Just Gotta Bull Through

            When Derrick Rose tore his ACL, it wasn’t just his teammates that deflated, the whole City did. The hometown hero, Chicago’s warrior, was not coming back from this one and we all knew it. Hours and days after the injury, fans were angry at Tom Thibodeau for keeping Rose in, others understood that Derrick needed to work on playing a whole game and closing the old Derrick Rose way but if there was anything this City and the Bulls learned from this season, it was we could do it with or without Rose.

            Either way, this is different because unlike the 26 games Rose missed in the regular season, he isn’t coming back after a few games of rest. The Bulls learned that lesson after the schooling Philadelphia gave them in Game 2 on Tuesday however; Game 2 wasn’t a sign that Chicago needs Derrick to win playoff games. Game 2 was a sign that the Bulls need the Bulls to win playoff games not a disjointed and emotional team. The series isn’t over; our Championship dreams are not over. All that needs to happen is the remaining players HAVE to bring 115% to the court everyday and as exhausting as that sounds it is not like they haven’t been given that challenge before this season.

I’m confident that the Bulls have already shaken off the trauma that was losing Rose for the rest of the post-season and that they have realized how much love and support their fans continue to give them night in and night out. Scottie Pippen’s letter and all of the YouTube videos are evidence of such support. We are not giving up on them and I know they won’t give up on us just because one player is down. I know it’s Derrick Rose the “Windy City Assassin”, but unlike another team in the NBA that will remain nameless, the Chicago Bulls’ talent lies in more than just one player or even three players, our whole team is talented and capable of winning. They are proven while other teams have proven that their formula for success lies within three players and nothing more. Sure that team is good but when they lose one of their superstars for the season, I guarantee that they are going to be an average team and not Championship contenders. Chicago loves their TEAM while that other city love those players.

           One of the greatest things about the City of Chicago is that no matter how bad a situation may seem; there is never a lessening of support. We love our teams, we love our City and that doesn’t change just because all hope appears to be lost. The Bulls will come out of this and be in the second round, I still expect them to be in the Finals and give Miami a run for their money. As hard as losing Derrick Rose was, it doesn’t change the vision the Bulls have and it won’t change our support for them.  

What the Blackhawks Need to Fix

          Two years ago, the Chicago Blackhawks resuscitated the flat-lined hockey heart in the Windy City by winning the Stanley Cup. Decade after decade of terrible seasons and being blacked out on local TV were finally a thing of the past and Lord Stanley was coming home. But after that glorious run for the Cup, the Blackhawks made some serious changes, changes that arguably removed the pieces to the success of Chicago’s post-season and Hawks fans were left to wonder what the front office was doing.

            Now, two years removed from winning the Cup, it seems as though the fans worries were right on the mark. Chicago hasn’t seen past the first round of the playoffs since then, their physical play is non-existent and it already feels like our Championship was just a lucky year, not a reflection of the amount of talent and passion it took to win. I understand that financial adjustments need to be made and those adjustments might require removing some players from your roster but cutting Antti Niemi and Dustin Byfuglien were possibly the worst “adjustments” that Chicago could have made in order to leave room to improve on their already impressive achievements.

            With that being said, what needs to get fixed if the Chicago Blackhawks want to bring the Stanley Cup back to the Windy City again? A lot of people will have a lot of different arguments. Some will say our goaltending, others will argue that we need a physical defenseman and the rest will say it’s more of a combination of things that need to be changed. Whatever the case may be, I’m in the combination boat and the following are what I think are areas of improvement.

