Cincinnati

CincyCBJ

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Feb 16, 2017
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As my username suggests, I currently live in Cincinnati. I grew up in Columbus, so that's how a became a fan. Absolutely none of my friends (late 20's/30's) from here follow hockey. Local media coverage of the CBJ is non-existent and really hard to find a game on at a bar. I knew hockey wasn't big down here, but honestly was surprised just how little people follow it. I'm not even joking when I say HS football is more popular.
 

CBJWerenski8

Formerly CBJWennberg10 (RIP Kivi)
Jun 13, 2009
42,076
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One of the biggest disappointments with the CBJ is their lack of outreach with the other markets in the city. Honestly the jackets didn’t give a damn about Cleveland until we could get the Monsters as our affiliate. We should try to get Cincinnati as our ECHL team, and do some outreach in that area to make more people in Cincinnati care about the CBJ, especially since the bengals are so bad.
 
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Speedy Sanderson

Registered User
Jan 29, 2012
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NHL is much bigger in Cleveland than Cincy. Hockey in general is bigger in northeast Ohio than southwest Ohio. Still, it's not like Cincy is a hockey wasteland. They have an ECHL team, have previously had AHL teams, have Miami University hockey in Butler County, and a couple youth travel organizations. I think the CBJ could do a better job courting Cincy fans....the Bengals and Reds are a joke, but college hoops and high school football are really big down there, so there are hurdles to overcome. Also, Cincy is almost southern in feel, so it's not naturally inclined toward a sport like hockey.
 
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Cyclones Rock

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Jun 12, 2008
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The ECHL Cyclones have developed a very nice following. They averaged over 5,000 per game last year which is a very nice attendance number for the ECHL. Their management understands that their product is entertainment and not hockey, per se. The percentage of people who come to a Saturday night game-where crowds commonly reach 8,000-who could name 10 players on the Cyclones roster is probably less than 10%. It's all about having fun, $1 beers during the week and something to do with the kids on a weekend night. The crowds are enthusiastic and they love the fights and scrums.

As someone who hangs out with a lot of people who are interested in hockey, I know more than a few who follow the CBJ closely and go up to Columbus for games on a regular basis. Off the top of my head, I know of 3 CBJ quarter season ticket holders. It's not at all unusual to see CBJ gear outside of the hockey venues either. That being said, the CBJ don't have a large following in the area. I doubt the Fox Sports Ohio ratings are very good in the area.

There's no doubt that an affiliation with the Cyclones would provide a boost for CBJ popularity in the area. But given the Cyclones focus on entertainment (there's no mention of AHL/NHL affiliation during the games or on the scoresheets), the management of the Cyclones may not be interested in having a CBJ affiliation as it would probably entail some focus on the CBJ instead of the Cyclones brand.
 
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JohnnyJacket13

(formerly PD9)
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Jan 14, 2015
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Too me, the biggest reason the Blue Jackets aren't more popular around the state is we've pretty much sucked for our entire existence. Who wants to follow or invest their time in a team that's going nowhere.

How about all of the browns/bengals/reds/Indians fans in the Columbus area? It’s not like fans of those teams have had much to root for over the past 20 years either.

I’ve been living in Cincinnati for two years now for graduate school and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen people wearing CBJ clothing
 

CharlotteJacket

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Apr 11, 2013
2,014
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Charlotte, NC
How about all of the browns/bengals/reds/Indians fans in the Columbus area? It’s not like fans of those teams have had much to root for over the past 20 years either.

I’ve been living in Cincinnati for two years now for graduate school and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen people wearing CBJ clothing
Listen whippersnapper, you say you're in grad school which means you're probably in your 20's. I can't even remember my twenties anymore. The Browns and Indians have been around forever with some history of championship seasons. As much as we all like hockey on this board, it can't compare to the natural popularity of football and baseball.
 
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Fred Glover

Chief of Sinners
Nov 17, 2007
6,232
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Ohio
One of the biggest disappointments with the CBJ is their lack of outreach with the other markets in the city. Honestly the jackets didn’t give a damn about Cleveland until we could get the Monsters as our affiliate. We should try to get Cincinnati as our ECHL team, and do some outreach in that area to make more people in Cincinnati care about the CBJ, especially since the bengals are so bad.
How do you know they didn’t give a damn about Cleveland? THey tried for YEARS to get in the market and get the AHL team as their affiliate but could not due to existing contracts that Cleveland had with first Colorado (who had a five year contract) and then I believe San Jose. They tried but couldn’t get the contracts aligned until a few years ago.
 
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thebus88

19/20 Columbus Blue Jackets: "It Is What It Is"
Sep 27, 2017
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Why haven't Torts or Foligno done anything to improve the teams relationship with Cincinnati??

If we cant get people in Cincy to put on a CBJ jersey, how do we expect to get elite talent to do so?
 

koteka

Registered User
Jan 1, 2017
3,813
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Central Ohio
Why haven't Torts or Foligno done anything to improve the teams relationship with Cincinnati??

If we cant get people in Cincy to put on a CBJ jersey, how do we expect to get elite talent to do so?

They should send Rick Nash down 71 to hang out at a mall or something.
 

