Since I have nothing better to do, I decided to come up with a quiz to see how much you might know about the Blackhawks. Most of these answers, I knew beforehand but had to do some fact-checking just to make sure. I came up with this just now: eight Blackhawks questions for you fans and "fans" to answer. Feel free to provide answers in the comments, on the Facebook page or on Twitter.
And no Googling.
1. How many Stanley Cups have the Blackhawks won since becoming an NHL franchise?
a) 2
b) 4
c) 5
d) 8
e) all of them
2. Before 2010, when was the last time the Blackhawks won the Cup?
a) they never did
b) 1992
c) 1961
d) 1932
e) trick question, hockey was invented in 2010
3. Who is the all-time leader in goals in Blackhawks history?
a) Jeremy Roenick
b) Bobby Hull
c) Stan Mikita
d) Patrick Kane
e) seriously, who are a, b, & c; it has to be d, right?
4. Who is the captain on the Blackhawks?
a) Jonathan Toews
b) Patrick Kane
c) Joel Quenneville
d) Dustin Byff.....Buff-something
e) Captain Planet
5. Who was the owner who kept the Blackhawks home games off of television up until his death in 2007?
a) Jerry Reinsdorf
b) Bill Wirtz
c) Rocky Wirtz
d) Frederic McLaughlin
e) Their games have always been on TV, duh
6. What event in American history was taking place when Chicago hockey received national attention for their loud rendition of the National Anthem while hosting an All-Star Game?
a) World War II
b) Vietnam
c) Gulf War
d) 9/11
e) The release of Chelsea Dagger
7. What team was the last team to beat the Blackhawks in a Stanley Cup?
a) Philadelphia Flyers
b) Pittsburgh Penguins
c) Montreal Canadiens
d) Toronto Maple Leafs
e) They've never lost a Cup
8. Which of these teams is not among the Original Six teams?
a) Montreal Canadiens
b) Detroit Red Wings
c) Boston Bruins
d) Minnesota Wild
e) Chicago Blackhawks
Grading scale:
7-8 - Three stars (First-line fan that knows their stuff)
5-6 - Two stars (Second-line fan - good Blackhawks knowledge)
3-4 - One star (Third-line fan - sharpen up those skates)
0-2 - No stars (Full-fledged wagoner)
(Note: if you answered e) for any of these questions, you fail automatically. You get zero points, and may God have mercy on your soul)
6/25/2013
Time of Your Life...Me? Ehhh, Not So Much: The Contrast of Emotions While Watching the Hawks Win the Cup
It's a surreal experience. Everyone around you - all your friends having the time of their life, the best day of their year. Within a couple minute span in real time, Blackhawks fans went from pondering their Game 7 plans to figuring out who they are going to the parade with on Wednesday.
It's awesome to see all these happy faces. And yet, at the same time, you can't fully enjoy the moment. Not when you've had one of the shittiest days of your year.
It didn't start shitty, and by no means did I plan on having it end shitty. But the news I received mid-afternoon, that I swore to keep to myself as long as I could to risk changing the mood around me, could only be buried under so much cheap beer (22 oz cups my ass).
After surviving cuts at work at the end of April, I thought I might be in the clear for a little while. A little while turned out to be a couple months. I received "The Call" about my job being no longer once July 5th reaches its end. At this point, unless I am able to find a job, I will be without work.
I leave with no ill feelings - in fact, I still love the company and love the people that I worked with for my entire 35 months there. At this point in my life, it has been the best company I've worked for in my brief professional career.
Going back to Monday...I debated whether I was going to meet up with Jen's co-workers as planned for the game or if I was going to lay back and likely sulk/drown my sorrows with Summer Shandys. I flipped a few times (nah, the walk there ain't worth it >>> don't let this stuff bring you down, go out >>> you just bought beer, stay home >>> how often do you get to go out with people during the week?)
So yeah, I went out. And I'm glad I did, despite the microburst that hit right before I reached the bar. I had to run the last mile of the planned walk in my flip flops due to the pending storms, with the last couple blocks being completely aided by the unreal winds and storm that I had no idea were coming.
I spent the entire time at the West End (blocks away from the United Center) standing up, taking different shifts at the TVs that surrounded me. I shared my sob story with one other friend before the game (thanks Ruthie), but otherwise kept it to myself as to avoid ruining the mood. I didn't sob, but call it a sob story for the simple fact that it sure as hell ain't a laugh story.
Several people in the group saw my empty stare towards the end of the game, at which point I could no longer really hide the weight of my day. Once the game ended and there was plenty of time to celebrate, I told a few of them what happened. I appreciated their well wishes, as I did with the initial wave of people that I told earlier in the evening before going to the bar.
The striking moods - about as 180 degrees as there could be between a person and a group of people - was present in my mind most of the night, especially as the spurt of goals led to a sudden Stanley Cup win for the Blackhawks. It was fantastic seeing the people who I've known a short while and suspect very little to be bandwagoners to have such joy on their faces. A fan's sports team winning a championship never gets old, even if it's the second time in four years, so to see that joy is fun to see.
On the other side, there's this bum of a guy who just got some bad news, trying to enjoy the moment of his friends while burying the bone of the bad. If anyone has been in a situation like this, where you've tried to keep a happy face on a great situation with a group of people around you while masking something that pains you, I'm sure you know my ordeal.
Life goes on - I'll get on my feet quick. I have the right attitude and will get through this situation just fine.
For that hour or so at the bar, the contrast of my friends' euphoria and my brief realization of my fate (which hit just as the game was winding down) was quite the mental spectacle.
Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone around me for your future help (and current help).
It's awesome to see all these happy faces. And yet, at the same time, you can't fully enjoy the moment. Not when you've had one of the shittiest days of your year.
