NHL Playoffs

[77ncaachamps]

That Byfuglien kid's pretty good.

As a Shark fan, he's the #2 hated dude for me.

#1?

Niemi.

The guy's a moving brick wall.

[JWags85]

Niemi.

The guy's a moving brick wall.

So much for goaltending being the reason the Hawks wouldn't make a playoff push.  Even Hawks homers on Chicago sports radio weren't high on this team following the trade deadline.  None of that matters now.  Damn this has been a fun ride.

[🏀]

So much for goaltending being the reason the Hawks wouldn't make a playoff push.  Even Hawks homers on Chicago sports radio weren't high on this team following the trade deadline.  None of that matters now.  Damn this has been a fun ride.

Can you blame them? Niemi was not playing good. Every BH fan should be praying he keeps playing at this clip, he's been awesome.

[damuts222]

 Duncan Keith actually lost 7 teeth, they originally thought 4. His post game interview was awesome.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/duncan.keith.teeth.2.1711793.html

[MUEng92]

Since Gretzky left the Oilers, I don't think I have watched much more than the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals each year.  Not that I watched hockey at all before he was in his prime.  I have to admit, I have gone out of my way to watch a few Blackhawks games this playoffs.  They have been fun to watch.

Of course, I pay for it later when that song they play after the Blackhawks score runs through my head, over and over, the rest of the night (and now the next day, since I reminded myself of it).  Dun, da na na na na na, na na na na na na nump, na na.....

[willie warrior]

What does this have to do with MU Bball?

[MU B2002]

What does this have to do with MU Bball?

Nothing, that is why it is in the superbar.

[Brewtown Andy]

Since Gretzky left the Oilers, I don't think I have watched much more than the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals each year.  Not that I watched hockey at all before he was in his prime.  I have to admit, I have gone out of my way to watch a few Blackhawks games this playoffs.  They have been fun to watch.

Of course, I pay for it later when that song they play after the Blackhawks score runs through my head, over and over, the rest of the night (and now the next day, since I reminded myself of it).  Dun, da na na na na na, na na na na na na nump, na na.....

Chelsea Dagger, by the Fratellis.  (NSFW unless your work is okay with burlesque girls.)

[JWags85]

Can you blame them? Niemi was not playing good. Every BH fan should be praying he keeps playing at this clip, he's been awesome.

Not completely, but they were awfully pessimistic about a team that was still in the top 2 in the West.  And that was still when Huet was playing a bunch.  And I've never been a Huet fan, he is too sloppy.  I'm just glad it has worked out and Niemi has been playing with confidence.

Chelsea Dagger, by the Fratellis.  (NSFW unless your work is okay with burlesque girls.)

Despite being a huge Hawks fan, I will confess to not loving or really liking that song.  However, come playoff time, I fully embrace it cause you can start singing it at any bar or public place and immediately be joined by multiple people.  I was at the Cubs game last Tuesday, checking the Hawks game on my phone, and when they scored my friends and I starting singing only to have the entire section join in soon enough.  It was grand.

[robmufan]

With Philly in, this makes for quite an interesting matchup...

Never do I like to see a team play a goaltender they drafted and then traded.  Add that he might be an even bigger brick wall than Niemi, this should be fun!

[SaintPaulWarrior]

The Stanley Cup finals between the Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will begin Saturday, May 29 at 7 p.m. at the United Center. All times Central.

Game 1: Sat., 7 p.m., at Blackhawks, NBC
Game 2: Mon., 7 p.m., at Blackhawks, NBC
Game 3: Wed., 7 p.m., at Philadelphia, Versus   
Game 4: Fri.,  7 p.m. at Philadelphia, Versus
*Game 5: Sun., 7 p.m., at Blackhawks, NBC
*Game 6: Wed., 7 p.m. at Philadelphia, NBC
*Game 7: Fri., 7 p.m., at Blackhawks, NBC

[copious1218]

Anyone else getting anxious with this long layoff?

[Brewtown Andy]

Anyone else getting anxious with this long layoff?

I'm starting to get the shakes.

[jficke13]

the best part about the blackhawks is how literally millions of blackhawk fans just crawled out of the woodwork about 2 months ago. it's about as fair weather of a fan base as they come. (excluding the 1 out of 10 guy who is a real fan and does know what he's talking about)

[MarquetteFan94]

the best part about the blackhawks is how literally millions of blackhawk fans just crawled out of the woodwork about 2 months ago. it's about as fair weather of a fan base as they come. (excluding the 1 out of 10 guy who is a real fan and does know what he's talking about)

That's the best thing you could think of about the Blackhawks? 

[jficke13]

sarcasm dude; there's nothing good about the blackhawks.

[MarquetteFan94]

sarcasm dude; there's nothing good about the blackhawks.

No sh;t.  I love WI people trashing the Blackhawks and their fans.  There are four generations of hockey fans in this town, they're an Original 6 franchise...you can google that if you don't know what that means.

