Feb

4

Are the Blue Jackets Worth Saving?

Posted on February 4, 2010 at 7:37 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


A new organization called Forward Together thinks so. Today The Other Paper has an article about this new organization who will work to ensure the Blue Jackets stay in Columbus. You can sign a petition at their web site.

This is my case for why the Columbus Blue Jackets are worth saving.

Here’s what might happen if the CBJ do leave.

“It’s easy to figure out what happens to the Arena District if the Blue Jackets leave—just go back to the year of the lockout,” said team president Mike Priest. “I think you’ll find the answer to how important (the team) is as an anchor tenant.”

Priest is referring to the 2004-05 season, when the NHL suspended games during the lockout. The city lost upwards of $700,000 in income tax from the team’s $34 million payroll, while the impact on the Arena District from the loss of hockey traffic was even greater.

The public needs to be educated on the worth of having the Blue Jackets in the Arena District. This from Mike Rose, one of the co-chairs of Forward Together.

“We’re not seeing retraction, we’re seeing growth,” said Rose…

Here are the figures.

Using 2006 data, researchers at the John Glenn School of Public Policy at The Ohio State University identified more than $630 million in investments in the Arena District. As a result of these investments, the Arena District is home to more than 170 businesses that employ more than 5,500 people and generate sales of $1.6 billion annually. Conservative estimates identify $30 million generated in state and local taxes annually.

But the Blue Jackets have a terrible lease agreement and are losing 12 million a year.

In November of 2009, Stephen A. Buser, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Finance at The Ohio State University released a research study that said the following regarding the Blue Jackets lease.

a) The Blue Jackets are required to make annual payments of approximately $5 million to use the Arena. Other NHL teams typically pay much less, or nothing at all.

b) The Blue Jackets are responsible for managing the Arena on a year round basis. As a result, the Blue Jackets are required to absorb arena operating losses on the order of $4 or $5 million per year. Other NHL teams typically either have no such responsibility, or the amount of the loss is shared with other parties.

c) The Blue Jackets have either limited access, or no access, to certain types of revenue sources that other NHL teams typically enjoy. Examples identified by MZSports that are especially significant in the case of the Blue Jackets include lack of access to payments for naming rights to the Arena, lack of access to parking revenues for hockey games and/or non hockey events, and only limited access to revenues from the sale of founder suites and personal seat licenses in the Arena.

I think this is solid evidence that the Blue Jackets have been an economic plus and are worth saving. In his report Dr. Buser gave 20 suggestions to help the CBJ. So far, there has not been much talk about implementing any of them. Hopefully, Forward Together can change that.

Of course the biggest thing that has to happen is the Blue Jackets need to start winning.

Sources:
Carrying the flag
Report on the Blue Jackets

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Feb

3

Columbus Blue Jackets Fire Ken Hitchcock

Posted on February 3, 2010 at 5:41 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


I’m not sure this is a good idea, but it was announced this afternoon that the Columbus Blue Jackets have fired coach Ken Hitchcock. Last year Hitchcock was the first coach to lead the Blue Jackets to the playoffs.

My only guess is that the Jackets have been getting blown out in some of their recent games. The players may have tuned Hitchcock out and general manager Scott Howson felt like he had to make a change.

One player who did not tune Hitchcock out appears to be captain Rick Nash.

“It’s terrible news,” Jackets captain Rick Nash said. “It’s terrible news, it’s terrible we couldn’t play better, and the coach had to be fired. Hitch put this market on the map. We didn’t really have an identity before he got here.”

Based on the results of last season, the Jackets most successful, I believe he should have been given another year to try and turn it around.

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Jan

1

Happy New Year and My Rose Bowl Prediction

Posted on January 1, 2010 at 12:40 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


To all those who are regular readers of The Madrigal Maniac or just stumble by on occasion I wish you a happy new year.

I believe Pryor and the Buckeyes can string enough points together to reach 20. Two touchdowns and a couple of field goals.

I also think the Buckeyes defense can hold down the high powered Oregon offense enough to win.

