Blackhawks Stealing All The Buzz from the Bulls

There are two teams that call the United Center home.

Both are at the start of a long 82-game season. Both have lost their leading scorer from last year (Ben Gordon and Martin Havlat) to a rival (the Pistons and the Wild). Both have stars who recently earned a Rookie of the Year win or nomination (Derrick Rose, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg).

Both teams were ousted from last year's playoffs by their league's defending champion and both are widely considered just a few steps away from being their league's next champion. The two teams that share the United Center have a remarkable amount in common.

So why is one team getting all the buzz?....

about 1 month ago spain2323 12 comments 0 recs |

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I guess the Bulls can be considered "a few steps away from being their league's next champion"

If those few steps are “sign Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010.”

by Big D on Oct 19, 2009 5:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

unless 'buzz' is the Sarah Spain blog

the NBA is still far more popular than the NHL. Whatever the Blackhawks ratings are, the Bulls will beat it, as they did last year. (I forgot the article, but it was in the trib, and the Bulls had far more viewers something like 60% more. I could be way wrong about that margin.).

There is perhaps a discrepancy in championship buzz, but I don’t care who wins the lingerie bowl either.

I’d concede the idea that the Hawks have more ‘hardcore’ fans and thus the reason they sell so many tickets. But the Bulls do too, and they get more crossover appeal if moderately successful than hockey.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Oct 19, 2009 6:37 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs

I think in terms of overall fan excitement, the Hawks do have the Bulls beat.

Last season was odd, almost like an expansion season. I don’t really think it’s a competition, the Hawks and Bulls were both incredibly popular (and successful) for most of the 90s, the city never had a problem supporting both teams.

As far as this hokey notion that the NHLis skyrocketing in popularity, they still don’t have a real TV contract. Last time I checked, it was easier to watch arena football (at least when the league was solvent) than hockey.

The 2009 White Sox....like a 40 degree day.

by Ozzie Montana on Oct 19, 2009 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe in excitement per fan

but in overall excitement there’s more for the Bulls, because there’s far more Bulls fans.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Oct 20, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally agree

I don’t have any issue with the Blackhawks, in fact I’ll cheer em on and watch a game if I’m bored. It’s just that I’m getting so sick of being bombarded with all of this “the Blackhawks are the best thing ever” horseshit. Local radio and certain tv programs like the Tribune Live show are making it sound like the Bulls don’t exist. I heard the exact same thing about the Bulls kicking the Hawks ass in ratings as well. Totally true.

All you have to do is compare both teams playoff runs. The Bulls Celtics thing was leading fucking Sportscenter last year and that was a first round series! The Hawks made it to the Western Conference Finals and all you see of that is a two minute clip after they talk about Bret Favre for a half hour.

"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro

by Juiceboxjerry on Oct 20, 2009 1:56 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

I don't even think the Blackhawks have more hardcore fans

We saw how many hardcore fans they had three years ago, when they had 5,000 people in the United Center. A lot of these people going to games now are bandwagon jumpers following the hot new team. If the Bulls ever get several young stars and advance to the conference finals, you’ll see them at Bulls games.

by Big D on Oct 20, 2009 9:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That fanbase was crapped on for years by the owner and made Chicago Stadium and the UC electric through it all

That they finally stopped going to games in droves for awhile is understandable. While Reinsdorf annoys all of us around here quite a bit, at least he allowed home games to be shown on local TV.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on Oct 20, 2009 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What?

Who are the Blackhawks?

by chapuforyou on Oct 20, 2009 10:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The Blackhawks deserve more buzz,

as they’re a better, younger team with much more upside. I mean, the Hawks are actually a legit championship contender, while the Bulls could very well miss the playoffs.
Oh, and the Bulls are several HUGE steps away from winning a championship.

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

by dakoose on Oct 20, 2009 12:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

well

one doesnt incorporate names like reinsdorf and del negro

I remember Michael dribbling at the top of the key. Everybody knew to just get the hell out of his way. - Steve Kerr

by Yibs on Oct 20, 2009 7:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed...

On most of your points. The blogs wasn’t insinuating that hockey is more popular overall than basketball, merely that all the buzz around town is about the Blackhawks and not the Bulls. Just as JuiceBoxJerry says “t’s just that I’m getting so sick of being bombarded with all of this "the Blackhawks are the best thing ever" horseshit. Local radio and certain tv programs like the Tribune Live show are making it sound like the Bulls don’t exist.”

I love the Bulls and the NBA will always be a bigger story nationally—hockey is more of a fringe sport. My point was simply that the town of Chicago has embraced the rebuilding of the Hawks with more fervor than that of the Bulls. Not necessarily even the Bulls’ fault—I really believe a lot of it has to do with what I call a sort of “Jordan hangover.” Hard to get that buzz back the day after you’re wasted…

by spain2323 on Oct 20, 2009 8:44 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs