The Chicago Blackhawks know how it feels to play in front of SRO crowds of 22,000 fans for every home game, all season long. They could read the ratings reports of how many thousands more were watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals on tv. I don't think they were at all prepared for the spectacular reception they received during their June 11 victory parade. No one, least of all the players themselves, expected two million people, many dressed just like them, to line the parade route, welcoming the returning heroes. The players were pleasantly surprised if not overwhelmed.
The Stanley Cup championship banner will be a permanent addition to the United Center rafters. The Blackhawks players' and coaches' names will be etched in silver to the Stanley Cup. To a team left for dead three seasons ago, with crowds resembling those of college basketball in Chicago (sad), the Blackhawks' turnaround and resurgence is stunning and refreshing for young and old fans alike. Congratulations to the players, coaches and management for making this dream come true for millions of Blackhawks fans.
Showing posts with label Chicago Blackhawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago Blackhawks. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Where was the ref?
It took four seconds for the on-ice officials to stop the clock June 9 and whistle play dead after Patrick Kane scored his game-winning, series-ending goal at 4:06 of overtime. This was in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers scored at 15:59 of the third period and were ecstatic about having tied the game. They had momentum going into overtime, and there was a sense in the Wachovia Center that they would score quickly and carry that momentum to Game 7 in Chicago.
Kaner had other ideas. Why did the ref fail to point toward the net, indicating a goal had been scored? When the puck moves into the net out of the neutral zone, a referee positions himself directly behind the goal or just off to one side so he has a clear view of any goal scored. So when Kane scored, was the ref out of position?
No, he wasn't. He was opposite Kane, to the right of the net. He should have been in great position to witness and verify Kane's unbelievable shot from an impossible angle. But right when Kane let it fly, a Flyers player skated straight toward the referee. He moved out of the way and checked the dasherboard behind him, making sure he wasn't in for a collision. Taking his eyes off the puck and the net, the referee didn't see Kane's goal. Thus the goal indicator light stayed dark, and the clock continued to run.
Kaner had other ideas. Why did the ref fail to point toward the net, indicating a goal had been scored? When the puck moves into the net out of the neutral zone, a referee positions himself directly behind the goal or just off to one side so he has a clear view of any goal scored. So when Kane scored, was the ref out of position?
No, he wasn't. He was opposite Kane, to the right of the net. He should have been in great position to witness and verify Kane's unbelievable shot from an impossible angle. But right when Kane let it fly, a Flyers player skated straight toward the referee. He moved out of the way and checked the dasherboard behind him, making sure he wasn't in for a collision. Taking his eyes off the puck and the net, the referee didn't see Kane's goal. Thus the goal indicator light stayed dark, and the clock continued to run.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Fanarchy takes on cheerleading
In an ad during an NHL Playoff game broadcast, the Versus cable channel promoted Anarchy, a new show premiering Sunday night, June 7 at 11ET, following the UFC MMA fight. It appears to be a news magazine-type show, and one of the issues to be discussed, according to the ad, is whether cheerleaders belong in sports.
I've been wondering the same thing.
All cheerleaders are not equal.
An article on the same subject in Sports Illustrated quoted Kristie Phillips, a star gymnast and one-time Olympic hopeful who flamed out after a battle with pill addiction. She became a cheerleader at LSU and wisely pointed out that cheerleading is one of just a few activities in which female athletes can perform in front of large crowds. So it does provide amateur female athletes, in high school and college, to perform in front of crowds during football and basketball timeouts.
Okay. So they do the pyramid and flip across the floor. But what about cheerleaders for professional sports teams? Why are they wearing often-hilarious leotards or bare-midriff outfits? Which demographic fan group are they appealing to?
I'm trying to figure that out. Most NBA and NFL season-ticket holders are men--specifically, married men. So are they the ones who are checking out the cheerleaders? I don't think female fans care one way or the other. Do these teams sell any additional tickets because they feature cheerleaders during timeouts? The Chicago Bears didn't think so. I don't know why they dropped the Honey Bears cheerleading squad years ago, but the Bears haven't had an unsold seat since 1982. Maybe the teams think cheerleaders add to the overall stadium experience (compared to tv), along with the spotlight introductions, the crowd participation rock songs, and the overpriced beer. But is their presence really appropriate?
