As some who know me can testify, I have a real problem with bandwagon fans. This is particularly a problem with hockey because there is so much parity in the league and they have the best playoffs in professional sports. Being a die-hard Detroit Red Wings fan, it has always been obnoxious to hear fans of teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks jaw on-and-on about their teams, when the vast majority of these folks didn't even know the city had a team just a few season prior. No don't get me wrong, I'm all for the growth of the NHL, but bandwagon fans, in general, resemble Chicago Cubs fans. They are loud, usually drunk, obnoxious, and have no idea what they are talking about in terms of the actual team. Aside from yelling "Detroit Sucks" most Hawks fans couldn't name anyone on the team's 3rd or 4th line before May of this year. Hell, I've been to more Hawks games during my 6 years in Chicago than most people (and one of those years was the lockout). So while I may come off as an elitist, especially when talking hockey I am in some ways vindicated by a recent Forbes list of the best fans. Best in the NHL and 3rd best in the country as a whole is a pretty good endorsement of the Red Wing faithful.
Now if only something could be done about the other problem plaguing the NHL... the horrible commentators on their national broadcasts, but that is an entirely different issue all together.
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