalize on that and even if they can attract a few more Buckeye fans every season, it could build into something nice.

But the timezone thing is important too... If they can get more kids interested, that equals more kids playing hockey which equals more and more fans growing up with the team.

Matthew Barnaby
- nbartley9

You're so full of it...you're answer is this guy

I think that Columbus has a chance to become a good hockey city, but you wonder how much their first dozen years of struggles has tainted the team there.

But just from an outsider's point of view, you have all of these crazy Ohio State football fans in the area, once that season is done, there is a bit of a void for that passion. If the Blue Jackets can put together some playoff seasons, maybe they can capitalize on that and even if they can attract a few more Buckeye fans every season, it could build into something nice.

But the timezone thing is important too... If they can get more kids interested, that equals more kids playing hockey which equals more and more fans growing up with the team.
- rival22

I think the 12 years of disappointment is only relevant up until the point they start legitimately competing.

This isn't meant to be an anti Russian stance but think about how many of their huge roster decisions were busts with unfamiliar sounding names. Absolutely no marketability. Rick Nash was only one guy who could only do so much.

Fast forward to now and their two best players are Europeans (Gaborik and Bobrovsky) but proven and have name recognition.

They are due to get an all star game again soon because of lockout, that will help too.

great stuff from Dejan on Duper

http://triblive.com/sport...-74/dupuis-game-kovacevic

It truly is amazing what Mario has done for the sport of hockey in this town, if not for him we would be the exact same way. Except we wouldn't have a team here at all.

Very interesting room today.....
What strange goings on here.....(Young Frankenstein)
- nbartley9

Not just Mario's effect. But Pittsburgh and Columbus are different in another key way. Pittsburgh had a "hockey past" that it tried to rejuvenate when the Pens came to the city. We had the first indoor rink in the world, one of the first paid professional teams, and a number of other early-20th century factoids to use to say "hey people, we used to be into hockey, so let's be into it again" and to a degree it worked. Until they spent way too much time sucking.

Columbus didn't have that hockey-past to cling to in order to sell it to the locals.

Not just Mario's effect. But Pittsburgh and Columbus are different in another key way. Pittsburgh had a "hockey past" that it tried to rejuvenate when the Pens came to the city. We had the first indoor rink in the world, one of the first paid professional teams, and a number of other early-20th century factoids to use to say "hey people, we used to be into hockey, so let's be into it again" and to a degree it worked. Until they spent way too much time sucking.

Columbus didn't have that hockey-past to cling to in order to sell it to the locals.
- ScienceJesus

Very true. Good post.

Also a lot of Ohio hockey fans are Penguins fans. All south eastern Ohio is packed with Pens fans.

Not just Mario's effect. But Pittsburgh and Columbus are different in another key way. Pittsburgh had a "hockey past" that it tried to rejuvenate when the Pens came to the city. We had the first indoor rink in the world, one of the first paid professional teams, and a number of other early-20th century factoids to use to say "hey people, we used to be into hockey, so let's be into it again" and to a degree it worked. Until they spent way too much time sucking.

Columbus didn't have that hockey-past to cling to in order to sell it to the locals.
- ScienceJesus

But even with the hockey past, very few people cared about the Penguins until Mario, and even in the mid-80's there was more excitement with him, but it didn't really pick up until they started winning in the end of the 80's.

Not just Mario's effect. But Pittsburgh and Columbus are different in another key way. Pittsburgh had a "hockey past" that it tried to rejuvenate when the Pens came to the city. We had the first indoor rink in the world, one of the first paid professional teams, and a number of other early-20th century factoids to use to say "hey people, we used to be into hockey, so let's be into it again" and to a degree it worked. Until they spent way too much time sucking.

Columbus didn't have that hockey-past to cling to in order to sell it to the locals.
- ScienceJesus

All true. People want and identify with a winner. The Columbus franchise built by Doug McLean sucked. It was built around a goalie. Then Leclaire turned out to be a bust and so was that approach. It seems to be changing. We shall see.

All true. People want and identify with a winner. The Columbus franchise built by Doug McLean sucked. It was built around a goalie. Then Leclaire turned out to be a bust and so was that approach. It seems to be changing. We shall see.
- powerhouse

I don't think they built around LeClaire. I think they swung and missed consistently in the first round.