Buckeyes 20 - Ducks 17

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Dec

30

Petition Against Michael Vick Winning the Ed Block Courage Award

Posted on December 30, 2009 at 12:45 am by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 2 Comments 


I recently posted here about Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick winning the NFL’s Ed Block Courage Award. I thought it was an insult to the award.

Today, I received this email from Maria, the Outreach & Communications Coordinator at Change.org. She saw my post on Vick being given the Courage Award and pointed me to a petition on their site started by one of their members. It’s a drive to have Sam Lamantia, the CEO of the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation deny Vick the award.

You can sign the petition here.

I believe Vick has the right to work in his chosen profession. He served his debt to society. But the thought that by a unanimous vote his teammates gave him a courage award is repulsive. Michael Vick willingly created abuse. Ed Block fought against it.

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Dec

24

What! Michael Vick Wins a Courage Award

Posted on December 24, 2009 at 12:11 am by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 4 Comments 


Eagles player Michael Vick was voted the Ed Block Courage Award by his Philadelphia teammates despite the fact that he maimed and killed thousands of dogs. Just because he was allowed to play football again and make millions after serving a prison term does not make him courageous. It makes him lucky.

All 32 NFL teams select a recipient.

To give him an award named after Ed Block is an insult. Block fought in General Patton’s Tank Corp and won a Purple Heart during WWII. He received a master’s degree from the University of Missouri in 1937, worked in the U.S Space program, and was Head Athletic Trainer for the Baltimore Colts from 1954-1977. He died in 1983.

Reflecting on all of his contributions to society, his greatest may have been his efforts to prevent child abuse.

This from the foundations web site.

Above all, he believed in the rights of children, no matter how hurt or handicapped, to be exposed to the good things in life. He was outspoken on the subject of child abuse and he practiced what he preached until his dying day.

What is most disturbing are Vick’s comments after it was announced he had won the award.

“I’ve overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear,”

Really? You overcame more than the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? More than the family members who have lost a loved one in the World Trade Center attack? More than the dogs you mutilated? More than the children who were subjected to the abuse that Ed Block was trying to prevent?

The only thing you overcame was a prison term directly related to your own sadistic behaviors.

You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn’t do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I’ve been through, situations I’ve been put in…

I would argue that at least 95% of the sensible people in this world would have never been involved in an activity so vile as dog fighting to begin with.

“It was a big obstacle proving I’m worthy of a second chance…”

I am a Social Worker who is all about second chances. Vick got his when after serving his debt to society he was allowed to return to his chosen profession. You don’t deserve an award for that.

His comments seem to indicate that his previous statements and actions were the result of a well crafted campaign by his lawyers and public relations people. Based on these unscripted statements, it appears that Vick believes he was courageous in the face of insurmountable obstacles. Obstacles he created for himself. Obstacles created out of cruelty and cowardice.

While I find this hard to believe, his coach said the vote was unanimous amongst the Eagle players. Vick said it was not. In an effort to show his humility and remorse he said he did not vote for himself. Ed Block fought against abuse while Michael Vick sought to inflict it. If Vick wanted to honor the principles of Ed Block and show true humility and remorse he would have declined the award in the first place.

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Nov

2

Dispatch Sports Columnist Says Browns Owner Lerner Should Go

Posted on November 2, 2009 at 11:07 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Recently, I halfheartedly suggested that Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini should be given more than half a season as the Browns leader. Mostly because I did not want to see the Browns make a knee jerk reaction and rid themselves of a coach who could possibly be the caliber of a Belichick. Mangini is supposedly a Belichick clone. Although after seeing many of those clones fail in Cleveland and other cities, I think Belichick’s own ability to coach are far superior than his understanding of how to pass on his coaching DNA to others.

After the Browns lost another debacle yesterday to the Chicago Bears, former Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason suggested Mangini should be fired.

As The Columbus Dispatch’s Rob Oller points out, I believe the problem goes deeper than that. The one constant throughout the Browns return to the NFL has been the Lerner family. Particularly Randy Lerner who took over the reigns from his father Al Lerner after his death in 2002.

Until Lerner relinquishes control of the team, the Browns will continue to be the Clowns, mugging for the camera in chocolate candy-corn colors that no longer can be taken seriously.

