By Matthew Bruce
For RedEye

Six months ago, if you would've called the United Center a drug emporium, nobody would have argued with you.

Sports fans from across the city were flocking to West Madison to get high off the stadium's potent drug. Playoff fever was in the air, and Chicago sports fans were hooked.

While the Blackhawks were working on a magical push that saw them earn their first Western Conference finals bid since 1995, the Bulls were engaged in an epic seven-game showdown with the Boston Celtics that some called the best NBA playoff series ever.        

The city has long come down from its high, but how much of last year's buzz has carried over to this season for the Bulls and Blackhawks? And with the 2009-10 NBA and NHL campaigns under way, which team rules the roost at the United Center?

Fans seem to have sustained a craving for both, but the rejuvenated Blackhawks have emerged from the shadows and gained considerable ground on the Bulls in popularity.

"It's a shame. I feel bad for the Bulls," said Rob Murray, 30, of Downers Grove. "I think the Hawks are going to win a Stanley Cup here in the next few years. It's going to be hockey city around here for a while with the lineup they've got going."

Despite their recent turnaround, however, the Hawks still haven't converted everyone into puck enthusiasts.

"I don't follow hockey at all so my buzz is with the Bulls," said Chicagoan Roger Kumar, 35. "I think they have a good shot. Hopefully they get out of the second round this year."

Season-ticket holder Tab Bamford, 29, of Westchester, has witnessed firsthand the energy that fills the stadium this year for Blackhawks games.

"A regular-season Blackhawks game at the United Center is as close to a playoff game as any other regular-season event in the city," said Bamford, a die-hard who has his own blog dedicated to the team at www.committedindians.com. "A lot of that stems from the quality on the ice, but it's also a reflection of the years of frustration from the team being bad and mediocre. There's a vibe in the entire building. ... The entire game is electric."

The vibe, evidently, is not exclusive to the Blackhawks. Through the first five weeks of the season, the Bulls led the NBA in attendance, averaging more than 21,000 fans per home game.  

For the resurgent Blackhawks, who led the NHL in attendance last season after ranking 29th in 2007-08, there seems to be no limit to their newfound appeal. Two years removed from drawing less than 13,000 fans per home game, the team entered the season with a franchise-best base of about 14,000 season-ticket holders with a waiting list of 5,000.

Through 12 home games this season, the Hawks welcomed 20,484 fans per contest to their stadium--second only to the Montreal Canadiens.

The excitement isn't just limited to the confines of the UC. The Bulls posted their second highest rated Comcast SportsNet regular-season game ever Nov. 10. The broadcast peaked at about 207,000 viewers tuning in to watch the Denver Nuggets inch out a squeaker.

"People are definitely excited about our future," said Steve Schanwald, Bulls executive vice president of business operations. "A few more wins like the one we had [Nov. 5] in Cleveland against Lebron and Shaq and our opening-night win against the San Antonio Spurs, and it'll be off to the races."

The Blackhawks, whose games aired on free TV for the first time in franchise history last season, enjoyed a 67 percent ratings boost on CSN through Nov. 23, compared to ratings a year ago.

"Putting our games on TV allowed fans to get a glimpse inside the United Center," said Dave Knickerbocker, Blackhawks senior executive director of marketing and business development. "In my estimation, hockey is the greatest sporting event to go to live."
Scarborough Sports Marketing research released in May showed the extent of the Blackhawks' rebirth. The study revealed an 11 percent increase since 2007 in the number of Chicago adults who had watched, listened to or attended a Blackhawks game in the last year. The number of women and African-Americans who identified themselves as Hawks fans more than doubled over that span.

The study, however, illustrated the relative niche appeal of hockey that the team is up against. Only 16 percent of respondents considered themselves Blackhawks fans, compared with 36 percent for the Bulls.

"Obviously the Bulls have a much bigger following nationally," Friedell said. "The Blackhawks had a lot of success, and it was a great story last year. But the city itself had to get back reconnected with the Blackhawks. They had fallen off the radar. It's a thing where I guess everybody loves being part of the new thing."  Matthew Bruce is a RedEye special contributor