Patrick Kane Will No Longer Appear on NHL16'S Cover

Because of the widespread allegations against the Chicago Blackhawks winger, Patrick Kane, Electronic Arts (EA) has decided to remove Kane as a cover athlete.

EA released the following statement.

"In light of the ongoing investigation involving Patrick Kane, he will no longer be a spokesperson for the launch of EA Sports NHL 16."

"He will not appear on the EA Sports NHL 16 cover nor participate in other EA Sports NHL 16 promotional activities."

Kane is currently being investigated for allegedly raping an unknown woman. The removal by EA Sports has been speculated by several publications and fans, and regardless of the outcome of the investigation was the right move by the video game company.

Did Lance Briggs eat, Lance Briggs?

I am the last one to comment on someone's weight, having fluctuated in weight myself the last several years... However, maybe the Chicago Bears Lance Briggs should lay off his BBQ (Rick Morrissey's review of Brigg's restaurant).

 

That is a picture of a very fit Lance Briggs a few short seasons ago. I know that a lot was written last season about Briggs being out of shape, especially after coming back from his lengthy injury, but when you compare that picture to this:

 

It appears Briggs has done a lot of industry research prior to, and after his BBQ joint opened up. His waist, legs, and even arms seem like a bloated version of this impressive NFL beast. 

What are your thoughts?

Could the Jay Cutler hype be real?

Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer is the latest to praise Cutler's abilities in 2014.

LM: #Bears OC Aaron Kromer on Cutler: “Jay has learned to solve his own problems on the field. He’s much quicker this year with his reads."

This could mean the ball comes out quicker, Cutler takes less sacks, and the Bears score more points.

And Melo has chosen

In the biggest NBA Free agent frenzy since LeBron, Wade, and Bosh; Carmelo Anthony is about to wrap up his courting period.

The Melo watch didn't disappoint either. With rumors from New York saying they weren't offering a max contract in an effort to retain flexibility. Then Derrick Rose well not recruit, then did, but it was on accident, but it wasn't. Then finally we hear Melo, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Love were playing basketball together at UCLA.

Most of those rumours have already been dispelled and all that is left is the actual announcement. But truth be told, Melo only needed to hear one thing to make his decision...

Max contract

I understand what winning can do for a players legacy, and I'm sure Melo was genuine when he said he was going to look for an opportunity that could help him win a championship, but there was more money on the line than the average NBA fan can even fathom. The New York Knicks can offer Carmelo $60+ million more than the Chicago Bulls, and around $25 million more than the LA Lakers. Would you care to explain to your spouse why you took $60 million less?

People will say he already has more money than he knows what to do with, and you are right, but it doesn't mean he can make stupid decisions. When you hear Melo say, "I always wanted to stay here in New York" it isn't because he is selfish or only in it for the money, it is because he would earn ridiculously more money in New York than any other team could give him. And that isn't a bad thing, it's the decision 99% off us would make, so to unfairly cast the unfortunate expectation that he is that 1% is just wrong.

The Bulls did their job, and now they can return to building a NBA Eastern Conference contender. The Lakers and Kobe did their job, and now they can return to rebuilding their great franchise. Maybe, Kobe will join Carmelo next season in New York? Maybe the Bulls will work some magic and grab Kevin Love? Or maybe, just maybe there is a new super team about to be built in the desert?

Part of the picture will be announced tomorrow (Monday) and the NBA will become a little clearer again.

NBA Free Agency officially started, where should the starts sign?

The NBA Free Agency period is upon us and everyone's burning question is, where will these superstars end up!? Well I'll do my best to guess for you all.

If you think you have some ideas, or maybe some inside info, post a reply to the story below. Would love to hear your ideas.

LeBron James - Haven't we done this before? Word is LeBron is asking for a max contract, but that just might be fake info that he our his people are leaking out to other teams. If it is true, chances are one of the Big 3 will not be back, and you will see a Big 2, with a couple of other stronger spring cat type players. Imagine the Heat with LeBron and Bosh, with 3 other above average starters and an actual deep bench? Where does LeBron go? He's keeping his talents in South Beach.

Carmelo Anthony - Carmelo's only choice should be, do I want the money? Or do I want to win? If it's money, he'll be a Knick again. If he chooses winning, he'll be a Chicago Bull. The Bulls offer him something that very little other teams can, a legit chance to compete for a title in 2015. That isn't saying that he couldn't win in New York, Phil Jackson succeeds at everything he does and will do so as a GM, but his problems run deeper than Melo and it would be a smarter move to let him walk. Melo will be a Bull, regardless if Derrick Rose is recruiting him.

Kevin Love - This is a wild card because he is the biggest name available for trade. His name had been tied to a number of teams, and some if them make a ton of sense, but they need something that Minnesota would like in return and that's the tricky part. There were earlier rumours that the Bulls started to include Taj Gibson in a deal for Love, which if they are could jump then to the front of the list. His name is also tired to Golden State Warriors, for Klay Thompson and David Lee, there is a possible deal in the works with Denver as well, and maybe Boston or the Lakers. The tough party is, the Timberwolves want to win now and the teams dealing need to have current talent going the other way. So who will feel the Love? Golden State, but don't rule out a sign and trade with a team like the Heat, sending someone like Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh over.

Dwayne Wade - Wade has seen better days and he is in the twilight of his career. Players do one of two things at this stage, chase rings or linger on their team till it's clearly over. Wade would be better served to chase rings like Ray Allen, but he more than likely will linger longer than he should. It is also probably the smarter move for Miami to break tires with Wade, for the reasons of continuing to win. He will ask for too much money and tie up too much under the salary cap, especially if James gets a max contract. Where should he go? San Antonio. Where will he go? Stays in Miami.

