Blue Jackets game was great experience for father-daughter
I was able to do something that was a lot of fun last Saturday evening.
My daughter Wendy purchased tickets for the both of us to attend a Columbus Blue Jackets game at Nationwide Arena against the San Jose Sharks.
She did so as part of an early birthday present for me.
In the interest of full closure, I’m not a big hockey fan. This was only the second time I’ve seen the Blue Jackets in action.
The last time was more than 10 years ago when Wendy was given tickets to a game as part of her internship at Ticket Master through Capital University.
Although hockey isn’t my favorite sport, the evening was very enjoyable.
The No. 1 reason, of course, was the fact Wendy and I got to spend quality father-daughter time together.
That made the evening tremendous.
The second reason was the atmosphere.
There was a sellout crowd of very rabid Blue Jackets fans and we were surrounded by some who made the experience very entertaining.
A couple of guys seated near us were obviously much more knowledgeable about the sport than I am.
They were able to see penalties and strategy more clearly than I could.
They also let it be known when they disagreed with an official’s call or in some cases, a no-call.
They directed a chant toward the referees that, while not vulgar in any way, was not exactly what society would today call “politically-correct.”
For that reason, I won’t write anything more about that.
The Blue Jackets franchise is also very fan-friendly, with promos ranging from free pizzas, the fan cam, to the T-shirt “gatlin gun.”
The most difficult part of the actual game for me was following the puck as it sped up and down the ice.
Although we had great seats behind one of the nets, the rubber sphere is so small (at least from my experience) and travels so quickly, that at times it was hard for me to keep up with its location.
It would disappear behind a stick or near a wall and then suddenly come back into view.
Fortunately, we were treated to a very good game by the Jackets.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, or “Bob” as he is known by fans, had a tremendous night with several great saves to preserve the 4-0 shutout.
Even if you’re not a huge hockey fan like me, I would recommend taking in a Blue Jackets game if you can.
I guarantee you will enjoy it.