Chicago Sports Network is off to a slow start. Are fans missing the Bulls and Blackhawks?

Nearing a month into life with — and without — the brand-new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), the Bulls and Blackhawks seasons are hitting different.

For many sports fans, they might as well not even be happening.

The network has no carriage deal with Comcast, the largest television provider in the Chicago market. Antennas, anyone?

This has gotten weird already, and many are turned off literally and figuratively.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the social platform X, we asked if you’ve tuned into CHSN yet.

“Have not and never will,” @rsheadcabbage commented.

“The ‘brain trust’ in charge made it quite easy for my fan apathy that’s been brewing for a few years,” @GridAssassin wrote.

And @grksportschic asked: “It’s the 21st century, and we need rabbit ears to watch a sports network? CHSN didn’t plan this out well.”

We also asked, specifically, how important it is to you to watch Bulls and Hawks games.

“As important as buying an antenna is,” @beatdaddyfish cracked.

The closing words — for now — go to @pamela_abrell: “I’m finding out I don’t need to watch. I’m just watching clips online.”

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Have you tuned into the new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) yet?

Upshot: As out-of-the-gate momentum goes, this ranks somewhere between Aesop’s tortoise and a sprinter having an (ahem) accident in the starting blocks. Nope, it ain’t pretty. It can’t possibly be what the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families had in mind.

Poll No. 2: How important is it to you to watch Bulls games?

Upshot: With fans like this, who needs enemies?

Poll No. 3: How important is it to you to watch Blackhawks games?

Upshot: At least the Hawks aren’t whizzing away the generational allure of young superstar Connor Bedard or anything. Right?