Will The Blackhawks "Bandwagon Fan" Stick Around For Years To Come???

Of course time will tell the answer to this question, but with the recent rise of the Blackhawks in town you could say that they are as popular as the Bulls or even the White Sox.  Do I believe that the Blackhawks will rise to the top of Chicago sports like they were back in the 50's and 60's....absolutely not.   
 
Unfortunately for John McDonough and Rocky Wirtz, the mistakes of "Dollar Bill" alienated an entire generation of Blackhawk fans because the games simply did not matter in the Chicago sports scene.  As bad as the Blackhawks were (voted worst franchise in sports 2006), the hard work and dedication to winning has had an immediate impact on not only the team itself but also the image of the team/sport in the Chicago sports landscape.   
 
I cannot imagine the last time I saw so many Blackhawks jerseys and hats worn around town and to other sporting events.  Putting on the Cubs this weekend there were mentions of the Blackhawks by the national broadcast of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver on FOX who used to carry NHL playoff games in the late 90's with FoxTraxx (the glowing puck).   
 
The winning, the party-like atmosphere at the "Madhouse on Madison", the feel good of a worst to first team possibly winning sports greatest trophy is all great to witness.  However the true test of John McDonough and Rocky Wirtz is can they keep the "bandwagon fan" interesting in a sport that the country seems to not have any interest in?
 
It's a proven fact that hockey is fourth among the four major sports in America (NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL).  Looking at the television ratings is a great gauge that the country simply does not care for hockey like it does the other sports.   
 

2009 World Series - Averaged 11.7 Rating (courtesy of baseball-almanac.com)
2009 NBA Finals - Averaged 8.4 Rating  (courtesy of NBA.com)
2009 Super Bowl - 46.4 Rating (courtesy of USAToday.com)
2010 Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 - 2.8 Rating (courtesy of tvbythenumbers.com)

 
Although those national numbers may seem depressing to some, the local ratings for the Blackhawks/Flyers game one was a true winner.  A 16.8 rating for the Chicago market is exciting to see, but according to Phil Rosenthal only pales in comparison to Bears/Vikings Monday Night Football 12.0 ratings nationally.  Say what you will about television ratings and how much they matter to you as a fan, but this is a realistic way of tracking how much the country and Chicago care about the sports they watch.   
 
Can the Blackhawks keep the bandwagon fan around, or will the long time suffering Blackhawk fan who shouts "I lived through the days of Eric Daze" indeed get his wish?  If recent history is any indicator, the Blackhawks better continue to win.  Let's use the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox for example.   
 
In 2005, the Chicago White Sox averaged 28,923 fans a game which was a 4,000+ increase over the previous season and the highest average per game since the strike year of 1994.  The World Series brought new people into the building for the next season where the Sox averaged over 36,511 per game which was the highest per game attendance average since the inception of NEW Comiskey Park in 1991.  However since 2006 the average attendance has continued to drop year after year back to below what the average was in 2005.  
 

2005 - 28,923
2006 - 36,511   
2007 - 33,140
2008 - 30,877
2009 - 28,199

 
In 2010 through 24 home games, the White Sox are averaging just over 23,000 per game.
 
Using these figures, it's easy to point out the people who came out for a winner in 2005 did indeed stick around for 2006 but it seems the "die-hards" who shunned the "bandwagoners" back then have indeed gotten their wish of them going away.  
 
I will say that if the Blackhawks do indeed hoist Lord Stanley's Cup this season the boost for the team into 2010-2011 will indeed be huge.  The question however is with the sport of hockey as insignificant as it is nationally, if the Blackhawks do not win in 2010-2011, how many of the "bandwagon fans" will stick around for the days of "Andrew Ladd and Jordan Hendry?"
 
As well as the "Red Rising" and "One Goal" has gone for John McDonough, this is the start of his true test as President of the Chicago Blackhawks.  Marketing a winner in a sport that has very little interest and keep it viable in a city that is flooded with other options.  Can John McDonough erase the mistakes of Blackhawks past and aim higher than hockey's ultimate prize?
 
Once "One Goal" is achieved......the "Next Goal" is making this city care about hockey like they do the other options.  To me, John will have to do the impossible.
 
-RoCk
 
Rock Mamola is the Associate Producer of The Mully And Hanley Morning Show and co-host of The Joe O And Rock Show on WSCR 670AM The Score
 
You can follow The Mully And Hanley Morning Show at twitter.com/mullyhanley
 
You can follow The Joe O And Rock Show at twitter.com/joeoandrockshow