I am done... Goodbye CBJ

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

I was an original season ticket holder, so I have been through a lot of ups and downs, mostly downs. I have stuck with the team through it all. Tonight was different. I was at the game in Carolina. When the Jackets went up 2-0, I told everyone around me that the Canes would win because of Stupid Vincent's defensive "strategy". I was not joking and I knew that they would lose in regulation. I have been through games like that before, but the difference is that I knew it was going to happen and it didn't even get me upset. It made me more sad than upset, but in an apathetic way. I realized that I just don't care anymore.
I spent almost $400 for tickets, parking, food and spent 3 hours in the car, 1.5 each way. I was just looking at the Black Friday deals in Columbus after the game tonight and decided that I just don't care enough to make the trip.
I can't tell the CBJ this, so this public forum is the closest thing I can do to let them know.

I am done with the CBJ. I am not giving them any more money and I am not going to watch any more games. I may watch if they ever make the playoffs again, but maybe not. They have been such a big part of my life for 24 years, but that is over. I hope they do well for you guys and that you get enjoyment out of them. I am done.

Click to read more...

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Can I have your username?

 

[ThisIsMyAlibi]

You’re a better man than I.

This organization is a complete joke. Part of me always held out hope. But the minute they brought back JD, I knew they weren’t serious about winning. They (ownership) go with what’s familiar, what is convenient.

It’s why they elevate interim coaches to head coaches. It’s why they let incompetent executives keep their jobs for a decade+. They don’t even know what to do.

This team is going NOWHERE until the team is sold.

Horrible branding. Horrible management. Horrible results. Average, at best, in game experience.

They hired BABCOCK for shits sake. The walking red flag. More confirmation that this organization is a JOKE.

And let’s be serious, a big reason why Johnny signed here was the fact that it’s a loser organization in a largely apathetic market with LOW expectations.

“We made the playoffs teehee isn’t it awesome guys!”

I’m glad you found a better way to spend your time/money.

 

[koteka]

On Black Friday I was looking for CBJ hoodies or jerseys for my kid for Christmas. I then wondered why I would give this franchise any money. Merry Christmas, here is a Cale Makar jersey.

 

[Ice9]

I did this with the NFL and MLB both of which I liked and have honestly not watched football in about 5 or 6 years and baseball in 3. Love hockey but its moving in the same direction for me. Experience has been absolutely liberating to say the least!

 

[tunnelvision]

I'll reach that threshold if Jarmo's successor is Chiarelli/Holland/Fletcher level.

 

[Doggy]

I am in a similar boat but not as extreme. I am not breaking up but simply taking a pause.

Spectator sports are supposed to be fun and while I know the players are trying hard, as a fan this is not fun to watch. It puts me in a melancholy mood when they lose in the fashion this team is losing again and again and again (my wife and I watched this first hand at the Rangers game @MSG).

I don't like the feeling and It is unfair to my wife. So I need to take a pause for my mental health.

On a side note, if the CBJ don't want to lose Voronkov to homesickness, then they need to stop losing all these games in such disastrous fashion. Nothing will accelerate his desire top go home more than walking into that dressing room demoralizing loss after loss after loss.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

OK

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Well at least you can jump on the hurricanes band wagon.

I didn’t realize this place was an airport now where we need to announce departures.

I get financial priorities change but plenty of people can still be fans when a team is terrible. Ohio is the same state where the Bengals, Browns, Reds and Indians/Guardians exist. I don’t work for any of these teams so I don’t let it make me angry when they fail in a game. I just accept it for what it is. Not everyone can be a winner. It’s not an event where we hand out participation trophies.

 

[Monk]

Well at least you can jump on the hurricanes band wagon.

I didn’t realize this place was an airport now where we need to announce departures.

I get financial priorities change but plenty of people can still be fans when a team is terrible. Ohio is the same state where the Bengals, Browns, Reds and Indians/Guardians exist. I don’t work for any of these teams so I don’t let it make me angry when they fail in a game. I just accept it for what it is. Not everyone can be a winner. It’s not an event where we hand out participation trophies.

When Hulu stops entertaining me, I cancel my subscription for a while. If something seems interesting again, I sign back up.

There's a "I haven't gotten the return on my investment" mentality that surfaces here from time to time that I've never understood.

 

[CBJ goalie]

Every team has its ups and downs.
Look at the Blackhawks. Some great years there, but they're consistently bad now.
Boston had some lean years.
Hell, Pittsburgh was almost moved to KC.

CBJ will be good again. I'll save your spot.

 

[Cheddarcheese]

let him walk BACK OF THE BUS MISTER

 

[Youngguns80]

Every team has its ups and downs.
Look at the Blackhawks. Some great years there, but they're consistently bad now.
Boston had some lean years.
Hell, Pittsburgh was almost moved to KC.

CBJ will be good again. I'll save your spot.

When were they ever consistently good? When Torts was here the team would be slow out of the gate and go on some miracle run to squeak in the playoffs (just enough to miss out on any high end talent). Our roster is disjointed with a lot of bottom 6 players, not great in the face-off dot (Jenner excluded), mostly suspect goaltending (until as of late), weird ineffective defensive systems, ineffective PP (for years) and ohh btw the horrible patterns on rushing talent to the NHL and not developing them.

Am I missing anything?? So I understand the sentiment of OP and will not be renewing my season tickets next season. I am not investing anymore time or effort into something that frustrates me constantly. My wife has been upset I let the Jackets get to me. She stopped following them 3 years ago. She went to opening night 2023 with me and said yep same ole Jackets don’t miss them. Nothing changes.

They always lure you with hope of next year and then flounder for 3 months the following season and are out of playoffs before Thanksgiving/Christmas. Stopped following the Browns and Indians/Reds years ago. Guess, I am heading to be a hockey fan in general and not the CBJ after this season.

 

[LudwigVonKarlsson]

Every team has its ups and downs.
Look at the Blackhawks. Some great years there, but they're consistently bad now.
Boston had some lean years.
Hell, Pittsburgh was almost moved to KC.

CBJ will be good again. I'll save your spot.

In fairness, it's been mostly downs outside of the 2019 first round.

 

[Fred Glover]

See ya

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Well at least you can jump on the hurricanes band wagon.

I didn’t realize this place was an airport now where we need to announce departures.

I get financial priorities change but plenty of people can still be fans when a team is terrible. Ohio is the same state where the Bengals, Browns, Reds and Indians/Guardians exist. I don’t work for any of these teams so I don’t let it make me angry when they fail in a game. I just accept it for what it is. Not everyone can be a winner. It’s not an event where we hand out participation trophies.

Not jumping on the Canes bandwagon. Its either Jackets or nothing.

I thought this was a site about the CBJ. I know one person is not a make or break for a franchise, but like a lot of posts on these sites, it is a rant, which I am sure you have never done.

Edit Addon:
I do not expect them to win the Cup and I am not angry. I have gone through the angry stage years ago, I am now in the don't care stage and its sort of a grieving process that I am moving on.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Every team has its ups and downs.
Look at the Blackhawks. Some great years there, but they're consistently bad now.
Boston had some lean years.
Hell, Pittsburgh was almost moved to KC.

CBJ will be good again. I'll save your spot.

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. It's not just winning and losing. It's the way they handle themselves. Hiring Babs, firing Babs, hiring Vincent was the last straw of a battle that has been going on for over 20 years.

I stole this from runyourpool.com. This discusses the worst NHL franchises ever. They had the Jackets at 2nd worst. I could not have said it better than this guy, although mine would have been longer...

The Blue Jackets are truly and completely one of the worst franchises in North American pro sports, let alone the NHL.

Let me tell you from experience. I was born and raised in Columbus. I have been a fan of the team’s entire 22-season existence. There have been only two truly happy times: the 16-game win streak in 2016-17, and sweeping the Lightning from out of nowhere for the franchise’s first playoff series victory in 2019. That’s it. Everything else – from the 0-8 start in 2015-16 to the myriad of dreadful seasons that bore even more dreadful draft picks, to Jeff Carter throwing tantrums and still getting his way – has been varying levels of embarrassing, uninteresting, and downright soul-crushing.

