NBC 4: Police have issued a warrant for 18-year-old Tyron Blake of 1657 Geraldine Dr., Columbus, after they say he went to the home of his 16-year-old ex girlfriend and got into a verbal argument. The victim, whose name has not been released because she is a minor, told Blake she was calling police. He became irate, according to the police report, kicked in the rear door of the residence, went in and punched the girl several times in the head. She told police he then took her phone, threw it on a neighbor’s roof and ran off. If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Blake, please call the CPD Assault squad at 614-645-4141.
10 TV: Police were searching for two armed men who they said broke into a home near the Ohio State campus early Saturday. Two students were inside the home on East 20th Avenue when the men broke in at about 2:30 a.m... The suspects threatened the students with a gun and stole items from the house. The men also took one of the victim's vehicles and fled in an unknown direction, police said. The suspects were described as black, 6 feet tall and weighing 175 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call Columbus police at 614-645-4545, University Police at 614-292-2121 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-645-8477.
NBC 4: Columbus SWAT team members say a 17-year-old has surrendered in connection with a fatal shooting that took the life of a Columbus man during an apparent robbery attempt on Thursday night. Mario Harris was being questioned by homicide detectives after Harris made an arranged surrender to SWAT before noon Saturday. Harris was wanted in connection with a homicide that occurred on Heyl Avenue on the city’s near South Side just before 11 p.m. Thursday.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Buckeyes Bounce Spartans, Will Play Purdue For Big Ten Title
10 TV: Evan Turner had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as Ohio State shocked seventh-ranked Michigan State with an 82-70 win in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Jon Diebler had 17 points and five boards while William Buford added 14 points and nine boards for the Buckeyes (22-9), who will play Purdue in Sunday's final. Ohio State won this tournament in 2002 and 2007.
Kalin Lucas had 17 points while Korie Lucious added 16 points off the bench for the Spartans (26-6), who have not been to the final game since winning back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. The loss could end Michigan State's hope for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Jon Diebler had 17 points and five boards while William Buford added 14 points and nine boards for the Buckeyes (22-9), who will play Purdue in Sunday's final. Ohio State won this tournament in 2002 and 2007.
Kalin Lucas had 17 points while Korie Lucious added 16 points off the bench for the Spartans (26-6), who have not been to the final game since winning back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. The loss could end Michigan State's hope for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Quick Read
James Nash types Saturday’s most interesting story, reporting that apparently, the Arena District was never told about plans for a casino (Good luck with that one)… Meanwhile, Theodore Decker and Mark Frenchik both score with their metro articles… Decker’s discussing the tragic murder of a restaraunt employee… Ferenchick’s detsailing the city’s proposal to evict a kickball lead from the grounds of the statehouse…
Ken Gordon and Bob Hunter waste sports with a pair of pedestrian pieces… Gordon’s recount of Ohio State’s pro day is dull… Hunter’s column about Ohio State’s basketball maturity is insipid…. And speaking of insipid… Kevin Joy profiles the recent spate of celebrity appearances and their impact on the city… He actually mentions two events we were at… (If the Dispatch wants to cover events we covered two weeks after the fact, we have openings… they could always work for us)…
Ken Gordon and Bob Hunter waste sports with a pair of pedestrian pieces… Gordon’s recount of Ohio State’s pro day is dull… Hunter’s column about Ohio State’s basketball maturity is insipid…. And speaking of insipid… Kevin Joy profiles the recent spate of celebrity appearances and their impact on the city… He actually mentions two events we were at… (If the Dispatch wants to cover events we covered two weeks after the fact, we have openings… they could always work for us)…
Friday, March 13, 2009
Three Venues, Two Teams, One Mission – The Rematch
In their franchise history, the Blue Jackets have never taken a season series from the Detroit Red Wings… until Sunday. To commemorate this milestone, Gossip CBUS will revisit recent history, as we twitter pre-game, in-game, and post-game from the Frog Bear and Wild Boar, Gordon Biersch, and R Bar.
Get out on Sunday afternoon, cheer, drink, and read our tweets… Until the final goal, you know you love me…
Order of Appearance
Pre-Game: Frog Bear and Wild Boar, R Bar, Gordon Biersch
In-Game: Gordon Biersch, Frog Bear and Wild Boar, R Bar
Post Game: R Bar, Gordon Biersch, Frog Bear and Wild Boar
Get out on Sunday afternoon, cheer, drink, and read our tweets… Until the final goal, you know you love me…
Order of Appearance
Pre-Game: Frog Bear and Wild Boar, R Bar, Gordon Biersch
In-Game: Gordon Biersch, Frog Bear and Wild Boar, R Bar
Post Game: R Bar, Gordon Biersch, Frog Bear and Wild Boar
INVITE: St. Baldrick’s Charity Social
Commencement: 2:00Venue: Fado Irish Pub (4022 Towns Fair Way)
Cover: $10
Head Shaving Contest (2 - 4 p.m.)
Performances
The Kells
The Menus
Proceeds Benefit
St. Baldrick’s Foundation
INVITE: St. Practice Day
Commencement: 8:00 a.m.Venue: McFadden’s (South Campus)
Kegs n Eggs
Commences: 8:00 a.m.
Concludes: 11:00 a.m.
Cost: $5 per plate
Drinks (Available All Night)
$5 Irish Viagras
$4 Bud Light Aluminums
INVITE: Shamrock Saturday
Commencement: 5:00Venue: Lodge Bar (Arena District)
Luck O’ the Irish Trivia
Drinks (Available All Night)
$5 Car Bombs
$2 Green Drafts
Menu (Available 5 – 9 p.m.)
$3 Appetizers
½ Price Pizzas
Performances
Man Down
Buckeyes Best Badgers, Score Big Ten Semi-Finals
10 TV: Evan Turner netted 19 points and hit the go-ahead bucket in the final minute, as the Ohio State Buckeyes edged the Wisconsin Badgers, 61-57, in quarterfinal action of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Jeremie Simmons was the only other Buckeye in double figures with 10 points. William Buford added nine for fifth-seeded Ohio State (21-9), which has won four of five and moves on to face top seed Michigan State in the semifinals on Saturday.
Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon netted 15 and 13 points, respectively, for fourth-seeded Wisconsin (19-12), the defending tourney champs and winners of seven of nine coming in. Ohio State scored the final seven points of the opening half, as Buford's three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer gave the Buckeyes a slim 29-28 edge.
It went back-and-forth the entire second half and Wisconsin appeared to pull away when Bohannon's trey in the corner capped a 10-2 run for a 54-47 advantage with six minutes left. The lead was short-lived, though, as the Buckeyes made their way to the foul line to inch closer, eventually taking a 55-54 lead when Jon Diebler drilled a trifecta with 2:25 remaining.
Marcus Landry proceeded to make 1-of-2 from the stripe to tie the game on the next possession, but Turner answered with a go-ahead score, spinning into the lane and getting his layup to fall with 53 seconds remaining. Landry was short on a three from the corner at the other end, and after P.J. Hill added another free throw for OSU, Bohannon was off the mark from long range to end any chance at a repeat Big Ten champion.
Jeremie Simmons was the only other Buckeye in double figures with 10 points. William Buford added nine for fifth-seeded Ohio State (21-9), which has won four of five and moves on to face top seed Michigan State in the semifinals on Saturday.
Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon netted 15 and 13 points, respectively, for fourth-seeded Wisconsin (19-12), the defending tourney champs and winners of seven of nine coming in. Ohio State scored the final seven points of the opening half, as Buford's three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer gave the Buckeyes a slim 29-28 edge.
It went back-and-forth the entire second half and Wisconsin appeared to pull away when Bohannon's trey in the corner capped a 10-2 run for a 54-47 advantage with six minutes left. The lead was short-lived, though, as the Buckeyes made their way to the foul line to inch closer, eventually taking a 55-54 lead when Jon Diebler drilled a trifecta with 2:25 remaining.
Marcus Landry proceeded to make 1-of-2 from the stripe to tie the game on the next possession, but Turner answered with a go-ahead score, spinning into the lane and getting his layup to fall with 53 seconds remaining. Landry was short on a three from the corner at the other end, and after P.J. Hill added another free throw for OSU, Bohannon was off the mark from long range to end any chance at a repeat Big Ten champion.
Another Day, Another Robbery
10 TV: Police said that they were searching for a man who robbed a northeast side bank on Friday morning. The robbery took place at about 10:24 a.m. at Union Savings Bank, located at 1330 Morse Rd.
According to the FBI, a man who entered the bank was seen writing on a deposit slip at the check-writing counter in the lobby. He then approached a bank teller and handed her a note that said he was robbing the bank. He leaned in and told the teller that he had a gun and wanted the money fast, police said.
The teller complied and gave the robber a small amount of cash before he ran out of the bank, investigators said. Witnesses saw the man run westbound along a fence line near a McDonald's and possibly enter a small, dark-colored vehicle, taking off quickly out of the area.
The robber is described as being in his 30s, 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a medium build, and was wearing a light-colored camouflage baseball cap, blue long-sleeve denim shirt, blue jeans and dirty tennis shoes. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Columbus police Robbery Squad at 614-645-4665 or the FBI at 614-744-2168.
According to the FBI, a man who entered the bank was seen writing on a deposit slip at the check-writing counter in the lobby. He then approached a bank teller and handed her a note that said he was robbing the bank. He leaned in and told the teller that he had a gun and wanted the money fast, police said.
The teller complied and gave the robber a small amount of cash before he ran out of the bank, investigators said. Witnesses saw the man run westbound along a fence line near a McDonald's and possibly enter a small, dark-colored vehicle, taking off quickly out of the area.
The robber is described as being in his 30s, 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a medium build, and was wearing a light-colored camouflage baseball cap, blue long-sleeve denim shirt, blue jeans and dirty tennis shoes. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Columbus police Robbery Squad at 614-645-4665 or the FBI at 614-744-2168.
Numbers 48 & 49 Produce Multiple Murders
10 TV: Police were searching for three armed men who they said shot and killed a restaurant worker on Thursday night. The men entered Iftin Restaurant, located at 4191 Cleveland Avenue, south of Morse Road, at about 10:10 p.m… Investigators said the men demanded money and robbed two customers who were inside. Daud Osman, an employee at the restaurant, was shot multiple times in the upper body… Osman, 38, was transported to The Ohio State University Medical Center, where he died. Osman, a father of five, had only worked at the restaurant for about a week.