Charity events. Professional teams will frequently mention how much community service work they do; apparently that justifies blackmailing the taxpayers into building them new stadia. Cheerleaders do perform a significant amount of goodwill visits on behalf of their teams. Yes, I'm sure hospital patients love being visited by beautiful women. But this type of outreach could also be done (and is done, to their credit) by the athletes themselves. I know (from a Bob Greene column in the Chicago Tribune, years ago) that Jerry Reinsdorf required his White Sox players to sign autographs. Are athletes required by contract to make community visits on behalf of the team, too? They should be. So much easier to schedule cheerleaders to do this work, of course. But maybe the teams would be better off without the cheerleaders.
A friend of mine who is a Johannesburg native thinks soccer is a very exciting game and urged me to try attending a match. Having concerns about driving to Bridgeview's Toyota Park to see the Chicago Fire, I drove instead to beautiful Hoffman Estates' Sears Centre to see the Chicago Storm. It's indoor soccer--a little different, more scoring, plus a scoring format similar to basketball with two points for a close shot and three points for a shot beyond an arc painted on the artificial turf. By a strong majority, I noticed most of the fans for Storm home games are either families with young children or kids' groups: Brownie Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and boys' and girls' soccer teams. It's a family atmosphere. So naturally, the Storm features cheerleaders in spandex midriff-baring tops. They spend much of the game either in a bullpen near a goal or in the seating sections behind that goal. Like most cheerleaders/dancers, they perform two choreographed dance routines per game. Unlike most cheerleaders/dancers, they stand on the concourse post-game, handing out flyers for their dance clinic to pre-teen girls.
So a couple of points: If families and kids comprise a majority of a team's fan base, if the team has cheerleaders at all, they should be dressed for a kids' birthday party, not a nightclub. And those same women encouraging girls to attend a dance clinic seems a bit inappropriate as well.
A few years ago, the NHL started requiring teams to remove chipped ice from the frozen playing surface during tv timeouts--three times per period. The NHL didn't specify who should pick up a shovel, just that it be done. The Chicago Blackhawks jumped at the opportunity to hire beautiful women to clean the chipped ice, which they do while wearing midriff-baring tops. Of course they do. An article about the women in RedEye May 22 said they're available for events, and they attended a bar mitzvah. Unbelievable. I'll address that in another post. As part of their outreach, the Ice Crew, as the Blackhawks call them, attend Blackhawks-sponsored Bud Light Road Game viewing parties. During the season, these were held at Buffalo Wild Wings locations throughout the suburbs, and during the playoffs at sports bars on the North Side and in the suburbs. I don't have such a problem with that because most fans attending these events are over 21, and the Ice Crew ladies, notably, are modestly dressed. At the game, the focus should be on the game, without team-provided eye candy.
I've been wondering the same thing.
All cheerleaders are not equal.
An article on the same subject in Sports Illustrated quoted Kristie Phillips, a star gymnast and one-time Olympic hopeful who flamed out after a battle with pill addiction. She became a cheerleader at LSU and wisely pointed out that cheerleading is one of just a few activities in which female athletes can perform in front of large crowds. So it does provide amateur female athletes, in high school and college, to perform in front of crowds during football and basketball timeouts.
Okay. So they do the pyramid and flip across the floor. But what about cheerleaders for professional sports teams? Why are they wearing often-hilarious leotards or bare-midriff outfits? Which demographic fan group are they appealing to?
I'm trying to figure that out. Most NBA and NFL season-ticket holders are men--specifically, married men. So are they the ones who are checking out the cheerleaders? I don't think female fans care one way or the other. Do these teams sell any additional tickets because they feature cheerleaders during timeouts? The Chicago Bears didn't think so. I don't know why they dropped the Honey Bears cheerleading squad years ago, but the Bears haven't had an unsold seat since 1982. Maybe the teams think cheerleaders add to the overall stadium experience (compared to tv), along with the spotlight introductions, the crowd participation rock songs, and the overpriced beer. But is their presence really appropriate?
Charity events. Professional teams will frequently mention how much community service work they do; apparently that justifies blackmailing the taxpayers into building them new stadia. Cheerleaders do perform a significant amount of goodwill visits on behalf of their teams. Yes, I'm sure hospital patients love being visited by beautiful women. But this type of outreach could also be done (and is done, to their credit) by the athletes themselves. I know (from a Bob Greene column in the Chicago Tribune, years ago) that Jerry Reinsdorf required his White Sox players to sign autographs. Are athletes required by contract to make community visits on behalf of the team, too? They should be. So much easier to schedule cheerleaders to do this work, of course. But maybe the teams would be better off without the cheerleaders.
