The Blue Jackets Have Driven Another Coach Raving Mad

Nothing is potentially as pathetic as an old-guy tantrum, and yet nothing is so potentially entertaining as an old-guy tantrum when the old guy isn't worried about his gig. Enter Rick Bowness, the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and someone whose face would be on the $1,000 bill if there was a country called Dontgiveafuckistan. Bowness is 71 years old and has coached 899 games since his debut 37 years ago. That means he's been replaced seven times. He has been an interim coach in four different places, an assistant in seven, a minor-league coach in three, and has coached for the same franchise (Atlanta/Winnipeg) twice. He has seen great hockey, terrible hockey and all the hockeys in between. He once punched noted toughian Tim Hunter in the head during a brawl in 1985—yes, as a coach. In other words, when he took the Columbus job on Jan. 12, he had seen all anyone should be allowed to see in the sport. He took the Blue Jackets from last in the Metropolitan Division to second and was being mentioned as a coach of the year candidate. Then gravity happened: The Jackets lost nine of their last 11 and missed the playoffs, finishing off with a 2-1 loss at home to Washington Tuesday night.