As the venerable Danny Gare always used to say when a Blue Jacket potted a goal, “KABOOM!”
My name is Dan P. (truncated for “day job” purposes), and Mike and Matt have invited me to join their writing team here at The Cannon. You may know me as “DP” from the Cleveland/Columbus sports blog Waiting For Next Year, where I’ve been working for almost three years trying to build a Jackets audience, as well as working on Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Columbus Clippers content. But, trying to truly “cover” the Jackets as a solo act for such a diverse sports blog has been a daunting task. So, to be joining the team here at the Cannon, well, I think I’ve landed in a pretty wonderful spot, and I thank Mike and Matt for the opportunity.
A little about myself: I’m in my mid-30’s, have been living in The Bus for almost 12 years now, and have been a Blue Jackets fan since Day 1. In full disclosure, I really got into hockey back in the mid- to late-90’s, and I was a Red Wings fan once upon a time. I know, I know. I’m not proud of it either. But, once the Jackets arrived, I slowly weaned myself off of the Wings, and have now come to hate them like the annoying big brothers that they are.
As far as where my feelings fall for the Jackets, I find myself in the “eternal, but rational, optimist” camp. I’m patient to an almost Howson-esque degree in terms of being willing to look at the glass half full and see the best case scenario. It takes a lot to make me employ a “fire everyone and scorch the earth!” mindset for any of my sports team, even as disappointing as this past season was for the Jackets. I guess I would consider myself a pragmatist–and at times a cynic–as a sports fan more than anything. All of that having been said, I’m not afraid to call a spade a spade when something clearly needs to change, so don’t fear a series of glad-handing pieces coming from me.
We’ll figure the rest out as we go, but just know that I’m very happy to be here, and look forward to working with the team here at The Cannon to bring you the best Jackets coverage that we can.