It would cost Jackets to leave | The Columbus Dispatch

Back in 1999/2000, Columbus citizens had the audacity to insist that the Blue Jackets and an arena not be built & operated on the backs of taxpayers like they are in virtually ever city in the country across all professional sports. Brave and forward thinking as that might have been for Central Ohio to do, it came with risks and those risks are playing themselves out right now.

There is an American expression that holds a lot of truth and it goes, "Thousand-aires become Millionaires using their grit and wisdom, but Millionaires become Billionaires using other people's money."

Professional sports teams are owned by Billionaires who simply don't understand what the fuss is when taxpayers protest against their threats to pack up and leave unless we pony-up?

The Blue Jackets are beloved in this city and in this region and it would break my daughter's heart and the hearts of a lot more if the team left for the sunbelt.-But you can't squeeze blood from a stone, and given the state of the economy (even if it robustly recovers) Ohioans have nothing left to give.

Yes, let's put our heads (and wallets) together and get creative. We did it before, we can do it again.

While I believe the CBJ is losing money do their lease agreement, they are not the only NHL club losing money. IMO, the dispatch is overdramatizing (imagine that!) the situation and making the Blue Jacket organization look bad around the league. Although work needs to be done to keep the team here in Columbus, the Blue Jackets are going nowhere!

Let another city play host to the BJ's. I am willing to hold a bake sale to help defray the cost of their departure. I make killer oatmeal-raisin cookies!

I am really tired of reading about these high priced players and owners whinning about losing money and demanding that the lowly taxpayers pick up their tab and they'll move. SEE LATER! Take your puck and go suck someone other taxpayers dry. Bettman has mismanaged the NHL brand for years and those chickens have come home to roost for the league. Let the Nationwide shareholders and execs take a hit. Let the players and CBJ execs take a pay cut, but don't keep asking the taxpayers to fund your play toy.

Columbus desperately needs to keep its only major sports team. Nationwide seems willing to support every other popular cause in the city; why not the Blue Jackets?

I too am tired of this I can't make money. Read between the lines people. This story is a test balloon launched to see our reaction.

Well my reaction if you can't make a go of it see you later. Lets see if you can find a team (win or lose) that LOVES the Blue Jackets. And for you to float this trial turd is like a little boy saying he hasn't gotten his way 100% of the time and he is threatn' to take his toys home.

Well if thats the case take your toys and don't let the figurative Columbus door hit you in the ass.

My family and I love the Bluejackets. It is sad after their first winning season in franchise history and the vast improvment to the game=play that the only thing the paper is talking about is the business aspect of it. As a city we are cursed sadsackers in the leadership department. Give the city a break!! The people playing the game with this can afford to let a alittle profit go, especially since this city supprted the team when they was TERRIBLE. Now they start doing well and it's time to hold up the taxpayers, no i don't think so. Go Jackets!! but if it's that way GO JACKETS!! Bring back the Columbus Chill , they played hard every night and did'nt whine about money, because they did'nt overextend themselves. Come on rich people , YOU SUCK!!!

Winning season? When was that? They were 41-41.

And yeah, Go Jackets!

And take the Crew with you.

The 12 million could be made up very easily. Lets see about 15 players all making north of a million a year...

I'm tired of professional sports charging 75 - 150 dollars per seat and then whining about not being able to make money. The player's UNION needs to do a little soul searching and take a pay cut to keep these businesses going. Where else can someone play a GAME they love and make millions. We should all be so lucky.

I was a season ticket holder (original PSL) up until the strike. When someone goes on strike that makes 20 or 20 times what I do I'm gone...

If they leave they leave. I won't be supporting them on my tax paying dime.

Hey here is an idea. Let's put slot machines in the building. That seems to be the answer to all of our money woes.

Let the Boohoohoo Jackets go - if anyone else will have them - and turn the arena into a casino.

There are 800,000 plus people in the Columbus metro area......
....About 15,000 of them "love" the Blue Jackets, or are even interested in hockey...

....So roughly 785,000 Columbus metro taxpayers are expected to fork over $$$$ For the love of a losing ill managed bankrupt hockey team.......

Of course...what else does the city have to do with their new found wealth [the incometax increase].....They haven't re-opened the rec centers....picked up yard waste....
They did add high paid administrators to the Police Dept.......Increase the firemens pay.....

bait and switch??? I thought only retailers used this strategy?

Al the brains that put this together could not figure out that this was a losing cause???

And the dispatch will continue to "condition" us into believing this!?!

Don't these wennies understand that "its the economy stupid"?

Don't get me wrong, I love the bluejackets, however, I can call them the jersey jacket if I have to!

If the Blue Jackets can just hold on until the Casino is built, all will be OK !!!!

By the way....during the campaign we heard that places with casinos don't have income taxes...
Can we count on the State and City to repeal all income taxes when the casinos get going ????

Lower ticket prices and fill the seats.

I'm not worried if they leave. Bring back the Columbus Chill. I liked them better anyway.

the sooner they leave the better. This team is a private enterprise. not "our team"! The public has wasted enough time and money with this business who gobbles up money, and dosent perform. let them join the rest of americas unemployed.

Maybe they could move them to the old ice skating pond at City Center outside? They bare not using the space for anything but a park anyway.

Maybe move them to Grove City. The School board could show them how to suck money out of the taxpayers! They could say it is for the kids & everyone would get all teary eyed & pony up the money!

Here we go again. The Dispatch is not only an investor, it is its own PR machine. Fear, gloom, despair - all if the Blue Jackets leave.
I find it hilarious that Columbus bristles at the thought of comparisons to Cleveland. But when it comes to the potential for taxpayer-funded sports, it's awfully convenient.
Here's the difference: Cleveland has a hundred years of professional sports downtown, REAL professional sports, not hockey, soccer, WNBA - take your pick.
I renew my objection to using my tax money to fund this sport so millionaires can line their pockets. If it's a bad investment, lose the team and find a replacement. That's the free market. I already bailed out Wall Street and General Motors. No more.

It might cost them money to leave ,but it will cost them more money if they dont leave. It is just not a viable operation in this city,due to poor support..I think a move to canada is in order...

Joe wrote:

While I believe the CBJ is losing money do their lease agreement, they are not the only NHL club losing money. IMO, the dispatch is overdramatizing (imagine that!) the situation and making the Blue Jacket organization look bad around the league. Although work needs to be done to keep the team here in Columbus, the Blue Jackets are going nowhere!

I am for helping the Jackets, but let's have a little full disclosure:

Nationwide Arena sits on top of land owned by the Franklin Co. Convention Facilities Authority. I don't know what the terms of their agreement are, but it seems to me that they must be paying rent to the county, much as City Center was.

Without a tenant, the Arena is useless. If rent is being paid, it will stop and the arena would revert back to the county?

I don't want to screw Nationwide, because they have been a good corporate citizen. My only point in bringing this up is to point out that the taxpayer also has a little negotiating leverage here.

Bottom line is that as repugnant as welfare to millionaires and jocks is to me, I think the Blue Jackets have been a positive for Columbus. I also like the sport and the image it presents. I'm not really a big fan of tattooed basketball thugs. The players are clean cut and they fit in well with the kind of city this is.

I think they should be helped. Maybe the county should have ownership, like with the Clippers.