A friend of mine who is a Johannesburg native thinks soccer is a very exciting game and urged me to try attending a match. Having concerns about driving to Bridgeview's Toyota Park to see the Chicago Fire, I drove instead to beautiful Hoffman Estates' Sears Centre to see the Chicago Storm. It's indoor soccer--a little different, more scoring, plus a scoring format similar to basketball with two points for a close shot and three points for a shot beyond an arc painted on the artificial turf. By a strong majority, I noticed most of the fans for Storm home games are either families with young children or kids' groups: Brownie Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and boys' and girls' soccer teams. It's a family atmosphere. So naturally, the Storm features cheerleaders in spandex midriff-baring tops. They spend much of the game either in a bullpen near a goal or in the seating sections behind that goal. Like most cheerleaders/dancers, they perform two choreographed dance routines per game. Unlike most cheerleaders/dancers, they stand on the concourse post-game, handing out flyers for their dance clinic to pre-teen girls.
So a couple of points: If families and kids comprise a majority of a team's fan base, if the team has cheerleaders at all, they should be dressed for a kids' birthday party, not a nightclub. And those same women encouraging girls to attend a dance clinic seems a bit inappropriate as well.
A few years ago, the NHL started requiring teams to remove chipped ice from the frozen playing surface during tv timeouts--three times per period. The NHL didn't specify who should pick up a shovel, just that it be done. The Chicago Blackhawks jumped at the opportunity to hire beautiful women to clean the chipped ice, which they do while wearing midriff-baring tops. Of course they do. An article about the women in RedEye May 22 said they're available for events, and they attended a bar mitzvah. Unbelievable. I'll address that in another post. As part of their outreach, the Ice Crew, as the Blackhawks call them, attend Blackhawks-sponsored Bud Light Road Game viewing parties. During the season, these were held at Buffalo Wild Wings locations throughout the suburbs, and during the playoffs at sports bars on the North Side and in the suburbs. I don't have such a problem with that because most fans attending these events are over 21, and the Ice Crew ladies, notably, are modestly dressed. At the game, the focus should be on the game, without team-provided eye candy.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Fun at Blackhawks Road Watch Party
Moment in the sun: my first time on tv since 1988! #Blackhawks The presence of Ice Crew women nearby was a coincidence. At 0:09, center of screen.
Blackhawks vs. Red Wings Game 3 Conf Finals
BLACKHAWKS KEYS TO GAME 3
1. If a Red Wings player so much as thinks about camping out in front of the net: do whatever it takes to move him away. These players screen Nikolai Khabibulin and dramatically increase scoring chances as a result.
2. Create scoring chances for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks cannot win unless they score. Attack the net and outshoot the Red Wings by at least 15 percent.
3. Cut down on costly turnovers. Odd-man rushes made the difference in Game 2 and cost the Blackhawks a possible win and momentum-turning game.
4. Keep hitting the Red Wings and make them pay for every trip into the offensive zone. Remind them who their opponent is.
5. Feed off the crowd and show pride in the Indian Head jersey. Remember the One Goal.
1. If a Red Wings player so much as thinks about camping out in front of the net: do whatever it takes to move him away. These players screen Nikolai Khabibulin and dramatically increase scoring chances as a result.
2. Create scoring chances for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks cannot win unless they score. Attack the net and outshoot the Red Wings by at least 15 percent.
3. Cut down on costly turnovers. Odd-man rushes made the difference in Game 2 and cost the Blackhawks a possible win and momentum-turning game.
4. Keep hitting the Red Wings and make them pay for every trip into the offensive zone. Remind them who their opponent is.
5. Feed off the crowd and show pride in the Indian Head jersey. Remember the One Goal.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Vancouver 1, Chicago 2 (OT) - Series tied at 2
Vancouver 1, Chicago 2 (OT) - Series tied at 2 - I watched the Blackhawks' goals (two in 5:36) twice and I still can't believe it. They were both spectaular. Martin Havlat saved the series for the Hawks, and Andrew Ladd sent the fans home at a decent hour. Why stop now?
This highlight reel is definitely worth watching!