It didn't start shitty, and by no means did I plan on having it end shitty. But the news I received mid-afternoon, that I swore to keep to myself as long as I could to risk changing the mood around me, could only be buried under so much cheap beer (22 oz cups my ass).
After surviving cuts at work at the end of April, I thought I might be in the clear for a little while. A little while turned out to be a couple months. I received "The Call" about my job being no longer once July 5th reaches its end. At this point, unless I am able to find a job, I will be without work.
I leave with no ill feelings - in fact, I still love the company and love the people that I worked with for my entire 35 months there. At this point in my life, it has been the best company I've worked for in my brief professional career.
Going back to Monday...I debated whether I was going to meet up with Jen's co-workers as planned for the game or if I was going to lay back and likely sulk/drown my sorrows with Summer Shandys. I flipped a few times (nah, the walk there ain't worth it >>> don't let this stuff bring you down, go out >>> you just bought beer, stay home >>> how often do you get to go out with people during the week?)
So yeah, I went out. And I'm glad I did, despite the microburst that hit right before I reached the bar. I had to run the last mile of the planned walk in my flip flops due to the pending storms, with the last couple blocks being completely aided by the unreal winds and storm that I had no idea were coming.
I spent the entire time at the West End (blocks away from the United Center) standing up, taking different shifts at the TVs that surrounded me. I shared my sob story with one other friend before the game (thanks Ruthie), but otherwise kept it to myself as to avoid ruining the mood. I didn't sob, but call it a sob story for the simple fact that it sure as hell ain't a laugh story.
Several people in the group saw my empty stare towards the end of the game, at which point I could no longer really hide the weight of my day. Once the game ended and there was plenty of time to celebrate, I told a few of them what happened. I appreciated their well wishes, as I did with the initial wave of people that I told earlier in the evening before going to the bar.
The striking moods - about as 180 degrees as there could be between a person and a group of people - was present in my mind most of the night, especially as the spurt of goals led to a sudden Stanley Cup win for the Blackhawks. It was fantastic seeing the people who I've known a short while and suspect very little to be bandwagoners to have such joy on their faces. A fan's sports team winning a championship never gets old, even if it's the second time in four years, so to see that joy is fun to see.
On the other side, there's this bum of a guy who just got some bad news, trying to enjoy the moment of his friends while burying the bone of the bad. If anyone has been in a situation like this, where you've tried to keep a happy face on a great situation with a group of people around you while masking something that pains you, I'm sure you know my ordeal.
Life goes on - I'll get on my feet quick. I have the right attitude and will get through this situation just fine.
For that hour or so at the bar, the contrast of my friends' euphoria and my brief realization of my fate (which hit just as the game was winding down) was quite the mental spectacle.
Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone around me for your future help (and current help).
6/21/2013
Son of a South Beach: The Development of the Hate for Lebron & Lebron/MJ Myths Dispelled
It's quite the feeling to root for a player that your entire social network hates, aside from a few people. But that's the feeling I had as I watched the NBA Finals the past couple years. The Heat defended their NBA crown Thursday night by winning a thrilling seven-game series against the San Antonio Spurs, their toughest opponent in the past two years.
All the while, every move, every breath, every bowel movement taken by Lebron James was analyzed by everyone. The media who need something to write about. The fans who hate him for one reason or another. About 99 percent of my Facebook/Twitter peeps were rooting against him and/or the Heat.
Why the Hate?
They cite many reasons for their hate. Let's start from the beginning:
1. The Decision - Lebron teasing what team he was going to led ESPN to help create a prime-time special that was as highly watched as a non-sporting sports event could be. Jim Gray asked Lebron a bunch of nonsense questions before King James announced that he was taking his talents to South Beach. And with that statement, he drew the ire of basically every fan base but the Miami Heat. I'm not so convinced that Bulls fans would have a different perspective of this event had he said he was joining the Bulls, who would likely be hoisting their second title in third years if he joined them.
The glitz and glamour of the Decision aside, what no one mentions is the amount of money Lebron raised for charity through this event: $2M for the Boys & Girls Club. A friend of mine says Lebron could have donated his own money, but that's $2M more than most of us have donated to that. A charitable act like that is still a charitable act.
The glitz and glamour of the Decision aside, what no one mentions is the amount of money Lebron raised for charity through this event: $2M for the Boys & Girls Club. A friend of mine says Lebron could have donated his own money, but that's $2M more than most of us have donated to that. A charitable act like that is still a charitable act.
2. Championship Guarantees - Not even a day later, Lebron made the famous "not 5, not 6, not 7..." championship guarantee. This was preceded by a celebration of Wade, Bosh and James joining forces that resembled a wrestling event more than an NBA team coming together in July. This brash prediction seemed a bit much and only added more fuel to the fire to the bandwagon haters (yes, anyone that has hated the Heat since 2011 is a bandwagon hater). I didn't care for this prediction either way - this definitely added to the hate.
3. Bulls/Heat - Eastern Conference Finals - This is when I saw the hate first-hand as I lived in the Chicago burb of Oak Forest at the time and realized how bad it would be for the future. I went out to my local bar for the first game, a game in which the Bulls romped the Heat and led to extreme overconfidence with many of my friends (you know who you are). The next four games were won by the Heat. I went out for a couple more games for the series, including the clincher in which the Heat came back from double digits down in the last half of the fourth quarter to take the Eastern Conference crown. All the while, cries of the refs favoring the Heat were seen all over. Only the true fan boys blame the refs for losses - as every team gets calls here and there that are ignored when they benefit their team but stressed when they don't.
