I think you all are underrating the popularity of the Blackhawks right now.
For the season, their viewership bests our loveable White Sox of 2009. Sure, they aren't to the level of the Bulls, but I read earlier in this thread that 95% of the city has the Blackhawks at the back of their mindset, and that's just false.
It's not that the Hawks are just "popular", they are popular on an epic level. They had the highest TV ratings in the NHL last year and the highest attendance in the league as well. This team is no joke, and for hockey haters to dismiss it as nothing but a fad or as something that can't approach the Bulls at any point is a tad annoying. (note, not talking to the folks who simply state the Bulls are a better television draw, so don't misinterpret, because that fact is proven by more than double later on in this post)
The Blackhawks had their highest ever regular season ratings last year, and that number is spiking even more this year. To just dismiss it is a bad idea.
However, for the actual numbers, yes, Chicago is a basketball town before hockey, and it'll take a long run of Blackhawks' ass-kicking to change that. Even last year when the buzz was high and the Bulls were "meh" for most of the season, the tv ratings were as follows.
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Still, out-drawing the Bulls at home is an accomplishment in and of itself by percentage, let alone by total over 41 games given the UC seats more during a Bulls game than a Hawks game.