Warming Up To The Ice
January 17th, 2009 Posted in UncategorizedAllow me to begin today with one of the biggest clichés possible by quoting one of the most inspirational folk singers of all time, Bob Dylan who once said, “The times they are a-changin’,” and after last night it seems our ole’ pal Bobby is summing up the winter Chicago sports scene in a nut shell. This weekend I got the chance to do what many others have done so already over the past few months- take in a Blackhawks game. It is not often I feel obligated to talk about a game which ended in a one point deficit in favor of the road team, but it was hard not 
to take in the whole experience that was thrown at me for that three hour period. I was anxious to arrive early in hopes of receiving my Patrick Sharp bobblehead to add to my collection. Although much to my surprise, despite arriving about forty minutes prior to the puck being dropped, not only was I denied my bobblehead, but I was shocked to see that over 22,000 fans were already in their seats in anticipation. Meaning one thing is clear- hockey is back in Chicago.
In no way do I pretend to be an expert on the sport or the NHL mainly because like so many others, my interest took a significant hit following the league’s lockout of 2004-05 season, it also didn’t help that our Chicago franchise had gone nearly a decade without even sniffing the postseason. But like in so many other circumstances winning fixes a lot, yet it’s so much deeper than that. Usually when attending games the crowd is predominantly males in the fortes brining their kids, but last night it was clear a majority of the seats were occupied by those in their twenties and thirties, a demographic that has been hard for the franchise to appeal to for some time. Fueled by a youthful roster lead by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp, the Blackhawks have once again become relevant as their high tempo style of play has made the squad interesting and entertaining.
Although one of the biggest surprises is that my experience at last nights game was so far ahead of when I went to a Bulls game several weeks ago it wasn’t even funny. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this because recently members inside the Bulls’ front office have stated that the team has lost a fair amount of season ticket holders because they simply would rather have a season package for Chicago’s greatest show on ice. Even with all the hype surrounding Bulls top pick Derek Rose, many are making the switch. This is a theme that might not change anytime soon with the two teams clearly heading in different directions, the ticket in Chicago this time of the season still brings you to the United Center, but for a much cooler game. Until next time, keep your mind on the Fine side.