4. Mavs beat Heat - I was in Vegas for several of the 2011 NBA Finals games (random fact, I can remember starting my Twitter account during this series). The most interesting thing about following the series was how many people all of a sudden treated a Heat loss as if the Bulls were the ones who beat them. Nope - it was the Mavs, led by an unconscious Dirk Nowitzki, the man who was truly destined for the title in this particular year. As Game 6 closed, many Bulls fans celebrated the Mavs victory as if it was their own, which puzzled me.
5. The Crowning A Year Later - In the 2011-12 Finals, the Thunder won game one on their home court but failed to win another game (just like the Bulls). The rest of the series was owned by the Heat, including a title-clinching romp. I don't recall anyone outside of me in my friend base that was happy that this Lebron title-less story was over and done with.
There's probably a few things in between that I'm missing, but you get the point/timeline.
The Jordan Rules: Unraveling the Myth
Now, a year later, the Heat add a title to their resume and people hate the Heat more than ever. Which brings me to my next topic, a topic that I swore I'd never address again as recently as last year when comparisons between Jordan and Kobe were made constantly.
Last year, now that Lebron had a title under his belt, the topic of Michael Jordan was brought up as a comparison point as to who whether Lebron is better than him.
Let me tell you how ridiculous the comparison is:
(1) We're comparing how Lebron is now to how Jordan finished, not where Jordan was at this point in his career. Lebron has just completed his 10th NBA season and won his second title. Jordan had three titles after 10 seasons. While Jordan was 32 entering his 11th season and on the precipice of winning the last three of his titles, Lebron will still be under 30 and has a chance to win as many as Jordan did. But is that really the argument? If he wins as many or more titles than Jordan, would Jordan fans really concede that Lebron is better? By the time Lebron turns 34, he may have as many titles as Jordan.
(2) No matter the titles, Jordan fans will say that MJ > Lebron...but then why does it always come up as an argument point - that MJ has more titles than Lebron? The total titles is just an excuse. Lebron could win 8 and it wouldn't matter with many fans - Jordan would be better.
(3) Jordan didn't need to join forces with a team. This argument makes me laugh the most. The myth of Jordan, as everyone has built, states that Jordan would have never joined forces with other superstars (a la James) to win a title.
Do you know the players that were drafted or acquired by the Bulls in the Jordan years (the pre-title years and the second title runs included)? Here are the best ones (there were some duds in between, but enough hits to help Jordan)
- 1987 - Horace Grant drafted, Scottie Pippen acquired in the draft. The Pippen trade might be the biggest fleecing in an NBA trade in our lifetimes (traded for Olden Polynice). Grant was a starter on the first three title teams.
- 1989 - Another starter for the championships was drafted: B.J. Armstrong. Not a superstar, but a sufficient player that helped Jordan.
- 1990 - Toni Kukoc, a key contributor to the second set of titles
- 1995 - Dennis Rodman acquired in a trade for Will Purdue
In the entire title run, there wasn't a time where Jordan was playing without at least one Hall of Famer. 1991 through 1993, he had Pippen; 1996-98 he had Pippen and Rodman.
Now....do you know the best signings and draft picks the Cavaliers made since James was drafted there in 2003?
The best player to be drafted by the Cavs between James and 2010? That's a tough call. Do you go Daniel Gibson (7.8 points/game for his career), who is best known by his feminine "Boobie"? Or is it J.J. Hickson? What I was totally unaware of before looking at this draft list was that the Cavs drafted the newly-famous Danny Green, who was only with them for 2009-10 and played sparingly, going to the Spurs the next year.
Free agent/trade-wise, James played with some stars who were waaaaaay past their primes. Ben Wallace & Shaq were among the stars who had faded long before they joined forces with a young Lebron. Mo Williams was about as prime of a star as Lebron had in his time in Cleveland.
If Lebron wanted to win a title, he had no choice but to join forces with other superstars - no superstars were going to the Cavaliers, and they certainly were drafting anyone that helped Lebron in the slightest. NBA history has shown that you need Hall of Famers around you to win titles. Lebron wasn't going to win it with this consistent rag-tag bunch of misfits. Yes, there were years of getting the 1 or 2 seed, but that was a testament to how great Lebron was and had little to do with the players around him.
Now you're telling me that Jordan wouldn't have left the Bulls if he was in the same situation - terrible talent evaluation and free agent acquisitions - with his drive to win and further market his Jordan brand? Jordan may say he would have never left, that he would have never wanted to play with the guys who he competed against, but that's only with the benefit of hindsight - he would have left in a heartbeat if he didn't think Pippen and company could help win him a title (and let's not forget that guy Phil too). If the roles were reversed, James would have never had to leave his original team, as he would have had a competent front office that made moves to help surround him with the parts necessary to win a title. And yes, I believe Jordan would have left the Bulls if Jerry Krause was unable to put the necessary players (including a Hall of Famer in Pippen) in place.
Haters Gonna Hate
The one thing I have learned to accept for the most part is that most people I'm close to will never appreciate Lebron as much as they should, for many of the reasons mentioned above. The arguments of hating him get tiresome - if you want to hate him for his whining and flopping, I'm way more ok with that than any other reason mentioned above (he has no reason to complain or flop).
But if you're going to hate him for a Decision, surely not Lebron's finest hour, 60 minutes erred in judgment (you've never had a Decision or erred in judgment like that, Yeah...), which mind you, helped donate $2M in charity, get over it. It happened three years ago.
The best part of being freed from the Lebron/Heat hate that people around me have is that I've been able to enjoy the best NBA player do his thing without wasting energy to hate something/someone. Why can't we just enjoy things these days, enjoy immense talents like Lebron, a once-in-a-lifetime talent, without having an element of hate?