I don't think they built around LeClaire. I think they swung and missed consistently in the first round.
- Ryan_Wilson

I just looked through their draft history, and wow, they swung and missed in most rounds.

Either their scouting wasn't good, or they were just horrible at developing players. Probably a combination of both. You gotta think with the front office staff they have now, things should continue to change for the better.

I just looked through their draft history, and wow, they swung and missed in most rounds.

Either their scouting wasn't good, or they were just horrible at developing players. Probably a combination of both. You gotta think with the front office staff they have now, things should continue to change for the better.
- rival22

You can pull out now, Rival

Who is your favorite current penguin and why?
- Killian

I don't have only one player I like on this roster. I respect many of them.

Penguins: Malkin/Letang/Crosby/Kunitz/Orpik.

Steelers: Heath Miller/Antonio Brown/Polamalu/Roethlisberger.

I don't have only one player I like on this roster. I respect many of them.

Penguins: Malkin/Letang/Crosby/Kunitz/Orpik.

Steelers: Heath Miller/Antonio Brown/Polamalu/Roethlisberger.
- Orpik44

Pirates? (notice how I didn't ask Mariners)

In other news the Flyers replaced a D-Bag with a complete scumbag. Upgrade or not?

In other news the Flyers replaced a D-Bag with a complete scumbag. Upgrade or not?
- Francois Leroux

Maybe D-Bag was too harsh? I still appreciate his Game 7 antics.

You can pull out now, Rival
- Killian

The answer to your question:

The answer to your question:
- Orpik44

Well you seem to go with the big name players, so you're probably a Cutch or El Toro kinda guy haha

BTW, best Halloween costume of the year hands down

Pirates? (notice how I didn't ask Mariners)
- Killian

I haven't followed baseball that much since the early 2000's haha but everyone sem to be a fan of this McCutchen guy.

From the Mariners, all time would be Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buehner and Randy Johnson.

I haven't followed baseball that much since the early 2000's haha but everyone sem to be a fan of this McCutchen guy.

From the Mariners, all time would be Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buehner and Randy Johnson.
- Orpik44

A-Rod? That just ended our conversation

Well you seem to go with the big name players, so you're probably a Cutch or El Toro kinda guy haha
- Killian

Skills can't be denied

I'll just name two I really like and probably would buy a jersey: Kris Letang and Heath Miller.

A-Rod? That just ended our conversation
- Killian

He's probably a douche and slept with all the women you've dreamed of but the guy can flat out play and hit homeruns.

What don't you like from his game?

But even with the hockey past, very few people cared about the Penguins until Mario, and even in the mid-80's there was more excitement with him, but it didn't really pick up until they started winning in the end of the 80's.
- rival22

They didn't come out in droves, but at the same time, they didn't play in an empty building either. They also didn't really have much luck with their roster for a number of years in their early days. And then those many years of mediocrity followed by their suckfest in the early 80's turned a lot of fans off in the same way that the Pirates did for 20 years here. Mario helped. Building a solid team helped more and winning really helped.

As of yet, Columbus hasn't done any of those things. They've been awful at drafting, mediocre at trading, poor at keeping their talent and generally sitting at the bottom of the standings. I go back to my first post on this... winning a cup or 2 will really go a long way towards building that not-quite-city into an actual hockey hotbed (which was the point of my initial reply) and creating that long-term fanbase.

And a solid rivalry that isn't 1-sided on the score sheet (like Philly was with Pittsburgh for a number of years) or in terms of how it's viewed (like Pittsburgh has been towards Washington) with a team like Pittsburgh could help a lot. But there's gotta be that genuine hate between the teams. Pittsburgh & Philly HATE each other. Washington HATES Pittsburgh but we look at them not much differently than the Rangers or Isles. An inconvenience that we don't like, but we don't have that HATE there.

I was always shocked that the Wings and the Jackets didn't develop that hate as an overflow of the U of M and OSU rivalry.

I have not been to a game in Columbus. However I was downtown at the convention center for a Cheerleading and Dance tournament for my daughter(National Champs in cheer and Dance by the way) and I went across to a bar called Barley's with a few of the dads. The Blue Jackets were playing Ottawa that night at home and that bar was packed with CBJ fans. The atmosphere in there was awesome. Talked to a few fans who had a very good understanding of the game. OSU only plays once a week for 12 weeks.