Chicago Blackhawks Fans Rank 78th On FanSided’s Fandom 250 List

FanSided’s Fandom 250 rankings were released Monday, and the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans came close to the top 50

Last week, we talked about how Chicago Blackhawks fans were a finalist for FanSided’s first ever Fandom 250 rankings. This list was meant to rank fans of sports teams, entertainment groups/shows, public figures and other popular sources.

While Chicago Blackhawks fans did not crack the top 50 groups of rooters, they placed a solid 78th out of 250 groups. Four of the five major Chicago sports teams had their fans represented (sorry, White Sox fans), and the Blackhawks ranked second-highest among that group.

Chicago Bears fans checked in at 169th, Bulls fans notched 140th place, Blackhawks fans were 77th and Cubs fans topped the entire list at No. 1.

The Blackhawks fans’ entry read as follows:

The United Center may hold the Chicago Bulls, but when they replace the basketball court with ice and the Chicago Blackhawks come to town, it becomes the Madhouse.

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“The Blackhawks have become one of the most popular NHL franchises in the country thanks to their consistent success over the past decade. In a six-year span, the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cup titles and continue to be one of the top teams in the standings thanks to players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

“Rocky Wirtz, the team’s principal owner and chairman, has brought a winning mentality back to the Blackhawks, and the fans have returned because of that consistent success. You may be quick to throw the word “bandwagon” around, but that all changes once you watch three 20-minute periods inside of the Madhouse on Madison.

“During the 2015-16 season, the Blackhawks led the NHL in attendance with an average of 21,859 fans per game. Thanks to standing room tickets, the United Center filled an average of 110.9 percent of its arena that same season.

“Blackhawks jerseys can be seen everywhere in downtown Chicago on the day of a home game, and given how often this team wins, it’s easy to see why the city is able to rally around its hockey franchise.”

Who finished around the Blackhawks?

Now, the criteria for these rankings wasn’t etched it stone or anything. It wasn’t as though FanSided was looking at target groups of fans or anything like that. It was more of a perception-based rankings list.

Surrounding fans of the Blackhawks were fans of the San Antonio Spurs (80th), singer/actress Katy Perry (79th), the Seattle Seahawks (77th) and the Transformers robots (76th). Quite the diverse group, to be sure.

The top sports team fans, as mentioned, were those of the Cubs at No. 1 overall. The top NHL team fans weren’t far away from the Blackhawks, with Pittsburgh Penguins fans checking in at No. 70. Other NHL fan inclusions were from the Detroit Red Wings (113th), Montreal Canadiens (150th), Toronto Maple Leafs (184th) and Boston Bruins (207th).

So it’s pretty exclusive company for the Blackhawks. You can check out the full list of 250 fandoms here.

I thought the final Fandom 250 rankings were pretty interesting. I agree with some of the inclusions ahead of the Blackhawks, but seeing things like the Broadway hit “Hamilton” at No. 42 and Apple products at No. 26 surprised me.

“Hamilton” is a musical that very recently came about and is really drawing attention of late for trying to express a point to vice president-elect Mike Pence. The Blackhawks have been around since the 1920s and have carried loyal fans all the way.

I don’t really think of Apple as having “fans,” more so consumers. People like Apple products, and many people use them. But do you consider yourself a “fan” for using Apple products?

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But hey, I didn’t make the list, and overall I think a lot of the inclusions make sense. And I’m also pleased with where Chicago Blackhawks fans fall. It’s another testament to the rise of a franchise that was voted the NHL’s worst back in the mid-2000s.