The Chicago Blackhawks Have a Really Sweet New Lights Show

The Blackhawks had their home opener versus Buffalo on Saturday night, and they unveiled a bitching new lights show. It never ceases to boggle my mind that human beings have collectively figured out how to do shit like this.

On a personal note, the Blackhawks continue to present an interesting personal dilemma for me. I’ve lived in Chicago for five years now, and have been casually watching them for most of that time, but I’m self-conscious about being a bandwagoner.

Not that that’s an issue most of Chicago has struggled with; I went to a game in 2007 or 2008, and the United Center was dead. In fairness, the old owner was a miserable miser, but the quickness with which Chicago went all-in behind this team after he passed has been interesting to observe.

Now the Hawks might be second in the city behind the Bears; it’s way harder and more expensive to get into the arena for their games than for the Bulls’. A cursory look at StubHub reveals that you’re not getting in the United Center for less than $65 to see the Blackhawks; while the Bulls’ home opener carries a price tag over $100, there are a bunch of games after that where you can get in for less than $40.

Part of that is the reality that upper level seats for basketball games kind of suck, while many prefer that vantage to being down low for hockey. Nevertheless, my general sense is that there’s more enthusiasm for the Blackhawks — at bars, and in apparel on the streets — in this city than for the Bulls, and it’s not particularly close.

Other than Detroit, is there another American city with major league teams in both sports where that’s the case?