ChicagoSportsBlogs : Non Compete

When I was a kid, hockey was a big deal. After my family moved out of the city and into the North suburbs I started to realize the new opportunities for a kid my age. City kids played baseball. We played it every afternoon. Right field was an auto-out. Pitcher's hand was a default rule unless we were lucky enough to run into 9 kids. Pick up baseball games weren't that odd. We would "travel" to other parks, mitts tied to the back of our bikes, to meet up with ringers from St. Hillary's. We spent countless hours behind an IHOP parking lot practicing our curveballs, running bases, and hitting massive home runs over that blue shingled roof. Baseball was king in most neighborhoods, but it shared the crown with hockey in my new suburban digs.

I was just as shocked as you are to find this out. Looking back at it now, it made sense. The area was covered in ice rinks, and I don't mean the outdoor Canadian kind. I mean the kind with popcorn makers, cheese pretzels, and a video arcade. There was a pro-shop that sold skates,blade protector thing-a-majigs, and your favorite hockey jersey. It was by far the coolest place to hang out in the winter. You could always count on a great pee-wee hockey game at one of the rinks, and sometimes the adults would lace them up for another chance to relive their past. It was true good times. It was pure.

I loved hockey growing up but it took me a while to get into it. My brother and I wanted to play hockey badly, but thanks to an overprotective mother and the cost of outfitting 2 boys with all that gear, it didn't happen. We had to live our dreams via the back parking lots when rollerblades finally showed up. It was fun being Chris Chelios, or Eddie Belfour . The Blackhawks were the first major professional sports team my immigrant family took a liking to. Sure, there was the Cubs. There would always be the Cubs, but the Blackhawks were the thing to watch back in the day. They must have been on local TV. I've never seen a Hawks game on local TV (let's not get into that horrible story).

My mother's favorite story about coming to this country began on the very first day she landed in Chicago. She was ushered into the new world, and the small apartment my uncle and his wife lived in on the Northside, rudely. Dad and his older brother were watching the Blackhawks/Maple Leafs game. Her attempts to chit-chat were met with a hand wave and a dissmissive grunt. Her new sister-inlaw explained: "They're always like this when hockey is on. Get used to it" Aaah, the good ole days.

Why do I bring this all up? It's because a Stanley Cup was raised last night by Carolina. I'm wondering if anyone cares. Strikes, work stoppages, horrible play, and a crap commissioner have taken it's toll on this great sport. Nevermind the beloved 'Hawk stinks and that our ownership is crap, hockey is an also-ran these days. I actually caught the game and it was good to remember why I loved hockey so much. It was good to see the Cup. I guess I'm just wondering if I'm the only one. (link for that recent ratings story)

Congrats to Mr. Karamanos and the Hurricanes (an odd name for team- if you ask me)
Filed under: News, Chicago Blackhawks, Leftovers