The fans in St. Louis (and perhaps Chicago) will not like this opinion, but sometimes the truth hurts. The St. Louis Blues really are like the Chicago Cubs, but St. Louis Cardinals fans are like Chicago Blackhawks fans.
I’ve battened down the hatches, boarded up the windows and reinforced the doors because I know a storm is coming with this opinion. Both cities have pride and often times don’t like any comparison to the other.
They take pride in their differences. Chicago has deep dish pizza that could better be described as pizza like lasagna since it has so many layers. St. Louis is more known for the thin crust and provel cheese.
Both cities have had their share of triumphs and failures and seemingly never in the same arena. The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last six seasons. The St. Louis Cardinals have won 11 World Series Championships in their history.
The Blackhawks hadn’t won a Cup in nearly 50 years while the Blues were going to the playoffs for 25 straight years (ended in 2004). The Cubs had some great teams in the late 80’s and early 90’s while the Cardinals were transitioning away from their great teams of the 80’s.
The cities had their ups and downs and rarely met in the middle except for some exciting times in the early 90’s when both teams clashed year after year with Brett Hull and company going up against the likes of Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios.
Now that both hockey teams have returned to prominence and both baseball teams are in a rare time of prosperity, the differences/similarities have spread out to the fans.
What is interesting is the Blues and Cubs both wear blue. Both have long suffereing fan bases that want nothing more than their team to win. Both have to deal with the smarmy comments and cocky attitudes of their rival fans. Both feel they can’t say anything in return because any show of confidence will jinx their own team and bring on more pain.
On the other hand, the Cardinals and Blackhawks both wear red. Both have a recent history of success, a long tradition and a well earned spot in the upper echelon of their leagues. The teams have proven they know how to win despite injury, changes in lineup and perceived tougher opponents.
On the fan side, however, the behavior of the fans in red leaves much to be desired. Both now have an expectation that they deserve to win and nothing short is acceptable. In addition, both have the attitude that their blue opponents are beneath them. Too many have the idea that their red teams will win and if they lose it was because of something other than the opponent outplaying them.
Exhibit A
Karma? Most people understand karma to be future outcomes determined by a person or group’s previous actions. So by this understanding, this fan believes the Blackhawks will win because those worthless Blues don’t deserve to win and must have done something dastardly to win the two games they have.
Then we get to the trophy debate.
Exhibit B
Blues fans now resorting to jabs at @Cubs lack of World Series trophy. Yet this comes up when I google 'Blues cups" pic.twitter.com/EhP0v2Tg08
— player/coach (@CMPunk) April 16, 2016
Now that I’ve had time to digest that loss, this tweet is actually somewhat amusing but what is the point of really doing this? Cardinals fans and Blackhawks fans do it ALL the time.
Social media is littered with posts about how Chicago doesn’t know what it’s like to win a baseball championship or how it’s been over a century or that they choke in the playoffs.
Exhibit C
Ain't nobody got time for the Cubs, let's go red birds #CardsVsCubs pic.twitter.com/BBnGEitr9k
— t a y l o r (@tayhuntington) April 19, 2016
The same is true for the Blackhawks.
Twitter has been aglow with tweets about how Blackhawks fans aren’t worried. Their team has been down 2-1 in series seven times and won six. That’s hard stats, but the air of superiority is sickening.
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Even in the overtime games, Blackhawks fans seem to believe they’re destined to win simply because. They don’t have an opponent in this round. The Blues are simply practice cones to skate around.
Really? Personally, I don’t understand these fans on either side. It’s fine to take pride in winning and in your team but to act as though there is not even a possibility of defeat? Or to react as though it was only something your team did to lose?
I like the Cardinals. I’m from St. Louis afterall. However, the level to which Cardinals fans match Blackhawks fans for attitude is astounding. The similarities don’t end at attitude either.
The big knock against Blackhawks fans is they’re bandwagon fans. The saying going around, not just among Blues fans but many around the league, is that Blackhawks fans don’t know that anything existed with their team before 2010.
The sad truth is the same can be said of some Cardinals fans. Sure, there’s much more tradition in terms of winning, but there are lots of people that couldn’t tell you a thing about the Cardinals before 2011 (maybe 2006). It’s just become cool to be arrogant because this so called Cardinal Way has been successful.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of Blackhawks fans that are civil and cordial and only want their team to win. I have family that represent that. The same is true of many Cardinals fans. They might joke around with any Cubs fans they know but it’s all in fun and not this cocky, distasteful mess that’s taken root in recent times.
I’m not here to preach tolerance and kindness. This is 2016. If people want to rip total strangers or be trolls and search out their opponents’ hashtags, then go for it.
Next: It's Not Rattie's Time Yet
However, having a bit of class on either side of this great rivalry (whether baseball or hockey) would be nice. Enjoy the wins when they come but take it down a notch. What is really gained from putting your opponent down?
It’s fine among friends. Who doesn’t enjoy a good sad Kane pic?
@ArtLippo @DimFilipovic pic.twitter.com/MtDGgIGzu1
— #TeamSTL (@Team_STL) April 17, 2016
But this nonsense of ripping on total strangers because of what team they support is a bit much. Going on other team’s fan pages and Facebooks seems a bit childish.
For the first time in forever St. Louis and Chicago have elite hockey and baseball teams. Enjoy it. Soak it up. It hasn’t been this way for much of any of our lives.