This highlight reel is definitely worth watching!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Blackhawks 6, Calgary 3; series tied 1-1
What a spectacular Game 2 comeback! At least two fantastic goals here, including Patrick Kane scoring right after a screen graphic showing his stats (no points). Hoping for three straight wins!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Blackhawks 4, Calgary 2: First round over
Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning their first playoff series since 1996. (Also against Calgary, I think.) Check out Dustin Byfuglien hit Adam Burish for a very pretty goal in this highlight reel (the Hawks' second goal). He gets creamed right after his pass, but I suspect he thinks it was worth it!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Calgary 1, Blackhawks 5; Hawks lead series 3-2
I can't imagine the Blackhawks winning Game 6 in Calgary tomorrow night (04-27-09) among the Flames' fans C of Red, but there's hope.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Game 2: Calgary 2, Chicago 3
Jonathan Toews scores twice in the second period--first minute, last minute--to put his Chicago Blackhawks up 2-0 as the series shifts to Calgary for Games 3 and 4. The Blackhawks overcame the Flames' 2-0 first-period lead to score three consecutive goals in the second period. Let's hope the Blackhawks can end this series in Alberta and rest up for the more difficult second round.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Calgary 2, Chicago 3 (OT)
Martin Havlat scores two consecutive goals and ends the game at 00:12 of OT to put the Blackhawks up 1-0 in the series! Congratulations to Martin Havlat!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Dustin Byfuglien shocks Wings with late penalty shot
The Hawks and Wings were tied at 2 in the final minute today (April 11, shabbos chol ha'moed, the third day of Passover, and Holy Saturday) when Dustin Byfuglien (BUFF-lin) skated in on a breakaway. A Wings player chased and hooked him, and the referee called a penalty shot with 00:27.6 on the clock. Under a shower of boos, Byfuglien converted to give the Hawks a very late lead. Andrew Ladd scored an ENG in the final seconds to finish the scoring. The Hawks have the #4 seed in the Western conference and will open at home against Vancouver or Calgary Tuesday or Wednesday night, the seventh or eighth night of Passover.
This is the Blackhawks' first win over Detroit this season.
This is the Blackhawks' first win over Detroit this season.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Blackhawks 1, Blue Jackets 0 (OT)
Oh, my, as the announcer said, Kris Versteeg breaks away and ends the game at 3:10 of OT!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Brent Seabrook blasts one by Brodeur at 3:36 of OT
After an embarrassing record-breaking loss in Newark two weeks ago, beating Jersey at home in overtime must have been satisfying for Chicago.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sharks 5, Blackhawks 6 (Shootout)
How could the Blackhawks blow a two-goal lead in the final two minutes? At least they managed to win and add two points to their remarkable season points total. They are still two points above #5 seed Vancouver for the #4 seed and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. (Against Vancouver.)
Booing Blackhawk alumnus Jeremy Roenick during his shootout scoring attempt was bad form. Roenick was a quintessential Blackhawk, thrilling fans in Chicago Stadium during his too-brief tenure here. He didn't deserve the shower of boos he absorbed during his unsuccessful shot.
Booing Blackhawk alumnus Jeremy Roenick during his shootout scoring attempt was bad form. Roenick was a quintessential Blackhawk, thrilling fans in Chicago Stadium during his too-brief tenure here. He didn't deserve the shower of boos he absorbed during his unsuccessful shot.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Kings 1, Blackhawks 4
Well, that was refreshing. And welcome back, Patrick Sharp! The Blackhawks needed this. And they're only two points ahead of Vancouver for the #4 seed and home ice in the first round--against Vancouver. Eleven games left and seven at home. Let's hope they can build some momentum into the playoffs.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Letter to Melissa Isaacson
In the Chicago Tribune sports section, Melissa Isaacson asked for comments about the Blackhawks to be sent to heymissy@tribune.com. Here is what I wrote on March 12:
Ms. Isaacson:
I attended both Blackhawks games this week--my first games this season. They looked so flat Sunday afternoon against a bad Avalanche team. I didn't understand why their offense was so out of sorts. The malaise seemed to continue three nights later, and their total offensive output was three goals in 120 minutes of regulation play. I'm hardly an expert, but my layman's opinion was that their timing was off in light of their inability to hit teammates with passes and maintain any level of offensive rhythm. To their credit, they outshot both opponents but could not make those shots count.
So I'm queasy. If they can't maintain the consistent high level of play that we've seen this season, they won't last long next month. Their playoff opponents are going to "bring it" every night, and the Blackhawks will need to match that playoff intensity. I'm hopeful that playoff veterans like Nikolai Khabibulin will helpfully explain to his teammates that there is no margin for error once the playoffs begin. They cannot ease up their play due to a one-goal lead or a one-game lead. Those leads can disappear in seconds, and then the players are scheduling tee times instead of the next round.
The Blackhawk players have earned the respect and adoration of the city that abandoned them. They earned the right to wear the Indian-head logo sweater. They earned the respect of their peers and rival teams' fans. I hope they don't throw that all away with lackluster, indifferent play.
* * *
Since I wrote this, the Hawks have lost three games, including two at home.