Lerner adores Aston Villa, the English Premier League soccer team he owns, more than he enjoys his NFL football team. The Browns should be no man’s second love.

Lose the British bombshell, Randy, or release the Brownies to someone who will cherish them.

During his school years Clare College in Cambridge, England, Lerner became enthralled with soccer.

I do not dislike soccer. I was excited that Columbus had the first soccer specific stadium in America, I rejoiced when after too many years of frustration the Columbus Crew won the MLS Cup in 2008, and was proud when the American women won the 1999 FIFA World Cup.

Still, I grew up a Browns fan. I couldn’t agree with Oller more. By many accounts Lerner seems to be a good guy, and if so, he should sell the team to someone who views the Cleveland Browns as more than an American version of an English soccer club.

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Oct

20

Huh? Rolling Stone Trashes Browns Mangini

Posted on October 20, 2009 at 11:59 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 1 Comment 


Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini has already faced intense criticism just six games into his tenure. But this is weird. The venerable music magazine Rolling Stone has trashed the coach. The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that an article by Matt Taibbi calls Mangini,

Augustus Gloop, the fictional overeater in Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and calling his short coaching tenure in Cleveland “a sort of Hurricane Andrew of football mismanagement.”

Taibbi states that the team has already quit on Mangini. He may be right.

Still, this seems like a case of piling on. This was a team that needed a total overhaul. He has done that by bringing in 26 new players, getting rid of malcontents Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards, and setting high expectations for the behavior of his players.

One of them, linebacker David Bowens, said Mangini is unfairly portrayed as tyrant.

“His office is always open,” Bowens said last week. “It’s not like it’s a total dictatorship around here.”

Before Browns fans jump off the Mangini bandwagon too quickly, remember the last Browns coach treated with such animosity by players and fans alike was a guy named Bill Belichick. What ever happened to him?

While Taibbi may be right. Mangini is a Belichick guy. Are you really going to give him just six games to turn around a terrible franchise he had nothing to do with creating.

P.S. Evidently, Taibbi only writes for the print version. I could not find this article online.

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Sep

1

OSU Student Creates a Video to Honor the Naval Academy

Posted on September 1, 2009 at 11:21 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


An OSU student is asking fans to cheer for Navy when they run onto the field Saturday at Ohio Stadium. To his astonishment, Doug Hochberg’s video has gotten some attention. As of this writing it has been viewed 221,945 times on YouTube. Ohio State even asked to play it at Saturdays game.

There are times athletes will describe football as war. It is not. It is a game.

… playing Division I football at a U.S. military academy — Navy, Army and Air Force — and playing at a school like Ohio State. It is not the size of the stadium or speed of the defense. It is purpose. The Buckeyes prepare for games. Midshipmen, Cadets and Falcons prepare for war.

Dispatch columnist Rob Oller

Still, I think it will be a nice memory for those young men to run through the tunnel of one of the most storied stadiums in the world and receive a hero’s welcome.

Regardless of your politics or your views on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this sounds like a good way to honor those who serve our country.

Sources:
Tribute to the Naval Academy (No longer active)
Navy players preparing for a bigger battle

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Jul

16

100 Sporting Events You Must See Live

Posted on July 16, 2009 at 9:00 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Robert Tuchman has written a book called “100 Sporting Events You Must See Live.” He correctly has the Ohio State versus Michigan game high on the list. In fact it’s number 17. You can see the list here.

But wait a minute. He says you have to see the game at the Big House and not the Shoe. What the hell is he thinking. The Big House is a dump. They dug so far into the ground to build it you almost can’t see it from the outside. The Shoe rises majestically from the banks of the Olentangy river to a height of 13 stories. It’s not even close which facility is the best.

If you want to know what game day is like at OSU, click here for a Texas Tech fans perspective on football Saturday’s in Columbus.


The Shoe has character.







The Big House is a big doughnut.

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Jul

13

Obama Welcomes Columbus Crew to the White House

Posted on July 13, 2009 at 10:02 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


The Official White House text of Obama’s remarks are here.

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