Dateline Columbus. August 29, 2024. Summer is winding down during a massive heatwave in Central Ohio. The calendar suggests that fall is coming soon.
The Ohio State Buckeyes play their regular-season opener this Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium against Akron. Over 100,000 fans are expected as is tradition at any Buckeyes’ game at home. You could cut the excitement with a knife.
The Columbus Crew were crowned Leagues Cup champions on Sunday when they defeated Los Angeles FC thanks to a goal by Cucho in extra time. Lower.com Field went into a frenzy when he scored his second of the night to send the Crew to another championship.
The vibes are good with both the college football and Major League Soccer in town. Then there are the Columbus Blue Jackets. As we approach the start of Training Camp in 2024-25, despite being a team in one of the four major sports in North America, they continue to live in the shadow of the Buckeyes and Crew. They also live in the shadow of football in general with so much NFL interest in town.
Some Background
Anyone that’s followed the Blue Jackets for any length of time knows that since they joined the NHL in 2000, it’s been many more dark years than good ones. Whether it was missing on top draft picks or making poor personnel decisions along the way, books could eventually be written about how awful things have been at Nationwide Arena.
While they have had some good moments, the bad far outweigh the good. The Blue Jackets’ sweep of the Lightning was historic and got the city on fire for hockey. But they still didn’t make it out of the Second Round. The Lightning got them back the next season. They haven’t been back to postseason since four years and counting. Not only have they not been back to postseason since, they haven’t been close to returning to the playoffs.
Over time, this has had an effect on the fans and their perception of the team. What started out as excitement of a new team quickly turned into indifference for many.
Like any fanbase, the Blue Jackets have their fair share of devoted fans. Through the struggles, they still went to the games to cheer their team on. Even with the playoffs not a reality, the team managed to get sellout crowds later in the season.
However, a deeper look at the situation does reveal that something has to change within the Blue Jackets for them to finally get to a place of relevance in their own city. Forget nationally at the moment. The Blue Jackets come in third when it comes to the pecking order of sports in Columbus.
It’s simple really. Results matter. Winning matters. The Buckeyes and Crew have results. The Blue Jackets do not. And until the Blue Jackets start getting those results in future seasons, the pecking order doesn’t appear it will be changing anytime soon.
Buckeyes & Crew Shining
We’ve already mentioned the winning happening for the Buckeyes and Crew. How are they able to consistently be in the mix the way they are?
The Buckeyes are a national destination. The very best football players consistently have Ohio State as a possibility when deciding who to sign with. While there are many factors that go into where a recruit decides to sign, the chances of winning always appear at or near the top of their list. They want to live out their dream of being a champion.
By signing with the Buckeyes, these players get to play home games in front of over 100,000 fans while trying to carry on the legacy of the team. The talk surrounding them is always “who’s the next great one?” Like clockwork each and every season, this question is asked and could be applied to multiple players. The expectation every season at Ohio State is National Championship.
The Crew are the gold standard in MLS. They were one of the charter teams when the MLS was formed. They became the first team to open a soccer-specific stadium built for an MLS team when Mapfre Stadium came to be. They added their ninth trophy to the case with their win Sunday in Leagues Cup Final adding on to recent MLS Cup wins in 2020 and 2023 and a Campeones Cup win in 2021.
The Crew to a lesser extent have been able to attract some of the best talent to play for them. Most notably, Cucho Hernandez has been a difference maker helping them in big games. His two goals Sunday helped land that ninth trophy.
See the pattern here? Winning and star power. Both the Buckeyes and Crew have used that tried and true formula for success. It’s why these two teams run the pecking order in Columbus right now.
Blue Jackets Must Close Gap
The question now becomes what can the Blue Jackets do to close the gap? This question has been asked for many years and continues to be a central question surrounding the team.
At least according to the “hockey experts”, they expect the Blue Jackets to have yet another rough season. BetMGM has their over/under for season points at 69.5. That’s second worst in the NHL. This alone certainly points to more of the same narrative.
This is where some nuance is involved. While it is true the outlook for the Blue Jackets this season is full of questions, many believe the outlook in five years is much brighter. There is new leadership in the front office and on the bench. Both Don Waddell and Dean Evason have experience that should help the team get moving in the right direction.
The Blue Jackets also have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. Many of those same “hockey experts” have it as a top-five prospect pool. There is a foundation for the team to build from. Adam Fantilli and eventually Cayden Lindstrom as a potential 1-2 center punch could be lethal down the road.
The thing that has eluded the Blue Jackets over time has been putting the right ingredients together to get the perfect mix on the ice. Until this part of the equation is solved, they will continue to live in the shadows of the Buckeyes and Crew.
The 2024-25 season is one in which key evaluations will be a major storyline. With new leadership comes a new set of eyes. They will evaluate everyone from top-to-bottom in a way the previous regime couldn’t do. There is no attachment. This means they will have no issue making big changes should they be needed.
The Blue Jackets are not going to close the gap in a significant way this season. But they can start the process of making sure that happens in the future. They can do that by showing meaningful progress on the ice.
What does that meaningful progress look like? It means staying within range of the playoff race come March. It means seeing their talented youth take important steps in the development. It means leadership properly evaluating the locker room and making decisions that will benefit the team in future seasons. Only when those things start to line up can we then have a conversation about truly closing the gap.
In Conclusion
The Blue Jackets get very little air time on radio in Columbus. There is some in the form of guests on 97.1 the Fan and the fact that they are the flagship station of the team. But well over 90% of the talk is regarding football and specifically the Buckeyes.
It’s easy to see why. The Buckeyes are popular, trending and have a track record of success. Then when it’s not the Buckeyes, the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and even the Pittsburgh Steelers get talked about more on the air than the Blue Jackets. Football is king in Central Ohio. Even if the Blue Jackets start seeing some success, they still may live in the shadow of football.
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The Blue Jackets have to start somewhere though. There continues to remain untapped potential in the Arena District as long as the team continues to struggle. While this season could show much of the same, there does at least feel like there’s more of a plan in place since Waddell took over as GM.
The reality of the current situation is that the Blue Jackets live in the shadows of college football, Major League Soccer and even the NFL. And until the Blue Jackets start showing major progress on the ice including postseason success, that reality will continue to be a daily occurrence.
The time for results for the Blue Jackets is decades overdue. Maybe finally under new leadership, the team will take the necessary steps to be relevant and a major story not only nationally, but right in their own backyard.