When news came down this past Friday that the long predicted cancellation of the 2013 All Star Game was a reality, I found myself feeling numb. I share the ‘fan perspective’ (no lawyerly knowledge here) on Union Blue and while we here have tried to steer clear of opining on the lockout, game cancellations and speculation on the ASG, it’s now my duty to reflect on the first part of this mess that has truly become a reality and hits not only the Blue Jackets, but Columbus directly.
One of my fellow contributors gave me a gentle nudge today…”you’re writing about the All-Star Game, right?” Yeah. I guess I will. But what more can I say that hasn’t already been said? I mean, we all know the facts by now: no All-Star Game in 2013 for Columbus and the only assurance we have of getting one in the future is that the league is going to work to bring the game back to Columbus “as quickly as possible”. Not too reassuring, eh? Lori Schmidt did clarify that we shouldn’t read too much into the exact wording but still, for the beleaguered Jackets fan, this is one more event that leaves us feeling slighted.
And that’s what leaves me at a loss for words. The advent of the ASG cancellation is no longer about the loss of hockey but about the loss of something much more. You see, I am lucky to be able to find hockey anywhere. I can attend games where my husband and/or other friends play every week; I can drive to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Erie, Evansville or farther to watch teams play. I can watch our AHL affiliate, the Falcons, online. I’m even lucky enough to fulfill my own hockey dreams by getting on the ice 2-3 times a week in CAHL games and Chiller events and scrimmages. It’s an easy argument for me that hockey still exists and is accessible to anyone who wants it.
But the loss is still significant and tangible. And the fact that this loss has almost nothing to do with actual hockey makes it worse. The All-Star Game was about more than having the chance to see “the best of the best” from the NHL. The All Star Game was a true opportunity to show off our fair city to the hockey world and to reward the community that has stuck with professional hockey in Columbus in the form of exposure and cold hard cash. Columbus is feeling the impact of the lack of millions that were anticipated to flow through our city. Budgets that were built, jobs that were accepted, investments that were made are all now nullified because the NHL and NHLPA can’t come to agreement on the terms of being paid to play a wonderful game.
And that is what the crux of the growing apathy is, eh? We would be naïve to say it’s “only a game” but we at least thought it was more proper to say “Hockey is a Game” instead of “Hockey is a Business”. As fans, we invest in hockey with dollars but anticipate a great return only in the form of love and emotion and pride. We never expected a monetary gain. Every (non) action, every pandering statement to the press, every day of meetings with no results only chips away at our belief that a return that is valuable to us is even possible.
Blue Jackets fans are no stranger to chirping and derisive comments. The All-Star Game was a beacon of hope to redeem us as fans and a city. It was a chance to turn the page…to “lay the first brick” in homage to John Davidson’s “brick by brick” strategy to building a winning franchise. For a hundred reasons that have nothing to do what happens on the ice…all of that is gone.
Goodbye All-Star Game…you have no idea how much Columbus will miss you.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