Chris Bosh - He is intriguing. If the story is really over for the Big 3 (who actually believes that it is?) Than Bosh could fill a Big hole for a lot of contending teams in the league. Minnesota could use his services if they deal Love, San Antonio could be a fit and championship opportunity. Or possibly the Lakers, who have almost a complete roster to rebuild and the Phoenix Suns who have more money to spend than any NBA team this off-season. Where will he go? Miami, but I beg for him to make things very interesting.

So who else do you think will move this off-season? Who will join the Big 3 in Miami? What if Chicago strikes out on Melo, LeBron, and Love? It will be an exciting couple of weeks for sure.

Have you found hope in the Chicago Cubs?

Let's face it, there really hasn't been much to watch on the Northside of Chicago over the last 2 years. Heck, there hasn't been much to watch on both sides of town. After a year and a half of Cubs fans begging for Theo and the crew to beef up the team's salary. Hoping that the team would add a couple of quality players acting as 2 teaspoons of sugar to help the bad baseball go down. Finally there seems to be a glimmer of hope again on the Northside.

The Cubs will finish the month of June as their first winning month since July of 2013 (they won 14 games but 1 one the games was a makeup from May of that year vs the White Sox officially recording a 13-13 month). Starting June off with an early 5 game winning streak, winning 5 of the 8 series' they played in the month, it seems like the patience mantra that the Cubs brass has been chanting since they got here might be paying off.

Not only have the Cubs won these games, they have done so in an impressive manner. Actually scoring runs, playing smarter baseball, and showing they can catch the baseball. Most importantly, the cornerstones of the franchise are showing that they are the players everyone has expected them to be. Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro have come out to impressive starts and really have carried this team throughout the year. The way Anthony Rizzo has taught himself to hit lefties in especially remarkable. Rizzo, with a career .216/.298/.386 and a OPS of .684 verse lefties is posting a .319/.422/.565 with a OPS of .987 split against Southpaws this year, compared to his respectable .280/.393/.512 and .905 split verse righty's this year.



Castro on the other hand has proven to bounce back from a down 2013. Perhaps he was distracted by off-the-field issues, or being pressured to carry the load for the first time in his career finally got to him. Either way his approach at the plate is much improved and he has already marked his 3rd highest RBI total in his career. What might be most impressive is his defensive approach. Never will he be considered a solid or plus defender, but his ability to limit the dumb errors (not paying attention to situations, taking mental breaks, etc.) have seemed to dissipate. Sure he will occasionally air-mail a ball that should have been a sure out, or allow a ball to skip through his legs, but the mental errors have been limited which proves well for him to continue to be an asset for this Cubs team.

The team is a long way off from being competitive, but Cubs fans can hang their hats on the much improved play from this team. If anything, the way they have played over the last several days should prove evident that if Cubs fans and Cubs ownership remains patient, there are much better days ahead.

Free Thinker

I know I typically scribe about what's the blaze in Chicago sports, the latest disappointing Cubs loss, the magical Blackhawks run, the potential of the Bulls, or the character flaws in Jay Cutler. Today I would rather speak from an area which baffles me in today's business environment, elimination of employee thought.

I have worked for a number of companies, and I'd like to assume I have a fairly good idea of those that were good, and those that were, well, not so good. One of the largest indicators to me on if a company was going to be a good workplace and environment is if they truly believe in inclusion, and allowing their employees to think for themselves. A lot of companies will talk about how they empower their workers, but little actually allow them to take part in a creative process to move the company forward.



The largest argument against having an open dialog with employees on how to improve or move forward has always been too many voices, and the effort it would take to work through the poor ideas to find the ideas that provide value. Currently I am part of a company which incorporated an "Ideas" webpage for their associates. Although this could be a great tool to find associate pain points, areas where the company can improve customer process, and an area where employees can pass along that golden nugget that leap frogs the company forward, all too often it is a wasteland of poor ideas and a soapbox for unsatisfied co-workers. The way around this is by adopting a real open communication forum from within the company, having direct access to company executives on a consistent basis, and associates that know beyond a shadow of a doubt that even when having hard conversations the words are coming from a place of trust and care which can hopefully move the company forward.

The worst companies I've been apart of have always been those companies which limit the employees ability to think freely, they micromanage their staff to a point where the staff can no longer think creatively, unless it is a thought on how to keep management off their back. It seems to me that creative thinking within an organization is directly tied to management styles, those managers which give their employees all the tools to succeed and lead them towards success hand-in-hand are also the same managers who have the most creative thought on their teams. Likewise, managers who bark the orders from the top and threaten discipline are often times the same managers that suppress their staff and often have employees with little desire to improve workplace process.

So which way is better? Well that certainly depends, right? When working in a warehouse, especially one that is already successful, how much more creative thought can go into improving the process? Sure there can be tweaks that promote better safety, tweaks to ensure quicker or more efficient pick rates, but for the most part that process has been defined. A carpenter rarely finds a new way to shingle a roof, and landscapers haven't incorporated new ways to mow lawns. Sure there are changes to equipment, which may or may not have been created by those in their respected fields, but the process typically is, the process.



All too often though, an organizations sales and marketing departments are handcuffed with the company process that they lose one of these departments greatest contribution, creativity. When a company sets the same management styles for their sales people as they have set for their warehouse employees they lose that person's ability to create, which often damages their ability to sell. I have seen this all too often where a company creates their "sales process" and doesn't allow for the staff to stray from that process. Whatever that process is, at one point it was a great value and produced for the organization, however customers change and their needs change and their buying indicators change. If you are not allowing for your sales staff to work around a process, whatever that is, you eventually set yourself up for dips or peaks and valleys in your business results.

In today's business environment companies spend more time and money than ever to hire and train staff. You hire those people because for one reason or another they stood out from the crowd and gave you reason to believe that they could be a difference maker for your team, department, and company. When you hire that person, make sure you continue to provide tools for them to continue to stand out from the crowd. You invested in that hiring, continue to invest in that employees growth.

Cubs Sox 2012

I hear we have the White Sox this week?

We Got this!!!

