Last month I said the Chicago Blackhawks would be the next major sports team from Chicago to win a championship. Shaddup, Chicago Fire fans, I said major sport.
I stand by that statement, they WILL be the next Chicago team to win it all in a major sport. Where I might have have wrong, however, is when I said it wouldn’t be this year or next. It seems it might indeed be this year, should they upset the Red Wings, winners in Game 7 Thursday night against Anaheim. I still think both Pittsburgh and Boston in the East are flawed, and whichever team wins the West should win it all, so long as they don’t bloody each other too badly in the process.
Here you go, ‘hawks, here’s who you wanted. No show ‘em what you’ve got.
This is going to be one helluva series. And if the Blackhawks do pull it out, MUCH credit will need to be given to Scottie Bowman, the hall of fame coach who built the current Detroit team, and is now a consultant to the Blackhawks. Don’t think Joel Quenneville and Mike Haviland haven’t been soaking up as much knowledge about the Wings as they can from Scotty the Great.
I can’t wait for this one to start. Playoff hockey. There’s NOTHING like it.
4 responses so far ↓
1
Cory
// May 15, 2009 at 1:42 am
BJ, you know I’m a Red Wings fan. This is the series I’ve been waiting for since the regular season ended. I couldn’t be more excited, and this matchup couldn’t be better for the NHL.
And did you watch that Wings-Ducks game tonight? The officials were doing everything in their power to keep the Winged Wheel out of the Conference Finals.
2
ollie
// May 15, 2009 at 7:41 am
Well, if your hockey team doesn’t win it all this year, well, I wouldn’t count the Bulls out of it next year. They have some young players that will only get better…
3
bjstone
// May 15, 2009 at 8:56 am
Cory – I agree, the league needs this. Which makes last night’s officiating even more bizarre. I thought if Bettman learned anything from Stern it was that when you try to fix something, you do it for BETTER ratings, not WORSE. LOL
But seriously, it could be one of the great all-time series. The young ‘hawks have abundant confidence, both teams have unbelievable offensive talent, and both teams goalies…to me…can be shaky. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see a bunch of 6-5 and 5-4 thrillers?
Ollie – To be clear, the ‘hawks aren’t my team. I’m a Minnesota boy. But I like, no, LOVE what the Blackhawks organization has done since Grumpy Bill kicked the bucket, and Cory’s right, this is the best thing that’s happened to the league since the Rangers actually won a Cup in the 90’s.
I also agree the young Bulls are up and coming. But I have no problem with the Bulls…or the White Sox (the last Chicago franchise to win something, in ‘05). I direct my ire at those who think that there are the Bears and Cubs and not much else in Chicago. Those two vastly overrated properties and their vastly overzealous fans make my stomach turn. It seems to me that some fans of Chicago sports rather ENJOY backing losers instead of winners. That’s why it’s so enjoyable to see the Sox win a Series, and the once-proud and dominant Blackhawks return to prominence.
WSCR, the sports radio station in Chicago, suddenly this past two weeks seems to have discovered that there is a hockey team in Chicago. About f’en time, boys, where ya been?
4
bjstone
// May 15, 2009 at 8:57 am
Oh, and it matters not to me who wins the Wings-’hawks Series. I enjoy watching both teams play, and I just want to see big goals, big saves, big hits, and nobody get hurt.
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