Have fun wasting your energy with hate. I'll continue to enjoy one of the best ever without all of the stress and hate that accompanies your viewing of Lebron and the Heat.
(If you've read this far, I should note that I'm not a Heat fan, but a fan of Lebron - but I guess you'll associate it all the same, so no worry).
6/19/2013
Game 6-cess: The Greatest Non-Bulls NBA Game I've Ever Watched
So much happened in that Game 6 comeback win for the Miami Heat that I'm not even sure where to start, so I suppose I'll start from the most logical spot: the beginning...
Before getting into my analysis, for full disclosure, I had the following bets: Under 95.5 for the first half; Under 191.5 for the game; Under 184.5 for the game at 2/1 odds & Lebron scoring over 28 points
1st quarter - Father Time has been kind to the Spurs nucleus of Parker, Duncan & Ginobili, and was especially kind to the Big Fundamental in the first half. Duncan started the game as if he chugged from the fountain of youth, netting 12 of his 25 first half points in the quarter. Meanwhile, Lebron started out slow, deferring quite a bit to his teammates - Chalmers led the Heat w/ 10 points in the first quarter. Miami carried a two point lead into the second quarter.
2nd quarter - Still waiting for Lebron to take over some of the scoring load, but he was never able to get going. Boris Diaw - a man who couldn't even crack the Bobcats' starting lineup a couple years ago - was a thorn in the King's side. Meanwhile, Duncan continued to dominate as the Spurs carried a 50-44 lead into the half thanks to an 11-2 run to end the quarter.
At this point, I was starting to doubt the Miami Heat's chances. I was thinking they would need to have a Game 2/4 effort to have a chance.
3rd quarter - Lebron still being held in check, but the Heat are able to chip the lead down to 1 within the first 5:30 of the half. Then, the Spurs had a run that made just about everyone think that we were about to see Duncan get a ring where he could high-five Kobe with a hand-full of rings. A 14-2 run gave the Spurs some separation as they took a 75-65 lead heading into what most people thought would be the final NBA quarter of the 2012/13 season.
4th quarter - A quick 8-2 run less than two minutes into the final quarter gets Miami back in it, and no shock - Lebron had his hands on all three shots made (2 points, 2 assists). Before you knew it, Miami was able to grab the lead just as quickly as it took the Spurs to build it - a Ray Allen lay-up with just over six minutes left gave the Heat their first lead since the latter half of the second quarter.
But then, just as Lebron was dominating the fourth quarter to quiet all of his critics (7-for-10, 16 points in the quarter), a couple of ugly possessions involving Lebron (including what looked to be a lob that someone didn't read) threatened to end the Heat's chances of repeating as the Spurs went from three down to up five in a 90 second sequence.
Lebron somewhat made up for his errors on previous possessions by burying a three after Mike Miller grabbed LBJ's initial long-ball miss moments before. Down 2, they were fortunate that Kawhi Leonard split his free throws, setting up the drama of Ray Allen using the cold blood in his veins to nail a three to tie the game with five seconds left, which forced overtime.
In the overtime period, the teams exchanged baskets before the Heat took the lead for good with less than two minutes to go. After Ray Allen hit a pair of free throws, a Danny Green three was blocked by Chris Bosh (his second block of the overtime) to end the game.
Best Game Since the 1998 Finals
After reflecting, I still say this game holds up as the best game I've watched since Jordan ended his Bulls career and sixth title run with a Game 6 win over the Jazz.
The game had everything you'd want in an all-time game:
Before getting into my analysis, for full disclosure, I had the following bets: Under 95.5 for the first half; Under 191.5 for the game; Under 184.5 for the game at 2/1 odds & Lebron scoring over 28 points
1st quarter - Father Time has been kind to the Spurs nucleus of Parker, Duncan & Ginobili, and was especially kind to the Big Fundamental in the first half. Duncan started the game as if he chugged from the fountain of youth, netting 12 of his 25 first half points in the quarter. Meanwhile, Lebron started out slow, deferring quite a bit to his teammates - Chalmers led the Heat w/ 10 points in the first quarter. Miami carried a two point lead into the second quarter.
2nd quarter - Still waiting for Lebron to take over some of the scoring load, but he was never able to get going. Boris Diaw - a man who couldn't even crack the Bobcats' starting lineup a couple years ago - was a thorn in the King's side. Meanwhile, Duncan continued to dominate as the Spurs carried a 50-44 lead into the half thanks to an 11-2 run to end the quarter.
At this point, I was starting to doubt the Miami Heat's chances. I was thinking they would need to have a Game 2/4 effort to have a chance.
3rd quarter - Lebron still being held in check, but the Heat are able to chip the lead down to 1 within the first 5:30 of the half. Then, the Spurs had a run that made just about everyone think that we were about to see Duncan get a ring where he could high-five Kobe with a hand-full of rings. A 14-2 run gave the Spurs some separation as they took a 75-65 lead heading into what most people thought would be the final NBA quarter of the 2012/13 season.
4th quarter - A quick 8-2 run less than two minutes into the final quarter gets Miami back in it, and no shock - Lebron had his hands on all three shots made (2 points, 2 assists). Before you knew it, Miami was able to grab the lead just as quickly as it took the Spurs to build it - a Ray Allen lay-up with just over six minutes left gave the Heat their first lead since the latter half of the second quarter.
But then, just as Lebron was dominating the fourth quarter to quiet all of his critics (7-for-10, 16 points in the quarter), a couple of ugly possessions involving Lebron (including what looked to be a lob that someone didn't read) threatened to end the Heat's chances of repeating as the Spurs went from three down to up five in a 90 second sequence.
