BY RICKY O'DONNELL
After losing six of their first seven games in December, it would have been a reasonable assumption that the Blackhawks would fade away. Teams as young the Hawks typically run out of gas towards the middle of the season.
But the Hawks seem to have found an extra gear the past four games, all wins. More impressively, it looks as if this surprising season fueled by young talent has brought back pride to Chicago hockey fans. Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Predators saw the biggest crowd at the United Center this year, with more then 20,500 in attendance.
I attended Sunday’s game against the Oilers, and must say it was one of the best atmospheres I have experienced at a sporting event. With more then 20,000 in attendance, the Hawks came from behind to steal a 3-2 victory. The game featured two fights, and an exhilarating final sequence where Nikolai Khabibulin faced an avalanche of shots, and turned them all away.
With teenagers Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews leading the way, and getting loads of national media attention, the Hawks find themselves just one point out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. If they can sneak into the playoffs, the Hawks could be dangerous. They have already proven they can play with elite teams, handing the rival Red Wings four of their seven loses this season.
The Hawks are at home this Sunday against the Los Angles Kings before heading on a three game West Coast road trip. If you can make it out to the game, I would highly recommend it. They are clearly the most competent team playing at the United Center this year.
I havent seen a hawks Jersey...since I gave my Sega Genisis to charity!
Ricky, do you sleep?
So........many..........words.........
Ricky responds: Only 275! Come on, you guys can handle that. And yes I sleep, generally until 1 p.m. since I'm on X-mas break.
Yeah I have been watching their progress ever since Rocky Wirtz went on ESPN. I have been watching to see who is going to have the most fans at the United Center. Hawks are an example and what is supposed to happen when you continously provide a inferior product. I am happy to see them rise like a phoenix. Only because scrooge is no longer controlling the franchise. I am not even a hockey fan, but even I know who Buflin, Toews, Kane and Khabibulin are. I don't like that logo though. They should put a two birds on their jersey (hawks). Its wrong to use the indians like that.
I'm gonna give Steve Wisniewski props again for that fight at the end of the Predators game...the timing was perfect on so many levels
Even if you don't like Hockey...you'll like this team
They're really freaking good...really freaking young...and don't take crap from anybody...
and Yes..there is no doubt who deserves your hard earned money more at the U.C.
It's not even close
Oh......is it hockey season? Judging from the amount of posts you've had in the last 9 hours on the subject, it appears that nobody else knows it's hockey season, either, or more appropriately, they just don't care. Zzzzzzzzz.
It's been a long wait, and there's no 2008 Stanley Cup that likely will be sipped from, but the Blackhawks are DEFINITELY back on the map.
The current Hawks have a bonafide "buzz" about them, and the true diehard fans of the electric Chicago Staduim days are more "plugged" into this team than at any time in the last 15 years.
As the regular season continues, albeit too long, the attendance at the United Center will continue to go UP, and the games will have the true intensity that's been missing for years.
As a diehard Blackhawks fan, like the real thousands that are out there, I can hear AND feel the rumblings going on at 1801 West Madison Street!
Burt Groner
Las Vegas, Nv.
burtgroner@hotmail.com
I wonder if the Bulls realize that they are dangeroulsy close (ok, maybe a few years away) to being overtaken by the Hawks in popularity. Think about it, they Hawks have:
- young TALENT...actual talent!!!
- an exciting team to watch (vs. the Bulls and the NBA which is pretty much unwatchable....hey, watch me take 4 steps on my way to the basket!)
- within 2 years, I predict they will have as many Hawk games on TV as the Bulls
- not an ounce of entitlement from these players
- a coach the players respect, and actually want to work hard for
- none of them as of yet has turned down a multi-year, multi-$M contract which they didn't deserve
- nobody on the roster who still has 3 years to go on a contract which is paying them $12M too much per year
- 18 years old on the team with more maturity than 25 year olds on the Bulls who prefer the bars before a playoff game
GO HAWKS
Its still a less interesting sport with too many offside/icing penalties.
RICKY IS NOT POSTING MY POSTS.
SCREW THIS
IM BACK ON VACATION
Ricky responds: what?
ooops..sorry..i saw it now...ok...im back!
you are being a bit selective though...
so....
when is roman coming back anyways...?
Ricky responds: What do you mean man, I've posted everything you have written so far.
KLS..I look at that logo as not only the best in the NHL..but a tribute to Native Americans...
Most Native Americans I partied with in AZ were Redskins fans...oooh, go figure...and I don't blame 'em...I probably would be too if their shoes were mine
Anyways...the NBA is a joke...too many teams...talent diluted...It's a shame...take it from a Hoosier..I should know, ya think?
