While I was out...

My oh my, some interesting tidbits popped up while I was floating around on a gondola at the Venetian and wandering through the humanity at the MGM Grand.  Of particular note:

• There might be hope for Rick Nash as the Columbus Blue Jackets captain after all.  Let's hope he puts his words into practice.  This team needs a player-led kick in the rear, and Gold Medal-winning Nash is the guy to apply the footwear.
• Next year's CBJ third jersey will apparently have a cannon on the front.  That could be cool.
• George Matthews is coming back as CBJ radio voice.  This, as Jeff Little explains, is a solid move for the CBJ.  I agree and will emphasize his point and suggest in a league with an 82-game regular season, you need to enjoy the ride as much as the result, and the announcers are your tour guides on the journey.  George is masterful in his own quirky way at getting Columbus excited during elements of every game...even when you're not entirely sure what's going on!
• In the same post, Jeff Little suggests that Bill Davidge should go back to radio, and radio color guy Bob McElligott should replace him on TV.  If you have to keep Davidge (who I don't care for as much as Little does), radio is a fine place to be.  I've been on record as saying that Bob McElligott should be on TV and continue to stand behind that assertion.
  
  
  
• Wrapping up the Jeff Little Trilogy, his outstanding series on the Nationwide Arena/Arena District situation was promoted by the Columbus Blue Jackets themselves.  DBJ kudos to the man!
• Jan Hejda is done for the season.  The Columbus Crunch Jackets take the ice on Friday against the Wild.  
• The Jackets signed Matt Calvert to a 3-year, entry level contract.  Calvert, if you don't remember, is the winger who spurned an offer from the CBJ to go to Syracuse for a chance to go back to juniors, kick some butt and win a Memorial Cup on home ice.  He's having a fantastic year, and it'll be great to have him officially in the fold.  
• Our (interim) Head Coach, Claude Noel, says it's permanent Head Coach or bust for him in Columbus.  A bold statement considering his record and propensity to toss the team under the bus.  If you don't believe me, look at his (accurate) comments on team conditioning.  Also, check this nugget from Tom Reed out...not exactly a ringing endorsement of his present situation:

Noel looked as down as I've seen him this morning as we discussed the losses at the trade deadline and the injuries to Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius.

"What are you going to do?" Noel said. "You coach what you have and that's what we do."

• Greg May of Full Mental Jackets is living the CBJ blogger dream.  
• Lastly, the Jackets are currently in 25th place in the league right now.  Not a good strategy to land Cam Fowler.  

That's all I could find...any other news that I missed?

[UPDATE: Oh gee, I forgot about DirecTV and Versus settling their mutual animosity and putting Versus back on the satellite tv service in time for the playoffs.  w00t!]