            If the Blackhawks, Coyotes series was any indication, my first concern is goaltending. Corey Crawford is a good goalie, he has been brilliant at points during the season, but he has also been terrifying to watch at times this season. Case in point, in the two overtime games in Chicago during the playoffs. Crawford let in two soft goals that put the Blackhawks up against a wall. While the Hawks were shooting the puck at Mike Smith who seldom let one in, watching the puck get played in Chicago’s zone was unsettling because I didn’t know when Phoenix was going to score. It wasn’t just during the playoffs that Crawford’s abilities were questioned. There were many times in which Ray Emery replaced him in the regular season because of his inconsistencies and there was some serious debate as to whether or not Crawford should be the starting goalie for Chicago in the playoffs. Such questions do not bode well for a goalie and his confidence let alone for the fans that were already upset the Blackhawks got rid of Antti Niemi. For Chicago to make it past the first round, I really think they need a new goalie that Crawford can learn from and gain some confidence.

            Another aspect of the Hawks that needs to change is their lack of big, physical defensemen. There is a problem with a defensive line when the coaching staff relies on two of the six to endure the brunt of the ice time. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook averaged nearly 30 minutes on the ice during the series. In other words those two spent half of the entire hockey game on the ice. Now, those two are by far the best defensemen Chicago have but those two cannot be relied on to protect Crawford all the time and therefore we need more defensive players to share the load. Nick Leddy, Johnny Oduya, Niklas Hjalmarsson and the rest of the defensemen were invisible and unproductive (minus Leddy’s late goal in Game 5). In fact, I was furious with Nick Leddy’s production the whole series because he turned the puck over; he wasn’t physical and was more useful warming the bench than playing on the ice. Defensemen are an integral part in preventing goals and if a team only has two that can be depended on to do so then that is a sign a team needs more.

            The last ingredient that I think will put the Blackhawks back on the right track is a bruiser. We had one earlier in John Scott but much to the dismay of the fans, he was traded to New York. Then Brandon Bolig came into the picture and made a strong case for being that guy, however he seems to enjoy getting kicked out of games more than playing in them so his status as a bruiser is questionable. I liked what Dustin Byfuglien did as a bruiser and as an enforcer. He upset goalies by standing in front of them, he was integral in the success of Chicago’s Cup run. I’ll be happy if Bolig can fill that void because he’s been proven in the short time he’s played here. But if not, then we really need a guy that can be that guy.

            I LOVE our offense, the youth and talent that the offensive side of the puck has makes us a threat for years to come, much like the Detroit Red Wings were for decades. Toews, Kane, Sharp, Shaw, Stalberg, everybody is quick, agile and determined. The fact that we have some young players who have already won a Cup is special because they understand how much it takes to win and that experience helps their peers stay calm.

            The Blackhawks have what it takes there is no doubt about that. However, they really do need to make some adjustments. What made them successful in 2010 is gone and in order to get back to that level they need to fix the issues at hand. Now, some might have a different opinion on what needs to get repaired and what we as fans think is most likely not what the front office thinks but it’s important that they realize something is missing from that 2010 group.  I know Lord Stanley will come back to Chicago in the near future, but not if the Hawks play the way they played against Phoenix this season. 

What is Brendan Shanahan's Problem?

            This is going to be quick but I need to get it out there. NHL Commissioner Brendan Shanahan is showing his true colors this post-season. After giving Shea Weber a pocket change fine of $2,500 for DELIBERATELY taking his hands to Zetterberg’s head and smashing it into the glass in game 1 of the playoffs, he then suspends Andrew Shaw for 3 games for a hit to Mike Smith that was according to Shanahan’s report “intentional”.

            A serious problem indeed has Shanahan caused because many thought that Weber’s hit was not only intentional but suspendable due to the fact that it was unnecessary to grab a man’s head with BOTH hands and smash it into the glass with 3 seconds left in the game. While Shaw’s hit was hard and questionable at best, his shoulder didn’t raise to intentionally hit Smith behind the net nor his elbow. Shanahan also suspended New York Ranger Carl Hagelin for 3 games for a hit to Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson whereas the Senators’ Matt Carkner, a player with a history of violent hits only gets suspended one game for literally beating Brian Boyle while he was down on the ice. If you didn’t see game 2 of the Rangers vs. Senators game and do not know what incident I am talking about, imagine a man bending over another, defenseless man and repeatedly beating him over the head with his bare fist while an official is attempting to pry the attacker off the attacked. 