It took Columbus eight seasons to make the playoffs for the first time, another five to win a playoff game, and five more to advance a round in the postseason. There are baby steps, and then there’s whatever this is. Now four seasons removed from their last playoff showing, the Jackets have fallen deep down into the NHL’s basement, finishing second-to-last in the league’s 2022-23 standings. The team’s 59 points are the second-smallest season total in franchise history, excluding shortened campaigns.

Take it from me – you don’t want to be a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

 

[squashmaple]

I get it. Last season, especially after the new year, it was almost fun following Tankathon. I had a good time making friends with some Ducks fans on reddit (the Ducks fans here at hfb are total dicks). But this year is not fun. There is no joy in the ways they find to lose this year, throwing away perfectly winnable games every other night. At least last year there was no hope, and we could say with every loss “at least it’s a step closer to maybe landing Bedard.” Celebrini is not that grade of prospect, and we know for sure now the league will never let Columbus get first over all in a lottery, especially when Edmonton AND Chicago will be in the running for it.

But what else do I have to do?

 

[majormajor]

This is definitely not fun right now. I'll say I've had many great moments watching the club over the years, not just 2016 and 2019. We can still have those moments this year too, I'm not someone who only watches for playoff success. A win tonight would feel damn good.

I think part of the reason I'm not in personal anguish about the club losing is that I don't spend money on hockey. I've always been low income, I've never bought a ticket or a jersey or a tv package.

I just stream online and chat here. It's free. I think the quitters ought to try it. Take the "money well spent" part of it out of the equation.

 

[Monk]

don't spend money on hockey. I've always been low income, I've never bought a ticket or a jersey or a tv package.

I just stream online and chat here. It's free. I think the quitters ought to try it. Take the "money well spent" part of it out of the equation.

This is the way.

 

[CBJx614]

I've kind of just accepted the suck. It's Ohio sports, anything that can go wrong, will. You'll occasionally get a little shimmer of hope, but eventually it will always shut down any chance of Ohio sports winning.

The browns will be the browns

The guardians will be the guardians

The cavs will always be the cavs

And the Bengals even when they are good still have Ohio sports team luck.

Hell even the buckeyes haven't really escaped it either. What can go wrong will go wrong.

The Jackets are no different

You can't be disappointed if your expectations are in the dirt.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

The Penguins were once on the verge of moving to Kansas City, playing to half empty arenas and basically gave the team to Lemieux because they owed him so much money.

They were once worse off than this franchise. Let that soak in for a moment.

It's easy to kick people when they are down. We all do it to ourselves. However, I've been a CBJ fan since day one and a hockey fan even before that. They've never personally wronged me so I'll still be a fan no matter how bad they are. I don't spend nearly as much money as I used to but that is life, not because they are bad.

They might be a pretty inept franchise right now but they are here. It is much better than not having a team.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

I think I get it too, and concur with a lot of feelings (on both sides of the scale).

Nothing is forever and life moves on - I used to be big into hockey (local and NHL) in my teens and early adulthood but then stopped almost completely for many years. In that time one of my favorite local teams won one championship and that warmed my heart (but not to the extent it would've years before - or in fact did, as they won a few and were one of the top teams in the league at that time). My other favorite team went bankcrupt and is now restarting and playing on the second highest level with aspirations to rise to the highest level. I'm not super involved but it's fun to get a game here and another there, meet friends old and new, and just see where it goes. Wins or losses don't matter as much. My perspective has changed.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that do what makes you happy and gives you joy. As years pass it might just be your old favorite hockey team again.

 

[We Want Ten]

As a Browns fan, this is my well run franchise to rout for.

I got nowhere else to go.

Also, I haven't been to a game in a while and illegally stream games, have for years.

 

[Marioesque]

I don't really get the negativity, but to each their own. Team is the youngest in the NHL, yet manages to battle evenly against the leagues top teams on nightly basis now. AHL team is thriving, because the depth is so good and the CHL guys are destroying it there. As long as one accepts that the team is in developing phase and looks at all the available pieces and how competitive they already are against the NHL elite, it's hard not to be optimistic. Pretty much everyone has another gear or two to reach, and they're already a deep NHL team at this point of development.

And they haven't even fixed the PP yet....