Fujikawa done for the year

The +Chicago Cubs are announcing that their prized signing this offseason, and hopes to solidify the backend of their bullpen, Kyuji Fujikawa will miss the remainder of the season due to a forearm injury which requires Tommy John Surgery.

Reported from numerous sources

Hot Stuff

We are just hours away from the second Game 7 in the last 2 days, and third Game 7 of these playoffs. Tonight the Detroit Red Wings look to continue their memorable run, and knock off another higher seeded team and the Chicago Blackhawks look to continue to prove their regular season was no fluke. This will prove to be a highly contested match-up, like any hockey series is concerned, but after hitting the same guy for 6 games, after watching someone get away with something for 6 games, the pushing the pulling the hitting all of the physicality that hockey brings, and add to it, the biggest rivalry in hockey! This will truly be an event to watch. 

Throw out the records, throw out whatever happened up to this point, throw out the...ah... Rolling Stones?!?

Yeah, last night the Rolling Stones played at the United Center, which would typically pose a threat to stadium conditions, but we'll see your Rolling Stones concert and raise you humidity. 

Humidity wreaks havoc on an ice rink. From bubbles to warps to chips to melting... You will see the puck do some things tonight that are not typical. Every wrap around the boards tonight ill become, interesting. Every innocent dump in becomes, advantageous. Every Blue Line to Blue Line pass becomes, curious. You just might see some things tonight that will cause you to think the pucks have a contact high from the special herb being passed around the stadium last night. 

You can go 59:50 without a crazy event taking place, but be sure that at some point tonight the puck is going to do something we don't typically see it do. See the Blackhawks Cup run in 2010. On multiple occasions, especially on the Power Play, you would see the puck take a hop over an awaiting defenseman's stick. With the speed on both sides (Hawks and Red Wings) if we see a jumping puck we could be in store for some interesting break-away opportunities. 

We have seen games like this before, myself I personally look back to the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. That series went 7 games, and in game 7 there were many "occurrences" with a bouncing puck that shouldn't, with an odd ricochet off the boards, with a shot taken but the puck wasn't there. The home team did end up winning that tilt, which proves well for the Hawks tonight, but in Game 7's anything can happen. 

One area where I think bad ice conditions can really change the outcome of the game is, clearing the puck. If the ice is chippy the puck could have the tendency of jumping up on end. When a player clears a puck, and if it is on end, that puck could come off the stick differently and could jump over the boards resulting in a penalty. In what should be a tightly contested match-up, neither team can afford to give up cheap Power Play opportunities. Especially in a game which otherwise should see little calls as I expect the refs to allow the 2 teams to play. 

We are just hours away from the greatest event in sport, Game 7, Hawks - Red Wings. Damn this will be good. 

So you're saying there's a shot

Before this weekend started I wrote a post, Dud which basically suggested that the +Chicago Blackhawks season was finished. Their lackluster play, lack of emotion, uncharacteristic play from Jonathan Toews, and the complete domination from the Detroit Red Wings in this best of 7 series all pointed to the fact that the Blackhawks were out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, before Hawks fans and players shave their beards, the Hawks win back-to-back games, in deciding fashion, to pull themselves back into the series.

Game 5

Finally the Hawks Power Play woke up from it's slumber. Until a Duncan Keith redirect by Andrew Shaw snapped a streak of 15 straight unsuccessful Chicago Power Plays. This was an important goal as well, since Detroit's Daniel Cleary had tied the tilt up about halfway through the 2nd and just 4 minutes later, Shaw's redirect put the Hawks up for good.

Then, another collective sigh of relief when Toews notched his first goal of the playoffs at 15:47 in the second.

"It's nice to see one go in," Toews said. "You work so hard for so many games. Not only yourself, but your linemates -- the guys that are out there with you. It builds your confidence. I don't care who you are. When you see one fo in, you feel like you can do it again. That's the feeling not only with myself, but with our team right now."



Toews didn't tally another, but Shaw was able to find the back of the net. Viktor Stalberg took a blast from the high point which ricocheted off the boards which allowed Shaw to collect and put it in.

"He plays with that energy you appreciate," Joel Quenneville said. "He's a competitive kid. He finds that line. He's smart in a lot of ways. You love the tenacity that he brings, the willingness to travel to the front of the net and hang around and he's got a quick stick. He's got some offensive skills and he's got good instincts on both sides of the puck."

Another unsung hero for Chicago has been the elevated play of Bryan Bickell. Bickell has seemingly done all of the things you want from a role player. He is rough, gets in the dirty areas, hits and takes hits, and has come up with 4 rather large goals this post season. Bickell notched his 4th goal in the 1st period, when he and Kane traded shots off Detroit Goalie Jimmy Howard.

Game 6

This was a roller coaster type of game from the start.. With the Blackhawks coming out inspired, controlling the first 6 minutes or so of the contest, then Detroit coming back and putting it to the Hawks. You could cut the tension from all Hawks fans with a knife and feel the confidence rise and fall with every shift, faceoff, shot, and hit.

The scoring started again off a Blackhawk Power Play goal, this time by the man who scored the first PP goal of the series, Marian Hossa. The goal came after a cluster of Hawks players rushed the net, 9 seconds into their first Power Play of the game. As the puck trickled out to Hossa's awaiting stick, he punched it home just before the goal was raised off it's moorings.

The Power Play was made possible by a smart play. Having ice blocked off the Hawks chipped a puck towards their Blue Line. Michael Frolik (who added a penalty shot score and had a very productive game Monday night) skated towards the puck. Jakub Kindl, senses Frolik had a step and better angle on the puck, checks him into the boards and made no attempt at the puck.

The Wings got that goal back, late in the 1st period when Brendan Smith played the puck to middle ice where Drew Miller was able to put a shot on goal. Corey Crawford was able to turn away that shot, but Patrick Eaves sat waiting for the rebound. He slammed the puck home at 18:51 which tied the game at 1 a piece.

