If you live in Chicago or you like hockey you’ve heard the song. Its plays every time the Blackhawks score a goal. If you started following hockey three years ago and own an article of clothing that’s pink with a Blackhawks logo on it you probably love the song. If you root for any of the other 29 hockey clubs you probably hate that song and all that it stands for. If you are a self-respecting sports fan, someone who pays for season tickets and loves your city and teams who play there you’re probably over that song and are a little afraid we’re (as a Blackhawks season ticket holder I’m allowed to say we’re) turning into the Boston Red Sox of the NHL.
The song in question is “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis. The “Dat-da-da-da-da-dat-da-da-dat” plays every time the Blackhawks score a goal at home, and they have been playing it post goals since the 2008-2009 season. It was fun, it galvanized the fan base, and we all had it on our Ipods during the Stanley Cup run. That was two years ago, most of this team is different and its time for a new song. Maybe they could do a different song per player, ala how every baseball player has a song when he steps into the batters box. When I first bought my season tickets they played “Sharp Dressed Man” when Patrick Sharp scored a goal. That was cool and all but we don’t need a gimmicky song after every goal. We’re an original six franchise in the third biggest market and one of the top markets for hockey. Other fan bases already hate us. They hate because our team is a dynasty in the making, because we live in Chicago and they don’t, and because our uniforms may be the best in all of sports. They also hate us because most night’s our team kicks their team’s ass. Chanting a stupid song after every goal is just adding fuel to the fire.
When the Red Sox stated competing for World Series rings every year it was early in the 2000’s and around the same time they stated playing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond in between the top and bottom of the 8th inning. I’m not a Red Sox fan; I don’t know why they do it. But I do know I hate that song now and it makes me think of the legions for bandwagon jumping Sox fans whom only started caring when the curse was about to be broken. As a Blackhawk fan I don’t want to become the Red Sox of hockey, its bad enough that we chant “Detroit Sucks” for no reasons even when the Red Wings aren’t in town. I want to remember “Chelsea Dagger” fondly, just like I do the Stanley Cup Championship. I don’t want to be the brunt of jokes in some crappy hockey town like San Jose because an original six team has to have a gimmick to bring in the fans. We don’t need it, so lets just move on from it.
–This was special contributor Victor Marinier’s second article for us. As you can tell he clearly has an unbiased opinion on Chicago sports.
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