            So what does this mean when it comes to how Shanahan is handling the violent situations that have plagued the first round of the post-season? It means that Shanahan is showing favortism, that he is a hypocrite and that he punishes the less violent over the more violent offenses. If he, like every other pro-sports Commissioner is genuinely concerned with player safety then there needs to be consistency with the punishment. Incidental contact between Shaw and Smith is far less dangerous than intentional contact with Weber’s hands and Zetterberg’s head. For a multi-million dollar athlete to receive a simple fine and a rookie athlete to receive a suspension is mixing the signals, especially for the younger generation.

            I am extremely upset by all of this. Not just because I am a Hawks fan but because the punishments that have been handed down have not fitted the crimes attached to them.

*Not my best blog I know but this is more of an upset writing than a seriously thought out blog.

            

First Take Follow Up

          For those who did not watch “ESPN First Take” this morning, the show went from the traditional list of topics to debate to a single topic that took up the whole 2 hour show in the most real interaction I have ever seen between analysts, athletes and fans. The topic of the day was whether or not the media crosses a line when they talk about athletes in a negative way. This topic and the ensuing debate between Jalen Rose, Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith and Cris Carter shook the Twitter world and the relationships between reporter and athlete. Good points were made by all three reporters, one saying that it is disrespectful to comment negatively on an athlete because it affects the family just as much as it affects the player, another says that there is a line that should not be crossed but negative comments about a player is a reflection of that player at a specific time and, on occasion, a reflection of their character as well but nobody could find common ground on a single branch of the topic tree.

            As I sat on my couch and watched the debate, I found myself thinking about my own points to bring to the table, which inspired me to write this blog because as much as I admire the intelligence of the reporters who debated this long and hard I think they missed some things that could have strengthened their position on the subject.

            First of all, I disagree with what Jalen said about being disrespectful to a player by giving them a nickname or calling them out on their performance. When an athlete decides to place himself or herself in the spotlight by attending a prestigious college or becoming a professional, they have inevitably opened the door to being examined by the media and by the fans. If an athlete decides to hide his head in a towel after a poor performance, fight with a coach during a game or not include him or herself in a huddle, they are disrespecting themselves and their team and ultimately allowing reporters and fans to discuss their character and come up with a negative conclusion.

            In other words, when one decides to become a member of an elite team, college or otherwise, you are becoming a member of that brand and being disrespectful to that brand means your being disrespectful to yourself so why should journalists or fans not give our opinion, albeit negative, about you? You chose to behave in a specific way and you are aware that the cameras are on you when you behave that way.

            I do agree with Jalen that the negative comments about an athlete affect not just the athlete but their families as well. But I also think that athletes disrespect their families by behaving in a negative manner. What I don’t think Jalen understands is that fans and journalists alike are reacting to an athletes performance from the night before or a recurrence of a negative act. Case in point, the Dwight Howard situation. Now I do not know all of the facts so I am just going to respond to what I have seen, read and heard from professionals. It is obvious that Dwight and Stan Van Gundy do not get along but both are a part of the Magic franchise for now and therefore should at least try to work together. When Dwight sits out of a huddle or crashes Van Gundy’s press conference, he is being disrespectful to his coach and his brand. Many journalists and former athletes agree that his attitude is not conducive to a successful team and according to Jalen’s point, if we think that Dwight is being rude, unprofessional and acting like a baby we are hurting his family by saying such things but since it is Dwight that is in fact behaving this way, isn’t he hurting his family by acting like this and we are simply giving our opinion about him? What I am trying to say is if you don’t want your family to be hurt don’t act in a way that would hurt your family.

Journalists can’t help but discuss what they see and develop an opinion from it. If Skip Bayless says Tony Romo is acting like “Tony Romeo” it is because during Romo’s relationship with Jessica Simpson his character reflected his interest in being in a relationship more than his interest in being a professional athlete and I think his trip to Cabo during his week off before the playoffs is a perfect example of that reflection, what else could a journalist or fan conclude from that? If Romo thought Skip’s nickname was offensive or the following comments and reports about his vacation were unfair, he should have thought about that beforehand. I mean come on; just because you have the week off doesn’t mean you should go on vacation with your girlfriend. If anything that week should have been spent preparing for the playoff game next week and I bet every Cowboys fan agrees.