Lebron somewhat made up for his errors on previous possessions by burying a three after Mike Miller grabbed LBJ's initial long-ball miss moments before. Down 2, they were fortunate that Kawhi Leonard split his free throws, setting up the drama of Ray Allen using the cold blood in his veins to nail a three to tie the game with five seconds left, which forced overtime.
In the overtime period, the teams exchanged baskets before the Heat took the lead for good with less than two minutes to go. After Ray Allen hit a pair of free throws, a Danny Green three was blocked by Chris Bosh (his second block of the overtime) to end the game.
Best Game Since the 1998 Finals
After reflecting, I still say this game holds up as the best game I've watched since Jordan ended his Bulls career and sixth title run with a Game 6 win over the Jazz.
The game had everything you'd want in an all-time game:
- One last moment to remember Tim Duncan by. No matter what he did in the second half, his 25 first half points were more than he scored in any Finals game in the series before this. (By the way, just realized that Duncan's career started when I was a freshman in high school). A loottttttt has changed since then, but Duncan being a beast has not changed.
- A game that had more runs than the aftermath of a chili cook-off. It was impossible to figure out when one run was about to end to give way for another to start.
- A Joey Crawford-reffed game that had little-to-no major sightings from the controversial referee, whose appearance on a court is usually greeted with groans of game-fixing and disillusionment from some of the outlandish calls he has been known to make.
- A Hall-of-Fame player playing like a Hall-of-Famer when it mattered. Lebron took ownership of the fourth quarter, which was nearly forgotten in a two-possession sequence that threatened the Heat's repeat chances. (The one thing I hated about Lebron was what the common complaint against him has been - complaining about calls. It wasn't the complaining that bothered me as much as his lack of effort in getting back to the defensive end. There's no excuse for that, especially in the Heat's most important game of the season - and arguably the most important game in the team's short-term history)
- Another Hall of Famer, doing what he does best. Ray Allen's three in the corner with five seconds left tied the game at 95 to force overtime and essentially ended my chance of winning my under bet on the game. Due to the significance of the moment, I didn't care the slightest in my bet losing there. I jumped off of my living room couch, scaring one of the cats and probably Jen in the bedroom as she watched one of her reality shows.
I don't know what will happen in Game 7. I think the Heat will win, if only because this loss for the Spurs reminds me of the 2011 Texas Rangers, who had a World Series title at their fingertips, a strike away several times before the Cardinals and David Freese took the moment away from them.
The Spurs seem like too good of a team to have this game mentally affect them going into Game 7. In the back of their minds, they have to know that this is one of the (if not the) last times they will have a chance to win a title together again. I think Pop will have them ready to play, but I'm not sure that will be enough. Losing will not spoil their dynasty in my eyes (4 titles since 1999 is nothing to sneeze at).
The Hated King
I am anticipating a legendary Lebron Game 7 performance that will likely get ignored by many people who hate Lebron - which seems to be everyone in Chicago but me. I'm not sure if people are still mad at Lebron for how he handled The Decision, if it's because Lebron's Heat have eliminated the Bulls in two of the last three postseasons, if it's Bulls fans that still have a hard-on for MJ and need to compare him to Lebron and his lack of rings every chance they get, or if it's just Lebron's flopping personality (every team, even the Bulls, has someone who whines about fouls - but yeah, I get that Lebron doesn't need to do it). The last part would be the most acceptable reason in my eyes, although it still doesn't mean you can't appreciate greatness when you see it as a fan of a sport.
Whatever happens in Game 7, I find it hard to believe that it will match the overall intensity, desperation and stars maximizing their star power that Game 6 had.
6/15/2013
Warrior Dash/St. Jude Donation Update - Thank You All
To all of those who have donated towards my Warrior Dash run for St. Jude tomorrow, for those who have been an inspiration in my second round of weight loss, and for my great network of family and friends, I want to say thank you.
With a couple more donations yesterday, I have been able to reach over my $1000 goal, which I raised from my initial $500 back in April. The initial donations I received from all of you was overwhelming and has inspired me to keep going for higher goals (both for donations and for my fitness level).
Inspirations/Dedications
Here are but a few of the people I have in mind when it comes to this race and the donation efforts:
I was going to wait till race day to show this picture to the world, but I figured I'd show you what I'm wearing for the race. I was looking to get a California Raisins shirt to wear in honor of Marilyn (I believe that was a favorite of hers), but instead I got a D.A.R.E. shirt and a headband in the colors of the 80s. The great thing about this race is that people dress up even more than this, so I will look like a businessman in this outfit compared to some of the other costumes.
I will keep you all updated on how this race goes. Unlike the 5K I completed at the beginning of the month, I have no goal for time. I'd expect somewhere in the 32-33 minute range, but again, time is not of the essence in this one.
Last-Minute Donations
If you'd like to make a last-minute donation (June 15th) to provide a little more money to St. Jude than my network already has, follow this link and donate what you can:
https://waystohelp.stjude.org/sjVPortal/public/displayUserPage.do?programId=2252&userId=964629&eventId=333033
Again, I appreciate all of your donation efforts and sharing of my St. Jude page to get even more donations. It means a lot to me, my family, and most importantly, the kids of St. Jude.
With a couple more donations yesterday, I have been able to reach over my $1000 goal, which I raised from my initial $500 back in April. The initial donations I received from all of you was overwhelming and has inspired me to keep going for higher goals (both for donations and for my fitness level).
Inspirations/Dedications
 |
| My Bohawk, in honor of my cousin Marilyn |
- For my cousin Marilyn who passed away in 1989 after developing a brain tumor as a child, but I know is with us in spirit. From this donation process and dedication, I have learned that people live as long as you keep their story alive.
- For my brother, who as a kid was slowed down only by the leg braces which remained between his legs for years.
