Somebody forgot to take out the garbage

I was just forwarded this link from a story the Dispatch ran today (for what reason..? I guess to appear nuetral on the issue) by a scribe named Joe Blundo (who?).

Apparently after a couple of weeks since the arena lease story broke Joe decided to jump in on the action and throw his two cents in -- and when I say two cents, that is really about what this piece is worth.

Here are some highlights:

How bad would it be to lose the team? Obviously, the economic impact would be substantial, but I'm talking psychology and perception here. Would the city's mood darken and its profile shrink?
It depends on how the Buckeyes are doing. Remember that our civic self-esteem is intricately linked to the win-loss record of the Ohio State football team.

When it comes to a sense of well-being, the sports are not equal. Football is like air to Columbus. Hockey is more like an air freshener.

Ah yes, the "there is only room for Ohio State Football in Columbus" argument. Brilliant.

Thank you Joe. May I have another.

But would losing the Jackets hurt our image? Not in real terms, because, right now, we don't have an image. But we think we have one, so the idea of having it harmed by a Jackets departure does, um, sting in that sense.

Ignoring for a sec the fact that Joe probably put about 5 minutes worth of research into this piece (of crap)... Really the only image I'm interested in is who in their right mind writes this garbage?


Well here you are ----------------------------------->>>

...but wait.. he's not finished:

Ironically, losing the team might raise our profile in the short term. We'd get a burst of media attention. People throughout the country who had no idea that a National Hockey League team played in Columbus would finally catch onto the fact. Next thing you know, they're telling their friends, "Hey, did you even realize that Columbus, Ga., had a hockey team? I didn't."
Long term, though, the hockey team would contribute to the raising of our profile. The beauty of a big-time sports franchise is that it can benefit you at either extreme: If the team wins a Stanley Cup or two, Columbus is suddenly attracting attention.

Conversely, if it fails to win a Stanley Cup for, oh, say, a century, the media come calling again. They love a prolonged bout of sports futility. Has Chicago been harmed by the championship drought of the Cubs? Hardly. In a way, it makes the place more lovable.

So let me get this straight Joe. A losing team would actually help the city and it's image? Alright... let me get on the horn to John P., Howson and Hitch and spread the word...

Honestly I need a Cup O' Joe after reading this mess. My man Joe is so all over the map here that a compass couldn't even point him in the right direction.

I'm honestly not sure a caveman could have written something worth less... because that is exactly what this type of thought process is -- straight from the stoneage.

Message to Joe ---> stick to your symphonies and let the grown ups handle this one.....mmm-k?

If you actually made it through to the end of this post and want to contact Mr. Blundo - he can be reached @ jblundo@dispatch.com.

UPDATE: If you would like to contact the editor who approved this garbage his name is Ben Marrison and can be reached @ bmarrison@dispatch.com.

Thanks for the info John.

-LTL