Now, I do think that un-prepared negative comments are unnecessary. For example, Jay Cutler’s knee injury during the NFC Championship game two years ago. For reporters to question whether or not he was faking the injury was unfair and hurtful because they have no facts to prove he was. Just because he walked up a flight of stairs the next day doesn’t mean anything. Without medical proof that Cutler was faking, journalists had NO right to assume Cutler faked the injury and then question his toughness especially after he endured 52 sacks that year and a concussion that he played through after he sustained it in the Giants game.

I find it interesting that this debate occurred during a year where a lot of athlete’s performances have been put under a microscope. I think athletes deserve to get called out for their performance. In fact, I guarantee that if an athlete doesn’t get talked about, they’d be upset because they aren’t in the spotlight. If they want to be defensive and come on “ESPN”, I bet it’s for the attention and if they really have a problem with what journalists are saying, shut up and prove them wrong. If you want respect from the media then they should be respectful also, not just to their brand but to the journalists as well because journalists are just doing their job and being disrespectful to them is just giving them more reason to assume that your character is flawed and their original point was correct.

The debate was more about reporters and athletes but I think that it could be stretched farther to include fans of the game. Our voices may only be heard by a smaller group of people, mainly family and friends but we still have opinions both positive and negative about a player, a team, a coach and a reporter.

What I admire about journalists like Skip and Stephen A. Smith is that they honestly don’t care what people think about them and it’s that very reason that allows them to continue to do their job the way they do. 

Do the Players in the NFL Have a Point?

Before I write this blog, I want to reiterate that I do not support the Saints bounty program.

With that being said. There has been strong opposition towards Commissioner Goodell’s handling of the situation on behalf of the players in the NFL. Many say that he is taking away the physicality of the sport and has no genuine interest in player safety. Others say that his background in law has navigated his interested in the direction of league protection and his platform of player safety is simply a façade to maintain support among the fans and players. Whether or not the above is true, I find it incredibly telling and interesting that the players have publicly and without fear expressed their dislike for the Commissioner not just because of this bounty gate scandal but also because they feel he is not genuinely interested in player safety.

Starting with bounty gate, there is no room in the NFL for it. I understand that motivational speeches that state “let’s run them into the ground” or “we are going to rip their (blank) heads off” is a part of the game and it’s not those types of speeches that bother me. It is the money and specificity of the desired injury attached to the monetary value that frustrates me.

Player’s say their fear is that the Commissioner is taking away the physical part of the game by punishing the Saints so harshly because they feel that any big hit will now be viewed in his eyes as a bounty hit and will be investigated. Every player that has come out and discussed bounty gate whether it was on TV or in an interview has said that this sport is a physically violent game and they understand the risks, love the sport and don’t want to see it changed. Many fear that in the future Rodger Goodell will have turned the NFL into a Flag Football league with all of the rules against big hits and concussions.

What I don’t think Mr. Goodell understands is that a significant portion of the fans appreciate the big hits, it is those hits that changes the course of a game and what we as fans boast about for the minutes and hours afterwards. If that part of the game is softer or even non-existent, we will not want to watch and his popularity will significantly decrease.

Which brings me to my next point. Rodger Goodell is obviously not too popular among the players. Jay Feely, the kicker for the Arizona Cardinals was on First Take today saying that he doubts that the Commissioner has a genuine interest in player safety and his real interest is protecting the league from lawsuits such as the one they are facing now with concussed players. Now, I understand that it is not in the league’s best interest to get sued but the problem with his premise is the fact that his desire to protect the league will cause a reduction in revenue and in the long term, cost him his job. The biggest problem the Commissioner is the fact that he has been accused of denying workman’s compensation to injured players, forcing them to endure years of litigation in order to get the money they deserve. If these accusations prove to be true, the next investigation that needs to be held is the one that investigates the manner in which he conducts this business.

