Shrapnel - 1/25/12

For the Jackets (and pretty much everyone else in the NHL except for Detroit and Montreal), the All Star Break has begun, which is an unusual situation for Rick Nash.

The Dispatch also sneaks in a bit more bad news - after speculation that Mark Dekanich was hurt based on the recall of Allen York and Paul Dainton to Springfield, it's now confirmed that Dex has re-injured his ankle. Cursed doesn't even begin to cover the guy.

Around the NHL, Alex Ovechkin will indeed skip the all star game, choosing not to attend because of his suspension, a moved that doesn't impress Tapeleg.

Here in Columbus, a group has been forming to make an "occupy Nationwide" protest over the continued employment of Scott Howson and Mike Priest. LTL has a decent outline of what had started as a fairly murky message, DBJ has a good counterargument, and Michael Arace reached out to one of the organizers for the Dispatch, but didn't really say more than "Hockey is expensive, and we're tired of paying for crap results." I suspect J.P. Mac would agree with how frustrating that last part is.

For my personal take....I totally get the frustration, and I get wanting to get the attention of the ownership. I get wanting to express displeasure with the situation in a way they have to see so they understand your anger rather than sweeping it under an internet rug.

But this would be a lot more effective if you held the protest A) on a day where the people you're targeting will be there to see it and B) if you actually target the people who can change things.

Don't bug the Nationwide ushers, janitors, ticket staff, and ice crew who will be there to work on Saturday. I don't even think there's a concert or anything there this weekend. What are you going to do? Stand in Tim Horton's and yell at the people making donuts? They can't fire Priest. They can't censure Howson.

You want to get ownership's attention? You want to really show that you're mad? Take everyone you can muster at 6am on Monday morning and go picket at Worthington Industries HQ. Block the driveway with a human chain at Pizzuti. Get people lined up in a living billboard in front of the Dispatch offices. Show the folks at Nationwide's HQ that we're not on their side.

Half of the reason the "real" Occupy movement has been so effective is not that a bunch of people got together to protest - it's that a bunch of people got together to protest in the faces of their targets and made as big a noise and inconvenience as possible.

The men who TRULY control the destiny of this team don't work at the Arena. They probably don't even go to the building except for games they attend, occasional board meetings, and perhaps a concert they'd care to see. If you want to give them tsuris, confront them where it matters.

Interesting situation from the Blues / Pens game last night - what appeared to be a late headshot from Matt Cooke...may have actually been a clean hit. Backhand Shelf has close up video, and I have to say they make a point. At the time, I watched the hit and thought it was a cheap shot from the king of cheap shots at the time, but now I'm not as sure. If Jackman did turn to try and draw the penalty, that's a stupid and irresponsible play on his part...but on the other hand Cooke was still hitting from behind, and he still lead with his elbow on the hit. I'm interested to see what, if anything, the NHL does about this one.

Meanwhile, game 49 ended much like 29 other games this season to date, and the reactions from Martini Hockey, Puck-Rakers, and DBJ are about as you'd expect.

Want an interesting outside perspective on "fixing" the team? Predlines sees a few solutions, and it's not so different from a take offered by CTF.

Let's send you out on a good note: Sergei Bobrovsky has the moves.