- For my friend Jim, who was just medically cleared of the colon cancer that he found out he had last summer. He is the ringleader of the crew of people racing on Sunday, otherwise known as Team Carter.
- For my cousin Kyle, who is currently going through chemo for a brain tumor. His battle is far from over, but he is doing as well as he can, thanks to a strong spirit and a great support network.
There may be a few others I'm missing, and I apologize for this. Some of you may have donated money to this cause with someone else in mind, and I'll gladly dedicate the 3.1 miles to them as well.
What is the Warrior Dash?
Speaking of the race, for those not familiar with the Warrior Dash, you'd probably be interested to see some of what the race has to offer. Take a look at some of the obstacles on the course: http://www.warriordash.com/obstacles.php
When I did this three years ago, I was actually most worried about the Cargo Climb and getting stuck in the rope. And I almost lost a shoe in the Muddy Mayhem portion of the race. If I'm not mistaken, the race ended with the Warrior Roast. It looks more intimidating and dangerous on the webpage than it actually is.
This isn't a race about time for me, but for enjoyment. I will likely walk very small portions of this race to regain energy, as this isn't your typical 5K. They will have times for the race, but I couldn't care less.
 |
| Sadly, I won't stand out too much in this at the Dash |
I will keep you all updated on how this race goes. Unlike the 5K I completed at the beginning of the month, I have no goal for time. I'd expect somewhere in the 32-33 minute range, but again, time is not of the essence in this one.
Last-Minute Donations
If you'd like to make a last-minute donation (June 15th) to provide a little more money to St. Jude than my network already has, follow this link and donate what you can:
https://waystohelp.stjude.org/sjVPortal/public/displayUserPage.do?programId=2252&userId=964629&eventId=333033
Again, I appreciate all of your donation efforts and sharing of my St. Jude page to get even more donations. It means a lot to me, my family, and most importantly, the kids of St. Jude.
6/10/2013
B-Bo's 2013 (Way Way Too Early) NFL Preview
Every year, it seems like this blog comes earlier and earlier in the summer. And this year, it's technically before the Summer Solstice.
Why, it's the initial B-Bo Knows NFL preview blog, sponsored by (insert your company name here, I'm talking to you Cialis).
Initial thoughts of NFL entering this year...I may change this before the season, depending on injuries, etc.:
1. New Orleans - With Sean Payton returning to the helm, I expect the order to be restored in New Orleans. I'm expecting a first-round bye for the Saints and a return to the Super Bowl.
2. Carolina - Cam Newton got a lot of crap last year from the media for their poor start, but did not receive the proper credit for making the Panthers a competitive team down the stretch of 2012. I believe he will carry them into the playoffs in 2013.
3. Cleveland - While I don't believe Brandon Weeden will become a Pro-Bowl QB, I do think he will be a serviceable option for the Browns, and he has some decent skill guys around him on offense (Gordon, Little, Richardson), and what may be the quietest/best move of the offseason is Norv Turner hired as the team's offensive coordinator (dude can't coach a lick but is great as a coordinator, just like Wade Phillips). Their defense should be improved, as they focused their free agent spending and draft on that side of the ball. Call me crazy, but I think the Browns will make the playoffs this season.
4. Cincy - Andy Dalton & AJ Green are establishing a great connection, and I believe this duo will ride the other's coattails to Hawaii for Pro Bowl appearances. They added a few pieces in the draft on the offensive side, and while they didn't do much on the defensive side as far as signings go, they got James Harrison for cheap. Plus, they had a strong defensive unit to begin with.
1. Pittsburgh - I expect more regression from the Steelers before I expect a rise in wins. Big Ben seems like a 35-year old QB with all the wear-and-tear on his body. The strength of Pittsburgh is always the defense, and they were the best in terms of yards per play last year (4.6 yards/play), but it seems like most of their playmakers are on the wrong side of 30. This one is more of a hunch than anything and goes against the recent history of the Steelers.
2. Tampa Bay - I believe the NFC South will be the NFL's toughest division in 2013, so this is the main reason why I think Tampa will finish dead last and lower than their projected 7.5 wins by at least 2 games. I don't think the QB they have now (Freeman) is the answer, and while they have a Pro Bowler behind him in Doug Martin, recent trends show that running backs don't carry teams to success.
3. Indianapolis/Washington - I figured I'd liump these two together. Never before have the teams picking from #1 & #2 in the previous year's draft gone on to both make the playoffs. While I don't expect Luck & RG3 to regress too much, I do expect regression with both of their teams. The Colts were fortunate to finish 10-6 (Luck was turnover prone, they were outscored by their opponents last year). And my big question mark with the Redskins is whether RG3 is going to be rushed back too soon from his injury. I worry that the pressure that the media and fans put on Derrick Rose to return will be ten-fold for RG3, who rejuvinated a dead fanbase last year and is expected to build upon his rookie year with even higher expectations thanks to their division title.
I expect a lot of people to love both of these team's OVER total for wins, but I'm preaching the under for both teams, especially the Colts. Luck's magic down the stretch in games masked a lot of the problems that the Colts had on defense.
4. Minnesota - Another one of those cases where I think a team played over their heads and will have a regression to the mean. I'm a huge fan of All Day, but he literally carried this team to the playoffs last year. I don't think he can do it again without the help of Christian Ponder, who didn't really show himself to be much of a downfield threat. And missing Percy Harvin will not help matters.