Whether or not the players have a point, my greatest concern is how the fans are going to react to the Commissioner’s rule changes. We love the big hits and if he’s taking them away, what is left for us to have? 

Will the Miami Heat Ever Get Any Heat for Their Road Woes?

I love the Bulls so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I am about to blog about my dislike for the Miami Heat but I would like it to be known beforehand that I do have a lot of respect for Miami, it is hard not to respect them and admire the astounding amount of talent they have. It is undeniable that they are a good team and are capable of winning an NBA Championship but that’s not what this blog is about.

            Instead I want to blog about my serious disgust at the fact that NBA analysts and sports analysts in general are giving the Miami Heat “passes” on road losses because of the shortened season and the “exhaustion” they suffer by playing a lot of games in fewer days. Yes, I have no doubt that this condensed schedule is tiresome and that it is resulting in fatigue and even injuries that take longer to heal but Miami is not the only team that has to endure such a schedule. Chicago is on the same boat and have only lost 11 games, have already clinched a playoff berth (in fact, they are the only team to do so as of today) and with every win and every Heat loss are one step closer to clinching home court advantage for the post-season.  Yet, in the Chicago, Miami battle, Chicago is still the underdog that can’t beat Miami. I’m sorry I must have dreamt that the Bulls beat the Heat in Chicago without Derrick Rose and John Lucas, their 3^rd string point guard made Wade, Bosh and James look like fools by wiping the floor with them. After that loss which was their 4^th road loss in a row, the Heat got a free pass because they had a long night before in Orlando and so they must have been tired and just couldn’t physically beat them because of it.

            Now that they lost to Oklahoma and Indiana on the road, they get another pass because of the traveling they have to endure and Lebron hurt his finger so he wasn’t 100% healthy so that’s why they deserve to slide yet again for failing to win on the road. Why can’t they just be exposed for what they really are?

            Is it because of the “Big 3”? Is it due to the fact that they have extremely high expectations? Is it because we just don’t want to admit that they have weaknesses? Whatever the case may be, I’m exhausted listening to the excuses that experts are giving for Miami’s lack of road performance and I am going to call it like it is.

            The Miami Heat’s weaknesses have been EXPOSED! They can’t rebound in the paint and they seem intimidated by the energy generated by the fans of whatever team they’re visiting. Miami seems uncomfortable playing away from home and seem even more uncomfortable when teams play them hard and not intimidated by the fact that they are presumably “the most talented team in the NBA”, Lebron even did his baby powder explosion in Chicago for some reason. News flash Lebron, WE DON’T CARE! 

            It would be foolish of me to say that Miami isn’t a good team because they are a great team and have plenty of talent but I do believe that Miami plays off their ego more than their talent and they are far too cocky to be NBA Champions. They can’t win on the road because they don’t have the same support on the road that they do at home and I bet it bothers them because they think they are the best and everybody should love them. But what they have failed to realize is that they have a lot riding on this season, if they don’t win a Championship or worse fail to make it to the Championship Finals, the bandwagon fans are leaving and the criticisms will start rolling in. For Miami, there is no room for error and that starts with not losing on the road because they will have to play on the road during the post season.

            Their road woes have just begun, if they can’t clinch home court and if they make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they will have to play in Chicago and trust me when I say there is a reason it is nicknamed “The Madhouse on Madison”. Chicago Bulls fans are rabid at post-season time, it is going to be deafeningly loud and it only gets louder with every win. The Bulls themselves are hungry to prove that they can beat Miami. They know they can and they’ve made the necessary adjustments to make sure that it gets done. This post-season match-up is what the Bulls have been waiting for. They are better defensively than Miami is, they rebound off the boards better than Miami does and if the Bulls are 100% healthy by the time the Heat come, they will be better around the perimeter. Miami might have more to prove this post-season but Chicago wants to prove that they are more than what non-Bulls fans think they are.