Into the 2nd period and things started to look like they were unraveling. Detroit had pulled ahead in just about every hustle play, and took a large advantage in faceoff draws. Then as Joakim Andersson takes, what should have been a harmless shot from the circle, it knuckles past goalie Corey Crawford and Detroit takes a 2-1 lead, and the air seemed to almost let of out the Chicago sail. Crawford's glove seemed to be suspect all night, missed a blast in the first that just barely missed net and sailed high, flailing a other shots traveling wide left on numerous other occasions. It seemed as though the weak goal allowed shook some of the confidence in Crow, as he looked shaky on other attempts, and even played a puck in a situation where other Hawk players were expecting him to ice it.



Into the 3rd period the Hawks trailed in the contest, 2-1. Then after a bad Red Wings turnover, and even worse blown coverage, Michael Handzus was left all alone in front of the net with only Howard to beat. Handzus flipped one stick side and tied the contest at all 2's.

Crash the net, crash the net, crash the net! After receiving a pass from Hossa, Toews tosses a shot towards the net where Bryan Bickell sat awaiting. He punched the puck past Smith and Howard to give the Hawks a 3-2 advantage. Again Bickell coming up huge in spots. He was in the dirty areas again all night, in front of the net, hitting Detroit skaters up and down the ice, and in front of the net where he was rewarded with the go ahead goal around 6 minutes into the 3rd period.

Remember when I said Michael Frolik had a good game? Well later in the 3rd Frolik had a great block on a shot near the Detroit Blue Line. As the puck ricocheted past the Detroit defenders Frolik had a  breakaway attempt. As Frolik was about to take his shot, Carlo Colaiacovo took a weak swipe at the hands of Frolik with his stick. The puck was dislodged, and a Penalty Shot was called. Some think that this shouldn't have been a penalty shot (myself included) but the resulting play was a thing of beauty to watch:

*This is Frolik's 2nd Penalty Shot goal, most by any player in NHL history

The Hawks gave up another goal later on after a one-time chance by Damien Brunner from Pavel Datsyuk. After a late rush from Detroit, with an empty net, and an almost costly icing by Johnny Oduya, the Hawks hung on and guaranteed themselves a game 7.

Game 7

Game 7 in hockey is the single most exciting event there is. By this point the bad blood has risen to an all-time high. The 2 teams know what the other will do, sometimes before they do it, and the exciting and sometimes weird play is what ends up winning the game and the series. Not only does this game have the playoff lives of these 2 teams, not only are they both Original 6 franchises, not only are the Hawks and Red Wings huge rivals, not only is this a game 7, this is also the last time the 2 teams will face off as Divisional foes. This game should be one for the record books. 

Some facts on Game 7's... 

• Out of the 145 Game 7's (there will be a 146th before the Chicago Detroit game Wednesday), the team trailing 3 games to 1 has won the game 24 times. 
• Detroit has won the most game 7's in NHL history (14, Chicago has won 5)
• Teams with the chance to close out a series at home in game 6 are 20-31 in game 7 on the road

In any case, this will be an instant classic, with heart ache for one franchise and complete exhilaration for another. 

Will the Hawks keep their tremendous season alive, or will Detroit upset another higher ranked team on an impressive playoff run? Tune in and be apart of the greatest sporting event in the world, game 7 playoff hockey.

Dud...

This was supposed to be the year, I mean comparisons to 2010, record setting starts, outstanding play from everyone involved. This was supposed to be the year.

Chicago has had some very disappointing seasons in the past, Cubs in 2003 (and just about every other year). The Sox in the strike shortened year. The Bulls last season, and the year before that. The Bears just about every time they play the Packers. Heck, Chicago should re-nickname itself (if that's a thing), from "The Windy City" or "City of broad shoulders" to "City that deals with disappointing sports teams on an annual basis"...

This year we mourn the death of the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.

A lot will be said about the 24 games with a point streak, the play of Toews and Kane, the goaltender play, and how good the Hawks have played with Oduya and Sharp in the lineup.

A lot will be said on how Coach Q prepared this team night in and night out, how he deserves tons of credit for preparing this team to face the adversity of playing so many games in such a small amount of time.

But, like one of my pals said, this will all be an awkward answer to a trivia question 10 years from now.

This all could have been avoided... All we needed is for the Blackhawks to come out and play their style of hockey. Sure the MO is to play a rough physical style against the Hawks, punch them in their mouths as they don't have the muscle to fight back, but if they stayed true to their game they could have had the series tied right now. Instead... the Hawks are facing elimination.

Most of this lays on the shoulders of the captain, Jonathan Toews.

Courtesy ESPN via YouTube

The frustration he felt after Game 2 never went away, as Henrik Zetterberg has blanketed him, played rough with him, and has pushed him up and down the ice. The Wings have also done this to the other Chicago skaters, minimizing their abilities and skill.

This frustration is a huge reason the Hawks are sitting here down 3 games to 1, instead of looking at a tied series going back to Chicago. Toews took 3 separate penalties in a span of 5:30 minutes in the 2nd period Thursday night, which the Red Wings converted on one of the resulting Power Plays. The usually cool and calm Toews may have cost this team the series and more importantly a Cup run.

So now Blackhawks, do you feel that on your back, its the wall. The wall has a couple of bronzed plaques and numbers and stats, will you answer? Will you play your style? Will you keep your cool?

Or will this team become another disappointment?

You call that a buzzer beater?

It seems that people continuously want to raise Lebron James to another level, even if he is unwilling to do so himself. 

GASP! HOW CAN YOU SAY SUCH THINGS ABOUT THE SELF PROCLAIMED "KING"???

Ummm... well... it's easy, and I will do it again. Lebron is unwilling to take himself to another level. 

But he's the back-2-back MVP! He is the best player in the game! He's saved kittens from trees and pulled kids from burning buildings! He made a game winner!

Come on folks, he made a layup as time expired on a poor defensive choice, and the layup didn't even look that good. 

