If you could change 5 things...

..about the Nationwide Arena hockey experience what would it be? Here are a couple of low cost suggestions that I think could really enhance the hockey experience:

1. MORE REPLAYS! I've been saying this for years now but I will never understand why Nationwide does not show more replays of goals, hits, bad calls, etc, etc. I've heard the excuse that they don't want to show up the refs but this is a fast sport and its hard to catch everything. Besides isn't the idea to get the crowd involved and create a tough home crowd atmosphere -- well nothing gets the crowd involved like replaying what actually happened on the ice good or bad. I've been to plenty of other NHL arenas and they do a much better job in this area and it really does improve the experience.

2. Lose the movie clips! How many times have the Jackets scored (okay not much but I digress) in a close game where the crowd has went wild only to see the game ops folks play some stupid movie clip that completely sucks the life out of the building as everyone looks to the scoreboard to see it and stops cheering? I could see using them if the crowd is quite and sitting on their hands but when the crowd is already wound up and cheering let em go and just play some music or something which leads me to....

3. Know your demographic! Lets be honest here -- you look around the crowd at an NHL hockey game and what do you see? For the most part of a bunch of young to middle aged Caucasians -- well how about playing some music that actually lends itself to this audience? People aren't there to learn the latest underground techno push in Columbus.....just some good ole fashioned familiar crowd pleasing fist pumping rock n' roll will do just fine.....and lose the friggan Sponge Bob Square Pants -- that's just embarrassing. This is hockey not a Nickelodeon afternoon special.

4. Cannon & goal song. I think they were off to a good start last year but it needs some tweaking. My suggestion is when the Jackets score a goal immediately play a part of the Joe Satriani crowd chant song and then roll into a countdown for goals scored followed by a "FIRE!" with cannon boom.

Example: Nash scored goal #3. Satriani plays. Scoreboard then flashes with crowd chanting 1! -- 2! -- 3! -- FIRE (with cannon boom) !

5. Tone done the advertisements/gimmicks. Look I know its a business and the Jackets have sponsor obligations. I get that. However do we need every single intermission or stoppage in play to be a Chipotle parachute drop or replays of the fat guy dancing?. How about some replays sponsored by (insert company name here) , highlights, or some Jackets montages -- keep the focus on the hockey that's being played out there. I think the Jackets are past the point of gimmicks and I think there is plenty of room for improving the focus on what's happening on the ice.

I know the Jackets themselves have an obligation to give them something to sell by playing well but players feed off of crowd and building energy and I think game ops has really gotten away from building that over the years -- of course 7 straight losing seasons doesn't help.

Now I hate only being negative so lets talk some positives as well.

I loved the incorporation of the cannon last season as it really gave a Jackets game that kind of signature experience you can only find in Columbus. In fact the whole play off the civil war theme really worked -- from the drum line to the fife to selling the civil war hats it all added to make the Jackets a unique NHL experience and really helped sell the "Blue Jackets" name and the part Ohio played in that era of history. I thought it was a good mix and I really hope they continue build off of that this season.

Now of course I could say lower the prices on beer, food, tickets, etc but its pro sports and I've come to expect that no matter how much I'd like to buy beer for the same price I'd get at Giant Eagle it just ain't happening. That said the Jackets do have to keep a close eye on such things as the bottom line is that if you make things to expensive you could price yourself right out of a pro franchise. Some of the season ticket holder "free food" promotions last year were a great place to start.

At the end of the day though a winning hockey club makes everyone's job and experiences better. The #1 focus is and always should be icing a winning product. It never does hurt though to strive for the best you can in all areas of the operation as there is nothing like a rocking crowd and with the right tweaks here and there I think we can get that back.

Discuss - what do you like/dislike about your hockey experience at Nationwide?

-LTL