What are some of the things I should really know...

by POSEYHATER on Oct 19, 2008 7:19 PM CDT Comment 20 comments

Good evening,

I'm a long time fan of most Chicago sports teams, but I've never really gotten into hockey at all. I decided that I am going to give hockey a chance this year and throw my full hearted support behind my local team, the Blackhawks. Problem is, I don't really know that much about hockey but I'm catching on...what's not to like, it's fast, the jerseys are cool and there's fighting.

So, I need to know some basics, specifically:

1. Do we have a rivalry I should know about? (like the Bears have with Green Bay).

2. What other teams should I hate? (like I hate the Pistons)

3. Are there any traditions I should know about if I end up going to any of the games live?

These are the specific questions I have, but please feel free to let me know anything else that might be important for the new fan :)

Thanks in advance!

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Here is what I think...

1. Detroit Red Wings. It is ALWAYS great to beat them.

2. St. Louis Blues.

3. Cheering during the national anthem. Not the same as at the old Stadium, but still a Blackhawk tradition.

Do you know what a hat trick is?

by whw on Oct 19, 2008 9:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

OK

1. The arch rival is the Detroit Red Wings and because of that we chant, “DETROIT SUCKS!” a lot. Actually we chant it even if we are not playing the red wings.

2. You shouldn’t like the St. Louis Blues and we usually don’t like the New York Rangers or the Pittsburgh Penguins.(they beat us in our last stanley cup finals appearance in 93)

3. Go nuts during the national anthem. When you feel that the team is not playing well and they need to pick up their pace or just make a better effor you whistle like a chirping bird. (people don’t usually know this one and they think its the opposite and a substitute for regular chearing) Make sure you boo Chris Chelios whenever he has the puck. They do a shoot the puck from center ice between the 2nd and 3rd period with a kid, a grown man and a usually attractive woman. Make sure to always boo the guy and cheer the woman.

Other than that, you should be pretty caught up to speed.

"I remember taking a look at him and saying ‘Anyone who perms his hair has got to go’. So we sent him to Fort Worth." - Don Cherry on Don Saleski

by Raj Binder's Labido on Oct 20, 2008 8:25 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sweet!

I get another Detroit team to hate?

This is awesome!

It seems like the team has a much deeper history than the Bulls, since they’ve been around a lot longer. I was always amazed at just how many Blackhawks banners there are whenever I’ve been to Bulls games.

Thanks for your help!

by POSEYHATER on Oct 20, 2008 10:54 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, since the team has been around since the 1920's.....

it would have a deeper history. But, a much shorter trophy case than the Bulls, sad to say.

Without Michael Jordan, basketball ended. (For me, anyway)

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Oct 21, 2008 10:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, my Bulls red runs deep...

…I was a fan before Jordan, and have been one since.

I think they’ll surprise a lot of folks this year, start watching in December and keep your eye out for Derrick Rose, he’ll impress ya.

by POSEYHATER on Oct 24, 2008 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Helping me Too.

I just moved here from Iowa and was never into Hockey but loved all other pro sports.
Went to 3 games at the end of last season and was hooked on live hockey.
But still really Green on the hockey rules and Blackhawk history. Go Hawks!

by StadiumDog on Oct 23, 2008 12:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hockey always interested me, just never followed it

I’d always be impressed on the highlight films, and I had gone to a minor league game in the Quad Cities, and a semi-pro game in London when I was stationed in the UK.

I just never got into it enough to learn the rules, etc. I would just go to the games to drink and watch fighting. That changes this year…I am following every game. So far, I’m enjoying it.

by POSEYHATER on Oct 24, 2008 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't get up in the middle of play.

Don’t return to your seat unless there’s a whistle.

If you can whistle loudly, join in the chorus. It tends to happen the loudest when the Hawks are in complete control of a game.

Don’t yell “shoot!” every time a defensemen gets the puck at the point.

If you’re next to a long-time season ticket holder, don’t ask why they don’t sell peanuts outside – and don’t even bring up the infamous blue line (unofficial program). You’ll either get a long rant or man tears if you do.

by chrome on Oct 25, 2008 2:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

chrome......

as long as i can remember which i’ve been going to games since the late 80’s, when did everyone start whistling for good play? I was under the impression that we whistled when the team lacked hustle and was not playing well to show our disgust instead of booing as a sign of respect for the players. It always seemed more appropriate to cheer when the team is actually dominating. Now I don’t want to complain about all the new season ticket holders, but it seems that ever since this influx of new regular fans, they’ve gotten this long standing tradition backwards. when was the first time you heard the whistling? i mostly associate it with my hatred for kyle calder.