10 TV: The circumstances surrounding a man's shooting death Thursday night on the city's south side remained under investigation. Police said Chad Ellis was shot in the back of the head on Heyl Avenue at about 11:30 p.m… A woman drove Ellis, 30, to the intersection of Ellsworth and Gates avenue, police said. He was transported to Grant Medical Center where he died.
10 TV: The circumstances surrounding a man's shooting death Thursday night on the city's south side remained under investigation. Police said Chad Ellis was shot in the back of the head on Heyl Avenue at about 11:30 p.m… A woman drove Ellis, 30, to the intersection of Ellsworth and Gates avenue, police said. He was transported to Grant Medical Center where he died.
City Sponsors Safe Rides
10 TV: Columbus Public Health hopes a program to hand out vouchers for taxi rides will keep drivers safe during the St. Patrick's Day holiday. As part of the Columbus Safe Ride Program, $10 vouchers for taxi rides will be handed out at Byrne's Pub, located at 1248 W. Third Avenue, or Fado Irish Pub, located at 4022 Townsfair Way…
The vouchers are available through March 18 and are valid for four taxi companies - A One Taxi & Shuttle, Arch Express, Buckeye Campus Taxi and German Village Taxi. According to Columbus Public Health, three people were killed and 158 injured during the St. Patrick's Day holiday in the last two years.
The vouchers are available through March 18 and are valid for four taxi companies - A One Taxi & Shuttle, Arch Express, Buckeye Campus Taxi and German Village Taxi. According to Columbus Public Health, three people were killed and 158 injured during the St. Patrick's Day holiday in the last two years.
Quick Read
Kathy Gray’s article on potluck Lent suppers is solid, but as previously stated, religion stories, regardless of the holiday, have no business on the front page… Suzanne Hoholik’s feature on Dublin Methodist Hospital (metro) is interesting… Unfortunately, David Cross’ story (business), the second in as many days on yard waste entrepreneurs, is pedestrian… In tough times, people seek opportunities… Why is this worth one article, let alone two?
The coverage of the Blue Jackets epic 4-3, shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins is exemplary… Michael Arace’s sidebar is excrement… He spends four paragraphs cribbing our wrap… He then finishes with the uninspired combination of dull and boring…
The coverage of the Blue Jackets epic 4-3, shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins is exemplary… Michael Arace’s sidebar is excrement… He spends four paragraphs cribbing our wrap… He then finishes with the uninspired combination of dull and boring…
Gossip Awards Information
As promised, Gossip Awards details… the Frog Bear and Wild Boar Bar ad Gossip CBUS are considering a charitable partner. Additionally, sponsorship information is now available. Simply e-mail gossipcbus@gmail.com
The Taste For Victory
Individual confrontation is the greatest… Boxing, Blackjack, Darts, Tennis… Basketball or golf with only two competitors… The adrenaline rush when you stare into the eyes of your adversary, knowing the choice is either own or be owned, is incomparable… It’s why James Jordan, father of Michael Jordan, was absolutely correct, when he spoke about his wagering… “Michael doesn’t have a gambling problem,” James Jordan said. “He has a competitiveness problem.”
When I arrived at Sugar Bar’s Casino Night, I was determined to cover the entire event (as we always cover entire events)… Although, I knew as soon as I sat down at a blackjack table, I wouldn’t cover anything else… I already hear your thoughts… This column is about me… Well… yeah, it’s mostly about me…
Before I discuss my evening (which I promise, I will hold under one thousand words… just kidding), I must compliment the event… Once again, Sugar Bar and Park Street Patio showcased why they are one the most unique venues in this city… The evening was spectacular… The combination of the green felt tables, chips, and tuxedo clad croupiers, in conjunction with Sugar’s customary crush of bunnies produced a speakeasy allure, which was equal parts back alley enclave and Las Vegas strip.
The event was not flawless… Some of the dealers were slow, bordering on novices and the pulsating beat of both venue’s music, made hearing difficult and the tables not immune to shaking… Still, the croupiers, the player’s reactions, the bunnies perching over shoulders of boys that were on streaks (not realizing apparently that the money they were winning as not real)… The evening had all the glam of a casino and all the mischief of a fraternity social…
Now, as you requested (sarcasm), back to me… As soon as I swapped out my first faux cash (I had $6,000 to play with…) for the shimmering black circles, engraved with “100,” the bunnies became nonexistent… Carrie Underwood could have walked in at that moment, walked up to me, and whispered “your place or mine” in my ear and I wouldn’t have budged… It was me, my stack of chips, the cards, and that dealer… That son of a, piece of, dealt me a ten, when I had a nine and a three dealer…
After an initial two victories and a set of losing hands (at least a half dozen, where I could not buy a card)… I located the zone… I started frolicking in the zone… Every card came up as desired and the bets increased… Steady stacks of 250 that turned into 500, 500 that turned 1,000, 750 that turned into 1,500… I was blazing… When, by 1:30, they announced they were concluding (concluding? What? I could do this all evening…), I had turned my $6,000 into $10,000… And my evening into a future V.I.P. evening at Park Street Patio…
As I walked the dance floor gauntlet from Park Street through Sugar Bar to reconnect with promotions superstars Avi and Molly, my mind wasn’t on the cards… As I shook hands with Avi, my mind didn’t think about the hands I won… As I hugged the perfectly exquisite Molly, my mind didn’t think about the hands I lost… But, as I departed Sugar Bar and entered the cold night air, I wanted to be back at that table…
When I arrived at Sugar Bar’s Casino Night, I was determined to cover the entire event (as we always cover entire events)… Although, I knew as soon as I sat down at a blackjack table, I wouldn’t cover anything else… I already hear your thoughts… This column is about me… Well… yeah, it’s mostly about me…
Before I discuss my evening (which I promise, I will hold under one thousand words… just kidding), I must compliment the event… Once again, Sugar Bar and Park Street Patio showcased why they are one the most unique venues in this city… The evening was spectacular… The combination of the green felt tables, chips, and tuxedo clad croupiers, in conjunction with Sugar’s customary crush of bunnies produced a speakeasy allure, which was equal parts back alley enclave and Las Vegas strip.
The event was not flawless… Some of the dealers were slow, bordering on novices and the pulsating beat of both venue’s music, made hearing difficult and the tables not immune to shaking… Still, the croupiers, the player’s reactions, the bunnies perching over shoulders of boys that were on streaks (not realizing apparently that the money they were winning as not real)… The evening had all the glam of a casino and all the mischief of a fraternity social…
Now, as you requested (sarcasm), back to me… As soon as I swapped out my first faux cash (I had $6,000 to play with…) for the shimmering black circles, engraved with “100,” the bunnies became nonexistent… Carrie Underwood could have walked in at that moment, walked up to me, and whispered “your place or mine” in my ear and I wouldn’t have budged… It was me, my stack of chips, the cards, and that dealer… That son of a, piece of, dealt me a ten, when I had a nine and a three dealer…
After an initial two victories and a set of losing hands (at least a half dozen, where I could not buy a card)… I located the zone… I started frolicking in the zone… Every card came up as desired and the bets increased… Steady stacks of 250 that turned into 500, 500 that turned 1,000, 750 that turned into 1,500… I was blazing… When, by 1:30, they announced they were concluding (concluding? What? I could do this all evening…), I had turned my $6,000 into $10,000… And my evening into a future V.I.P. evening at Park Street Patio…
As I walked the dance floor gauntlet from Park Street through Sugar Bar to reconnect with promotions superstars Avi and Molly, my mind wasn’t on the cards… As I shook hands with Avi, my mind didn’t think about the hands I won… As I hugged the perfectly exquisite Molly, my mind didn’t think about the hands I lost… But, as I departed Sugar Bar and entered the cold night air, I wanted to be back at that table…
Growing Up Jackets
A professional franchise’s maturation is interconnected with the maturation of their fans. The city is irrelevant. For any metropolis, their new team’s sport is something they’ve watched on television. It’s something they might have seen once in person. It’s something they analyze or discuss. But, they have never experienced an entire season. They have never endured with a squad as they struggle. They have never cheered and cringed, soared and survived, as their team, commences their first significant march toward the postseason.
Following consecutive impressive victories over the Detroit Red Wings (8-2 on Saturday) and the Boston Bruins (2-0), the Blue Jackets opposed the Pittsburgh Penguins with a supreme confidence, that has resonated into their followers… Throughout the city on Tuesday, the discussion was not on Ohio State’s professional football day, which is Friday… They discussion was not the Buckeyes hoops, which is Friday… The discussion was the Blue Jackets vs. the Penguins…
As I walked the bricks, over the bridge, down the stairs, and toward Frog Bear, two observations were inescapable… How are the patios this active? It’s freezing cold out… (Alright, maybe not freezing, but it was seventy like three days ago)… And the other observation… Did the entire population of Pittsburgh relocate for this contest? Seriously… there were Penguins jerseys inside, Penguins jerseys outside, Penguins jerseys buying our tickets and drinking our beer… (They are three hours away… What does the state have no cable)…
Within five minutes of my arrival at the Frog Bear and Wild Boar, one could sense the same crackle of electricity I discussed earlier… The venue was crammed… The entire bar was taken, every table was taken, and even their patio was crushed… The scene was both glorious and ridiculous… It was as if the people of Columbus (and apparently Pittsburgh), discovered the Blue Jackets have a playoff worthy franchise and they discovered it all at once…
The Blue Jackets seized upon this energy as they ultimately garnered a 1-0, first period advantage… Obviously, as the contest commenced, the crowd thinned and within minutes of the face-off, there were only two dozen people at the venue… Still, the excitement was palpable… A steady buzz of conversation wafted through the air and onto the bricks as the Blue Jackets concluded the initial period ahead and I headed for R Bar…
Now, if you have read previously, you will note people who have commented, billing R Bar as the ultimate hockey bar… If this were the case (and as I said on Saturday, I disagree), is it really necessary to keep the place as cold as the arena itself… I stood, watching the second period, speaking with Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s Jeff (who apparently followed me) and shivered virtually the entire time… Seriously, I have expected to see ice crystals on their plasma screens…
On those plasma screens, the Blue Jackets’ brilliance continued… Pittsburgh racked a few scoring chances… However, the Jackets capitalized on theirs, ascending to a 2-0 lead at the end of the second period… You would have assumed that R Bar would have been as deserted as the Frog Bear and Wild Boar… Yet, it was not… The collection of fans, numbering about a hundred, in intriguingly enough, business casual, cheered and remained attentive throughout… Obviously, R Bar is the official “If you cant get tickets like those at Frog Bear and Wild Boar, you may as well show up here” destination…
Four minutes into the third period, with myself returned to the Frog Bear and Wild Boar, the Blue Jackets secured a 3-0 lead (for those of you assuming game over, we will return to you in a moment)… The Blue Jackets were sixteen minutes from another victory, a second consecutive shutout, and super supreme confidence ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the Red Wings… Then, something happened…
If you asked a hundred fans, they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the proximate cause… It could have been arrogance… It could have been something simpler… Perhaps, as Stephanie (who we mentioned previously and we’ll mention again momentarily), cupped both hands to her mouth and chanted “Lets Go Jackets” to three jersey wearing Penguins fans, the hockey gods scoffed at the overconfidence and would have no more… The Penguins scored… One minute and twenty seconds later, they scored again… Just like that… 3-0 to 3-2…
Now, save your e-mails… I am by no means blaming Stephanie for the Blue Jackets stumble (which would get worse)… Stephanie is delightful… It’s not like Frog Bear and Wild Boar doesn’t have a collection of bunnies for bartenders (I’m thinking of one in particular), but Stephanie is unique… The physique and voice of Shawn Johnson, with a precocious personality… Stephanie, at different times, patted two male customers on the butt, messed up Dave Allsbrooks hair, danced with Abbi, danced alone, and threw ice… The Marchioness (it’s a step below duchess, but still in the royal family) is a treat…
Not such a treat when I returned to R Bar for the final ten minutes was the Blue Jackets play… They completed their collapse, allowing a third goal in four minutes, squandering their advantage, and placing themselves in danger of the type of epic collapse that one revisits if and when one doesn’t make the playoffs… Thankfully, the Blue Jackets and their fans, who were at this moment nauseous with the thought they could lose, held it together and the third period concluded, knotted 3-3.