            Maybe when they lose their chance to go back to the Championship Finals, they won’t get any more free passes. 

Is Corey Crawford the Right Guy?

Over the course of this season, the Blackhawks have made many goalie changes. It started off as Corey Crawford but then a few bad games came his way and so they switched to Ray Emery then back to Corey and so on and so forth. But now with the post-season around the corner, who is the guy that will take the job? It is assumed that Crawford will be that guy, however after everything he’s endured this year, is he a consistent enough player for the job especially in a one and done scenario?


Chicago’s game against New Jersey was one of those games that Corey needed in order to regain some confidence after being pulled from the net against Nashville at the United Center in a 6-1 loss. Granted Crow made some great saves against the Devils and it was up to his team to make sure that they could pull off the win but once the game became a shootout, it was up to him to win the game. Now it’s usually two losses in that analysts start to think about Emery because he has been far more consistent in his play-making abilities, unfortunately it doesn’t seem as if this time around it will be the same because if Corey is going to be the goalie in the post-season, he has to take the losses, shake them off and start fresh the next game. Yet, the question remains, can he do it?


Yes, when Corey is on he a fantastic goalie but when he doesn’t have his head in the game, it is difficult to watch and it is those games that worry the fans because it takes one bad game from our goaltender to punch our ticket home to watch the playoffs from our couches. The western conference is going to be a difficult group to beat with Detroit, Nashville, Vancouver and St. Louis all playing at the top of their game not to mention the possibility that Jonathan Toews could miss the post-season if he is not relieved of his concussion symptoms soon. Without our Captain, the Hawks have done a great job during the regular season but without his leadership in the playoffs, it could be a tough pill to swallow.


The game against New Jersey needed to be a confidence booster for Corey and since they lost, it wasn’t. You could see the emotion he had when he saved shots during the shootout but you could also see the disappointment when he let those two pucks in. Whether or not he will be able to shake it off will only be determined when they play St. Louis at the Madhouse tonight. The Blues do not give up many goals and will not ease up offensively adding a lot of pressure for Crawford to be perfect or dangerously close to it.  Playing at the United Center is an adrenaline rush for the Hawks though. The amount of energy that the fans feed them is comparable to if not greater than any other elite team in the league right now and the team loves it. The Blackhawks and Corey Crawford especially will need all of the help they can get tonight because without Toews and Keith, two large pieces to the Blackhawks puzzle, they will be vulnerable to big hits and multiple shots on goal.


As hard as tonight’s game will be, I’m confident that we can beat St. Louis if we stay physical, keep the puck out of our zone and protect Corey. It will be up to Crawford to make some big saves tonight because of how hard it will be for his offense to score but that doesn’t mean that the pressure only lies on his shoulders. Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw, all of Chicago’s top scorers have to play well and shoot the puck. Tonight is not a night for them to be fancy and show off the skills they have. Tonight is a night to ground and pound; the only way for the Hawks to score is for them to keep shooting the puck especially on second and third attempts. Everyone will need to bring their best game not just Corey Crawford but it will be his game that determines whether or not the Hawks come away with 2 points.

            If Crawford doesn’t win tonight it will be his third straight loss and will definitely be cause for concern not just among the fans but the coaches as well. In the playoffs, Chicago can’t afford to lose three in a row, no team can however; in the playoffs there should only be one goalie. Joe Quenneville has made it a point to say that whatever goalie he had in net that night was his goalie “for now” but it can’t be like that in the post-season. IF he picks Crawford, it has to be Crawford the whole way but I can sense that even Quenneville is unsure about whether or not Crow has had a good enough season to take on the post-season challenge where the room for error is significantly smaller than in the regular season. Last year, Crawford was more consistent and earned his spot in the net during the playoffs but this year we saw a different side to number 50and a worrisome one at that. I don’t doubt that Crawford could be a successful goalie in this league but in order for him to be successful he needs to be more reliable as a player and more mentally durable.