Between the respective sports teams of Philadelphia and Chicago, there have been numerous encounters, some of them which have been quite memorable in a positive light for us fans on the Philly side. Immediately, one thinks of the famous “double doink” play in the 2018 NFL playoffs between the Eagles and Bears, which miraculously sent the Eagles through to the next round and left the Bears dumbfounded.
However, in particular with the rivalry that has developed in the 2010’s decade between the Flyers and Blackhawks, things are a bit different. I would call the Flyers and Blackhawks secondary rivals, in that there does exist a certain animosity between the teams, though perhaps more so between Flyers fans and the entire Blackhawks’ existence. Though, NBC just loves to push the two clubs on their “Wednesday Night Rivalry” matchup.
That descriptor may have had more relevance a few years ago, but nowadays it’s a rivalry that is mainly about the past than the present. Regardless, here is why the Blackhawks are terrible and deserve to be relocated to Kansas City:
1. 2010
That’s all. That is all that needs to be said about that.
I simply refuse to give more thought to that series, to Patrick Kane stepping around Kimmo Timonen, to Michael Leighton not protecting his post, and especially to the celebrations erupting amongst the confusion of everybody else in the building.
Just typing that alone was agonizing, and still to this day remains one of the most discussed “what if” moments in Flyers history. It’s also the primary reason why the Flyers and Blackhawks are considered rivals in the first place.
2. Patrick Kane
The 31-year-old American winger is one of the most popular players in the NHL, is very skilled, and isn’t really a dirty player, so to speak. However, it’s widely known that his behavior on and off the ice is quite unsavory. I can appreciate most highly skilled NHLers regardless of their team, but Patrick Kane isn’t a very likable player, and he brings out only ire from me, and absolutely no admiration.
3. The Chelsea Dagger goal song
Content warning before you click the video below, you may become severely annoyed by the following noise:
I will say that the Blackhawks goal horn and song are better than, say, the Ducks’ goal horn. You can even say that the song is iconic to the franchise, just like with the chant that the Rangers have. However, regardless, the song is annoying and overly repetitive and not a joy to listen to.
4. I’m not a huge fan of Pat Foley
He may be a legend in the broadcasting business, but forgive me for saying that I’ve never really liked how he does the play-by-play for Blackhawks games. For whatever reason I just haven’t ever found his style to be all that appealing. The way he exaggerates his voice in some instances just comes off as fake.
I appreciate Foley’s longevity in broadcasting, but I prefer Eddie Olczyk.
5. The Captain Serious Schtick
Now that we’ve had some light shed onto who Jonathan Toews actually is, it makes the whole “Captain Serious” act even more of a bore. I can guarantee you fans would like Toews more if he was just his genuine self more often instead of this hockey-fueled robot that he plays off at times.
Just look at the NBA, a league filled with personality. That aspect of the league is one of the reasons why it’s so entertaining. The NHL has near zero of that, and though Toews’ put-on personality is a symptom of the problem rather than the root, still it would help if he dropped the act.
