Blue Jackets Lose Jeff Svoboda & Bob McElligott: When Evolution Feels Like Betrayal

It has been a rough couple of weeks for fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Based on the reaction to some of the recent news, that is a big understatement.

The Blue Jackets moved on from both long-time radio voice Bob McElligott after 17 years and Jackets Insider Jeff Svoboda after eight years. The reaction to this news was exactly what you would expect.

Sadness. Anger. Outrage. Betrayal. These are all things that we noticed expressed by fans to the news. It has many questioning if they should continue to support the Blue Jackets.

Emotions Are Off The Charts

Let’s start there. Think about that last sentence for a moment. Of all the things the Blue Jackets have gone through in their quarter century in the NHL, pulling the plug on McElligott and Svoboda was the final straw for some. If not the final straw, they’re seriously considering that to be the final straw.

Why did this news hurt so much for fans? That’s because the Blue Jackets moved on from two popular figures that were instrumental in connecting fans to the team while at the same time making fans wonder if the team did this simply to cut costs.

McElligott had the gift of bringing the game of hockey to life with his voice. He had the ability to take fans into the action to make them feel like they were a part of it.

Whether it was a fan at work or on a longer car ride, they had a way to stay connected with their Blue Jackets during the game or during McElligott’s podcast. He was the constant. Now he’s gone.

Svoboda had the gift of bring the game of hockey to life with his writing and storytelling. He gave fans behind the scenes access on many levels. He was at every practice. He attended every morning skate. He was on the road with the team. He grinded every minute. Fans noticed and appreciated his efforts.

During games, Svoboda was on social media keeping fans informed of the game with his analysis. He built the Jackets Insider position to where it is today. Now both he and that position are gone too.

Fans feel less connected now to the team they love than before the moves were announced. The optics of these moves have drawn a lot of attention.

If these moves were coming, why wait until the end of July before deciding to move on? Couple that with the move to a TV simulcast on radio, it came across as the team not caring about their fans at least in their minds. Add all that to the team not enjoying recent on-ice success and you have a situation where fans feel like their team has turned their back on them and on purpose.

From a fan’s perspective, the team continuously asks for loyalty and patience. Then they remove the radio voice and the team reporter. The question then becomes what is the team/fan relationship truly based on? A fan’s trust must be earned like everything else in life. Based on these recent moves, there is a severe fracture in that trust that appears hard to repair.

Mark’s Take

Since the news of McElligott’s and Svoboda’s departures broke, I’ve taken time to ponder the entire situation trying to factor in perspectives from both sides and then what the path forward looks like.

First and foremost, this news sucks for fans. The strong feelings this caused are completely legitimate. The news was sudden. McElligott’s contract not being renewed was buried in the media release of the TV simulcast to radio news. Then Svoboda released a statement indicating he was not coming back in the midst of rumors that was happening to him too. It all felt blindsided to fans. Another gut punch in a long line of continuous gut punches to one of the most loyal fanbases in the NHL.

The manner and speed in which these moves happened gave the impression that money was the driving factor rather than any impact on personal relationships.

While there is no sugar coating how brutal this news was, we do have to acknowledge the other side of the story. As hard as this might be for some to hear, the Blue Jackets aren’t out to intentionally hurt employees or their fans. The team is facing a very real pressure to adjust due massive changes in the landscape.

FanDuel Sports Network collapsed. The Regional Sports Network model was unable to hold up. There is a very real financial impact to the Blue Jackets. Not only do they not get the money that came from the agreement with FanDuel, they now have to pay the NHL their portion of being part of the new centralized production that starts this season. They have to sell ads among other tasks in order to gain revenue in that area again.

Money is absolutely tighter. The Blue Jackets have to make hard decisions as a result given the challenges they’re facing.

One of those trends is the move to more video content. One look at the numbers tell the story. Fans prefer the simplicity of a click to watch a video over the time it takes to read the written word. That’s just the reality. Teams are being pushed in that direction knowing that’s where the demand is.

As for the move to simulcasting TV to radio, it for sure is a cost-and-efficiency move from their perspective. It absolutely takes away some of the appeal of a radio broadcast. Yet, they are not the first team to pull this move. They will become the fifth team to complete this transition including the second team that GM Don Waddell has done this for. As much as fans and others hate seeing this, it is consistent with where things seem to be going.

This brings us to the key word for me in all of this. It’s evolution. Everything evolves over time based on constantly changing conditions. It’s no different here than in other walks of life. When change is necessary, there must be action.

The Blue Jackets are adapting to the changing marketplace as they should. If it is their goal to connect with their fans and provide the best product possible, the team must evolve. Ultimately, that’s where their true test is. Will they be able to execute enough to win back the trust of fans who have already left or are considering leaving?

Change hurts. There’s no avoiding that. The human element remains at the forefront of stories like this. The Blue Jackets had to make hard decisions. The timing and the way this was all communicated made it land worse than their intention.

And yet, there is a path forward for everybody involved once the extreme emotions start to wear off over time.

Trying to Find The Good

A closer look does reveal some good can come out of this. When there is pressure, the truth comes out over time.

This situation will show everyone what the Blue Jackets value at the end of the day. Evolution does force clarity. The team will show its hand about what it values and what it doesn’t.

For example, we now know the priority is production scale and multi-platform efficiency over the more traditional models involving relationships. It may feel cold in that sense, but it is better than years of half measures.

We’ll also see how serious the Blue Jackets are in bringing their fans closer to them. They will get a chance to prove what is important to them. Will we see more video and modern storytelling that has been lacking or will they settle for cheaper content?

In all of this, there is room for the Blue Jackets to connect with their fans even stronger than before. In saying that, there is a lot of work that must be done in order for that to happen. The bar at this point is low so there is room to clear it. It is going to take strong video work, better access, more creativity and an actual investment in this area for them to get that stronger connection with fans.

We will also see how the team reacts to the way fans handled the news. Will it be dismissed or will they use that as data moving forward? Navigating transitions can be very tricky. We will learn a lot about the Blue Jackets here.

McElligott and Svoboda had respect. That is not nothing. Seeing the reactions to both showed how much they were loved. They impacted a lot of people. That alone can lead to some unexpected open doors for them down the road.

As for the production itself, the Blue Jackets have an opportunity to make their team more accessible by choosing a strong distribution plan. That is still in the works. Given the struggles of the RSN model and how difficult it was to find games, a good plan now will allow more fans to find their games for less cost out of pocket. Fans have been clamoring for that for years.

And then with the NHL’s involvement, the possibility of better game broadcasts with better pictures and graphics are now in play. That would be a very good thing if the Blue Jackets can execute the plan.

Good can come from all of this. That is, if the Blue Jackets put in the work necessary to achieve those results.

Final Thoughts

In all, sadness remains. Betrayal is still being felt. Those feelings are real and justified. At the same time, the business pressures are real. The Blue Jackets are trying to navigate in unchartered waters with the hope that something better can come from it.

If the Blue Jackets do treat this situation as a hard reset that comes with better communication, a better product and some evidence that the fans who feel discarded still matter, good can absolutely come from this situation.

Without that, it’s just another quiet cutting of the threads that once made the Blue Jackets feel like yours. And that would be a depressing place to be.