Fred Glover

Chief of Sinners
Nov 17, 2007
6,232
1,730
Ohio
Why haven't Torts or Foligno done anything to improve the teams relationship with Cincinnati??

If we cant get people in Cincy to put on a CBJ jersey, how do we expect to get elite talent to do so?
The Jackets regularly (as in once a summer) send a player or players to Cincy and Cleveland to promote the team through the various local teams. For example, CBJ players have thrown out the first pitch at the Reds game, this year a trio of players went to the Browns training camp. Cincy isn’t their main market, neither is Cleveland, but once they start winning, those markets gain interest. It happened last spring when stations in both Cincy and Cleveland talked about the run the CBJ had in the playoffs. The best way for the CBJ to gain a foothold is to win, plain and simple, when they win people will talk about them. It takes time.
 

Iron Balls McGinty

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Aug 5, 2005
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Simply win and you market will be Cleveland, Cincinnati, Lexington, and Louisville.

all of those cities get FSN Ohio coverage.
 

Boxer Courage

Registered User
May 26, 2018
62
66
I’ve been in Cincinnati for a year, also for grad school. I haven’t seen any CBJ gear or logos, and hockey merch is something I notice. I’ve seen one guy wearing an Avalanche shirt, and one wearing a Cyclones shirt. I see tons of FC Cincinnati and Reds, and have seen more Bengals since football season started back up, and of course UC. What I notice about Cincinnati is that the people here love sports. It’s basically an untapped potential for CBJ, and no doubt people here would take notice if the team did some serious damage in the playoffs. Reaching out and possibly a Cyclones affiliate couldn’t hurt, but I think a real winner would be what turns Cincinnati’s attention onto CBJ. As it stands, there’s too much sports competition just in Cincinnati for the people to care about a team in Columbus that’s mostly been mediocre for the best part of 20 years.
 
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Cyclones Rock

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Jun 12, 2008
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In Cincinnati, the sports pecking order goes something like this:

1) Reds
2) Bengals (soon to fall or may have already)
3a) Xavier basketball
3b) UC basketball
5) High School Football
6) FC Cincinnati (could be a fad or move up)
7) High School Basketball
8) UC Football
9a) Univ. Kentucky basketball
9b) OSU football
11) Western & Southern Tennis Tournament (major prep for US Open-almost every top player shows)
12) NASCAR
13) Cincinnati Cyclones hockey

While I think that the CBJ could gain popularity in Cincinnati, it would top out at a pretty small number. Hockey has a long history in Cincinnati, but it's never really made an impression at a grass roots level.

Perhaps a commitment to having one exhibition game per year for a 3 year trial period could create a little bit of enthusiasm for the CBJ in the Cincinnati market. It certainly would create some excitement among CBJ season ticket holders who would be off the hook for one less meaningless exhibition at regular season prices.
 
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Daytonian

Registered User
Nov 6, 2014
45
7
Dayton OH
Hey! Any CBJ fans in Dayton? Is there any bar where CBJ fans gather and can actually get the game with the sound turned on?
 

ViD

#CBJNeedHugs
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Apr 21, 2007
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I’ve been holding the fort for CBJ in Cincy for many years now,
Worry not, folks !

The biggest problem I have in Cincy though is that they would show Reds and Cavs games over Jackets games on FSO.
 

Old Guy

Just waitin' on my medication.
Aug 30, 2015
1,847
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Noodles under your chili. Flying pigs. Bengals. Crosstown shootout.

Cincinnati only supports the best! No time for losers like the CBJ.

[/sarcasm]
 

Cyclones Rock

Registered User
Jun 12, 2008
10,482
6,370
They should send Rick Nash down 71 to hang out at a mall or something.

The sad thing is that almost no one would know who he was/is.

The WHA Cincinnati Stingers existed for 4 years and had 2 players who ended up in the HHOF-Mark Messier and Mike Gartner. I doubt either would get recognized in public in Cincinnati very often with Gartner maybe being a never.
 

Iron Balls McGinty

Registered User
Aug 5, 2005
8,494
6,367
I’ve been in Cincinnati for a year, also for grad school. I haven’t seen any CBJ gear or logos, and hockey merch is something I notice. I’ve seen one guy wearing an Avalanche shirt, and one wearing a Cyclones shirt. I see tons of FC Cincinnati and Reds, and have seen more Bengals since football season started back up, and of course UC. What I notice about Cincinnati is that the people here love sports. It’s basically an untapped potential for CBJ, and no doubt people here would take notice if the team did some serious damage in the playoffs. Reaching out and possibly a Cyclones affiliate couldn’t hurt, but I think a real winner would be what turns Cincinnati’s attention onto CBJ. As it stands, there’s too much sports competition just in Cincinnati for the people to care about a team in Columbus that’s mostly been mediocre for the best part of 20 years.
Judging by Bengals and Reds attendance there is too much competition to care for any team that has been mediocre for 20 years.
 

