Chicago Blackhawks: How I Became A Fan

Hey, readers and ‘Hawks fans! My name is Andrew, and I’ll be your new source of Chicago Blackhawks news and analysis.

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Before I start rambling on about our beloved ‘Hawks, let me give you guys a little background about myself. I’m a 23-year-old one year removed from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.. I am currently an engineer at an electrical contractor in Dallas and will soon be on my way to Denver. Apparently, my company seems determined for the ‘Hawks to have at least one more fan at their away games.

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Now, let’s head talk about how the ‘Hawks scratched their way back into my life. As a child, I watched all the ‘Hawks games I could. Being a small child, my fandom was more general than diehard as I could only name a handful of players. Unfortunately, we entered the dark times when the ’Hawks’ TV contracts disappeared, and I was outside playing sports more than I was inside watching them. Ironically, this was around the time of my first ‘Hawks game, of which I only remember they were handing out a Captain Morgan ear-warmer. Given the times, it was probably nothing worth noting.

Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Then, everything changed. The lockout happened. Rules changed. And I wanted to watch again. For the ’Hawks, it all starts when we get this guy named Jonathan Toews. Then, this guy named Patrick Kane falls into our lap. Rocky Wirtz takes over the team after his father’s passing. But most importantly, we have the return of the great Pat Foley for our listening pleasure.

After all of this, something strange happened. It’s something we all thought was impossible five years previous. On June 9, 2010, my principal actually interrupted my high school graduation to give us a 2nd period update. Later that night…well, some Flyers are still trying to figure out what happened. The rest is history.

I’ve been to games in Chicago, Nashville, Columbus, Dallas and will soon be adding Colorado to that list. The best of these was Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup. I never thought that the fans could actually be louder than Chelsea Dagger blasting at the UC, but believe me when I say that its possible.

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

I think it’s easy to say that the ‘Hawks have me hooked. I watch as many games as possible and would’ve completed a perfect season in 2013 if I hadn’t been in the ER for the last regular-season game. I’m excited to provide solid insight on the greatest team in the world, starting with what has turned into potentially one of the most interesting ‘Hawks’ offseasons that we’ve had in recent memory.

Wrapping up, I am extremely excited to join Blackhawk Up. Let’s go ‘Hawks!

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