Quick recap of my predictions by division:
Playoff teams
AFC: (1) NE 12-4; (2) Cincy 11-5; (3) Hou 11-5; (4) Den 10-6; (5) SD 9-7; (6) Cle 9-7
NFC: (1) NO 12-4; (2) SF 10-6; (3) NYG 10-6; (4) Chi 10-6; (5) Car 10-6; (6) Sea 9-7
AFC Championship Game: Cincy over Den
NFC Championship Game: NO over SF
Super Bowl: NO over Cincy
For your information, here are the totals (as of 6/10/13) for each team, according to 5dimes (I have bolded what I think will be the side that comes in). I added some comments about my thoughts for each team below:
Why, it's the initial B-Bo Knows NFL preview blog, sponsored by (insert your company name here, I'm talking to you Cialis).
Initial thoughts of NFL entering this year...I may change this before the season, depending on injuries, etc.:
Teams that I expect to exceed their projected win totals by 2+ this year:
1. New Orleans - With Sean Payton returning to the helm, I expect the order to be restored in New Orleans. I'm expecting a first-round bye for the Saints and a return to the Super Bowl.
2. Carolina - Cam Newton got a lot of crap last year from the media for their poor start, but did not receive the proper credit for making the Panthers a competitive team down the stretch of 2012. I believe he will carry them into the playoffs in 2013.
3. Cleveland - While I don't believe Brandon Weeden will become a Pro-Bowl QB, I do think he will be a serviceable option for the Browns, and he has some decent skill guys around him on offense (Gordon, Little, Richardson), and what may be the quietest/best move of the offseason is Norv Turner hired as the team's offensive coordinator (dude can't coach a lick but is great as a coordinator, just like Wade Phillips). Their defense should be improved, as they focused their free agent spending and draft on that side of the ball. Call me crazy, but I think the Browns will make the playoffs this season.
4. Cincy - Andy Dalton & AJ Green are establishing a great connection, and I believe this duo will ride the other's coattails to Hawaii for Pro Bowl appearances. They added a few pieces in the draft on the offensive side, and while they didn't do much on the defensive side as far as signings go, they got James Harrison for cheap. Plus, they had a strong defensive unit to begin with.
Teams that I expect to underachieve by at least 2 wins compared to their total:
1. Pittsburgh - I expect more regression from the Steelers before I expect a rise in wins. Big Ben seems like a 35-year old QB with all the wear-and-tear on his body. The strength of Pittsburgh is always the defense, and they were the best in terms of yards per play last year (4.6 yards/play), but it seems like most of their playmakers are on the wrong side of 30. This one is more of a hunch than anything and goes against the recent history of the Steelers.
2. Tampa Bay - I believe the NFC South will be the NFL's toughest division in 2013, so this is the main reason why I think Tampa will finish dead last and lower than their projected 7.5 wins by at least 2 games. I don't think the QB they have now (Freeman) is the answer, and while they have a Pro Bowler behind him in Doug Martin, recent trends show that running backs don't carry teams to success.
3. Indianapolis/Washington - I figured I'd liump these two together. Never before have the teams picking from #1 & #2 in the previous year's draft gone on to both make the playoffs. While I don't expect Luck & RG3 to regress too much, I do expect regression with both of their teams. The Colts were fortunate to finish 10-6 (Luck was turnover prone, they were outscored by their opponents last year). And my big question mark with the Redskins is whether RG3 is going to be rushed back too soon from his injury. I worry that the pressure that the media and fans put on Derrick Rose to return will be ten-fold for RG3, who rejuvinated a dead fanbase last year and is expected to build upon his rookie year with even higher expectations thanks to their division title.
I expect a lot of people to love both of these team's OVER total for wins, but I'm preaching the under for both teams, especially the Colts. Luck's magic down the stretch in games masked a lot of the problems that the Colts had on defense.
4. Minnesota - Another one of those cases where I think a team played over their heads and will have a regression to the mean. I'm a huge fan of All Day, but he literally carried this team to the playoffs last year. I don't think he can do it again without the help of Christian Ponder, who didn't really show himself to be much of a downfield threat. And missing Percy Harvin will not help matters.
Quick recap of my predictions by division:
| AFC | NFC |
| North | North |
| Cin 11-5 | Chi 10-6 |
| Cle 9-7 | GB 9-7 |
| Balt 7-9 | Det 9-7 |
| Pitt 6-10 | Min 5-11 |
| South | South |
| Hou 11-5 | NO 12-4 |
| Indy 7-9 | Car 10-6 |
| Ten 6-10 | Atl 9-7 |
| Jax 5-11 | TB 4-12 |
| East | East |
| NE 12-4 | NYG 10-6 |
| NYJ 7-9 | Phil 9-7 |
| Mia 7-9 | Dal 9-7 |
| Buf 5-11 | Wash 6-10 |
| West | West |
| Den 10-6 | SF 10-6 |
| SD 9-7 | Sea 9-7 |
| KC 7-9 | StL 8-8 |
| Oak 4-12 |
Ariz 4-12 |
Playoff teams
AFC: (1) NE 12-4; (2) Cincy 11-5; (3) Hou 11-5; (4) Den 10-6; (5) SD 9-7; (6) Cle 9-7
NFC: (1) NO 12-4; (2) SF 10-6; (3) NYG 10-6; (4) Chi 10-6; (5) Car 10-6; (6) Sea 9-7
AFC Championship Game: Cincy over Den
NFC Championship Game: NO over SF
Super Bowl: NO over Cincy
For your information, here are the totals (as of 6/10/13) for each team, according to 5dimes (I have bolded what I think will be the side that comes in). I added some comments about my thoughts for each team below:
| 26002 ARI regular season wins under 5½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26004 ATL regular season wins under 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26006 BAL regular season wins under 8½ - I expect regression here as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26008 BUF regular season wins under 6½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26009 CAR regular season wins over 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26024 GB regular season wins under 10½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26025 HOU regular season wins over 10½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26028 IND regular season wins under 8½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26030 JAX regular season wins under 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26032 KC regular season wins under 7½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26034 MIA regular season wins under 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26036 MIN regular season wins under 7½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26037 NE regular season wins over 11½ - new year, same Patriots | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26039 NOR regular season wins over 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26041 NYG regular season wins over 9 - back to division champs status | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26043 NYJ regular season wins over 6½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26046 OAK regular season wins under 5½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26047 PHI regular season wins over 7½ - Kelly surprises amid low expectations for the Eagles this year. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26050 PIT regular season wins under 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26051 SD regular season wins over 7½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26054 SF regular season wins under 11½ - Crabtree will be difficult loss for offense at first, especially with how Kaepernick relied on him. With tougher division/schedule, I expect 9/10 wins. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26056 SEA regular season wins under 10½ - Like Luck/RG3, I expect some regression w/ Russell Wilson. Still should contend for divison. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26057 STL regular season wins over 7½ - I liked their draft/offseason moves. Dark horse for division title, pending Bradford's development. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26060 TB regular season wins under 7½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26062 TEN regular season wins under 6½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26064 WAS regular season wins under 8 |
6/08/2013
Chicago/Boston Series A-Bruin? Wait One Win-ute
In the dozen or so predictions that people provided (including my own), not a single person predicted Boston making it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Not even my friend Tim, who is probably the biggest Boston Bruins fan that I know.