Doggy

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
3,281
2,325
I think the issues with the Cleveland market are multi-fold (although they all tie together in some fashion).
  • Hockey is popular as a participatory sport in Cleveland. Plenty of kids play. But it doesn't have the same appeal as a spectator sport. There are three Major League teams in Cleveland between the Browns, Tribe and Cavs so there isn't as much room for minor league Monsters, a team in Columbus they need to travel 2+ hours to go see or just watch games on TV.
  • Cleveland has four NHL teams within 3 hours. Clevelanders who were hockey fans before the CBJ aren't just giving up their Wings, Sabres or Pens fandom just because the NHL put a team in Columbus.
  • Clevelanders consider Cleveland to be a major league town and there can be a certain level of animosity/competitiveness when it comes to the capitol region of the state. Some have a hard time accepting that the Monsters are the feeder team for Columbus. They think the NHL Blue Jackets should be in Cleveland and the minor league team in Columbus. I have heard two things quite often: (1) "If the Blue Jackets were in Cleveland I would be a fan" or (2) "If the Blue Jackets were the Ohio Blue Jackets and not the Columbus Blue Jackets then I would accept them as the team representing the entire state rather than some smaller market down south I don't identify with".
  • Not all CBJ games are televised in Cleveland. The Cavs always take first priority on Fox Sports Ohio-Cleveland (as they should) but it does mean the CBJ get significantly less exposure in NE Ohio. I can't tell you how many times I ask my buddy "are you watching the game" and he would respond with "its not on..the Cavs are on". And the games are not on the radio up here either.
  • And lastly...winning. CBJ have been better the last couple years but overall they are still not significantly relevant enough. If the team wins sports fans in other parts of Ohio will start paying more attention.
I know Andy Baskin (92.3 The Fan host 10AM - 2PM) is a BIG hockey fan. I also know he would LOVE to talk hockey on the radio but don't believe he is allowed to. During the CBJ 15 game winning streak a few years back he mentioned a couple times about how well the team was playing but he's not allowed to talk about it. How sad is that.
 
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Viqsi

"that chick from Ohio"
Oct 5, 2007
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The ECHL Cyclones have developed a very nice following. They averaged over 5,000 per game last year which is a very nice attendance number for the ECHL. Their management understands that their product is entertainment and not hockey, per se. The percentage of people who come to a Saturday night game-where crowds commonly reach 8,000-who could name 10 players on the Cyclones roster is probably less than 10%. It's all about having fun, $1 beers during the week and something to do with the kids on a weekend night. The crowds are enthusiastic and they love the fights and scrums.
Swap out "Cyclones" with "Chill" and you have pro hockey in Columbus at the end of the last millennium. ;) Which gives me hope that there's something to be tapped...

* * *​
  • Clevelanders consider Cleveland to be a major league town and there can be a certain level of animosity/competitiveness when it comes to the capitol region of the state. Some have a hard time accepting that the Monsters are the feeder team for Columbus. They think the NHL Blue Jackets should be in Cleveland and the minor league team in Columbus. I have heard two things quite often: (1) "If the Blue Jackets were in Cleveland I would be a fan" or (2) "If the Blue Jackets were the Ohio Blue Jackets and not the Columbus Blue Jackets then I would accept them as the team representing the entire state rather than some smaller market down south I don't identify with".
Option #1 would not have helped, but option #2 would have outright killed any hope of success here - and, indeed, I doubt the team would have had any chance of existence otherwise. Columbus in general is deeply resentful of particular attention constantly going to Cincinnati and Cleveland while getting pretty much ignored itself in any capacity outside of "an unusually large college town" - especially after taking the #2 in size spot from Cincy fair and square. Mr. Mac made a point of wanting a team for Columbus; that's a not insignificant part of why he was so loved. Heck, you can see some of that dynamic in action here on this board when folks gripe about OSU.

Cleveland can have "Ohio Blue Jackets" if Columbus gets in return "Ohio Cavaliers", "Ohio Browns", and/or "Ohio Indians" (or whatever else that team's name may eventually get changed to). :)
 
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Cyclones Rock

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Jun 12, 2008
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Swap out "Cyclones" with "Chill" and you have pro hockey in Columbus at the end of the last millennium. ;) Which gives me hope that there's something to be tapped...

* * *​

Pro hockey has been around Cincinnati since 1949. It's not going to suddenly take off-I wish it would, but it's not. When I played a million years ago, the Cincinnati Youth Hockey Association numbered 1500 or so players. It's less than 500 now.

The CBJ organization made a brilliant strategic move with their "Chiller" rinks. Those rinks were the linchpin to the development of Columbus amateur hockey. That was attempted in Cincinnati in the mid 1990s, but it was with a minor league organization (another incarnation of the Cincinnati Cyclones) and never on the scale of what the CBJ did.

The CBJ were able to take their major league status and lack of professional major league sports competiton and start some very successful programs which have helped make hockey a major part of the Columbus sports culture. The WHA Stingers were major league and were making some good strides in promoting youth hockey, but when they opted out of going to the NHL in 1979, those efforts ceased.

There were 7 indoor sheets of ice in the late 70s and that number is now 5. No new rinks have been built since the mid 90s. The remaining rinks-save for US Bank Arena-are in various states of disrepair.

The window for making hockey a major sport in the Cincinnati area has unfortunately closed. I'd like to be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not.
 
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