If you haven't heard, Jim Day has been let go from his duties as the 3rd person on CBJ telecasts. Personally, I always thought Jim did a great job for Fox Sports Ohio. More concerning is the way Blue Jackets management may have handled this situation, as detailed by Aaron Portzline in the PuckRakers Blog. Being let go for using the term "disappointed" after a loss? Or talking about the CBJ's struggles over the years and Mr. Mac when they clinched the playoffs? That's just doing his job as a reporter/analyst. All the Jackets fans I know want to be told the truth about their team and real emotion, not some sugar coated version that's been "approved" by management. At the very least, Jackets management needs to respond to the details reported by Portzline. Clearly, it wasn't the job Jim Day was doing or his qualifications, as why would FS Ohio kept him on to do the Reds telecasts? I encourage you to sign the online petition I started a few days ago to "Keep Jim Day". Let's send CBJ management a message from the fans! Below is an email I sent today to Mike Priest (CBJ President) and Russ Mollohan (Director of Broadcasting).
Good afternoon. I am a die-hard Blue Jackets fan, have attended approximately 20 games each season the last 3 years and attended the playoff games this year. Additionally, I contribute to a blog with some other Jackets fans http://cbjfans.blogspot.com/ and we have a twitter feed http://twitter.com/carrytheflag . This past season was easily the most fun I've ever had as the fan of any sport! I'm very excited about the direction the Blue Jackets players, coaching staff and front office is heading.
That being said, I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you or someone in the Blue Jackets organization about the decision to no longer have Jim Day on the CBJ TV broadcasts. I am not a friend of Jim Day, I shook his hand one time before a game, that's it. When I heard he was being let go from the CBJ TV broadcasts, I was very disappointed, like a lot of people. I've really enjoyed Jim's coverage of the CBJ for the past 8 or so years. Then, when I read on the Puck Rakers blog about some of the reasons he MAY have been let go, I was even more disappointed. Soon after that, I set up an online petition to "Keep Jim Day". So far, in just 5 days, 130 people have signed this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/keepjimday/ As I'm sure you're aware, the Blue Jackets organization has received some unkind press coverage (nationally, beyond the Dispatch - see links below) about this situation and I am hoping you'll speak with me to get an idea of the "fans" perspective on this issue.
Best Regards,
Brian Cluxton
Columbus, OH
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