The Blue Jackets shed a little more light onto their broadcast plans for next season today, throwing out a news tidbit that caught the 5th Line off guard. The team will simulcast its TV audio over the radio, spelling the end of Bob McElligott's time with the organization.
Many fans of the team were quick to jump to their social media channels and voice complaints and opinions, few of them positive. This includes our own Mike Stump, who, like myself, has long been a fan of Bobby Mac.
Horrendous decision. https://t.co/Kxh6DigSNx
— Mike Stump (@Mr_UnionBlue) July 29, 2026
In fact, it was only two summers ago that the team was searching for a new television play by play man to replace our beloved Jeff Rimer. At that time, Mike opined that Bobby Mac was the obvious choice.
Instead, the team opted to bring Steve Mears aboard, and we are glad they did. Mearsy and Jody Shelley have given this team one of the best television broadcast duos in the entire NHL.
Unfortunately, that probably cost them one of the best radio callers in the end. As the team looks to pinch pennies, likely due at least in part to the loss of their Fan Duel Sports Network money; they chose to do so at the expense of a very popular figure in the city of Columbus.
Bob was more than just a voice on the radio. Many within this fanbase got to know him on a deeper level with his weekly "Monday Mailbag", which became a weekly must for most of the die-hards here. If the jingle at the beginning didn't hook you, Bob's calm voice of reason to some of our wild questions did.
The team choosing to let him go is a swift punch to the gut for a lot of us. I can only imagine how Bob himself feels. Though, I'm sure any pain he's feeling won't last forever. Talent finds a way, and he is certainly talented.
He will land on his feet elsewhere, hopefully in a job that comes with a pay raise. He deserves it, for all of the effort and time he spent covering this team. Meanwhile, the 5th Line is left wondering what we have to do to get this organization to listen to what we want, as opposed to telling us what to listen to.
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