I'm not even a Hockey fan...but I know the difference between effort and phoning it in...
It's obvious Hockey players love their sport...the NBA? LOL...their games should be 5 minutes long...gutless punks
Larry Legend and Magic are sorely missed...
Entitlement is a good word right about now concerning the NBA...
The NHL is way more exciting...way more effort...way more talent
Saddens me to say it...truth hurts, I guess
Go watch the Blackhawks, people...award effort
Well...I originally posted "Ricky are you in Richmond too?" when you first took over, but obviously you didn't get it..cause you didn't post it. However, now I am sticking up for you:
Give Ricky a break, he has a lot of good things to say. It could be worse, we could have Ed using his 12 step program to assess everything in Chicago sports. Thank goodness we don't.
Also, Ricky's longer topics seem to keep Bculz away..until recently.
Now back to the topic. I used to be a huge Blackhawks fan...in the 80's and 90's(season tickets/jerseys..the whole nine yards). However,now I couldn't even name one player on the team...am I a bad fan? To be honest, I don't think I would ever be interested in them anymore...even if they won the Stanley cup. They are to me now, what the WhiteSox are to Chicago. Insignificant.
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnnermannnnn great saave!
December 21, 2007
Merry Christmas, see you in a week
All right, boys and girls, I'm taking some time off and will be turning the blog over to the capable hands of one Ricky O'Donell.
Continue reading "Merry Christmas, see you in a week" »
Posted by Roman Modrowski at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
A BIG FAT BTW
shouldn't you have been back today Mr. Modrowski? I guess since there is nothing exciting going on, enjoy your extra day or so...but don't come back talking about that WCW crap...or whatever it is. I'll go out and make a Cubs or Bears headline to keep you from talking about that. Just let me know whenever you got the urge....and I'll be the crazy dude from Wisconsin causing Lance Briggs fancy pants automobile to crash. Wait, did I do that already? Nevermind....something new this way comes.
I am wrong..you have posted my stuff...I guess I just have a harder time finding my posts after my EYEBALLS BURN OUT from all the reading I have to do.
Ricky responds: Hey buddy, you want some cheese with that whine?
"Its still a less interesting sport with too many offside/icing penalties."
maybe true but at least the league isn't filled with a bunch of malcontents who can pout their way out of town but turning the ball over on purpose, refusing to go back into the game, or making up reasons not to return to the team.
NBA...it's FANtastic...if you like sociopaths!
OMG, Culzie - you better have a great comeback for that! Cheese with that whine? Oy. In a completely unrelated matter, anyone know when Roman is returning?
"Its still a less interesting sport with too many offside/icing penalties."
As compared to what more interesting sport? Basketball, where the last 5 minutes of a game lasts almost half an hour? Or football, where 15 seconds of action (at the most) is followed by 35 seconds of standing around talking? Or baseball perhaps (won't even bother with that)? Not soccer, that '90 minutes with no scoring even though that net is a lot larger than in hockey' sport. It may not be perfect, but it's a great game if you can try to focus on it for more than a minute at a time.
You can't possibly compare the level of play in the NBA vs. the NHL. The NBA play has deteriorated and the refereeing has compensated for it. I saw Lebron the other night literally take 4 steps on his way to the basket.
The NBA is the only major sport which has kids with no fundamentals play along side adults. This shows and makes this sport completely unwatchable.
I agree with the statement above...within 2 years, we will go back to the early 80s when the Hawks dwarfed the Bulls in coverage and attention in this city.
I am just now reading this...funny...but I didnt really check the BlackHawk thread much..so it was lost on me.
The Hawks are not back but they are getting close. They still need another skilled Left and Right Winger. They also need a skilled guy on the point during the Power Play.
Adam Burish, Craig Adams and the other grinders are not skilled enough! Martin Havlat! I have never been a big fan of. He is always hurt and he also decides when he wants to play.
Trade Nicky K and Havlat. Toews and Kane are keepers and will be the face of the franchise and that is if after 5 years the Hawks decide to pay them.
Play Lalime and bring up Crawford. Trade Nicky K and whatever it takes to get Martin St Louis and Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay.
The Hawks are not back but they are getting close. They still need another skilled Left and Right Winger. They also need a skilled guy on the point during the Power Play.
Adam Burish, Craig Adams and the other grinders are not skilled enough! Martin Havlat! I have never been a big fan of. He is always hurt and he also decides when he wants to play.
Trade Nicky K and Havlat. Toews and Kane are keepers and will be the face of the franchise and that is if after 5 years the Hawks decide to pay them.
Play Lalime and bring up Crawford. Trade Nicky K and whatever it takes to get Martin St Louis and Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay.