The Blackhawks’ game six win ended and I stood amongst the ocean of fans that flooded Clark Avenue in Wrigleyville June 24.
As the ocean rolled and crashed to the unmistakable rhythm of “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis, my mind flowed freely for the first time since the Stanley Cup Finals started. The numb hand from all the high-fives that were given out, my raspy throat from screaming after those fateful 17 seconds that separated those two important goals, the persistent red that stretched out as far as the eye could see Š—ê it all got a little too much to handle. With every “Let’s Go Hawks” chant that started, it was easy for any fan, especially those who have been there for awhile, to get choked up.
Why get so emotional about a stupid team that people suddenly decided to like in the past four years? Part of it is that this was the first time I had been in Chicago to see a Chicago team win; it’s because of how far they’ve come in such little time.
In 2004, ESPN voted the Chicago Blackhawks to be the worst franchise in sports. That’s right Š—ê for anyone who doesn’t know, the team used to be horrible. That year they were bestowed their holy title and they ended with 20 wins Š—ê the fourth lowest home attendance and no promise for the future. It almost seemed like the lockout that occurred the next season from 2004-2005 was a relief for the team and specifically the fans.
This is where the Blackhawks fan base gets its bad rep from; the eagerness to just “get the season over with” was apparent in TV viewership and merchandise sales at the time. In fact, it wasn’t until Rocky Wirtz took over from his father that all Blackhawks home games were shown on TV.
The love and effort that Wirtz put forth in rebuilding the franchise and brand name was a very big contributor to the Blackhawks fanaticism that persists today. He spent the money that Bill Wirtz would have never dreamed of spending. He got the Blackhawks out into the Chicago streets again and everything just showed the one thing that the team had been lacking for so many years: promise.
So when the obvious newcomers jumped on the bandwagon and celebrated in the streets of Chicago, I had to just let it go. This city rarely has consistent winners, the last ones being the Chicago Bulls of the ’90s, and that franchise had an incredible following. The large number of new hockey or Blackhawks fans is just the result of this franchise taking over the city and creating one this Chicago can brag about.
The fact that this team can be bragged about still baffles me sometimes. It wasn’t long ago that the Columbus Blue Jackets – no offense, Blue Jacket fans – made the playoffs instead of the Hawks. When I lived in Georgia, I even got stuff from Thrashers fans, out of all people. Where’s their team now? (Hint: not in Atlanta.)
For the Blackhawks, this team has the honor of being called “the franchise that brought back hockey” by Sports Illustrated in March after an uncertainty of a season.
People credited the Blackhawks of all teams for bringing attention to a league that many scoff at. It’s amazing seeing ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt wearing a Blackhawks jersey for one of his shows when his employer considered the team to be the worst not too long ago.
That’s the reoccurring theme with the Blackhawks it seems – the idea of “not too long ago.”
It wasn’t too long ago when the Blackhawks would be the ones watching their rival Red Wings achieving postseason glory. It wasn’t too long ago the Blackhawks couldn’t even keep up with the Chicago Wolves in terms of advertising. It wasn’t too long ago that speaking about the Blackhawks making the playoffs five years in a row would have made you a permanent member of the Second City Comedy club.
Nobody’s laughing now as the Blackhawks’ popularity grows and “Go Hawks” becomes the Midwestern version of “Roll Tide.” They continue to be that special thing that everyone associates with and is what the city is extremely proud of.
Go Hawks.