October 7th of 2000 seems like an awfully long time ago. Just over thirteen years last month, Columbus began to write their hockey history in front of a sellout crowd. For those nearly 4,800 days, die hard hockey fans, and those who have joined the battle with Columbus have watched as the team continues to search for a legitimate foot hold in the National Hockey League standings.
They have a total win-loss record of 371-467-33-93, with only a single playoff appearance. We all know this, because we have read it a thousand times. We saw it first hand as fans, and many of us are still mending a wound cut deep by a winless playoff round against that team who resides somewhere a couple hours Northwest of Nationwide Arena.
With these statistics in mind, I want to draw attention to the debate about attendance, whether Columbus is a viable market, and why I don’t think fan interest is the real issue here.
In the early stages of Blue Jackets history, fan presence was quite strong. Over the first five years, they averaged around 17,500 people for home games, giving a good indication that Columbus was capable of housing a professional hockey team, and that people would come out for the entertainment value despite the limited team history or success.
What has happened since then, is a slow regression of attendance. A drop in nearly 3,000 seats per game, and a trend not currently on the rise. Some may claim this is a fan issue, and refer to NHL powerhouses like Toronto, Edmonton, and a few select teams that seem to be impervious to low attendance regardless of record, but I find that remarkably foolish. If you want a reference to bad teams generating bad attendance, look no further than the Islanders, the Blackhawks (who claim to have an excuse), or the Penguins (who claim to have an excuse). Would you believe me if I guaranteed the Blue Jackets attendance numbers would be on the rise if we had even ONE of Tavares, Crosby, Malkin, Toews, or Kane on this team?
This situation is not meant to be sympathetic towards the team or organization. In fact, my intentions here are quite the opposite. While Columbus boasts a great fan experience, loaded with in game entertainment and housed in arguably one of the nicest Arena districts in the entire league, there is a sheet of frozen water two hundred feet long that will play a far greater role in all of these attendance woes.
Win. Just win. It’s pretty simple to say, awfully hard to accomplish in the NHL today, and it takes a special blend of heart, talent, and luck to do so. The draft has not been all that kind to Columbus, generating some nice talent (and good people) but largely forcing the player growth to be painfully slow. Free agent signings have come at a premium for the most part, and certain all star caliber players have made it known that they’d rather be a part of another already successful franchise rather than create one here (There are a number of unprintable words for that attitude, but I digress).
It’s a source of frustration for fans here, who tune into games and are forced to watch as excuses get compiled as to why forty shots on Johnny Backup didn’t net more than a single goal. They endure as a couple of mistakes by either the Columbus defense or the goaltender turn into 2-1 losses in a game otherwise dominated by the Blue Jackets. The commentary about “we have to be better” and “we didn’t get lucky” and “we need to take better shots” and etc etc etc can wear down even the most diehard of fans, especially when it’s repeated loss after loss.
So I ask those pundits, who seem to get a rise out of magnifying Columbus as an attendance struggling franchise to look a bit deeper. Consider the teams at the bottom of the attendance chart who actually have competitive hockey teams, yet can’t sell out a game (Phoenix 11-4-2 – 69.7% arguably, Anaheim 13-3-1 – 87.5%, Dallas 7-6-2 – 81.3%). The onus on these attendance issues is competitive hockey, and it starts with the players, the coaches, and the organization. Is there a good reason why the interest levels of Columbus residents are at fault here, at all? At every stage of competitive hockey, this town has erupted with interest. Columbus’ awful October starts are well known, 5-6-0 this year, 2-5-1 last year (albeit January), and the horrifying 2-9-1 of the 2011/2012 season.
What does that generate for local fan interest? The same on ice product? Reduced excitement? Where is the tidal wave of hope in a strong start? People work hard for their money, and I believe they will spend it on a team that shows they can work hard EVERY game for fan support. There is very little increase of pride in losing. It’s time to put the blame on the shoulders of those who are at fault. Stop blaming the residents of Columbus, who have endured the suck for long enough.
Carry the Flag.
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