Ms. Isaacson:
I attended both Blackhawks games this week--my first games this season. They looked so flat Sunday afternoon against a bad Avalanche team. I didn't understand why their offense was so out of sorts. The malaise seemed to continue three nights later, and their total offensive output was three goals in 120 minutes of regulation play. I'm hardly an expert, but my layman's opinion was that their timing was off in light of their inability to hit teammates with passes and maintain any level of offensive rhythm. To their credit, they outshot both opponents but could not make those shots count.
So I'm queasy. If they can't maintain the consistent high level of play that we've seen this season, they won't last long next month. Their playoff opponents are going to "bring it" every night, and the Blackhawks will need to match that playoff intensity. I'm hopeful that playoff veterans like Nikolai Khabibulin will helpfully explain to his teammates that there is no margin for error once the playoffs begin. They cannot ease up their play due to a one-goal lead or a one-game lead. Those leads can disappear in seconds, and then the players are scheduling tee times instead of the next round.
The Blackhawk players have earned the respect and adoration of the city that abandoned them. They earned the right to wear the Indian-head logo sweater. They earned the respect of their peers and rival teams' fans. I hope they don't throw that all away with lackluster, indifferent play.
* * *
Since I wrote this, the Hawks have lost three games, including two at home.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Bulls to rodeo to Blackhawks
Stadiums intrigue me. I like this time-lapse of the United Center's crew switching the floor from hardcourt to rodeo dirt to the sheet of ice that always lies underneath. (Until the Blackhawks are eliminated from the playoffs, anyway. I hope that doesn't happen at all this year!)
Adjusting faceoffs to accommodate fans
Years ago, the Blackhawks had a reputation for being indifferent to accommodating fans' schedules. Why did they care? They sold out Chicago Stadium almost every night. Now, of course, the Chicago sports landscape is quite different. Except for one constant: this season, the Blackhawks are selling out United Center every night! For a long time, there were no games on Friday or Saturday nights. This year featured just two Saturday night contests, a disadvantage that I hope changes next season. (The Bulls host a dozen this season. That is so unfair. The Chicago Tribune posted a letter I wrote making just that point.) A recent Blackhawks tradition, dating back to the debut of the United Center, I believe, is 2pm Sunday matinée faceoffs in the spring, including every Sunday in March. This tradition continues this year. For Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, April 5 and 12, the Blackhawks pushed back the faceoffs two hours to 4pm to allow its churchgoing fans time to attend church and enjoy the holiday meal before heading to the stadium.
Then NBC called. Not so fast, Chicago, said the NHL's network partner. The Peacock wants to telecast the Blackhawks' April 12 season finale against Detroit for its nationwide audience. That means a 1pm local start on Easter Sunday. Here is another example of local fans being inconvenienced for NBC Sports. Remember Bears-Packers Dec. 31, 2006? NBC pushed that game from noon to 7:15 (and it was freezing), ruining the New Year's plans of 66,000 people.
I understand that NBC pays the bills. But if I had bought my season finale tickets in October, when they were still available on the open market, and had invited two dozen friends and family for Easter dinner at noon (planning on leaving for the stadium at 2:30), I would be very unhappy.* I would need to choose between cancelling the party or selling the tickets. For me, that's just conjecture. April 12 is Pesach chol ha'moed--an intermediate, non-holy day of Passover. I could go to the game, and it doesn't matter what time it starts. But I'm understanding of those whose holiday is inconvenienced or ruined.
*Also, we could have pulled off a Cubs-Blackhawks tv doubleheader: Cubs at 1:05, Blackhawks at 4:07. Alas. Now we need two tv's.
Then NBC called. Not so fast, Chicago, said the NHL's network partner. The Peacock wants to telecast the Blackhawks' April 12 season finale against Detroit for its nationwide audience. That means a 1pm local start on Easter Sunday. Here is another example of local fans being inconvenienced for NBC Sports. Remember Bears-Packers Dec. 31, 2006? NBC pushed that game from noon to 7:15 (and it was freezing), ruining the New Year's plans of 66,000 people.
I understand that NBC pays the bills. But if I had bought my season finale tickets in October, when they were still available on the open market, and had invited two dozen friends and family for Easter dinner at noon (planning on leaving for the stadium at 2:30), I would be very unhappy.* I would need to choose between cancelling the party or selling the tickets. For me, that's just conjecture. April 12 is Pesach chol ha'moed--an intermediate, non-holy day of Passover. I could go to the game, and it doesn't matter what time it starts. But I'm understanding of those whose holiday is inconvenienced or ruined.
*Also, we could have pulled off a Cubs-Blackhawks tv doubleheader: Cubs at 1:05, Blackhawks at 4:07. Alas. Now we need two tv's.
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