from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch,

From this perch in Columbus, one can only applaud the dopes conspiring to extend the NHL lockout, now in its 70th day. Another chunk of the season, as well as the All-Star Game that was scheduled for Nationwide Arena, were officially wiped out yesterday. Burn, baby, burn. One can argue that the next best thing for Blue Jackets fans would be to kill the whole season.

There is just one caveat, and it is an important one:

The lockout has been an economic detriment to our area and it has hurt some people who can least afford it.

According to a 2008 study by the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State, the Blue Jackets and Nationwide Arena have generated in excess of $2 billion in economic activity since the arena doors opened. By this point, they are directly responsible for more than $1 billion in spending by out-of-town visitors — an important figure as it represents “new money” entering Downtown.

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