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Would Columbus Miss the Blue Jackets?

  • Tiernan
    Interesting debate on Mike & Mike this morning about whether MLB and NHL are over-expanded for today's economic climate. It seems there is talk at the highest levels in both leagues about "contraction"...possible reduction of number of teams.

    That got me to thinking...would I personally give a rat's ass whether the CBJ were gone tomorrow? I go to 2 - 3 games a year (usually when someone gives me freebies) but in the long run I doubt I would really miss not having the NHL in C-bus. Anybody else?
  • gerb131
    Makes Cols a legitimate city imo. Now Austin Tx is the biggest city without a big 4 sport (NHL NBA MLB NFL) They built the Arena district around the CBJ if they leave there aren't enough events to fill that arena to make it worth it. They aren't leaving so we don't have to worry about it.
  • Y-Town Steelhound
    Yes, Columbus would miss the Blue Jackets and the restaurants and bars in the arena district would miss them even more. Columbus has shown that it's not a great pro sports city (Crew have been the best pro team in Ohio for a few years now yet can't get anyone to the games), but the Blue Jackets give people something to do in the winter. You can't sell the idea of a pro sports team to a city when the team hasn't been competitive for the first 10 years.
  • thedynasty1998
    Economically? Absolutely. It would kill the Arena District.

    As for fans actually missing going to Blue Jackets games and supporting the team? Probably not.
  • Commander of Awesome
    Y-Town Steelhound;528461 wrote:Yes, Columbus would miss the Blue Jackets and the restaurants and bars in the arena district would miss them even more. Columbus has shown that it's not a great pro sports city (Crew have been the best pro team in Ohio for a few years now yet can't get anyone to the games), but the Blue Jackets give people something to do in the winter. You can't sell the idea of a pro sports team to a city when the team hasn't been competitive for the first 10 years.
    To be fair, the MLS can't get people to go to games, its not just a Columbus issue.
  • Nate
    Put one of the big 3 in C-bus (MLB, NFL or NBA) and your attendance would be a TON better than Crew and BJ games. Ohio is not a hockey state nor does anyone really give a shit about soccer.

    Ohio doesn't need a 3rd NFL or MLB team though. I don't think the NBA would flourish in C-bus though because the Cavs really can't get a following w/o LBJ23.

    C-Bus is just at a major disadvantage because Cincy and Cleveland already have a MLB and NFL team.
  • LJ
    Nate;528486 wrote:Put one of the big 3 in C-bus (MLB, NFL or NBA) and your attendance would be a TON better than Crew and BJ games. Ohio is not a hockey state nor does anyone really give a shit about soccer.

    Ohio doesn't need a 3rd NFL or MLB team though. I don't think the NBA would flourish in C-bus though because the Cavs really can't get a following w/o LBJ23.

    C-Bus is just at a major disadvantage because Cincy and Cleveland already have a MLB and NFL team.
    Well then lets get rude of the shitty products in Cleveland and put them in Columbus.
  • Tiernan
    Less than 10K in actual attendance at last CBJ game. 9 out of 10 people on street in C-bus could not tell you the Mgr of the BJs name or one player other than Nash. 10 out of 10 could not tell you 3 Crew player names.
  • thedynasty1998
    Columbus wouldn't be able to fully support an NFL team because of the Buckeyes and because there are already two teams in the state. Columbus has the Clippers who do okay, but with them there really isn't a reason to have a MLB team, and again, there are already two in the state.

    The only possibility would be the NBA, and I think an NBA team would thrive here! Columbus is a fairly passionate sports city and although Cleveland would lose a large portion of their fan base, that shouldn't stop Columbus from pursuing a team.
  • Rotinaj
    LJ;528490 wrote:Well then lets get rude of the shitty products in Cleveland and put them in Columbus.

    No need to be rude about it.
  • Y-Town Steelhound
    thedynasty1998;528516 wrote:The only possibility would be the NBA, and I think an NBA team would thrive here! Columbus is a fairly passionate sports city and although Cleveland would lose a large portion of their fan base, that shouldn't stop Columbus from pursuing a team.
    I have to disagree on that one. For one, I don't think that Columbus is that passionate of a sports city. The Blue Jackets (not Columbus" fault) and Crew (totally Columbus' fault) are examples of that. Along with that, I don't think basketball would do well in Columbus. Though they certainly have two beautiful arenas capable of hosting NBA teams, I don't think the support is there for a long term team. Ohio State has problems getting people to come to games even though the Buckeyes have been pretty good the last few years. The Cavs have been playing a preseason game in Columbus the last few years and it hasn't drawn much interest even when LeBron was there (only about 8K at last night's game). I just don't think that Columbus is a basketball city.
  • End of Line
    I for sure would miss them, along with the bars and restraunts in the Arena District.
  • thedynasty1998
    Good point about the basketball team.

    I had two tickets to a game last year that were like 6 rows off the ice at mid ice. Face value was like $70 and I didn't want to go, but decided to head down to try to scalp them. I got $15 for the pair. At that point I really realized no one cares about the Blue Jackets.
  • Blanket
    It would destroy the Arena District.
  • thedynasty1998
    They are not going to leave. If it ever really got that bad, Nationwide and the Dispatch would pony up whatever it took to keep them in town. They just have too much invested in the area to ever let them leave.
  • jordo212000
    thedynasty1998;528516 wrote: Columbus has the Clippers who do okay, but with them there really isn't a reason to have a MLB team, and again, there are already two in the state.

    The Clippers do better than ok. They've been among the leaders AAA in attendance the past two years since Huntington Park opened.
  • thedynasty1998
    jordo212000;528675 wrote:The Clippers do better than ok. They've been among the leaders AAA in attendance the past two years since Huntington Park opened.

    Yea, but that was to be expected in year one. We'll see how much support they get once the stadium isn't the "new thing".

    I do think they will continue to have good fan support, because there's not much else to do in Columbus, but the numbers are probably going to be inflated a little for the first couple years.

    I think attendance actually went down more than expected from year 1 to 2.
  • thedynasty1998
    Just found the numbers on Clippers attendance:
    2008 - Avg of 7680
    2009 - Avg of 9526
    2010 - Avg of 8945

    Next year should be telling.
  • FatHobbit
    I wouldn't miss them, but I think Columbus would.
  • bucks36
    Who are the Blue Jackets?
  • Emmett Brown
    I would. But I am tired of them losing.
  • LJ
    Y-Town Steelhound;528597 wrote:I have to disagree on that one. For one, I don't think that Columbus is that passionate of a sports city. The Blue Jackets (not Columbus" fault) and Crew (totally Columbus' fault) are examples of that. Along with that, I don't think basketball would do well in Columbus. Though they certainly have two beautiful arenas capable of hosting NBA teams, I don't think the support is there for a long term team. Ohio State has problems getting people to come to games even though the Buckeyes have been pretty good the last few years. The Cavs have been playing a preseason game in Columbus the last few years and it hasn't drawn much interest even when LeBron was there (only about 8K at last night's game). I just don't think that Columbus is a basketball city.

    The Crew constanly hits league average attendence. I dunno where you guys keep getting that they aren't doing well
  • mhs95_06
    LJ;529395 wrote:The Crew constanly hits league average attendence. I dunno where you guys keep getting that they aren't doing well

    Is it a "leap of faith" to think that league average equals "doing well"?
  • rydawg5
    I love the blue jackets
  • Laley23
    mhs95_06;529438 wrote:Is it a "leap of faith" to think that league average equals "doing well"?

    Well if you go by average, than yes they are doing well. Otherwise half the sports teams in America should up and move cities.