[NU Sports] IOLA

[Tom Maycock]

> nobody cares about the Blackhawks,

I don't think that's true actually. Although folks were disappointed with last year's results, the interest level in the Blackhawks is much higher than it's been for as long as I can remember. 

Even before the Stanley Cup season two years ago, the Hawks ownership had done a great job of reconnecting with the fan base, and managed to undo a lot of damage done during the low points of the dollar-bill Wirtz era. The fact that you can actually see Hawks games on TV locally is a huge, huge change for the better. 

Hockey is still a niche sport here compared to the Bears or Bulls, but interest in the Hawks is definitely way up. 

But you're right about the rest of it--a dismal year for Chicago sports. The Bulls are actually fun to watch again, so the NBA labor stuff comes at a really bad time. 

As for Northwestern, the big turnout of Michigan fans Saturday was disappointing, but I have to say that NU's marketing efforts in general, as well as the specific efforts to connect with students, seem to be paying dividends. I think the percentage of NU fans was larger than we might have seen in recent years, and I sense a much higher level of buy-in on the part of students. The inability to close out the last 3 games is all the more discouraging, as it comes in the midst of a prime opportunity to capitalize on the marketing efforts. A couple wins over ranked teams could really have set the stage for big turnouts the rest of the year. 

Tom