The Chicago Blackhawks bandwagon is bigger and badder this year than ever before. “HAWKS WIN” was a top ten national trending term on Twitter last night. And yes it was HAWKS WIN, in ALL CAPS, because Tweeters were YELLING. It was not Hawks win because that’s not quite LOUD ENOUGH!
Yes, it’s obvious that the Blackhawks are the most powerful national hockey brand. They’re like the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s; the bandwagon is both national and local.
“We love the fact that it’s Chicago. Obviously the No. 1 hockey market in the country right now, the No. 1 brand in the sport of hockey across the entire country,” said NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood of this Stanley Cup Final series.
Still the greatest #Hawks post-win interview in the history of Cup Final interviews. @MarissaBaileyTV @PaulMBanks pic.twitter.com/wrb4tpUXP6
— Jeremy Ross (@JeremyAdamRoss) June 11, 2015
(The Tweet above is from Jeremy Ross of WBBM CBS 2 Chicago, and the interview subject is the perfect example of what the Chicago Blackhawks bandwagon is like right now)
Here’s what NBC Sports rinkside guy Pierre McGuire said about Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz, President John McDonough and Jay Blunk:
“Their philosophy is spectacular. There is a clearly defined chain of command in Chicago that starts with obviously ownership and goes down to John McDonough and Jay Blunk, and then flows through them to Stan Bowman and Scotty Bowman and the rest of the scouting staff.”
Every year at this time, I make a joke about Blunk being the Waylon Smithers to McDonough’s Mr. Burns, and every year it’s still funny. Though I’ve repeated it numerous times.
Since we’re talking about NBC Sports, you might want to read Puck Daddy’s post with what NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus had to say about playoff beards. (h/t @jjhparker) The only thing worse than his idea is the rationale behind it. It’s truly amazing that one of the most powerful men in media would say something so completely tone deaf about what moves the needle.
“Let’s talk about what model citizens they are.”
Oh, yes, Mr. Lazaraus, that will be ratings GOLD! Great idea! That’s why they pay you the big bucks.
However, puff pieces on hockey players doing community service and charity work is still much better than the intellectual wasteland of Blackhawks Playoff Twitter (which we painstakingly chronicled here). The Blackhawks are “America’s Team” now, not just Chicago’s team. Thus we see people like this:
https://twitter.com/bkbtNUmbers/status/608814522581671936
“LOUD NOISES!!!”
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!!!”
Speaking of “Chelsea Dagger,” there was a rumor going around that the song is actually about doing cocaine with a transsexual prostitute. Not true.
We’ve discredited that rumor here, and unlock the actual origin and meaning of Chelsea Dagger.
So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice. Go Blackhawks.
Wait, I meant to say “GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!! #BECAUSEITSTHECUP”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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