As overtime evaporated, the contest still tied, something stirred inside the fans of R Bar… They realized victory, two points, and solid playoff position we still possible… The shootout commenced and the cheers were louder, the chanters were louder… The Blue Jackets and Penguins swapped a pair of missed chances… Then, the Blue Jackets scored, the venue erupted in “Pittsburgh Sucks” chants… The Penguins did not score and victory, two points, and solid playoff position were reclaimed…
In the immediate aftermath of the contest, the conversation remained hockey… This was a great game, Pittsburgh deserved credit, bring on Detroit… R Bar was crammed, with a line out the door, as I returned to Frog Bear and Wild Boar, to discover that they were similarly crunched with fans, talking about what they had just witnessed… As I relocated to my position, on the back wall, I marveled at what I was witnessing…
In ten years, this will be remembered as just another, regular season, shootout scare, with the Blue Jackets defeating the Penguins 4-3. But, if you were there, as I was there, and this playoff pursuit concludes with a playoff position… You will forever remember this evening, as the night this franchise’s fans came of age.
Following consecutive impressive victories over the Detroit Red Wings (8-2 on Saturday) and the Boston Bruins (2-0), the Blue Jackets opposed the Pittsburgh Penguins with a supreme confidence, that has resonated into their followers… Throughout the city on Tuesday, the discussion was not on Ohio State’s professional football day, which is Friday… They discussion was not the Buckeyes hoops, which is Friday… The discussion was the Blue Jackets vs. the Penguins…
As I walked the bricks, over the bridge, down the stairs, and toward Frog Bear, two observations were inescapable… How are the patios this active? It’s freezing cold out… (Alright, maybe not freezing, but it was seventy like three days ago)… And the other observation… Did the entire population of Pittsburgh relocate for this contest? Seriously… there were Penguins jerseys inside, Penguins jerseys outside, Penguins jerseys buying our tickets and drinking our beer… (They are three hours away… What does the state have no cable)…
Within five minutes of my arrival at the Frog Bear and Wild Boar, one could sense the same crackle of electricity I discussed earlier… The venue was crammed… The entire bar was taken, every table was taken, and even their patio was crushed… The scene was both glorious and ridiculous… It was as if the people of Columbus (and apparently Pittsburgh), discovered the Blue Jackets have a playoff worthy franchise and they discovered it all at once…
The Blue Jackets seized upon this energy as they ultimately garnered a 1-0, first period advantage… Obviously, as the contest commenced, the crowd thinned and within minutes of the face-off, there were only two dozen people at the venue… Still, the excitement was palpable… A steady buzz of conversation wafted through the air and onto the bricks as the Blue Jackets concluded the initial period ahead and I headed for R Bar…
Now, if you have read previously, you will note people who have commented, billing R Bar as the ultimate hockey bar… If this were the case (and as I said on Saturday, I disagree), is it really necessary to keep the place as cold as the arena itself… I stood, watching the second period, speaking with Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s Jeff (who apparently followed me) and shivered virtually the entire time… Seriously, I have expected to see ice crystals on their plasma screens…
On those plasma screens, the Blue Jackets’ brilliance continued… Pittsburgh racked a few scoring chances… However, the Jackets capitalized on theirs, ascending to a 2-0 lead at the end of the second period… You would have assumed that R Bar would have been as deserted as the Frog Bear and Wild Boar… Yet, it was not… The collection of fans, numbering about a hundred, in intriguingly enough, business casual, cheered and remained attentive throughout… Obviously, R Bar is the official “If you cant get tickets like those at Frog Bear and Wild Boar, you may as well show up here” destination…
Four minutes into the third period, with myself returned to the Frog Bear and Wild Boar, the Blue Jackets secured a 3-0 lead (for those of you assuming game over, we will return to you in a moment)… The Blue Jackets were sixteen minutes from another victory, a second consecutive shutout, and super supreme confidence ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the Red Wings… Then, something happened…
If you asked a hundred fans, they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the proximate cause… It could have been arrogance… It could have been something simpler… Perhaps, as Stephanie (who we mentioned previously and we’ll mention again momentarily), cupped both hands to her mouth and chanted “Lets Go Jackets” to three jersey wearing Penguins fans, the hockey gods scoffed at the overconfidence and would have no more… The Penguins scored… One minute and twenty seconds later, they scored again… Just like that… 3-0 to 3-2…
Now, save your e-mails… I am by no means blaming Stephanie for the Blue Jackets stumble (which would get worse)… Stephanie is delightful… It’s not like Frog Bear and Wild Boar doesn’t have a collection of bunnies for bartenders (I’m thinking of one in particular), but Stephanie is unique… The physique and voice of Shawn Johnson, with a precocious personality… Stephanie, at different times, patted two male customers on the butt, messed up Dave Allsbrooks hair, danced with Abbi, danced alone, and threw ice… The Marchioness (it’s a step below duchess, but still in the royal family) is a treat…
Not such a treat when I returned to R Bar for the final ten minutes was the Blue Jackets play… They completed their collapse, allowing a third goal in four minutes, squandering their advantage, and placing themselves in danger of the type of epic collapse that one revisits if and when one doesn’t make the playoffs… Thankfully, the Blue Jackets and their fans, who were at this moment nauseous with the thought they could lose, held it together and the third period concluded, knotted 3-3.
As overtime evaporated, the contest still tied, something stirred inside the fans of R Bar… They realized victory, two points, and solid playoff position we still possible… The shootout commenced and the cheers were louder, the chanters were louder… The Blue Jackets and Penguins swapped a pair of missed chances… Then, the Blue Jackets scored, the venue erupted in “Pittsburgh Sucks” chants… The Penguins did not score and victory, two points, and solid playoff position were reclaimed…
In the immediate aftermath of the contest, the conversation remained hockey… This was a great game, Pittsburgh deserved credit, bring on Detroit… R Bar was crammed, with a line out the door, as I returned to Frog Bear and Wild Boar, to discover that they were similarly crunched with fans, talking about what they had just witnessed… As I relocated to my position, on the back wall, I marveled at what I was witnessing…
In ten years, this will be remembered as just another, regular season, shootout scare, with the Blue Jackets defeating the Penguins 4-3. But, if you were there, as I was there, and this playoff pursuit concludes with a playoff position… You will forever remember this evening, as the night this franchise’s fans came of age.
Frog Bear’s Bunnies Steal the Show
As you can imagine, I receive calls, e-mails, facebook messages, text messages, and twitter messages everyday. This band is amazing. That band is incredible. The vast majority of these I ignore. However, the Reganomics were a not as easily dismissed recommendation.
When the quartet took Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s stage for their initial set, the dance floor was empty (and by empty I mean, I had a completely unobstructed view of everything, although there was nothing to see)… Obviously, this was not the band’s fault, the crowd was simply huddled into their conversations, discussing the near epic collapse and remarkable recovery of the Blue Jackets (which we will discuss later)…
With that said, a band feeds off of energy and despite an outstanding set list, the lack of a crowd’s sizzle noticeably affected the group’s performance… Not even “Anyway You Want It,” which was exemplary, could save what I would characterize as a pedestrian effort… (I will view the band again… Hopefully, with a better crowd)…
The Reganomics’ evening was not completely void of highlights (although the band didn’t provide them)… Instead, the dancing of Duchess Abbi and Marchioness Stephanie (we’ll explain the title shortly, I promise), was the climax to the epic evening which the Blue Jackets had begun…
In a non-technical, completely enjoyable, and totally hysterical manner, Abbi and Stephanie’s preening and strutting to “I’m Gonna Be,” was one more reminder of the extraordinary amount of fun Frog Bear and Wild Boar employees have… It was also a reminder of how gorgeous two bunnies can be, when they are determined to be flat out silly…
When the quartet took Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s stage for their initial set, the dance floor was empty (and by empty I mean, I had a completely unobstructed view of everything, although there was nothing to see)… Obviously, this was not the band’s fault, the crowd was simply huddled into their conversations, discussing the near epic collapse and remarkable recovery of the Blue Jackets (which we will discuss later)…
With that said, a band feeds off of energy and despite an outstanding set list, the lack of a crowd’s sizzle noticeably affected the group’s performance… Not even “Anyway You Want It,” which was exemplary, could save what I would characterize as a pedestrian effort… (I will view the band again… Hopefully, with a better crowd)…
The Reganomics’ evening was not completely void of highlights (although the band didn’t provide them)… Instead, the dancing of Duchess Abbi and Marchioness Stephanie (we’ll explain the title shortly, I promise), was the climax to the epic evening which the Blue Jackets had begun…
In a non-technical, completely enjoyable, and totally hysterical manner, Abbi and Stephanie’s preening and strutting to “I’m Gonna Be,” was one more reminder of the extraordinary amount of fun Frog Bear and Wild Boar employees have… It was also a reminder of how gorgeous two bunnies can be, when they are determined to be flat out silly…
Thursday, March 12, 2009
INVITE: Walk MS Happy Hour Fundraiser
Commencement: 5:00Venue: Lodge Bar (Arena District)
Cornhole Tournament
Raffle
Drinks (All Proceeds Benefit Multiple Sclerosis Society)
$3 Orange Martinis
Drinks (Available 5 – 9 p.m.)
$3 you call it drinks
$1.50 Domestic Pitchers (32 ounces)
$1 wells
Menu (Available 5 – 9 p.m.)
$3 Appetizers
½ Price Pizzas
INVITE: Pole-A-Rama
Commencement: 10:00Venue: Sugar Bar (525 Park Street)
Pole Dancing Contest
Stay-Cation Contest
OSU Chills Salaries, Chooses Semesters
10 TV: The Ohio State University has frozen the salaries of some of its top executives -- including President E. Gordon Gee -- but will still allot modest salary increases for faculty. The 17 members of the Senior Management Council all voluntarily agreed to offer up their raises and bonuses. Included is Gee, whose bonus could have been as high as 40 percent of his more than $800,000 salary. The more than $1 million expected to be saved by the freeze will flow into student scholarships. While the executives will forgo raises and bonuses, the university said that each department will still be given a 2.5 percent pool raise, as long as the department meets budgetary goals.
NBC 4: The Ohio State University Student and Faculty Senate voted Thursday to convert the university to a semester schedule rather than continuing its current quarter system. OSU’s Undergraduate Student and Faculty Government voted to make the change to semesters, but the final decision will belong to the OSU Board of Trustees, who would vote on the issue in April. President E. Gordon Gee publicly stated that he would support the switch. The earliest that the change to semesters could take place would be in the fall of 2012.
NBC 4: The Ohio State University Student and Faculty Senate voted Thursday to convert the university to a semester schedule rather than continuing its current quarter system. OSU’s Undergraduate Student and Faculty Government voted to make the change to semesters, but the final decision will belong to the OSU Board of Trustees, who would vote on the issue in April. President E. Gordon Gee publicly stated that he would support the switch. The earliest that the change to semesters could take place would be in the fall of 2012.
Columbus Police Target Arsonists
NBC 4: Law enforcement took 15 people into custody Thursday morning after a series of South Side raids. Since fall, there have been dozens of fires that authorities ruled were intentionally set.
The Columbus fire arson bureau along with Columbus police and the U.S. Marshals joined forces to conduct raids and get answers as to who was behind the arsons. Authorities began the early morning operation with the intention of putting at least a dozen people behind bars. After four weeks of surveillance, authorities were armed with almost 100 arrest warrants for offenses ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
Officials said the raids were intended to send a message to residents—those who follow the law and those who don’t. At the same time, authorities hoped to learn more about who is behind the rash of arsons. Columbus Fire wanted to assure residents authorities are doing all they can to make more arrests in connection with the many arson fires.
The Columbus fire arson bureau along with Columbus police and the U.S. Marshals joined forces to conduct raids and get answers as to who was behind the arsons. Authorities began the early morning operation with the intention of putting at least a dozen people behind bars. After four weeks of surveillance, authorities were armed with almost 100 arrest warrants for offenses ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
Officials said the raids were intended to send a message to residents—those who follow the law and those who don’t. At the same time, authorities hoped to learn more about who is behind the rash of arsons. Columbus Fire wanted to assure residents authorities are doing all they can to make more arrests in connection with the many arson fires.
Quick Read
James Nash leads Thursday with an excellent column on the proposed casinos initiative, complimented perfectly by a brilliant graphic.
Mark Ferenchik’s profile (metro) of Jack Workman, a shooting victim who has returned to work, is also excellent and evocative… Sherri Williams story on the possible move (again) of Octoberfest, should have been buried on B5… Instead, a story about a random checkpoint (I thought Columbus didn’t do random checkpoints), is buried there… Are the Columbus police embarrassed about cracking down on drunk driving, as murder after murder goes unsolved?
Bob Baptist’s bland column (sports) on the Big Ten’s Rating Power Index (yes, another March Madness stat for geeks), is somehow trumped in dullness by Ken Gordon’s pedestrian feature on Ohio State’s professional day, which gets bogged down in forty yard times…
Tracy Turner splits her personality in Business, writing an magnificent column on the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café falling into receivership and a marginal column on restaurants increasing bargains during this recession (wasn’t this same piece run on television a week ago)…
Life and Arts’ placement of the ongoing spat between Jim Cramer and Jon Stewart on their front page is marvelous… Equally marvelous, the often ignored Weekender, which features Aaron Beck’s excellent chronicle of Celtic music groups…
Mark Ferenchik’s profile (metro) of Jack Workman, a shooting victim who has returned to work, is also excellent and evocative… Sherri Williams story on the possible move (again) of Octoberfest, should have been buried on B5… Instead, a story about a random checkpoint (I thought Columbus didn’t do random checkpoints), is buried there… Are the Columbus police embarrassed about cracking down on drunk driving, as murder after murder goes unsolved?
Bob Baptist’s bland column (sports) on the Big Ten’s Rating Power Index (yes, another March Madness stat for geeks), is somehow trumped in dullness by Ken Gordon’s pedestrian feature on Ohio State’s professional day, which gets bogged down in forty yard times…
Tracy Turner splits her personality in Business, writing an magnificent column on the Buckeye Hall of Fame Café falling into receivership and a marginal column on restaurants increasing bargains during this recession (wasn’t this same piece run on television a week ago)…
Life and Arts’ placement of the ongoing spat between Jim Cramer and Jon Stewart on their front page is marvelous… Equally marvelous, the often ignored Weekender, which features Aaron Beck’s excellent chronicle of Celtic music groups…
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Playoff Pursuit
In seven seasons, our Blue Jackets have never made the playoffs. Now, as the franchise marches toward this important milestone, Gossip CBUS will cover their quest. Tomorrow night, we will twitter live from the Frog Bear and Wild Boar and R Bar, as the Blue Jackets oppose the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Get out tomorrow night, cheer, drink, read our tweets, and realize that with your hope and support, history can be made.
Get out tomorrow night, cheer, drink, read our tweets, and realize that with your hope and support, history can be made.
INVITE: Casino Night
Commencement: 10:00Venue: Sugar Bar (525 Park Street)
Age Range: Male (21 and over); Female (19 and over)
VIP Access: Text (406-3072)
Black Jack, Craps, & Roulette
Drinks (Available All Night)
$3 Martinis
$2 Bombs
$1 Wells
It’s What We Call the News
10 TV: Police said a man who robbed a north side gas station early Wednesday may be responsible for other robberies. The man entered the Shell gas station, located at 3970 Morse Road, at about 2 a.m… He demanded cash from the store clerk and slammed a tire iron on the counter, police said. The man walked behind the counter and removed cash from the drawer. Investigators believed the same man was responsible for a similar robbery at a Speedway gas station, located at 4240 Morse Road, on Tuesday morning. The suspect is described as white, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a thin build. He is 40 to 50 years old and has a shaved head. Anyone with information is asked to call Columbus police at 614-465-4665.
Technically, this doesn’t fit into our count… With that said, this is at least the third robbery spree in four weeks…
NBC 4: A petition seeking voter approval of casinos in four Ohio cities has been submitted to the state attorney general for review, and state lawmakers are exploring a separate plan that would allow slots at racetracks without going to the ballot. The Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee says the casino proposal submitted Wednesday would lead to $1 billion in private investment, $600 million in tax revenue and 20,000 new jobs. Casinos would be built in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo. If Attorney General Richard Cordray approves proposed constitutional amendment language, the group will begin gathering signatures toward placing the issue on the November ballot.
Not another constitutional amendment! Pass gambling through the legislature.
NBC 4: It doesn’t take long to see the effects of the recession around Central Ohio. Joseph Gessese has a job working on mortgages, but said he’s watched far too many people lose their jobs… So he created http://www.OhioStateList.com with his brother Faris. The Web site brings those two groups together—from posting your resume to finding jobs available now. The Web site breaks down jobs by zip code and with more than 2,000 people already signed up, all that’s left is finding success stories. The Web site is free and video resumes will be available soon.
I applaud Joseph… This may be a lousy economy… However, he realizes that out of great crisis, comes great opportunity…
Technically, this doesn’t fit into our count… With that said, this is at least the third robbery spree in four weeks…
NBC 4: A petition seeking voter approval of casinos in four Ohio cities has been submitted to the state attorney general for review, and state lawmakers are exploring a separate plan that would allow slots at racetracks without going to the ballot. The Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee says the casino proposal submitted Wednesday would lead to $1 billion in private investment, $600 million in tax revenue and 20,000 new jobs. Casinos would be built in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo. If Attorney General Richard Cordray approves proposed constitutional amendment language, the group will begin gathering signatures toward placing the issue on the November ballot.
Not another constitutional amendment! Pass gambling through the legislature.
NBC 4: It doesn’t take long to see the effects of the recession around Central Ohio. Joseph Gessese has a job working on mortgages, but said he’s watched far too many people lose their jobs… So he created http://www.OhioStateList.com with his brother Faris. The Web site brings those two groups together—from posting your resume to finding jobs available now. The Web site breaks down jobs by zip code and with more than 2,000 people already signed up, all that’s left is finding success stories. The Web site is free and video resumes will be available soon.
I applaud Joseph… This may be a lousy economy… However, he realizes that out of great crisis, comes great opportunity…
Want A Free Party?
On March 13, Park Street Patio is giving parties away. No contests. No rules. Simply e-mail your name, date preference, and number of guests to freeparty@mailrz.comParties Receive
One Free Jumbo Pizza
$5 Margarita\Sangria Fishbowls (32 ounces)
$2 Bud Light Pitchers (48 ounces)
Reserve Seating
Quick Read
Wednesday’s headline (Surprise: Great News For Citi) is outstanding. Equally outstanding, though somewhat contradictory are Barbara Carmen and Robert Vitale’s stories… Carmen’s discussing the possibility of a “trash tax” and Vitale’s stating bluntly that not every tax increase (and a bucket full have been proposed) is necessary.
Business leads appropriately with the Wonder Bread factory closing and Marla Rose’s story on Experience Columbus tourism summit is superb… With that said, I have one question…. Why didn’t the announcement of Columbus as the home for the 2010 McDonald’s All-American games lead the edition?
Life and Arts presents a pair of fun pieces, their great back page spread on Barbie (which included a lot of interesting, unknown facts) and a collage of colored shamrocks… Equally colored, although not as fun was Michael Arace’s column, which half gushed about the Blue Jackets 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins and half recapped said win… Neither half was very good…
Business leads appropriately with the Wonder Bread factory closing and Marla Rose’s story on Experience Columbus tourism summit is superb… With that said, I have one question…. Why didn’t the announcement of Columbus as the home for the 2010 McDonald’s All-American games lead the edition?
Life and Arts presents a pair of fun pieces, their great back page spread on Barbie (which included a lot of interesting, unknown facts) and a collage of colored shamrocks… Equally colored, although not as fun was Michael Arace’s column, which half gushed about the Blue Jackets 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins and half recapped said win… Neither half was very good…
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Columbus Loses Jobs
NBC 4: The Kansas City owner of Downtown’s Wonder Bread Bakery announced the bakery at 697 N. 4th St, soon will end production. Interstate Bakeries Corporation (IBC) said Tuesday that it will close its bread bakeries in Columbus, Ohio, and Springfield, Mo., due to changing consumer preferences and market conditions.
IBC expects production at the bakeries will end by May 9, 2009. An IBC spokesperson said the closing will affect 126 Columbus jobs. Columbus’ Wonder Bread thrift shops will not be affected and will remain open.
IBC said that local market developments, including declines of bread volume from customer purchases made it necessary for it to rationalize its production capacity. IBC said the bakery closures won’t impact its customers who will continue to receive the same great tasting, high-quality IBC bread products on which they rely, delivered from other IBC bakeries in Missouri and Ohio as well as Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Indiana.
IBC expects production at the bakeries will end by May 9, 2009. An IBC spokesperson said the closing will affect 126 Columbus jobs. Columbus’ Wonder Bread thrift shops will not be affected and will remain open.
IBC said that local market developments, including declines of bread volume from customer purchases made it necessary for it to rationalize its production capacity. IBC said the bakery closures won’t impact its customers who will continue to receive the same great tasting, high-quality IBC bread products on which they rely, delivered from other IBC bakeries in Missouri and Ohio as well as Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Indiana.
Quick Read
For today, there is no Quick Read, as someone bizarrely snatched my paper from in front of my door step… Quick Read (assuming this doesn’t happen again), will return Wednesday…
Monday, March 9, 2009
Mayor Coleman Advised to Raise Your Taxes
NBC 4: One group has recommended City Hall solve the city’s budget woes with an income tax increase and city fees hike. One year ago, Mayor Michael Coleman asked a group of 15 financial experts to help the city come up with recommendations on how to get Columbus out of the hole.
Mayor Michael Coleman’s economic advisory committee said an income tax increase is critical in saving Columbus’ economy. “Our backs are up against the wall. Further cuts will jeopardize basic government services,” said Robert Howarth, of the Economic Advisory Committee.
The committee said the city has a huge structural imbalance in how it is run and the city does not make enough revenue—even with the recent layoffs and cutbacks. If an income tax increase weren’t to happen, citizens should expect drastic cuts next year.
The city income tax currently is a quarter of a percent; the proposal would raise it to half a percent. That would bring the total income tax to about $2.50 out of every $100 earned.
The committee also recommended an increase in fees for trash collection and adding more red-light and speed cameras around the city. City Auditor Hugh Dorrian said there isn’t any way to keep the city afloat without more revenue.
If city leaders were to approve the committee’s recommendations, voters would see the tax-increase proposal on the August ballot—at the soonest. Business owner Eric Ling and area resident Clifford Dowden said they’re OK with the increase. But, they said that during economic tough times, not everyone may feel the same way. “If we expect to have the standard of living we’re used to, we should be adaptive,” Ling said.
The proposed increase would be the first income tax increase since 1982. In response to the recommendation, Coleman’s spokesman Dan Williamson said the mayor, “appreciates all the time and effort the committee members put into the report and he looks forward to reading it, digesting it and working with City Council and the city auditor to decide what action to take.”
Mayor Michael Coleman’s economic advisory committee said an income tax increase is critical in saving Columbus’ economy. “Our backs are up against the wall. Further cuts will jeopardize basic government services,” said Robert Howarth, of the Economic Advisory Committee.
The committee said the city has a huge structural imbalance in how it is run and the city does not make enough revenue—even with the recent layoffs and cutbacks. If an income tax increase weren’t to happen, citizens should expect drastic cuts next year.
The city income tax currently is a quarter of a percent; the proposal would raise it to half a percent. That would bring the total income tax to about $2.50 out of every $100 earned.
The committee also recommended an increase in fees for trash collection and adding more red-light and speed cameras around the city. City Auditor Hugh Dorrian said there isn’t any way to keep the city afloat without more revenue.
If city leaders were to approve the committee’s recommendations, voters would see the tax-increase proposal on the August ballot—at the soonest. Business owner Eric Ling and area resident Clifford Dowden said they’re OK with the increase. But, they said that during economic tough times, not everyone may feel the same way. “If we expect to have the standard of living we’re used to, we should be adaptive,” Ling said.
The proposed increase would be the first income tax increase since 1982. In response to the recommendation, Coleman’s spokesman Dan Williamson said the mayor, “appreciates all the time and effort the committee members put into the report and he looks forward to reading it, digesting it and working with City Council and the city auditor to decide what action to take.”
Number Forty-Seven
10 TV: Two men were assaulted and five children terrorized during a home invasion Monday night on the north side. The family had only recently moved into the home in the 2300 block of Atwood Terrace…
Police said that one shot was fired during the home invasion, and that those in the home were made to lay on the ground at gunpoint while the robbers ransacked the home. The two men, described as a father and son, were transported to the Ohio State University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The son's five children were also living in the house, along with the children's grandmother. Police said the robbers escaped with money and jewelry.
Police said that one shot was fired during the home invasion, and that those in the home were made to lay on the ground at gunpoint while the robbers ransacked the home. The two men, described as a father and son, were transported to the Ohio State University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The son's five children were also living in the house, along with the children's grandmother. Police said the robbers escaped with money and jewelry.
Arena District Dogfight
While never dormant, the personal and professional conflicts between downtown nightlife executives and employees have recently intensified, an industry source told Gossip CBUS. Contributing reasons include familiarity, the utilization of technology, and the uncertain economy.
“You know what kind of crowd you’re getting downtown, so everyone is fighting over the same customers,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “What doesn’t help is that it’s a strange world. A lot of them worked for each other or under each other. A lot of them really, truthfully, don’t like each other and since the nature of the business lends itself to drama, its highly combustible.”
Our source cited technology as the area’s biggest aggravating factor. “Take your site [Gossip CBUS] for instance,” the source said. “You have a post and there are comments bashing that bar or praising this bar under it. You see that with Underground and several other places to. These guys don’t want anyone to get an inch and as a result, they have someone checking the internet the next day, making sure anything is rebutted.”
While some means, such as message boards or twitter may be original, plagiarism, rumors, and whisper campaigns remain time-honored tactics. Our source expects these older tactics will continue heating up, as the economy struggles.
“If someone at one end of the District thinks someone else at the other end did better then them, they will do everything they can to make sure they win the next night,” our source said. “It’s a dog eat dog climate and nevermore so than now. The longer term survivors are the ones who get creative, not only with their tactics, but with their people as well.”
“You know what kind of crowd you’re getting downtown, so everyone is fighting over the same customers,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “What doesn’t help is that it’s a strange world. A lot of them worked for each other or under each other. A lot of them really, truthfully, don’t like each other and since the nature of the business lends itself to drama, its highly combustible.”
Our source cited technology as the area’s biggest aggravating factor. “Take your site [Gossip CBUS] for instance,” the source said. “You have a post and there are comments bashing that bar or praising this bar under it. You see that with Underground and several other places to. These guys don’t want anyone to get an inch and as a result, they have someone checking the internet the next day, making sure anything is rebutted.”
While some means, such as message boards or twitter may be original, plagiarism, rumors, and whisper campaigns remain time-honored tactics. Our source expects these older tactics will continue heating up, as the economy struggles.
“If someone at one end of the District thinks someone else at the other end did better then them, they will do everything they can to make sure they win the next night,” our source said. “It’s a dog eat dog climate and nevermore so than now. The longer term survivors are the ones who get creative, not only with their tactics, but with their people as well.”
You Have Questions... I Have Answers
Since Gossip Cbus began, I’ve been swamped with e-mail (thanks for the love)… While I’ve tried to give individual responses to several, I also know that some of the questions are questions others may have and thus, answering them publicly would be better… Therefore, from time to time, I will answer questions where everyone can see them…
Q: Are the ten categories for the Gossip Awards finalized or will you be adding categories?
A: While we certainly wont rule out the possibility of adding another category, we feel the categories we’ve selected best represent the aspects of the city, which we have covered in our initial months.
Q: Will Gossip CBUS be covering any pre-St. Patrick’s Day activities or only St. Patrick’s Day itself?
A: We will be covering both and we will also have announcements of all activities for St. Patrick’s Day and the days leading to it… As for twitter coverage or wraps, that is in the decision process…
Q: Do you plan on covering a Blue Jackets game that doesn’t involve the Detroit Red Wings?
A: As the two teams only meet once more this season, I would say that is a definite possibility… As for Blue Jackets coverage in the immediate future, that Red Wings game (as they have never taken a season series from the Red Wings) is a likely candidate for either twitter or a wrap…
Q: Are the ten categories for the Gossip Awards finalized or will you be adding categories?
A: While we certainly wont rule out the possibility of adding another category, we feel the categories we’ve selected best represent the aspects of the city, which we have covered in our initial months.
Q: Will Gossip CBUS be covering any pre-St. Patrick’s Day activities or only St. Patrick’s Day itself?
A: We will be covering both and we will also have announcements of all activities for St. Patrick’s Day and the days leading to it… As for twitter coverage or wraps, that is in the decision process…
Q: Do you plan on covering a Blue Jackets game that doesn’t involve the Detroit Red Wings?
A: As the two teams only meet once more this season, I would say that is a definite possibility… As for Blue Jackets coverage in the immediate future, that Red Wings game (as they have never taken a season series from the Red Wings) is a likely candidate for either twitter or a wrap…
Quick Read
Unfortunately, the Dispatch did not use our week away to improve themselves… Jeb Phillips lead story on the Hummer and how it’s lost popularity… Are you serious? Off a great weekend for the city and that’s what they came up with? The Hummer, an expensive gas guzzler, is struggling in bleak economic times… I am shocked…
I am not shocked that sports, as seemingly always, was terrible as well… If any of their columnists want me to take them seriously, then they need stop (and I repeat STOP) typing columns that every other sports writer in America types once a year… Today’s contestant Tom Reed discusses the NHL and how fighting is bad for the sport… Tom, 1992 phoned and they’d like their argument back… Rob Oller’s pedestrian column on the Buckeyes basketball team lacking a personality was also terrible…
I am not shocked that sports, as seemingly always, was terrible as well… If any of their columnists want me to take them seriously, then they need stop (and I repeat STOP) typing columns that every other sports writer in America types once a year… Today’s contestant Tom Reed discusses the NHL and how fighting is bad for the sport… Tom, 1992 phoned and they’d like their argument back… Rob Oller’s pedestrian column on the Buckeyes basketball team lacking a personality was also terrible…
Sunday, March 8, 2009
First Annual Gossip Awards
In July, the Frog Bear and Wild Boar Bar and Gossip CBUS will unite for a very special evening… The first annual Gossip Awards. These awards will not be internet popularity contests and they will not involve national categories such as movies or television. Instead, the will focus solely on Columbus, allowing the city to celebrate the city.Balloting, for the ten categories listed below, will commence in two weeks. Nominees will be announced in May. All other details, including presenters, sponsors, and voters will be announced shortly.
Person of the Year
Venue of the Year
Venue Executive of the Year
Public Relations Executive of the Year
Non-Profit of the Year
Non-Profit Person of the Year
Event of the Year – For Profit
Event of the Year – Non-Profit
News Organization of the Year
News Person of the Year
Farewell Friend
In November 2000, I lost a friend to cancer. His death wasn’t a shock. I had known about his cancer. We had spoken on the phone and I had promised that in the next two weeks, I was going to drive out and see him at his house. I never made that trip. Daily activities, schedule conflicts, work, or self-indulgence took precedence and I never made it to see that friend before he died. I regret this everyday of my life.
Now I wont begin to compare the tragic death of a friend to the closing of a mall, one is clearly worse than the other… With that said, I knew about City Center’s final week and made similar plans to visit accordingly… I never made that trip either… Nine years later, I let the same pattern repeat itself and the mall closed without my final visit… Sadly, I don’t know if I will ever think twice again about this…
I know, for the vast majority of this city, last Thursday’s final hours for the downtown complex passed without notice. Most people filed into and out of work, they likely passed City Center on foot or in their vehicles, they may even have glanced toward the structure… but I doubt they said to themselves, this is it. This is the last day we could, if we were inclined, set foot in this building, before it is turned into a park…
Therein lies the depressing fact and why I very much wanted to walk through the building one last time… A mammoth structure has closed… It’s future is no future… It will be torn down and turned into a park, which will do nothing to improve this city… And the worst part is that it’s nineteen years old… Can you imagine condemning a college freshman, who granted had seen better days, but condemning them prior to affording them the chance to reinvent themselves?
This is the fate of City Center… Politicians can gloss over this… They can say we need a more open look for downtown… They can say that they could not redevelop the structure… That a casino isn’t wanted and an office renovation was impractical… And I might not be able to respond to this… Except, they are building a park and ringing it with offices, shops, and condos… They have conceded shops don’t work downtown; the fact is no one is buying downtown, and more people are working in the suburbs… But Mayor Coleman has his dream project and City Center must come down….
And this is why I wanted one last walk through the three stories, almost ten-acre complex… Yes, it is a virtual ghost town, and it was filled with items for auction, and I haven’t lived in the city for all nineteen years, so its not like I could remember what store was where or I had a sentimental connection, but the fact is, that this building, conceived in 1984, opened in 1989, and the destination for most of Columbus for a decade, meant something and I wanted to soak that in…
I wanted to walk in past the vacant anchor store, which still bears the insignia of Marshall Field’s… I wanted to walk past the ground floor entrance restaurant and multiple shops, before stopping to stare at the now silent big screen television, where the once broadcast soap operas to attract crowds… I wanted to walk stare toward the glass elevators, where crowds scattered in 1994, as shots rang out and a fifteen year old died…
I wanted to stare the empty Jacobsen’s and Macy’s, whose closures or relocations were the first and eventual ultimate signs of trouble for the complex… I wanted to walk up the escalator, which once blazed a path to the skywalk, which no longer stands… I wanted to walk past the Radio Shack and the Walden Books, who were the two last chain stores to bolt, as the mall dropped below twenty tenants…
And I wanted to wander which of the now vacant spaces used to hold the Limited and Victoria’s Secret, before the city and Les Wexner could not agree on whatever they could not agree on and he; with his clothing millions reshaped this city and City Center’s future forever… I can just imagine the conversation between Columbus officials and Wexner, which would have ended with the phrase “What are you going to do Les, build your own mall?”
One can point to any number of factors or pose any number of suppositions, but the truth is Easton Town Center is not casually responsible for City Center’s demise, they fired the fatal shot… The ridiculous opening of Tuttle Mall, by the City Center’s developers, was harmful… And the opening of Polaris Fashion Place, signaled the end… But, nothing had a more crippling, more damaging effect, than Easton, which took Bexley and eastern crowds, which formally flocked to the complex and spirited them away forever…
And now the mall is gone forever… It’s destiny is no destiny and in ten years, it will be a footnote and in twenty years a history lesson… City Center, is in this way, like the friend I mentioned at the outset… I never got to say a proper good-bye to him or to the mall… I regret that in his case… I will remember that in the mall’s case…
Now I wont begin to compare the tragic death of a friend to the closing of a mall, one is clearly worse than the other… With that said, I knew about City Center’s final week and made similar plans to visit accordingly… I never made that trip either… Nine years later, I let the same pattern repeat itself and the mall closed without my final visit… Sadly, I don’t know if I will ever think twice again about this…
I know, for the vast majority of this city, last Thursday’s final hours for the downtown complex passed without notice. Most people filed into and out of work, they likely passed City Center on foot or in their vehicles, they may even have glanced toward the structure… but I doubt they said to themselves, this is it. This is the last day we could, if we were inclined, set foot in this building, before it is turned into a park…
Therein lies the depressing fact and why I very much wanted to walk through the building one last time… A mammoth structure has closed… It’s future is no future… It will be torn down and turned into a park, which will do nothing to improve this city… And the worst part is that it’s nineteen years old… Can you imagine condemning a college freshman, who granted had seen better days, but condemning them prior to affording them the chance to reinvent themselves?
This is the fate of City Center… Politicians can gloss over this… They can say we need a more open look for downtown… They can say that they could not redevelop the structure… That a casino isn’t wanted and an office renovation was impractical… And I might not be able to respond to this… Except, they are building a park and ringing it with offices, shops, and condos… They have conceded shops don’t work downtown; the fact is no one is buying downtown, and more people are working in the suburbs… But Mayor Coleman has his dream project and City Center must come down….
And this is why I wanted one last walk through the three stories, almost ten-acre complex… Yes, it is a virtual ghost town, and it was filled with items for auction, and I haven’t lived in the city for all nineteen years, so its not like I could remember what store was where or I had a sentimental connection, but the fact is, that this building, conceived in 1984, opened in 1989, and the destination for most of Columbus for a decade, meant something and I wanted to soak that in…
I wanted to walk in past the vacant anchor store, which still bears the insignia of Marshall Field’s… I wanted to walk past the ground floor entrance restaurant and multiple shops, before stopping to stare at the now silent big screen television, where the once broadcast soap operas to attract crowds… I wanted to walk stare toward the glass elevators, where crowds scattered in 1994, as shots rang out and a fifteen year old died…
I wanted to stare the empty Jacobsen’s and Macy’s, whose closures or relocations were the first and eventual ultimate signs of trouble for the complex… I wanted to walk up the escalator, which once blazed a path to the skywalk, which no longer stands… I wanted to walk past the Radio Shack and the Walden Books, who were the two last chain stores to bolt, as the mall dropped below twenty tenants…
And I wanted to wander which of the now vacant spaces used to hold the Limited and Victoria’s Secret, before the city and Les Wexner could not agree on whatever they could not agree on and he; with his clothing millions reshaped this city and City Center’s future forever… I can just imagine the conversation between Columbus officials and Wexner, which would have ended with the phrase “What are you going to do Les, build your own mall?”
One can point to any number of factors or pose any number of suppositions, but the truth is Easton Town Center is not casually responsible for City Center’s demise, they fired the fatal shot… The ridiculous opening of Tuttle Mall, by the City Center’s developers, was harmful… And the opening of Polaris Fashion Place, signaled the end… But, nothing had a more crippling, more damaging effect, than Easton, which took Bexley and eastern crowds, which formally flocked to the complex and spirited them away forever…
And now the mall is gone forever… It’s destiny is no destiny and in ten years, it will be a footnote and in twenty years a history lesson… City Center, is in this way, like the friend I mentioned at the outset… I never got to say a proper good-bye to him or to the mall… I regret that in his case… I will remember that in the mall’s case…
Extraordinary Art, Everyday Artist
As I walked into The Mahan Gallery, this past Friday for some strange reason I had “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” streaming though my head. In fact, I was so entranced that I wasn’t sure if the strikingly tall man with the blue glass stud earring and the black nail polish was indeed Ric Ocasek. He was. My inner 8 year-old girl was totally geeked.
It’s kind of weird to see one of your childhood icons up-close and personal in a venue that’s different from any memory you have of them. The Mahan Gallery hosted the first solo art exhibition for Ric Ocasek lead singer/songwriter of The Cars. The title of the exhibition, Noise Colored Party, could not have been more appropriate.
Jacquie Mahan, the curator for the exhibit had over one hundred pieces of Mr. Ocasek’s artwork on display. His works vary from drawings with colored pencils and markers, black and white sketches, mixed media pieces, to color photography saturated with glimpses of the past. The messages his pieces convey also were highly varied and are encouraged to be interpreted by the viewing audience. Mr. Ocasek never intended to display his artwork to the public, so you see everything from a kitschy marker cock-n-balls to a mixed media piece with Barak Obama.
When I asked Mr. Ocasek when he had begun his career as an artist, he replied, “I can’t ever remember a time when I wasn’t working on something.” Ric would sketch while on flights or during down time at home.
Speaking of home, Mr. Ocasek’s wife, renowned model actress Paulina Porizkova, and their sons were also on hand at the opening. And what a friendly family they were. The leggy brunette in the red dress kindly entertained my questions about a photograph Ric had taken of her waistline. I recognized the swimsuit she was wearing in the photograph from a Sports Illustrated layout from years ago. I also had a quite enjoyable conversation with one of their sons, Jonathan, about his freshman year of high school and the pitfalls of being a busy teen.