But, wait! He is 7-16 career when taking a game winning shot with less than 24 seconds! 

This is true, but most of the shots made are closer to the 24 seconds left, than the under 5 seconds. Not until later last season did Lebron even ensure that he would be the one taking that last second shot. When all of the world knew he was the best player on the floor, the one with the best opportunity to score, he had often times passed to another player (who, also often times wasn't exactly ready) only to see Lebron's team come out losing. 

I'm not going to sit here and completely bash Lebron, he is by far the best player in the game today, and possibly the best since Jordan (Ah man, now you gonna bash on Kobe!?). But what is wrong in pointing out less than stellar parts of someone's game? And he's not that bad at the bad part of his game to boot! Hell, I'm describing one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball. A guy that could stand up against the Jordans, the Birds, Magic, Russel, Wilt, Gervin, Dr J, all of them. 

But why you gotta always be picking on me!? 

Boo flippin woo! Every night in every city the greats of the games are criticized. Don't make it come off like you, or James, is above the criticism. He's not. Criticism is what created these talents. When they are told they can't they do it till they can. 

Jordan was told he can't play basketball in high school, so he played and played till he made the team.

Jordan was told he wasn't a good jump shooter, so he practiced and practiced till he averaged over 50% shooting.

Jordan was told he wasn't a good defender, so he practiced and practiced till he was an All NBA Team Defender, and Defensive Player of the Year. 

I hate using the Jordan comparisons cause these are 2 different players, but his work ethic is and should be compared. If you can't, do until you can (sorry, felt a little Yoda on that one... Do or do not, there is no try...). Have that goal in everything you do, not only in sports but anyone can take that into their own life. 

Not good at TPS Reports, then work on them, take additional trainings, ask for a bigger workload when it comes to TPS Reports, so one day you are the go to person for them. 

Hopefully you catch my drift.... 

Chicago Blackhawks; Now or Never

The Chicago Blackhawks are faced with a huge challenge tonight, win or look in the face of elimination.

I have been saying for a while now (Team of Destiny and in a couple of YouTube videos) that we need to appreciate what we were watching on the ice and not be critical, however now is the time for critical! I don't want to be that typical Meathead Chicago Sports fan and start pushing the panic button, but the Hawks have not looked too good against the Redwings through the last 2 games. Very little intensity, very little domination.

This is only a 2-1 lead for Detroit, but with this lead Detroit has put themselves in position to have home ice. Tonight's game is in Detroit, and the remainder of the series is Chicago, Detroit, Chicago. This isn't a great position for the Hawks to be in, however even their 2010 Stanley Cup Championship team was down 2-1 at one point.

Keys

1. Jonathan Toews - The Tazer needs a lazer to find the back of the net. Thus far Zetterberg has dominated their match-up, and Toews has been almost non-existent.

2. Intensity - The Blackhawks showed some of the necessary intensity in the final 3:30 minutes of Game 3, they need to fill all 60 minutes in Game 4 if they plan on winning.

3. Smart Play - Penalties are going to happen in all sports, hockey is no exception, but there is a difference between a smart penalty and a careless dumb penalty. Chicago has committed more penalties in the series (17-13) and luckily Detroit hasn't scored (Chicago is perfect in the playoffs on the Penalty Kill). The Hawks carelessly allowed 5 Power Play chances in the 3rd period of Game 3, all but guaranteeing their loss.

4. Stars need to be stars. For as good as Patrick Sharp was against Minnesota, he has seemingly disappeared verse Detroit. Hossa scored a Power Play goal in Game 1, but has yet to have a notable offensive play since, and we've already highlighted Toews. Kane has been the only one to continuously light the lamp (regular season and playoffs), but you would like to see even more production from him (after game 1).

5. Goaltending - So far Corey Crawford hasn't been the problem, but he has allowed a couple of soft goals in this series. Corey is your horse, and the guy the Hawks will ride. I don't like suggesting this, as it isn't exactly typical, the Hawks should give Ray Emery a chance in goal. I say this because all season the 2 goalies shared duties, and over the course of the last few games it seemed as if Crow wasn't as sharp as he was early on. There is a huge confidence level in Emery, which allows for this switch to happen, and could pay dividends later in the playoffs.

Call it a Career

+Chicago Bears great, and future Hall of Famer, +Brian Urlacher announced he is retiring from the +NFL  after 13 seasons. There are a lot of superlatives I could use to describe Brian's career, but I will leave it to George McCaskey as he laid out his career best:

“How lucky we were that Brian Urlacher was a Chicago Bear.
"Brian announced his retirement in the same, understated way in which he carried himself at Halas Hall the last 13 years — he simply wanted to be one of the guys and play the game he loves.  But his rare ability, work ethic and passion for football put him among the greats to ever play the game.
"Besides superlative play on the field, he was also the unquestioned leader in the locker room, as well as the sometimes reluctant face of the franchise. Brian is a special person who represented our team and our city with skill and humility while never seeking acclaim or recognition.
"In the pantheon of Bears, Brian has earned his place alongside Halas, Grange, Nagurski, Ditka, Payton — and yes, Bill George, Butkus and Singletary.
“We congratulate Brian on a brilliant career and he will continue to be a welcomed member of the Bears Family in retirement.”

Here are just a couple of his career highlights, that need to be remembered today.

With the 9th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select Safety Brian Urlacher from the University of New Mexico. The Bears drafted Urlacher to play linebacker in the NFL due to his size and speed, but the move from Safety wasn't his only position change. After starting the season as the Bears starting Strong Side Linebacker, Urlacher was benched for under-performance, as well as personally saying he felt lost as an OLB. After Barry Minter (the Bears Middle Linebacker) went down with an injury, Brian reemerged as the MLB and a phenom was born. Urlacher went on to win the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award, recorded 124 tackles, 8 sacks both of which were Bears rookie records.