As much as you hate to believe it they're not going anywhere for the next 10 years.  BTW, the NHL is the professional hockey league played in the United States.

[jficke13]

you're right, there are guys who know what original 6 means and those people are real fans. but all im saying is that your fanbase increased in size 10 fold over night. that's fair-weather-fandom.

[🏀]

you're right, there are guys who know what original 6 means and those people are real fans. but all im saying is that your fanbase increased in size 10 fold over night. that's fair-weather-fandom.

Kinda like the Brewers right?

Except the Blackhawks were not accessible for years, not on TV years, played all of their games out of primetime, and had no investment in winning. All fan favorite players were alienated: Chelios, Roenick,Belfour, Savard, & Hasek.

How can you follow a team that isn't on TV, trades all of their good players & has one of the least likable owners in all of sports?

Exit Dollar Bill; enter Rocky.

2007, ComcastSportsnet starting showing home games when there wasn't scheduling conflict. Hull & Mikita were made Blackhawk ambassadors. John McDonough was brought into to revive the team.

The fanbase didn't tenfold overnight, but it has since 2007. Most games were sold out the entire season after tickets went on sale. TV ratings have been steadily increasing since 2007, and have exploded for the playoffs, make sense.

[TallTitan34]

MarqPTM nailed it.  Before Bill Wirtz died it was impossible to be a fan unless you had season tickets.  The Hawks even started games later at 7:30 making it impossible to see footage or highlights on the 10 o'clock news. ESPN (in 2005 I think the year was) voted them the worst organization in all of sports because of Bill Wirtz.  

Don't say everyone joined overnight lab warrior.  The vast majority of people became fans again in 2007 and shortly thereafter when the old man died and his son Rocky took over.  

The first thing Rocky did when he took over was immediately get the games on tv. That alone would have been enough but he kept going.  The following year he brought Pat Foley back in. He started wecloming back legends to had been sent packing by Bill Wirtz years ago.  He also brought in John McDoughnun who is one of the best marketing guys in all of sports.  John was able to lock up a Winter Classic at Wrigley spreading the expousre even more.

The Blackhawks fandom was back and guess what lab warrior? All of this was 2 seasons ago.

98% of Blackhawks fans if not more were not fans 4 years ago.  There was no way to be a fan. They did all come back in the last few years not because they are fair weather but because they can actually see the damn games.

Can you imagine if the Bucks or Brewers weren't on TV for a over a decade? What would happen to the fanbase?

[🏀]

Can you imagine if the Bucks or Brewers weren't on TV for a over a decade? What would happen to the fanbase?

There wouldn't be any professional sports in Milwaukee?

crap, the City will take care of that themselves Bucks soon enough if they don't do something about the Bradley Center.

[MUEng92]

I will fully admit that I am a fair weather fan.  As of about April 15th, all I knew about the Blackhawks was from the 10 second station ID's on WGN (720) during Cub games.  "Huh, the Blackhawks games are on WGN too?"

Last night, I was whooping and swearing with each trade of goals.  The last 20 seconds, my feet were nervously bouncing just like during an MU free throw attempt.  It was a blast.  I can't wait for the next game.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

the best part about the blackhawks is how literally millions of blackhawk fans just crawled out of the woodwork about 2 months ago.  it's about as fair weather of a fan base as they come.

My family has had season tickets for over 30 years and I was lucky enough to be able see games at The Stadium with my Dad.  Any city that goes to the finals has overnight fans coming out of nowhere, I agree with you about that.  To follow up what PTM and TT had to say the swoon started in 2000 when Dollar Bill started to lose his mind and ran the team into the ground and ended when he died in 2007....the only down years in attendance and fan interest for the Hawks were between these years, which many people around my seats call the Dollar Bill senile years.  As far as being fair weather you couldn't be more wrong...people just got sick of being screwed over and not appreciated as fans.  The NHL lockout in 04-05 also did not help matters whith the fan base.

1989-90  1990-91  1991-92 1992-93   1993-94  1994-95  1995-96  1996-97
17,546    17,920    17,509     17,776     17,771    20,818    20,391    19,397  

1997-98  1998-99  1999-00 2000-01    2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2005-06
18,356    17,330    16,274    14,997        15,569 14,795   13,253     13,318  

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
  12,727 16,814    22,247    21,356

[Brewtown Andy]

Did everyone catch Don Carcillo leveling his teammate instead of Tomas Kopecky?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQc1_V3M4G4

[damuts222]

 My father used to have season tickets at the Old Stadium in Chicago. When they built the United Center, traded away all their players (Roenick picked the Flyers because he has no respect for the org. since he got traded), and Wirtz gave the fanbase a universal finger is why many Hawks fans left. That being said many long time fans got rid of their tickets then, not because they were fair weather but because they couldn't support a team that didn't give a rat's a$$ about them.

 If any city has fairweather fans it probably isn't Chicago fans as a whole given the lack of success as a city, looking past the Bulls championships in the 90's.