It has been a long time...

I haven't posted in almost 6 months. Jesus. I guess I was waiting for the Blackhawks to win the cup first. So, now that has happened, I can end the great embargo, shave my playoff stubble, cut my Kaner mullet, and return to normal. Chicago sports is once again on top for the moment until tomorrow when baseball and the great free agency flop of the Bulls dominates the stage. With both teams in the cellar and dividing the city and the rest of us infected with Lebron Fever, it is nice to have something good happen in reality.

For me, this seems like the first championship. I didn't grow up caring about baseball or even football. For me, it was the Bulls and the Hawks. Everyone grew up idolizing Jordan, Pippen, and the rest of the Bulls as they dominated the 1990's. But, I was so young. I didn't understand what it meant to play 82 games and battle the salary cap in order to be a champion. Those felt given, not earned. As a child, I'd listen to my alarm clock radio for the Hawks home games. I idolized the Hawks greats like Roenick, Chelios, Belfour, and Amonte. I loved fighting with them in NHL 94, the greatest video game ever created. I loved the sport and was too young to understand why the Hawks didn't show home games on TV or why they traded the players I loved so much one by one. I didn't understand why the owners locked out the players for an entire season. When it ended, I didn't care.

The lockout ended in 2005. I realized the Hawks were a shit product with shitty owners
hip. Old Man Wirtz ruled over the team like Golem over the ring. Cheaply, they continued to sign bad players, draft bad players, and not show games. The old fans didn't return and many new ones were dead on arrival like aborted fetuses. I was one of the many who called for the Old Man to cede control for the benefit of the team. God answered and ironically, the team improved. Toews and Kane were on the way. I had gone to a game for $7 dollars because I was a student and walked to the front row, something that wouldn't happen this season. Sophomore year, Mariner Tom and I predicted the team would be a cup contended very quickly in the next 5 years. They arrived ahead of schedule finishing a point out that season, Western Conference finalists the next, and Stanley Cup Champs tonight.

The post game coverage was excellent. I watch the big, loud ex-Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick cry. Dan Patrick asks why. You see it on Roenick's face. He never won any cup and lost in the finals with the Hawks to a great veteran Pittsburgh team. That was supposed to be him, not Toews. He was supposed to end the curse, but instead got into a nasty divorce that sent him to the Phoenix Coyotes. For me, this one was special. I understand what professional sports are now. I'm two teams away from dying a happy sports fan. Still waiting on the Illini basketball team and the Bears. I understand today that neither is a given, and that the players might not care as much as I did when I was 10.

Finally, I welcome the new Hawk fans to band wagon. I am not one of the old guard, but I remember my clock radio. Together, lets enjoy the moment because as Roenick found out, it is not a guarantee that one will see or raise Lord Stanley's cup again and unfortunately, tomorrow is the start of another shitty baseball summer.

Big Ten Welcome Guide

As of today, Nebraska is making the move to the Big Ten conference. This is the beginning of potentially a few moves including Missouri, Norte Dame, Pitt, and Rutgers. With so many newcomers potentially coming over, I thought, as a recent Big Ten graduate, I'd create a guide for an easy transition.

Academics - The Big Ten has a strong tradition of academics. Clearly, if you got an invite or are being considered, then you must have good academics. Only about half the league resides in the category "Safety School" aka Retard Academy. Also, we have been recognized several times by publications such as the Princeton Review. They rank us highly for partying and Greek life. Playboy also recognized two Big Ten school in their top ten. Not bad for a snowy climate.

Athletics- The conference has a great tradition on the grid iron. We have in the past decade gotten automatic bids to get our ass kicked in bowls. Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler created a legacy of hard hitting and pound it out on the ground football. They were replaced with slow, pussy spread offenses like that of Rich Rod and the Zooker. Kids today grow up and move south. On the hardwood, we feature some of the best guards in the game. Unfortunately, the game tends to be dominated by big men of the ACC and Big East. Our legendary coaches choked...people and games. Nebraska adds to our stellar basement of teams that includes Penn State, Iowa, and Northwestern.

Health- Big Ten campuses are known for the beautiful people. Illinois opened up the multi-million dollar ARC to keep the co-eds in shape. Unfortunately, this is the Midwest, home to Milwaukee and Chicago aka Fat Ass Metropolis. With a brat and a beer, we tend to sit around and eat greasy food. Hell, we founded McDonald's. To those eastern schools, we are at least nice, just not in good shape you Jersey Shore meat heads.

Welcome to the Big Ten/Eleven/Twelve/25.

Welcome back me, I missed you. Congrats Hawks and Kane, please don't die this weekend and use a condom.