2001. In a pregame interview, Michael Vick used action figures to show how he would run all over the young star, Brian Urlacher. Once the game started it was a completely different story. Vick was held to 18 yards rushing, Urlacher sacked Vick, forced a fumble, and returned another Vick fumble 90 yards for a touchdown.



2005. Brian Urlacher earns the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. Urlacher was the undeniable leader of the leagues best defense, allowing the least amount of points and producing the most turnovers. This would also mark his second trip to the postseason. Brian recorded 121 tackles, 6 sacks, and a forced fumble. Outside of stats, he was the leader on the field. Directing players to the right spots, calling audibles, and owning the MLB position under the Lovie Smith defensive scheme.

2006. The Bears are who we thought they were.... Not only was this Brian's only appearance in the Super Bowl, Brian had his single best game earlier in the year against the +Arizona Cardinals. Trailing the Cardinals late by 20 points, Urlacher created a key fumble that was returned for a touchdown, recorded 25 tackles, and the Bears completed the comeback. Urlacher and the defense lead the Bears to a 13-3 record, and earned that appearance against the +Indianapolis Colts in +Super Bowl XLI.



Brian's career will be more than the stats and awards. Urlacher was the mainstay, and a future Hall of Famer, playing linebacker for franchise that created the position. He was the leader on and off the field and the face of the Bears franchise over the past 13 seasons.

Check out the interview with Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman on ESPN 1000 in Chicago.

Waddle and Silvy

Cubs News: Anthony Rizzo, Alfonso Soriano, Management

I bet you've buried the +Chicago Cubs front office brass this season. You've sat and said, "see, it's the same old thing. Do just enough to keep butts in the seats but they aren't interested in winning!"

Well, looks like the Cubs (who have made a ton of great moves but have been overshadowed by a couple bad ones), have made a move recently that rivals some of the best deals in baseball, Anthony Rizzo's extension.

Anthony Rizzo recently signed a contract extension for $41 million over a 7 year span. There are 2 options and extras that can escalate the deal over $70 million. This is a great deal for a club that is used to making mistakes in free agency and waiting till players are arbitration eligible or on the verge of free agency to sign them. The deal offers Rizzo a large raise (currently earning just under $500,000) as well as gives the Cubs payroll flexibility in the future, while hopefully getting huge value on the dollar.



This was part of the plan Theo Epstein talked about when coming to Chicago, you pay for future production, not the past production. It's just smart business, look at Albert Pujols. Everyone screamed that the Cubs should make a legit run at Albert, solidifying the first base position for years, even if it came at a large price tag. Well, through a year and a half, Pujols looks to be a quarter of the player he was for St Louis, and the Cubs will certainly see more production per dollar over the course of this favorable deal.

This is a HUGE victory for the Cubs as well as a big victory for Rizzo.

Speaking of contracts, especially of the bad variety, Alfonso Soriano. You will not find a baseball guy that will say Soriano's deal is a good one. Heck, I don't think Jim Hendry thought it to be a good deal when he made it, but you have to recognize the player Soriano is becoming in the twilight of his career.



Sori has never been the best fielder, but he has worked harder at it in these last couple of years than most to be somewhat passable. He hasn't been a consistent run producer, but has taught himself some additional discipline to help the team. He has changed parts of his game to conform to both team needs as well as conforming to what he can physically do now. He has always been a darn good baseball player, but it seems as though he has recently become a professional.

I don't say professional in the terms of a pro athlete, I mean it in the terms of a smart, veteran player. A guy that goes all out for his team, has realized he can do additional small things to help the team win, and has taken players under his wing to help them grow, become acclimated, and become pro athletes as well. There was a definite time where I wanted Soriano off of the team at all costs, but I am very happy he is still here. If he gets traded at some point this year, I hope it's to a contender for his sake, and although I know it could be good for the future of the Cubs, it would be sad to see a pro's pro go.

The front office... The Cubs brass; Theo, Jed, the Ricketts, and the bunch have had a lot of bad moments publicly lately. From battles over Wrigley renovations to horrible signings to hearing the Cubs can't spend like they used to, fans were beginning to turn, viciously against them. There were however some brilliant spots that just need to be highlighted.



First, and I've already commented on this Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs were able to pull him into the organization, without giving up much in return. He's now locked up a a club favorable deal for 7 years, and will likely be the face of the franchise for years to come.

Travis Wood. Wood has just recorded his league leading 8th quality start of the season. His 4 wins and 2.02 ERA have him in the league leaders, and he is quickly proving that sending Sean Marshall (at the time considered the best lefty reliever in the National League) to Cincinnati for Wood was a very good deal indeed.



Possibly the best move that the franchise heads will actually, not make... Not calling up their young batters that have tons of promise. I'm talking the Soler's, the Baez's, and the likes. They seem very patient to stay the course on these guys. Allowing them to face frustrations and adversity in the minors, learning from it there, before needing to learn how to deal with it in the bigs, with all of the pressure, and all of the spotlight. This is going to be the test over these next couple of years, making sure that these players develop down on the farms, ensuring they are better ballplayers here in the bigs.

By now you've seen....

Well, by now you've seen this lady:



Yes, that is Filomena Tobias, possibly the classiest lady in South Beach. Apparently she wanted to follow up her suspicion in the murder of her late 4th husband (this time it really was for love), with a very friendly gesture to Joakim Noah of the +Chicago Bulls.

Once identified, the +Miami HEAT (possibly just as classy of an organization) gave the fingering bandit a swift slap on the back of the hand with a Code of Misconduct warning. She could have faced penalties as hefty as having her season tickets revoked, however knowing she has to live with the world knowing she's a horrible person was penalty enough.

Full story in the Palm Beach Post 

Team of Destiny

From the beginning of this strike shortened roller coaster ride of a season the +Chicago Blackhawks  have been a team possessed. With their record setting points streak to start a season, to their tremendous goal tender play, to the incredible play of Patrick Kane, this team seems to be on course for a special season.

