A Look at Attendance

It depends on everyone’s definition of “fair weather” fan. I was in college from ‘99-’03, and even though they went to the playoffs in ‘01-’02, that team was like the ‘98 Cubs…hey sure it’s great they got into the playoffs, but most people knew they weren’t going anywhere. Also, there were some other Hawk teams during my college stint that were just awwwwwwwful. Just because I wasn’t as excited then, as I am now about the team, it doesn’t make me “fair weather”.

Although I made attempts to follow the Hawks as closely as I could through those drunken college years, it was a bit harder compared to my childhood of JR, Cheli, and further back, Savy and Larmer. Plus, it was college, ya know. Anywho, those past teams brought electricity…and the teams of the end of the 90s and first part of this decade were a snooze. But now, there’s honest excitement…Kaner and Towes, Keith and Biscuit…but the aforementioned snooze years? Ummm, the ABC line? Uhhh, yay? And marketing then? “Bring back the roar”? Dynamite.

Does anyone know where I can buy or borrow a copy of Mark Weinberg’s Career Misconduct ? I don’t have a library card, and the book is selling for like $80 bucks used, which I would prefer not to pay.

Anyone have any general thoughts on the book? Is it a good read, and more importantly is the info valid?

Any help would be appreciated.

But I agree. I think part of the large influx of fans was due to better marketing and a fun team to watch. That’s what happened to me. I needed my son to let me know the games were actually being broadcast, so I could start watching. I don’t consider myself a bandwagon fan, far from it. Never have been even though my entire life has been spent here in Chicago (OK, fine I did watch more footbal than usual in the mid-80’s).

As one person pointed out on Saturday that the recent resurgence for the Blackhawks has not brought out ‘band-wagoner’ fans but rather ‘new’ fans. And it is true that mid-way through the 2007-2008 season that the fans in Chicago were indeed coming back to the fold highlighted by the the Hawks coming onto the ice on December 23rd after a 3-2 win over the Oilers in front of a sold-out UC, a night after one of the most special wins for the Hawks in a long, long time when they defeated the seemingly unbeatable at the time Ottawa Senators 4-3 on a OT goal by Jonathan Toews.

And what a night it was for being a Hawks fan through the tough years, living in Ottawa to boot, was extremely difficult at times with the worst being in 2004 when attending the Hawks and Sens game (which the Hawks lost 6-2) there might have been 6 Hawks jerseys in the crowd with about 3 of them having the Indian crossed out with black tape after Amonte’s exile. Needless to say there wasn’t much support for the Hawks back then. But on that night there was a whole section of Hawks fans with a couple of guys sporting the Indian head-dress which was fun to see, and when the Hawks won THAT game there wasn’t one person that was a Hawks fan that didn’t say “We’re Back!”. Rewarding indeed, because why do we fall? to learn to pick ourselves back up again.

The biggest reason for the huge jump in ticket sales before the 08-09 season probably had to do with the Winter Classic. The only way to guarantee a ticket to the Classic was to become a season ticket holder. Although, judging by the crowd I was surrounded by at Wrigley that day, a lot of those people never bothered to go to any other Hawks games all season.

I think there’s an even mix of new fans and bandwagon fans…that happens when you win more than you lose.

Now there’s the strange scenario where the Hawks renovated various parts of the 300 level and claimed they took out about 700 plus seats if you look at the old and new capacity figures. Go walk up to those bars and estimate for yourself. There couldn’t possibly be more than a few hundred missing from those sections. Something doesn’t add up unless they’ve removed seats elsewhere.

But so does exposure of the sport on television. There are more kids in attendance at games than I can ever remember, and they are the future. I credit that enthusiasm to full time TV coverage.

Call me fair weather, but I refused on principle to pay to see the teams on the ice in the twilight of the old man’s tenure as owner. If I had even an inkling that profits generated during the last ten years would be invested in bringing winning hockey back to Chicago, I would have supported the team.