If you have a chance to check out “Noise Colored Party” sometime during the next two months, I highly advice you make the trip down to Mahan Gallery. Not only was Mr. Ocasek’s show a diverse spectacle to view, but he was also as down to earth as many of the other local artists you meet on any given first Saturday in The Short North.
Story: Erica Hess
It’s kind of weird to see one of your childhood icons up-close and personal in a venue that’s different from any memory you have of them. The Mahan Gallery hosted the first solo art exhibition for Ric Ocasek lead singer/songwriter of The Cars. The title of the exhibition, Noise Colored Party, could not have been more appropriate.
Jacquie Mahan, the curator for the exhibit had over one hundred pieces of Mr. Ocasek’s artwork on display. His works vary from drawings with colored pencils and markers, black and white sketches, mixed media pieces, to color photography saturated with glimpses of the past. The messages his pieces convey also were highly varied and are encouraged to be interpreted by the viewing audience. Mr. Ocasek never intended to display his artwork to the public, so you see everything from a kitschy marker cock-n-balls to a mixed media piece with Barak Obama.
When I asked Mr. Ocasek when he had begun his career as an artist, he replied, “I can’t ever remember a time when I wasn’t working on something.” Ric would sketch while on flights or during down time at home.
Speaking of home, Mr. Ocasek’s wife, renowned model actress Paulina Porizkova, and their sons were also on hand at the opening. And what a friendly family they were. The leggy brunette in the red dress kindly entertained my questions about a photograph Ric had taken of her waistline. I recognized the swimsuit she was wearing in the photograph from a Sports Illustrated layout from years ago. I also had a quite enjoyable conversation with one of their sons, Jonathan, about his freshman year of high school and the pitfalls of being a busy teen.
If you have a chance to check out “Noise Colored Party” sometime during the next two months, I highly advice you make the trip down to Mahan Gallery. Not only was Mr. Ocasek’s show a diverse spectacle to view, but he was also as down to earth as many of the other local artists you meet on any given first Saturday in The Short North.
Story: Erica Hess
From Significance to History
This was a significant weekend… Between the Arnold Classic, UFC 96, and the various other activities and festivities that were occurring, the average resident likely did not note that the Blue Jackets opposed the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday… But, for people who followed the organization since it’s inception, the numbers were inescapable… 49 contests vs. the Red Wings… Only 13 victories… Never three consecutive…
As I walked the Arena District corridor, the crush was incredible. Seventy-degree weather, a soft wind, every patio open, every table packed, every venue either equaling or exceeding visible capacity… Now, you would expect all of this for a weekend on this scale (alright, you wouldn’t expect seventy plus weather, shorts, and short sleeves, but I’m not arguing)… But, this wasn’t what made it special…
As I walked the Arena District, there was a vibrant beat to the early evening… From the people engulfing the grand weather and the discounted drinks to the couples holding hands and snapping pictures to the throng (and I am talking lines that would have made Ohio Stadium proud) gathered outside Nationwide Arena, it was a carnival of sights to see… All the cheap thrill-seekers, the spectators, and the splendor… They crowded around me… (And yes, those are modified lyrics from something)…
I will say from the outset, no crowd at any venue… Gordon Biersch, Frog Bear and Wild Boar, or R Bar disappointed for size… Pre-game, In-game, and Post-game, they were superb… The content of each crowd, that was another story… And that story takes me to Gordon Biersch, where I was scheduled to observe the first period (which would ultimately tell the story for the remainder of the evening, both for the Blue Jackets and the Arena District)…
Apparently, the manager was one of those unaware people I addressed in the lead… Five minutes to face-off and he finally turns on the game… I can’t entirely fault him, the restaurant was crowded and as I said this was a significant weekend… Still, they are located near the Arena… you would assume they have a team schedule lying around… Speaking of assumptions, I assumed that this contest between the Blue Jackets and Red Wings would be another close encounter… I was wrong… After shutting down an early power play, the Jackets scored two goals inside ninety seconds to score a 2-0 lead.
You would think given the magnitude of this night and the sizzle with which the Jackets were playing that the crowd would have been overjoyed… But, this crowd’s mind was clearly somewhere else… As I circled the venue (twice, in fact), the UFC insignias were everywhere… Hats, t-shirts, coats… This wasn’t a crowd who had ever heard of hockey, much less one which would hang on every shift… This was a crowd ready to see a “sport” where physical maiming were a possibility…
This “sport” apparently attracted some of Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s massive patronage as well… When I arrived for the second period, the venue, which had been difficult to walk through in the pre-game, could have allowed me to lay down in the middle of the floor and take a nap… Yes, there were people; there was actually a stellar patio crowd and a teeming inside population… But, they were not on the level of the crowd that had inhaled Bud Light Aluminum buckets prior to Nationwide Arena opening their doors…
Also not on the level of another time was the Red Wings play (and that other time, would of course be, two weeks ago, when the Blue Jackets edged them 3-2)… As I stood speaking with Owners David Allsbrooks and Tom Selvaggio and Promotions superstar Jeff, the Blue Jackets assumed a 3-0 lead. Then, they assumed a 4-0 lead. And for as thinned as the crowd was at Frog Bear and Wild Boar, the recognition of the Blue Jackets impending history was immediate… Every great shift or goal drew a cheer…
Now, I can’t conclude the second period without returning for a moment to my previously mentioned conversation… I know I discussed David and Tom’s enjoyment of their job and the appreciation for everyone who walks into their venue… But, the more I speak with them, the more moments I spend around them, the more I am impressed with their character… There are not two classier owners of anything (business, restaurant, venue) in this city… I cannot (even if I dedicated an entire column to the subject) begin to tell you how much I respect them…
My respect for R Bar was an unknown quantity… I had never been there before… I had heard that it was the venue for Blue Jackets contests… I had heard that it was the old time hockey bar that I should visit… Aesthetically, I can’t argue with that… The penalty box tables, the memorabilia lining the walls, the game on every screen… R Bar certainly cavorted itself as a great game venue…
And the fans were outstanding also… As I arrived for the third period, the Blue Jackets scored again to assume a 5-1 edge and the crowd was crazy… The Blue Jackets assumed a 6-1 edge and the crowd was delirious… They scored again to garner a 7-1 edge and the crowd was ready to skate the Stanley Cup… The level of energy and enthusiasm in the eyes and voices was impressive… Also, there were not a lot of random conversations… The fans treated this evening like an OSU football Saturday… The attraction was the game…
I wish the management would have treated this win with the magnitude it deserved… Seconds after the Blue Jackets concluded their 8-2, historic third straight win over the Red Wings, the management turned on the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat contest… Granted, it was a single digit game and they had turned off the sound, but as a Red Wings fan rightly pointed out to me, if this were Detroit, the game would have remained on with voice, win or lose… (And I believe the same is true for the Buckeyes in most venues)… I guess it is simple… When I last visited Frog Bear and Wild Boar for the Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings, I was told that I should attend a real hockey bar (R Bar), instead of a nightclub pretending to be one (Frog Bear and Wild Boar)… Maybe R Bar should stop pretending to be the Hockeytown Bar and instead settle for being another bar that caters to fans who could care less…
As much as this win was significant, as much as it was historic, as much as it screamed the Blue Jackets are a franchise determined to make the playoffs this season, the mentality of the fans when the contest concluded, even at R Bar, was, hey we won, great, wonder when the Seinfeld rerun starts… In the twenty minutes I spent talking to fans after the game, I had one solid hockey conversation… The rest was unintelligent, bordering on hockey illiterate… Columbus knows they have a team… Ask them anything about that team or the team’s season and they shut up faster than small children in front of vegetables…
Speaking of shutting up fast… The post-game at Gordon Biersch was more like an elegant cocktail reception… When I entered the venue, several tables were empty, and the tables that were occupied were couples, families, people discussing their financial situation and what they were planning as activities on Sunday… The Blue Jackets conversation, the fact that they had just made history… nowhere…
The same true at Frog Bear and Wild Boar… A few stragglers were talking hockey as I arrived for the post-game session, but the vast majority of the crowd (and unlike Gordon Biersch, there was a crowd) was soaking up the scrumptious weather on the patio or enjoying Introspect in the stage room… (I’ll return to the band in a moment)… I know I alluded to the anonymous comment someone left about Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s pretensions earlier… The fact is, they are not a nightclub pretending to be anything… Why I enjoy them (aside from David, Tom, and Jeff), is that they have something for everyone… If you want drinks and conversation, they have it… A Dance beat, they have it… Live music, they have that too… They let you choose…
And on this evening, they chose an excellent band… Introspect featured a unique sound, one I had not even heard attempted in this city… Several bands cover classic rock anthems… Several bands have diverse set lists… No band opens with “Trippin On A Hole In A Paper Heart.” The willingness to take a risk and the stage presence of the band was simply amazing…
Since we’ve mentioned amazing, I have to spend my next to last paragraph (I know you’re sad this is ending) complimenting Frog Bear and Wild Bar’s immaculate staff… It’s not that they are efficient or look great… Several venues in this city can claim both of those attributes for their staff… It’s that, from Abbi and Athena to the other inside bartenders to the patio bartenders to the servers, they dance, they strut, and they have more fun with their job than is humanly possible (although, I will question some of their dance moves)…
With the crush reconvening at Frog Bear and Wild Boar and the fact that the Blue Jackets made history as far from anyone’s intoxicated minds as conceivable, I walked the Arena District Bridge, still teeming with masses and exited… This was a significant weekend and tonight, the Blue Jackets recorded a significant milestone…
And tomorrow, Gossip CBUS will have a significant announcement concerning this summer… (That, is what we call in the business, a tease)…
As I walked the Arena District corridor, the crush was incredible. Seventy-degree weather, a soft wind, every patio open, every table packed, every venue either equaling or exceeding visible capacity… Now, you would expect all of this for a weekend on this scale (alright, you wouldn’t expect seventy plus weather, shorts, and short sleeves, but I’m not arguing)… But, this wasn’t what made it special…
As I walked the Arena District, there was a vibrant beat to the early evening… From the people engulfing the grand weather and the discounted drinks to the couples holding hands and snapping pictures to the throng (and I am talking lines that would have made Ohio Stadium proud) gathered outside Nationwide Arena, it was a carnival of sights to see… All the cheap thrill-seekers, the spectators, and the splendor… They crowded around me… (And yes, those are modified lyrics from something)…
I will say from the outset, no crowd at any venue… Gordon Biersch, Frog Bear and Wild Boar, or R Bar disappointed for size… Pre-game, In-game, and Post-game, they were superb… The content of each crowd, that was another story… And that story takes me to Gordon Biersch, where I was scheduled to observe the first period (which would ultimately tell the story for the remainder of the evening, both for the Blue Jackets and the Arena District)…
Apparently, the manager was one of those unaware people I addressed in the lead… Five minutes to face-off and he finally turns on the game… I can’t entirely fault him, the restaurant was crowded and as I said this was a significant weekend… Still, they are located near the Arena… you would assume they have a team schedule lying around… Speaking of assumptions, I assumed that this contest between the Blue Jackets and Red Wings would be another close encounter… I was wrong… After shutting down an early power play, the Jackets scored two goals inside ninety seconds to score a 2-0 lead.
You would think given the magnitude of this night and the sizzle with which the Jackets were playing that the crowd would have been overjoyed… But, this crowd’s mind was clearly somewhere else… As I circled the venue (twice, in fact), the UFC insignias were everywhere… Hats, t-shirts, coats… This wasn’t a crowd who had ever heard of hockey, much less one which would hang on every shift… This was a crowd ready to see a “sport” where physical maiming were a possibility…
This “sport” apparently attracted some of Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s massive patronage as well… When I arrived for the second period, the venue, which had been difficult to walk through in the pre-game, could have allowed me to lay down in the middle of the floor and take a nap… Yes, there were people; there was actually a stellar patio crowd and a teeming inside population… But, they were not on the level of the crowd that had inhaled Bud Light Aluminum buckets prior to Nationwide Arena opening their doors…
Also not on the level of another time was the Red Wings play (and that other time, would of course be, two weeks ago, when the Blue Jackets edged them 3-2)… As I stood speaking with Owners David Allsbrooks and Tom Selvaggio and Promotions superstar Jeff, the Blue Jackets assumed a 3-0 lead. Then, they assumed a 4-0 lead. And for as thinned as the crowd was at Frog Bear and Wild Boar, the recognition of the Blue Jackets impending history was immediate… Every great shift or goal drew a cheer…
Now, I can’t conclude the second period without returning for a moment to my previously mentioned conversation… I know I discussed David and Tom’s enjoyment of their job and the appreciation for everyone who walks into their venue… But, the more I speak with them, the more moments I spend around them, the more I am impressed with their character… There are not two classier owners of anything (business, restaurant, venue) in this city… I cannot (even if I dedicated an entire column to the subject) begin to tell you how much I respect them…
My respect for R Bar was an unknown quantity… I had never been there before… I had heard that it was the venue for Blue Jackets contests… I had heard that it was the old time hockey bar that I should visit… Aesthetically, I can’t argue with that… The penalty box tables, the memorabilia lining the walls, the game on every screen… R Bar certainly cavorted itself as a great game venue…
And the fans were outstanding also… As I arrived for the third period, the Blue Jackets scored again to assume a 5-1 edge and the crowd was crazy… The Blue Jackets assumed a 6-1 edge and the crowd was delirious… They scored again to garner a 7-1 edge and the crowd was ready to skate the Stanley Cup… The level of energy and enthusiasm in the eyes and voices was impressive… Also, there were not a lot of random conversations… The fans treated this evening like an OSU football Saturday… The attraction was the game…
I wish the management would have treated this win with the magnitude it deserved… Seconds after the Blue Jackets concluded their 8-2, historic third straight win over the Red Wings, the management turned on the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat contest… Granted, it was a single digit game and they had turned off the sound, but as a Red Wings fan rightly pointed out to me, if this were Detroit, the game would have remained on with voice, win or lose… (And I believe the same is true for the Buckeyes in most venues)… I guess it is simple… When I last visited Frog Bear and Wild Boar for the Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings, I was told that I should attend a real hockey bar (R Bar), instead of a nightclub pretending to be one (Frog Bear and Wild Boar)… Maybe R Bar should stop pretending to be the Hockeytown Bar and instead settle for being another bar that caters to fans who could care less…
As much as this win was significant, as much as it was historic, as much as it screamed the Blue Jackets are a franchise determined to make the playoffs this season, the mentality of the fans when the contest concluded, even at R Bar, was, hey we won, great, wonder when the Seinfeld rerun starts… In the twenty minutes I spent talking to fans after the game, I had one solid hockey conversation… The rest was unintelligent, bordering on hockey illiterate… Columbus knows they have a team… Ask them anything about that team or the team’s season and they shut up faster than small children in front of vegetables…
Speaking of shutting up fast… The post-game at Gordon Biersch was more like an elegant cocktail reception… When I entered the venue, several tables were empty, and the tables that were occupied were couples, families, people discussing their financial situation and what they were planning as activities on Sunday… The Blue Jackets conversation, the fact that they had just made history… nowhere…
The same true at Frog Bear and Wild Boar… A few stragglers were talking hockey as I arrived for the post-game session, but the vast majority of the crowd (and unlike Gordon Biersch, there was a crowd) was soaking up the scrumptious weather on the patio or enjoying Introspect in the stage room… (I’ll return to the band in a moment)… I know I alluded to the anonymous comment someone left about Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s pretensions earlier… The fact is, they are not a nightclub pretending to be anything… Why I enjoy them (aside from David, Tom, and Jeff), is that they have something for everyone… If you want drinks and conversation, they have it… A Dance beat, they have it… Live music, they have that too… They let you choose…
And on this evening, they chose an excellent band… Introspect featured a unique sound, one I had not even heard attempted in this city… Several bands cover classic rock anthems… Several bands have diverse set lists… No band opens with “Trippin On A Hole In A Paper Heart.” The willingness to take a risk and the stage presence of the band was simply amazing…
Since we’ve mentioned amazing, I have to spend my next to last paragraph (I know you’re sad this is ending) complimenting Frog Bear and Wild Bar’s immaculate staff… It’s not that they are efficient or look great… Several venues in this city can claim both of those attributes for their staff… It’s that, from Abbi and Athena to the other inside bartenders to the patio bartenders to the servers, they dance, they strut, and they have more fun with their job than is humanly possible (although, I will question some of their dance moves)…
With the crush reconvening at Frog Bear and Wild Boar and the fact that the Blue Jackets made history as far from anyone’s intoxicated minds as conceivable, I walked the Arena District Bridge, still teeming with masses and exited… This was a significant weekend and tonight, the Blue Jackets recorded a significant milestone…
And tomorrow, Gossip CBUS will have a significant announcement concerning this summer… (That, is what we call in the business, a tease)…
On A Personal Note…
Rarely will I ever address criticism of myself, this website or it’s content on this website. I don’t believe in elevating critics. And I don’t feel as though this is the most appropriate channel for addressing criticism. With that said, I wish to address a pair of subjects, which in one form or another, have proven recurrent.
The first subject is the recent spate of e-mail and suppositions that have either slandered me personally or slandered the motivation for the content of this website or the content itself. I had no utopian optimism when this website launched… I know that if you do something different or dare to step beyond what is considered conventional, you will have critics. Some of those critics will threaten you. Others will attack you in unbelievable manners. Since this website launched, I have had both and I choose this moment to address them directly…
I will not address their epithets or hatred. Instead, I will focus on their general message that either my work is creepy and irrelevant or I must have some ulterior motivation to write what I write. As to the creepiness or relevance of my work, I believe our traffic numbers show that not only does this city enjoy or work, not only does the city find the work unique and useful, they have returned for seconds, thirds, and fourths. As to my motivation, it is nothing other than presenting an objective view of any night to this city.
Are there people I do not like in venues that I cover? Yes. That never affects the writing. Are their venues I would rather not enter? Yes. I do and the writing is not affected. Are there people who don’t like me and have told me so? Yes. It has not, nor will it ever affect the writing. And finally, as to the recent anonymous e-mails about my writings concerning Princess Kadi or Duchess Abbi or any other personnel I have discussed… I give them recognition because they deserve it. And because they are good at their job. I have no personal interest in them whatsoever. Also, I will not have my editorial content altered due to perception. Until senior management of any venue tells me to stop writing anything about anything, I will write anything I want, anytime I please. And the moment senior management demands editorial approval, is the moment I stop covering them and start covering their competitors.
The second subject I wish to address is the recent spate of anonymous comments on the nightlife wraps that are critical of the venue discussed… I know I will sound like a fifth grade teacher here, but children, take it outside… When seven comments show up on a story attacking another venue or one comment shows up on a story assailing another venue, I am smart enough to know that those comments are plants from an attacking venue.
This is neither the time nor place for one venue to assault another… If a venue doesn’t like the coverage someone else had received from us, plan a better event and invite us… Don’t use our forum as your forum.
I hope this statement resolves these matters.
The first subject is the recent spate of e-mail and suppositions that have either slandered me personally or slandered the motivation for the content of this website or the content itself. I had no utopian optimism when this website launched… I know that if you do something different or dare to step beyond what is considered conventional, you will have critics. Some of those critics will threaten you. Others will attack you in unbelievable manners. Since this website launched, I have had both and I choose this moment to address them directly…
I will not address their epithets or hatred. Instead, I will focus on their general message that either my work is creepy and irrelevant or I must have some ulterior motivation to write what I write. As to the creepiness or relevance of my work, I believe our traffic numbers show that not only does this city enjoy or work, not only does the city find the work unique and useful, they have returned for seconds, thirds, and fourths. As to my motivation, it is nothing other than presenting an objective view of any night to this city.
Are there people I do not like in venues that I cover? Yes. That never affects the writing. Are their venues I would rather not enter? Yes. I do and the writing is not affected. Are there people who don’t like me and have told me so? Yes. It has not, nor will it ever affect the writing. And finally, as to the recent anonymous e-mails about my writings concerning Princess Kadi or Duchess Abbi or any other personnel I have discussed… I give them recognition because they deserve it. And because they are good at their job. I have no personal interest in them whatsoever. Also, I will not have my editorial content altered due to perception. Until senior management of any venue tells me to stop writing anything about anything, I will write anything I want, anytime I please. And the moment senior management demands editorial approval, is the moment I stop covering them and start covering their competitors.
The second subject I wish to address is the recent spate of anonymous comments on the nightlife wraps that are critical of the venue discussed… I know I will sound like a fifth grade teacher here, but children, take it outside… When seven comments show up on a story attacking another venue or one comment shows up on a story assailing another venue, I am smart enough to know that those comments are plants from an attacking venue.
This is neither the time nor place for one venue to assault another… If a venue doesn’t like the coverage someone else had received from us, plan a better event and invite us… Don’t use our forum as your forum.
I hope this statement resolves these matters.
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