With the +NHL  Stanley Cup Playoffs underway, and the Hawks holding a commanding 3-1 series lead on the Minnesota Wild, the Hawks should be moving along to the 2nd round for the first time since their incredible 2010 Stanley Cup run. From the beginning of the season I have been extremely adamant about 1 thing, do not put tons of expectations on this team, rather enjoy this ride we are all on. What I mean by not putting expectations on the team is this, if we all expect them to hoist the cup at the end of the year we could lose sight of the absolutely spectacular play on the ice.

How many Hawks fans realize the Blackhawks record with Patrick Sharp playing this season? Did you realize that Sharpy didn't lose his first game until Game 3 against the Wild? The Hawks, with Patrick Sharp playing are 26-1-3.



Another record that we saw this year was the best start to a season from a goalie. Ray Emery started the 2012-2013 season (or 2013 season...) 10-0-0. This marked the best start for a goalie in NHL history. His credentials didn't stop there however. Both Emery and Corey Crawford won the Jennings Award for the team that gave up the least amount of goals. Both tenders finished the season with a GAA under 2.00 and very respectable save percentages (both in the .920's). Both goalies also finished the season with 3 shutouts a piece, and Crow added another shutout in Game 4 verse the Wild.

The undeniable star of the first half of the regular season was hands down, Patrick Kane. Kaner seemed to shed his party-boy persona and developed into the player people thought he was going to be. Kane averaged 1.17 Points Per Game, finished 5th in the league in goals (23) and 5th in the league in points (55). If there was a negative on his season it might be he only finished with a very respectable +/- 11 on the year.



My Captain. Jonathan Toews put in another stellar season for the Blackhawks. Considered by most as one of the top forwards in the league, Tazer has been this teams leader since his second season in the league. "Captain Serious" as he is coined, finished the year with a team lead tie in goals (23, tied with Kane) and a +/- 23 on the season. It seems like anytime Toews is on the ice, good things happen.

This team grabbed the Presidents Trophy for the first time since the 1990-91 season, when they lost to the +Pittsburgh Penguins in the Finals (possible rematch), and marked the 4th time in team history they finished with the best record/most points in the regular season.

With a regular season record of 36-7-5, 77 regular season points, a 24 game point streak to start the season, and 2 top 5 goal scorers, this is special team to watch. Please take every play in, like your first cup of coffee in the morning. Enjoy every cross ice crisp pass, every stick save, every scrum win in a corner, ensuring that the season is completely enjoyable for you, otherwise your expectations might take some of the enjoyment away.

All Heart

If you have seen as much as 3 minutes of the Chicago Bulls playoffs this year you know exactly what this post is about... Joakim Noah.



Between games Six and Seven of the Bulls and Brooklyn Nets series, Joakim guaranteed a Chicago Bulls win. Some took it as a serious, poster board material, some took it as confidence, Jo took it as a motivator for everyone to step their games up. Coming off a game 6 loss to Brooklyn, in a game which saw Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng out with various aliments and what seemed to be the rest of the Bulls sick with the flu, Joakim Noah lead a Bulls charge for the ages. With the help of Nate Robinson, all heart and no height, and the extremely surprising Jimmy Butler, the Noah lead Bulls took game 7 in Brooklyn and set themselves up for a second round match-up with the heavily favored Miami Heat.

The Chicago Bulls, still down Hinrich and Deng, set the defensive tone early. Making sure there were few easy buckets, contested every single dribble. This team fought tooth and nail, set the defensive tone for this series, for 48 long hard minutes came out victorious in Miami. The Miami Heat now know they are in for a series.

  This was supposed to be the season in-between, the year of waiting for Derrick Rose, and once he's back letting him get back into game shape so they can compete in 2013-2014. Sure the Bulls were going to give a lunch pail effort every game with tough nosed defensive players in the post and a friendly face in Kirk Hinrich running the point and guarding the tougher guards in the league. Luol was always a strong defender, and they added some depth behind Noah, Boozer, and Taj Gibson. Without Rose though, everyone knew this team would struggle to score points consistently, and with teams like the Heat, the Pacers, Nets, and Knicks we weren't sure if they could score enough to win on a consistent basis.

Through a couple of months of this season you saw the team mold and define itself, this was going to be a rough, tough defensive unit that will make you earn every bucket. With quality wins against the Knicks and Nets and Celtics and Heat this team was putting itself in a great position for the playoff run. Then, like it typically does, the injury bug started to bite the team. Noah struggled with plantar fasciitis, Hinrich struggled with various injuries, Rip Hamilton seemed to be at less games than I was, and Taj Gibson went down as well. Around this time we learned that Derrick Rose was cleared for basketball activities, which seemed to cast a cloud over this team.

So now the injury bug and Rose's status was hanging over this team's head, but they still continued to chug along. Impressive wins against the Lakers and breaking the Miami Heat's winning streak highlighted their season. In fact, he Lakers game was the breakout game from Jimmy Butler, which is also where he was coined "Kobe Stopper" from his teammates.



Coming into the playoffs the Bulls had gotten Taj and Hinrich back, and Noah hobbled back as well. All three clearly not looking very well, gutted out performances and took a commanding 3-1 lead against the Nets. Then Hinrich and Luol went down.... The Bulls gutted out a game which they were severely short handed, eventually lost, which lead to this proclamation from Noah:

“I’m ready to play. I want to go play right now. That’s my emotions, We’re a team of fighters. We keep getting punched in the face but we fight back. I’m proud of this team. We’re going to go into a hostile environment in Brooklyn and we’re going to win.”

Noah then went out and gave one of the most inspiring performances you'll ever see. Gutting out 41 minutes with 24 points, 14 boards, and 6 blocked shots. By the way, 5 of his 14 rebounds were 1st half offensive boards. The Bulls opened a large first half lead, and while the Nets fought back, they were able to hold off their late charge. Jo was the biggest reason for that. Joakim is undoubtedly this team's leader.