"I remember taking a look at him and saying ‘Anyone who perms his hair has got to go’. So we sent him to Fort Worth." - Don Cherry on Don Saleski

by Raj Binder's Labido on Oct 27, 2008 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

92 - and that was how it was

explained to me by the guy i went with – longtime season ticket holder. But he was also Italian, which meant he was half-retarded, so I should’ve been more skeptical. I’ve obviously heard whistling when the hawks are down and lifeless, but since its usually been loudest during garbage time in the third, I never really questioned it.

And since I haven’t been granted the whistling ability, its never something I’ve had to question anyways.

by chrome on Nov 15, 2008 12:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Buck the trend............

………and be reverent during the National Anthem.

The historic behavior of Hawks fans during the Star Spangled Banner is simply disgusting, and it’s a tradition that needs to be dropped.

Since it’s not likely to change, the Anthem will remain an embarassment to Chicagoans and Americans in general.

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." ~ George Burns

by tville on Oct 27, 2008 10:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

wow

If you actually knew the reasoning behind it maybe you’d understand. I find it amusing, the people like you that get disgusted and give dirty looks to those that cheer.

Here’s a link to a good article about it on nhl.com.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=388510

If you don’t want to cheer then don’t cheer but don’t knock a tradition about celebrating our great country. And if you really want silence during the national anthem then watch it at home and press the Mute button.

by delorean80 on Oct 29, 2008 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Uh?

There was nothing proffered in that article that supports the Mockery on Madison as acceptable behavior. I have never read anything that would entitle anyone to be rude and tasteless during the playing of our country’s song.

Funny, but you don’t see other stadiums/other sports/other cities where this happens. What? Don’t they feel for their teams? Are they less patriotic?

Quite unlikely.

Such behavior is disgraceful and tasteless. Unless you can give me a good reason for folks to be irreverent and disrespectful, you’ll continue to get the “dirty looks” from civil people like me.

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." ~ George Burns

by tville on Oct 29, 2008 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok

I know we’re probably never going to agree on this topic so I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree. However I just want to make one point clear. When I cheer during the anthem, I’m not trying to be “irreverent and disrespectful.” Quite the opposite actually. I guess people celebrate in different ways and bottom line thats what makes our country great, and because we cheer that doesn’t mean that I am not a “civil” person as you say.

Hawks players have said themselves they think its great. Even Jim Cornelison (the singer of the anthem since the 90’s) says he gets a charge out of it.

Not to open another can of worms but can I assume that you also think that fighting is “disrespectful and tasteless” as well since you’re such a “civil” person?

by delorean80 on Oct 30, 2008 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Most of the players............

…………are Canadian and likely don’t know the words to their own anthem, let alone understand the behavior of the fans at the UC (and the Stadium before).

On the other hand, fighting is an integral part of the game of hockey. No issues there, regardless of how civil either of us may or may not be.

Simply stated, there are proper forms of behavior, and displaying respect for our country during the playing of its anthem is not manifested by clapping/cheering/screaming/etc. Yes, it is a free country and the 1st Amendment allows all to act as they wish, but that doesn’t mean a damn thing about appropriate behavior. Again, fans at the UC simply MUST be doing the “proper” thing because it’s so wildly popular in other arenas around the nation. Hell, fans don’t even act that poorly at other venues IN CHICAGO!!

In the end, yes, we’ll have to agree to disagree because I still don’t grasp the concept of supporting disrepectful, irreverent and inappropriate behavior.

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." ~ George Burns

by tville on Oct 30, 2008 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Most of the players are Canadian and likely don’t know the words to their own anthem, let alone understand the behavior of the fans at the UC (and the Stadium before).

Ummm…they’ll definitely know O Canada and more of them can probably sing the Star Spangled Banner than American players could return the favour.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Nov 14, 2008 9:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Just stay home tville....

Posey, here’s where you can see what this is all about:

Wayne Messmer sings the National Anthem at Chicago Stadium during the ’91 NHL All-Star game, days after the U.S. went into Iraq at the start of the Gulf War. He is nearly drowned out by the crowd.

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

by antbogey on Nov 12, 2008 6:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly!

Just watching that gives me chills. It may not be the “roar” but we sure can try damn hard!

by delorean80 on Nov 14, 2008 1:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Really now...

Disgraceful? Why exactly is cheering or clapping irreverant? Or disgraceful? Who says? Is a sporting event the same as a memorial day parade? Is the only way to show national pride to stand their stone faced and silent? If so, then why is it reverant to sing along (many badly)? What is the real differeece between that and cheering?

Disgraceful is to boo another nation’s anthem (like occured during the world juniors a few years ago). Irreverant is to talk. But to cheer and clap? Please, we should be happy that people show national pride now a days, not attempt to stifle it.

by whw on Nov 6, 2008 6:17 AM CST reply actions 0 recs