Columbus Blue Jackets Play on National TV Twice: So What?
The Columbus Blue Jackets will only be on national television twice in the 18-19 season.
It’s not like this should come as a surprise. The Columbus Blue Jackets will only appear twice on national television during the 2018-2019 season as announced by NBC Sports.
On Monday, February 18th the Jackets will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30pm. The second and final nationally televised game will come on Thursday, March 7th as the Jackets travel to Pittsburgh. The two matchups both will be broadcast on NBCSN.
This is twice as many games on national TV than last year for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Who can forget the classic rivalry matchup against the Buffalo Sabres last year.
The fanbase is up in arms and are sharpening their pitchforks. The official team twitter account is up in arms as well.
https://twitter.com/BlueJacketsNHL/status/1029014455949185026
Really though, the Jackets don’t have a leg to stand on in the “we got snubbed” argument.
First off, the team may be without their biggest, and only true, star by the time the season rolls around. Sure, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, and Sergei Bobrovsky are all elite players but they aren’t TV stars like Artemi Panarin is. And even Panarin doesn’t have folks flocking around their TV in every market like Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, and Patrick Kane do.
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Secondly, national attention and credibility is built on playoff performance. The Jackets dominance in the regular season is fantastic, but they need to prove their worth in the playoffs to build a bigger following and earn the right to be on national television more often. Until they make a run in the playoffs, don’t expect the “lack” of coverage to change.
Finally, who cares?!
This Columbus Blue Jackets squad success does not depend on having more games on national TV. This team will not be taken more seriously if they play on NBCSN three more times a year.
Seth Jones or Zach Werenski aren’t more likely to win the Norris if they get to play on NBC more times this season. Jackets players have won awards and accolades with far less attention than what they are receiving this season.
The only thing that matters is making the playoffs and making a run past the 1st round. The amount of games the CBJ play on NBC or NBCSN won’t affect their mission for the 18-19 season.
Next. Front Office, Head Coach still without Contract Extension. dark
If you really want to hear NBC’s B-list team call the Jackets more than twice a year, the team needs to make it past the 1st round of the playoffs. It isn’t a lack of respect, it’s the lack of results from the Jackets that prevent them from having more nationally televised games.