Union and Blue
Fansided

Cannonfest 2012 Sedate but Fun

By gary2

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I happened again folks. Bigger than last year, different than last year- they came again. Blue Jackets fans again gathered at BW3 on 5th ave. in the middle of August for no better reason than to have a good time and celebrate being Blue Jacket fans.

A wide variety of fans were there. Have you ever seen a 3 year [being generous] CBJ cheerleader, complete with uniform? Or 80 year olds, Fox Sports Ohio Girls and “TV cameras and “personalities””, bloggers and reporters hob nobbling with each other. Well fans, if you were there today you did.  –  Speaking of which, how tall to you think Lori Schmidt [ 97.1 the Fan and “Fear the Hat” blog] is under that hat? Inquiring fans want to know.

Cannonfest 2012 photo by   gary 8-19-12

Last year’s Cannonfest was very upbeat. The Jackets had just completed several moves and most fans certainly felt they were rounding the corner and were excited by the upcoming season. The 2 videos by Tom “Skraut” Larrow set the tone for most fans to want to tear the door off the hinges and “win one for the gipper” sort of thing.

This year was completely different. Tom’s first video   showed a lot of CBJ

highlights if a very short time. It was great, fans around the room were muttering things like “I remember that one, or look at the pain on Dorsets face.” Tom went another way on the 2nd one showing the Blue Jacket fans. He gave his reasoning for this, as the fans suffered through an horrendous season,  and it makes sense after the season we had last year.  This video  brought a like number of comments and laughs. But there was no euphoria feeling. Of course the contract negotiations are casting a serious pall over the hockey season right now. It is my guess that if a poll were taken in the room today, the consensus of the fans would be that we will have a lock out but will play a shortened season. If that is the case, I personally feel   Columbus will be cheated out of a full effect All-Star game, still having one, but it will be basically more or less  meaningless.

Nevertheless. when the headcount is reported by the organizers, it will be a record crowd of over 300. AND those in attendance had a good time. I for one am already looking forward to next year. Despite all the media knocks on Columbus, it’s team and it’s fans, is any other city having a hockey festival in the middle of August organized by volunteers and attended by more and more fans every year.

My thanks to all the people who put Cannonfest together—-AGAIN.

For other posts re Cannonfest  and the videos see:

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