Interesting Info: Part XVII (Jackets-related "tidbits" here)
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Johansen2Foligno
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- Jan 2, 2015
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I feel like there is a correlation between the "country club", the whole booing debate, and too much mr. Nice Guy. I'll probably get killed for this, but those are Midwestern qualities that are generally positive but not is pro sports, for the most part.
There's nothing wrong with a team of rivals, so to speak. I think the "incendiary" comments are really just honest talk from thick-skinned individuals who can take it on the chin.
There's nothing wrong with a team of rivals, so to speak. I think the "incendiary" comments are really just honest talk from thick-skinned individuals who can take it on the chin.
Double-Shift Lasse
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Per the Jackets' website, the only player from the midwest is Jack Johnson, maybe Saad. Unless you're counting central Canada.
Central Canada is very similar, culturally, to the American Midwest. But counting Saskatchewan and Manitoba only adds Hartnell, Falk, and Murray (plus Boll, who grew up in Indiana iirc) to that group.
I think there are tons of athletes that are good guys who take a different mindset when they perform.
It's easy to find guys who are good athletes but problem is the accountability piece. Sometimes the leader is the worst player on the team, sometimes it's the best. Sometimes it's the quiet guy who leads by example, sometimes it's the guy who you can't miss. Sometimes the biggest, sometimes the smallest.
But end of the day the leader has got to have followers. Somewhere along the line the team (even the captains) have strayed. No one knows why - but not playing solid hockey and making a lot of dumb mistakes, not playing hard, just generally not being accountable.
I still think that accountability comes from very top. Know who you want to be (what kind of team do you want to have). Construct a roster from that. Based on our roster make at beginning of this season the plan had to be to outscore everyone (lacking on blue line in talent, and honestly just look at where payroll is being allocated). I don't believe that's the real plan of what kind of team we need to win - so it's either a poorly constructed team (failure on management constructing the team) or a lack of understanding on my part on what the team is trying to be. But that should be the question asked to JD/Jarmo is what do you envision the Blue Jackets looking and playing like? They've constructed a team with talented forwards, a terrible blue line and a goal tender who gets hurt pretty regularly. Is that really what they envision or did they get caught up adding the best talent and hoping it would work?
Wikipedia says he grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois. So not Indiana, but still the Midwest.
Where the players are from is not germane to this topic. The original poster meant the ownership and most of the front office live in Columbus. The fans live in Columbus and so on. Its a culture thing. This could be why teams from Ohio generally suck at pro sports.
EspenK
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TaketheCannoli
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What about the 76ers, Flyers and Eagles? Their fans too nice?
Good point. Throw in the Phillies and Union while you're at it. You still have to have competence.
Double-Shift Lasse
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So far the location of the fans, and the team's suckage level have been some of the few consistent things about the team since its inception.
Kind of the same thing with the Browns
Johansen2Foligno
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I'm not getting my hopes up until AFTER we announce the selection of Auston Matthews. And not a second sooner.
The media also lives in Columbus. We're Midwestern. We're friendly, we're nice, we'll forgive a loss as long as the boys try hard. Gawd forbid that we should boo our own team when they aren't getting the job done (you can read that right here on these boards)
This franchise needs some good Northeastern US hard-assery from the top down. Win or you're fired! And it's high time that applies to more than the head coach (who has too often been the scapegoat for the org's failings). I love this franchise, but it's time for some tough love.
Double-Shift Lasse
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Where did Browns fans live in the 50s?
Does this Midwestern niceness also explain the eternal suckiness of the Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Red Wings... Probably why the New York Jets, Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Nationals are always good. Of course there's the New York Yankees. They were good when George Steinbrenner was the owner. Where was he from?
San Antonio has been a great team in the NBA off and on for 15 years. San Antonio doesn't strike me as a hard-nosed fan base. It does help to have David Robinson and then Tim Duncan to build around.
We all know how this is going to end. We come in last and lose the lottery (probably to Edmonton again) or we go on a streak and finish 7th or 8th from the bottom.
TaketheCannoli
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A good point. I believe in the old adage that a fish rots from the head down. I don't have a Mayor Bee baseball story, so I will have to rely on a football story.
I have a family member who is very active in business in Pittsburgh. One of his business deals put him in regular contact with Dan Rooney, the Steelers owner and CEO until a few years ago. I went to a social gathering and was introduced to Mr. Rooney. He is a very nice man- very gracious. Of course I was a bit intimidated and didn't know what to talk about, so I went for football. I'm not a Steeler fan and being a lifelong Browns fan has put me at a point where I just no longer follow the NFL at all. I do follow college football.
I asked Mr. Rooney a question that I've wondered for a long time that seems to extend to all pro sports that have a draft and a salary cap. Why do the Steelers always seem to be competitive and often a shot at a championship when they rarely pick early in the draft? Why do teams who often pick very early and have a chance at the great talent often continue to fail miserably?
His answer was interesting and illuminating for me. It certainly explained a lot about personnel decisions.
The consistently good teams like the Steelers know what a Steeler looks like, one who fits their team concept and vision. One who should be able to mesh in the locker room and play within their system. When it comes to the draft, they don't choose the most talented player available ie. the "best player available" they choose the best Steeler available. The same is true for free agency signings as well.
He went on to say that if you follow for a while, the unsuccessful teams usually choose the best player available regardless of culture or fit. Those teams are a collection of pretty talented players who don't mesh very well.
I've never forgotten the brief conversation. He didn't talk about nor did I ask about management or coaching but he certainly made me think about it. From afar, it certainly seems to me his team has made consistent coaching hires as well. While the game has changed, the Steelers persona has not. They are a physical, tough, grind it out kinda team with an aggressive defense and just enough high end talent to go for the big play once in a while. This was true in the 70s and 80s under Chuck Noll. In the 90s and 2000s under Cowher and has carried forward under Tomlin. No wonder they have stability, they are all "Steelers coaches." The common thread under several GMs, and coaches over the last 40 years? The Rooney family. They made hires that could carry out their vision.
What do the Jackets do? What's their team persona? Has it been that consistently since their inception? Have they had a vision? What's a Blue Jacket look like? How would a good Blue Jackets team play? What is their style? Are they a tough physical in your face team like the Big Bad Bruins or the Broad Street Bullies? Are they a sublimely talented and fast team like the Habs? or the Oilers of the 80s and 90s?
Who the hell are they? I know Hitch wanted a team full of "glue guys" who were hard to play against. Did MacLean and Howson? Arniel wanted a fast, aggressive highly skilled team. Did Howson? I know the current management wants a team built brick by brick. OK, what kind of bricks?
Perhaps most important- what does ownership want? What's Mr. McConnell's vision? Is it clear, like we will have an organization that believes this and such, or is it fuzzy, like win games? Do they make hires who align to that vision? Do they draft and sign players according to that vision?
Based on that brief conversation, I think Mr. Rooney might say that's the key to consistent success or failure.
Nanabijou
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