Remembering that time the Blue Jackets hilariously experimented with a new mascot

There is only one way to be a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets: you have to have a great sense of humor. Whether it's about the team whose initials are often used in other context, the team on the ice or its long hilarious management off of it; the best way to stay sane is often to laugh it off. If you're a fan with a great sense of humor, you might fondly remember that time the team experimented with a new mascot. Fear not, I'm here to remind you:

His life may have been short-lived, but Boomer lives on in the lore of Blue Jackets history. Allow me to set the stage for what could certainly be considered the most hilarious mascot failure by a professional franchise in recent sports history.

The year was 2010. The Jackets had been in the NHL for ten seasons to that point, with just one playoff berth (a 4-game sweep) to show for themselves. They had a prime age Rick Nash; arguably the game's premier two-way power forward at their disposal - surrounded by bottom-six talent. They wouldn't sniff the playoffs again for four years. In short: they were the laughing stock of the league.

So it should have come as no surprise to us that, when the team decided to delve into its American Civil War heritage a little further with a partial rebrand; they would go in halfcocked and fail at that as well. Don't get me wrong, they were wise to dive into it. After all, we were all tired of hearing "what's a Blue Jacket?" from other fanbases. And, I will not talk bad about the third cannon jerseys. They were, and still are, a great addition to this team's look:

Where this got hilarious was with the addition of a new mascot. The moment Boomer debuted, the only thing we could do was laugh. Many of us still do. I'm not sure who thought that a giant inflatable cannon that resembles a certain male appendage and shoots confetti would be a good idea. Looking back, maybe it was; because it did exactly what it was intended to do: it got our attention.

The Jackets could have doubled down here and ran with the joke. After all, the on-ice team was already the laughing stock of the league. This was thanks to management with no vision, and (clearly) absentee ownership (who in their right mind would have approved this mascot?). At least then, we could have respected them for selling the bit.

Instead, they scrapped the whole thing not long after he was introduced. This was despite some team execs being firmly behind the team's beloved new mascot. I guess an inflatable cannon with a suspicious looking mustache wasn't for everyone. Lets be real: it was bad. So bad that you can hardly find traces of him anywhere. We couldn't even find a picture of him for the main piece of this article.

Now, Boomer lives on mostly in our memories. Though occasionally he, uh ... pops up ... in a vignette here and there:

At least we know they still have the costume and it didn't go entirely to waste. Though this does arouse one question: why don't we get to see Boomer on special occasions? I, for one, would welcome his presence around Nationwide Arena.

After all: we as a fanbase have learned to have a great sense of humor.