From: farenebt@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Bri Farenell)
Subject: Re: Which Team is More Popular:NBA or NHL?!
Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 20:03:12 GMT

th12@ellis.uchicago.edu (Paul T.H. Ho) writes:

>In article <djj-cC#@engin.umich.edu> martyp@engin.umich.edu (Martin Pochmara) writes:
>>>
>>>I may be biased, but most people in Chicago could care less about the
>>>Blackhawks.  They don't care about the Hawks for the same reason that kids
>>>grow up loving the Cubs.  TELEVISION.  The screwball NHL (and the greedy
>>>ass of an owner of the Hawks)  don't understand that they would make a lot
>>>more money if the games were televised.  Sure, the Blackhawks do sell out
>>>games because there is a core following.  However, most people know little
>>>about them and care even less.
>>>
>>>If the NBA is more popular than the NHL, it is undoubtedly due to TV
>>>exposure, or the lack thereof.
>>>
>>
>>...most people in Chicago could care less about the Blackhawks....
>>You are clearly wrong here.....I went to school near Chicago for two years,
>>and I dealt with people from all backgrounds. The Hawks have a HUGE
>>following in the Chicago area...I think a core following was far too
>>weak of a statement. 
>>
>>Of course with GOD playing in their town too, Chicago fans go crazy 
>>for the BULLS too. I'd still give the edge to basketball, but hockey
>>has very strong roots in Chicago. And plenty of fans in and out of the
>>city. 
>>
>>In fact, one of the NHL's most popular jerseys that you see around the
>>US is the Hawks.
>>
>>				Marty
>>
>>


>Well, Marty, I don't quite agree with you here. Yes, the Blackhawks 
>have strong roots in Chicago, but in popularity they can't be compared
>with the Bulls in any sense. Being a student in Chicago, I have seldom
>heard of the people around me talking about the Hawks. There wasn't much
>excitement when they swept the Oilers and the Red Wings last year; but
>the Bulls, even when they beat the hapless Miami Heat, caught wide
>attention. People dashed home to watch every single playoff game of the
>Bulls, even in exam time. Many guys could tell how many points MJ, Scottie
>and Grant scored the previous night, and whether Phil Jackson played Stacey King. When asked about the Hawks, probably few of them could tell that a guy 
>called Roenick was playing there. Considering the black population and
>their lack of access to expensive hockey equipments, (and also the Bulls'
>and MJ's huge successes), it is not surprising that basketball is much
>more popular.

>Maybe we can just count the number of NBA stars and NHL stars that
>show up in TV commercials to decide which of them is more popular (in
>which case the answer is fairly obvious).

The only reason the Bulls are more popular is because many (not all) of their
fans are front-runners. I've seen many Bulls "fans" around here wearing
Chicago or Jordan hats, tshirts, etc who couldn't name more three players.
Many others couldn't even name one non-starter (like Hodges, Hansen,
Perdue, King) on the team either. Fans like to clamor around sucessful
teams and players. It startwed out as them clamoring around Jordan and
then when the team sucess followed...

I think you will find a higher percentage of Blackhawks fans who are
actually familiar with the TEAM and not just one or two players.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
BRI FARENELL			           GO ADIRONDACK RED WINGS
CLARKSON '95			         1992 CALDER CUP CHAMPIONS!!
FARENEBT@CRAFT.CAMP.CLARKSON.EDU   Calder Cup Champs: 1981 1986 1989 1992
					
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"Hockey must be a great game to survive what the NHL has done to it."
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