Everyone was on the nuts of the Pittsburgh Penguins to advance from the East, and rightfully so. Their offense in the regular season and into the first two rounds was explosive. In their two series before playing Boston, the Penguins lit the goal light up a total of 47 times in 11 games, an astounding amount, especially in the playoffs.
However, that all changed when they faced Boston. Two goals. No, I'm not talking about goals that the team set before their series against the Bruins. I'm saying that they actually only scored two goals. Two stinking goals in the four-game series (275 minutes in the series), averaging a goal every 137 minutes of game play.
To put that in perspective, the Bruins had to score 3 goals in less than ten minutes just to force an overtime in their Game 7 miracle comeback against the Maple Leafs in the first round. For fun, to calculate that pace over 275 minutes, that's.....a lot of goals. Actually, the Bruins would score about 82-83 goals at that rate.
Speaking of a team who made a comeback...
Instead of coming back from a 4-1 in-game deficit, the Blackhawks rallied from a 3-1 series margin to down the Red Wings in a thrilling and almost controversial Game 7 win at the United Center. Now, they sit in the reverse position, up 3 games to 1 against the defending champion Los Angeles Kings, who've only won one road game out of eight chances in the playoffs so far.
There's plenty of optimism that the Blackhawks will close it out today, but they need not forget the comeback that they made themselves to know that it's certainly not impossible for a team to run off three straight deciding games to steal a series. And it certainly won't be easy to close out the defending champs.
I don't blame people for being optimistic about Saturday being the end of the Kings' reign as champs, but as always, there should be a cautious optimism as fans entering the game, not a cocky "ha ha, we got this wrapped up already" feel.
Always respect your opponent, especially if your opponent is the champion. To use another sport's example from a current sport, there's no one who respects Rafa Nadal, the master of the clay court, more than Novak Djokovic, who had Nadal on the ropes in the fifth set but eventually lost to the Spaniard (as all but one opponent can lay claim to in the past nine years).
Even when you think you have everything in front of you, a Stanley Cup appearance within your grasp, you first must win one more game. And what a better way to do it than to eliminate the champs and face one of the Original Six for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup in a few weeks.
Before that happens, respect your opponent, the reigning champ. Cheer on your team. If/when they win that next game, then put your energy towards the Stanley Cup.
 |
| None of my friends had this as a possible 2013 picture |
However, that all changed when they faced Boston. Two goals. No, I'm not talking about goals that the team set before their series against the Bruins. I'm saying that they actually only scored two goals. Two stinking goals in the four-game series (275 minutes in the series), averaging a goal every 137 minutes of game play.
To put that in perspective, the Bruins had to score 3 goals in less than ten minutes just to force an overtime in their Game 7 miracle comeback against the Maple Leafs in the first round. For fun, to calculate that pace over 275 minutes, that's.....a lot of goals. Actually, the Bruins would score about 82-83 goals at that rate.
Speaking of a team who made a comeback...
Instead of coming back from a 4-1 in-game deficit, the Blackhawks rallied from a 3-1 series margin to down the Red Wings in a thrilling and almost controversial Game 7 win at the United Center. Now, they sit in the reverse position, up 3 games to 1 against the defending champion Los Angeles Kings, who've only won one road game out of eight chances in the playoffs so far.
 |
| Before worrying about the Bruins, Hawks (and their fans) need to worry about beating the Kings one more time |
I don't blame people for being optimistic about Saturday being the end of the Kings' reign as champs, but as always, there should be a cautious optimism as fans entering the game, not a cocky "ha ha, we got this wrapped up already" feel.
Always respect your opponent, especially if your opponent is the champion. To use another sport's example from a current sport, there's no one who respects Rafa Nadal, the master of the clay court, more than Novak Djokovic, who had Nadal on the ropes in the fifth set but eventually lost to the Spaniard (as all but one opponent can lay claim to in the past nine years).
 |
| A picture I captured at the Blackhawks rally. Can they do it again? Maybe, one more win for them to have that chance. |
Even when you think you have everything in front of you, a Stanley Cup appearance within your grasp, you first must win one more game. And what a better way to do it than to eliminate the champs and face one of the Original Six for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup in a few weeks.
Before that happens, respect your opponent, the reigning champ. Cheer on your team. If/when they win that next game, then put your energy towards the Stanley Cup.
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