Columbus Blue Jackets Fan Reactions: Appropriate?

After the Columbus Blue Jackets fell to the Red Wings in Detroit, I took to twitter. I figured to see many mixed emotions and reactions, reigning from realistic to absurd. There were calm reviews, angry reviews, and all in between. I felt all of them, and more.

It got me thinking, though, about the appropriate reactions when your team loses. When the Jackets lose, the first and most common emotion is upset. Now that can come in many forms: anger, irate, sad, etc. All fans are obviously upset but it’s about how you display that emotion.

Throughout the game I was conversing with fellow fans through twitter. The emotion that ran highest throughout the game was frustration. There was frustration that the Jackets didn’t get a shot off while shorthanded, leading to a Detroit odd-man rush and eventual goal. There was frustration that Sergei Bobrovsky let in a fluky goal for the Wings’ second of the night. There was frustration that for some odd reason, Jonas Gustavsson decided to play the game of his life.

Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

But the most frustrating part? There was no one to direct that anger toward. You couldn’t point it at Bobrovsky, who gave the boys in Union Blue a chance to win the game. The blue liners weren’t to blame, either,  for they also helped Bob minimize the Detroit offense. And you couldn’t call out the Jackets’ offense. They may have only scored once but they had ample chances.

So when the clock struck 0 and Detroit raised their hands in joy, where did our frustration lead? Anger. (Looks like the playoffs are a bust this year. Never going to be that team. Never going to get over the hump). Objective. (We played a long, hard competitive game. No puck luck). Optimism. (We’ll get ’em next time. Go Jackets!). Pessimism. (Typical Jackets….). 

Besides actual team play and coaching technique, fans argue about each other more than anything. Many Jackets fans think it’s absurd to get down on the team this early on. Some think it’s absurd that those other fans aren’t more upset. It’s never ending. And for the longest time, I never knew on which side of the fence I stood.

Until today.

I realized that fans are like family. We are all investing ourselves in something that is much bigger than us. For the most part, there’s little we can do as fans to affect the outcome of a game. We aren’t out there playing. The biggest gift we can contribute is our opinion. You may not agree with Blue Jacket Bob who rambles on about the team, but you better appreciate him. Because he cares.

We’re all a team here. We may yell at each other for saying something we think is stupid. We may think the other is being absurd for not being patient enough with the team’s progress. We may think the other is being absurd for being too patient. But whatever is said, whatever emotion is displayed, remember this: we are all Blue Jackets.

Every comment, every emotion, every thought matters the same. You may question someone’s philosophy when they react a certain way, but never question their heart. At least they care enough to say something, no matter what it is.