I heard earlier today, Joakim almost guilt's you into playing hard. You see him out there, giving everything he possibly has, on every play, with the ball, away from the ball. He is all hustle, he is all heart. He does the important things great, he does the little things great. He is a gamer in all sense of the term. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson would say, he has TWTW (The Will To Win).



There isn't a team in the league that isn't instantly much better with Joakim Noah on it. From a kid that was suspended from the team in his rookie season, the kid that most Bulls fans didn't like being drafted, has become Chicago's second son. We are lucky that we have a kid like Joakim in Chicago.

In Noah we trust, in Noah we trust.

Chicago Meatheads

So there are a couple of cities that are, well ridiculous when it comes to sports. New York, Boston, Philadelphia all come to mind. You have batshit crazy fans in Oakland, as well as Dallas, and those Flippin Packer fans have to be crazy for wearing team colors and sitting outside in -30 degree weather. There is 1 group of fans that are more ridiculous, more stupid, and more meatheaded than any of the others....

Chicago sports fans.

Face it, you get a smile and a chubby whenever you hear Da Coach spew pro-Bears propaganda all over ESPN airwaves. You take every chance to throw in a spiteful jab to a Sox or Cubs fan. TE Bulls will never be a good as when Jordan was here, and you've been committed to the Indian since Mikita, Esposito, and Hull were winning cups.



In all reality, we are the world's worse sports fan. Quick to jump on the bandwagon to fire an undeserving coach, and first to say that rookie who just hit 3 homers will be one of the greats. We flood Vegas every year with ridiculously dumb bets on the Cubs finally winning the World Series, and seem to forget that Green Bay is 3 times the team the bears have been over the last 20 years.

We boast, Original 6 and NFL charter franchise. History! History! History! But usually fail to create new memories. We fill ballparks and arenas in droves, spend more than we should on tickets, food, and drinks.

Chicagoans need to wake up.

Currently we have 2 major issues in Chicago sports, and these are issues that have the most proud meatheads ranting and roaring about. The first, the Chicago Cubs.

Turn the clock back to October 22nd 2011... The Cubs hire Theo Epstein away from the Boston Red Sox. Theo was seen as a golden boy, to the likes of Billy Beane. A guy that knows how to succeed and do so through a set of crazy numbers and computers and pie charts and graphs and fat kids who look like Jonah Hill. Cubs fans were ecstatic, baseball know it alls said this was a great move, and people imagined that this would signify a World Series pennant in the not too distant future.

But wait, Theo said there is a lot of work to do. So the mantra of, give us a couple of years to fix it, and Cubs fans drank the koolaid. It was said, so it must be so?

Either way, Theo made his way through the organization, letting long term people here go and revamping the commitment to the minors. Found some hot prospects, got lucky with some Jim Hendry holdovers and signs were pointing up. In 2012 we lost 101 games.



So Jed and Theo went back to work... Inquiring on everyone, spending where they thought necessary, and skimping where they didn't think they should. Some small improvements made here and there, this team should be a little better than last, but still not quite there.

So now people begin to call for heads. Theo's a joke! Jed's just an errand boy! Dale's not the guy! Ricketts just want our money! I don't know what we're yelling about!

It takes time people. Think of a tree. You don't bury a seed and the next day there's a 100' Oak. It needs its roots, it needs a strong core and thick trunk, far reaching branches, and eventually giant leaves. Same with the Cubs. Theo planted a seed in the minors, is in the process of watering and fertilizing (there's a joke about the shit on the field here), waiting to support that strong core, which becomes a talented and great team. Understand people, Andrew Friedman (possibly the best executive in baseball today) took about 3 years before Tampa made the playoffs, why is a year and a month too much time for Theo?

The next Chicago Meathead controversy is Derrick Rose.

Before this year, Derrick was the greatest thing to happen to Chicago since Michael Jordan. MJ himself thought a D Rose lead Bulls team would eventually win more championships than he an his teams were able to win. He was king of the city, could do no wrong.

Derrick Rose is the humblest super star there is! See Derrick Rose give his MVP trophy to his mom! Derrick Rose is a no nonsense superstar! I still don't know why we're yelling!!!

Rise went down with a knee injury last year, and all if that changed. You'd think the kid is Jay Cutler for all the crap he takes.



Problem is, Derrick was cleared by doctors months ago, and he has an older brother that doesn't know when to shut up. Sounds familiar... My younger brother Derrick has a brother that doesn't know when to shut up....

From a PR standpoint, Derrick and his people, the Bulls and their people, ALL handled this poorly. There are constant questions on if he'll play, cause it seems there are constant questions on if he will play. Since it looks like he can play, fans have begun to turn on him. They all have their crazy theories on why he's holding out, or that he's spineless, or doesn't care about the team and only himself , etc etc...

What people don't realize is, after any knee injury, let alone an ACL tear, athletes are likely to cause additional damage to the knee or opposite knee if they are not 100% confident in their repaired knee. In fact, multiple superstar caliber athletes have had a knee injury and have come back before they were absolutely certain in their abilities and damaged their careers.

This is the biggest reason Rose shouldn't play until he is absolutely ready to play. Till he is 100% certain he can do everything he was capable of doing on the knee before the injury. Derrick Rose isn't a role player, or the guy you look to for a quick spark, or late game spot up 3. He's the guy that you look to carry the franchise for the next 10-15 years. He knows, the Bulls know, and most somewhat intelligent fans know, you don't risk the future when you have questions about the present.

I'm sure most people would rather the Cubs fire Theo and Dale and Jed, and they want Derrick Rose to suit up tonight. I'm sure they will jump up and down, and throw comeback and firing parties if it were to happen.

But if that did happen, the Cubs will go another 100 years without winning and D Rose will be playing pickup basketball with Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady at the local Y. Smarten up Chicago fans, for the sake of Chicago sports, smarten up.