Chicago…. the city of broad shoulders has taken to its hockey team like a long lost relative in 2010.
For Chicago which hates the nickname second city and has a chip on its shoulder when compared with New York, 2010 is a shot at finishing on top.
The bandwagon has been full since the final game of the regular season and only standing room is left. For Chicagoans, the wait has been long and frustrating. An original six member of the National Hockey League, the Blackhawks have limited success when it comes to finishing on top.
It’s last Stanley Cup championship came in 1961, when names like Mikita and Hull were toasts of the town. A drought of 31 years occurred before Chicago would see its famous Indian head sweater grace the chance at a cup.
This time they were tossed aside by an upstart team from Pittsburgh with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. Hard pills for a working class town like Chicago to swallow, especially against a band of Europeans.
The term working class best represents those old guard fans, many of them who have had season tickets for more years than can remember. These are not corporate fans who bring their cell phones to games to call their buddies to tell them they are on TV like Bulls fans.
Hell, for the past decade Blackhawk home games weren’t even on local television. If you were a Blackhawk fan, you were a diehard fan. While Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are the talented golden boys of the new generation of Hawks, it is the Dustin Byfuglien and Troy Brouwer’s who resonate most with fans.
They are the lunch pail type of athlete who the construction worker and the Ferrara Pan candy worker can appreciate. They are one of them and the feeling is mutual.
When Duncan Keith finished Game 4 of the San Jose series with seven missing teeth, his legacy as a Hall of Fame Chicagoan was sealed. The Cubs might be the town favorite but they don’t represent.
Hockey players with missing teeth represent. Blackhawk jerseys are showing up in some of the same places that Bears jerseys did in 1985. The lions which guard the Art Institute of Chicago are wearing Blackhawk helmets.
The Field Museum has dressed one of its dinosaurs in a Hawks sweater and even signs on orthodox polish churches stating “Jesus saves but Niemi’s better” have popped up. Even at the risk of incurring God’s wrath, the Blackhawks and their success seem more important.
Chicago’s love affair with former Bears head coach Mike Ditka has as much to do with his style than his substance. Ditka’s ability to connect with the common man despite incredible wealth has made him an icon.
Even though Marian Hossa signed one of the largest free agent contracts in NHL history, he’s one of the working stiffs charged with bringing the Cup back to the Windy City.
The connection between the fans and this team began when Rocky Wirtz took over the franchise from his late father Bill Wirtz. Bill Wirtz was the last of the old guard owners whose neglect of the fans led to dwindling attendance figures.
He traded away local hero Jeremy Roenick when he demanded too much money. He failed to join the twenty first century by acquiring free agents, instead gathering draft picks like a squirrel preparing for winter. Realizing it was much cheaper to do that and still make a profit became his major concern.
That changed for this franchise when “Dollar Bill” passed away in 2007. The torch was passed and the change became real. The first order of business was to get a home television package set up on free TV. With that one move, the fans felt apart of the franchise once again.
To confirm that, Rocky sits amongst the fans and is very visible at home games. Not just home playoff games but a Wednesday night game versus Phoenix.
If the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, its fans will win it with them. They live and die with each win or loss. The buzz can be heard from the south side to the north side. There are rare events that allow the commodity broker to ask the opinion of the sewer worker. Blackhawk hockey in 2010, is one such event.
