Category Archives: Hockey

9 awesome things about The Chi

Posted in Blackhawks, Chicago, Football, Hockey, Lists, Love, Music by

No, not the TV show … the City.

Another cityscape pic 2.JPG

Logan Square

For the first time in 11 years, I’m celebrating my birthday at home. I’ve been globetrotting for some time but now I’m back. And in honor of this amazing city — that I’ve always called “my heart” because it’s more than just “my home” — I’ve compiled a list of the 9 most awesomest things about it:

9. Easiest city to navigate … All the streets run north/south and east/west. Most intersections are “T” grids. Some streets you can literally take from one side of the city and in an hour reach the other side. If you get lost in Chicago then I don’t know what to tell you.

8. #SummertimeChi … If you are bored in Chicago in the summer you must be from Green Bay. #SummertimeChi is not only a popular hashtag, or line in a song, it’s a way of life. AAHH Fest picEvery single summer weekend there’s something to do (and the weekends begin on Thursday). From the music festivals (Pitchfork, Lolla, Riot, AAHH) to the art festivals in Old Town and Hyde Park, everybody from Howard to Austin to the wild-100s are out and about enjoying them. Then there’s the annual Jazz, Gospel and Blues fest down in Grant Park. And if you want something to satisfy your stomach, there’s always a food festival going on. You’ve got:

  • May: Italian Beef Festival … Oh mio Dio!
  • June: Puerto Rican festival in Humboldt Park
  • August: Tacos & Tamales Festival in Pilsen
  • August: Festa Italiana on Taylor Street … I’m a be there!
  • August: Hot Sauce Fest in Avondale
  • There’s so much more: Chicago Food Festivals & Chicago Music Festivals 

7. Conscious Rap …  Chicago is known for conscious rap. We’ve never had a distinctive “sound” in hip hop but our lyrics have always pushed listeners to think intelligently about the world around them. Common’s The Corner, Kanye’s Crack Music, Lupe’s All Black Everything, Chance’s Blessings, the list goes on and on and on. And please note that when I say “Kanye” I’m talking pre-Yeezus Kanye … when he was just a humble kid from Oak Lawn making 5 beats a day for 3 summers. Nonetheless, I’m so proud of the hip hop we produce. (***I say “we” like I’m in the studio laying tracks, Ha!***)

6. Sports … Do I really need to go there?!?!?!?! Yes. Yes I do.

George Halas, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, MJ store picMike Ditka, Buddy Ryan, Da Defense, Da ’85 Bears, The Super Bowl Shuffle, The Chicago Stadium, BJ Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, John Paxson, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tony Kukoc, Luc Longely, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’96, ’97, ’98, burning cars, 35th & Wentworth, Ozzie Guillen, Kenny Williams, Jerry Reinsdorf, Rick Hahn, Paul Konerko, AJ Pierzynski, Scotty Pods, Jon Garland, Mark Buehrle, Sweaty Freddy, Jose Contreras, Johnny Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien, Brandon Saad, Joel Quenneville, Joe Maddon, Theo Epstein, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Dexter Fowler, Javy Baez …

Do I need to continue?!

Yes. Yes I do.

Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, D-Wade, Thib Thib, Anthony Davis, Jabari Parker, Coach K, Doc Rivers, Chris Chelios, Eddie Olczyk, Shani Davis and last but not least Kirby Puckett.

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Coming to America: Black Hockey

Posted in Blackhawks, Chicago, Headlines, Hockey, NHL, Sports, Uncategorized by

Sooooo … Random question:

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NHL’s first Black hockey player, Willie O’Ree

Who changes the channel during commercial breaks when you’re watching a game?

Me.

Who changes the channel when a commercial featuring an all-black cast appears during the NHL All-Star Game?

Not Me.

Sunday, a McDonalds commercial featuring only black people aired. I don’t know about you, but that commercial caught my attention. It’s been four days since I first saw it and it still has my attention. It was a typical ad that you’d see run on any network. But, it was on NBC during my favorite sport’s biggest fan-driven game and in front of millions of viewers! And, to make it even better, those same viewers watched Flyers star Wayne Simmonds win the MVP title! All of it had me wondering, is the NHL FINALLY trying to reach out to its black fans?!?!?!? If so …

YESSSS!

I feel like I did when the White Sox won the World Series back in 2005 or when the Blackhawks beat the Bruins in just 17 seconds in 2013: PURE ELATION! I remember going to my first NHL game in 2008 and my friend and I, who’s Dominican, were counting all the black and brown people we saw at the Garden. I don’t think it was more than five people. But we were thrilled to see other fans who looked like us in the stands.

Can you imagine what watching Simmonds win the MVP is doing for a kid on the South Side of Chicago or West Philadelphia or inner-city Boston?! Or, how about simply seeing P.K. Subban and Auston Matthews skate on national TV?! I hope it’s igniting something in them to not only watch hockey but play it.

I hope this is a sign of things to come! I’d love to see an NHL full of Black, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Italian, Irish, Syrian, Iraqi, Filipino, Punjabi, and Japanese players. Bleacher Report thinks so too. Just read this gem about by Evan Moore about the black all-stars and the NHL’s future. I know it won’t be easy. Willie O’Ree was spit on and called all sorts of names when he bravely broke the league’s color barrier in 1958. But his efforts weren’t in vain.

If he can do it, anyone can.

Tea recommendation: Turmeric tea … to wake you up to something new!

One Goal. One City. One Lord Stanley Cup Win.

Posted in Blackhawks, Chicago, Headlines, Hockey, Love, NHL, Sports by

“What. Just. Happened?!”Blackhawks

I feel like I’ve been saying that all night.

WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED?!

It keeps rolling around in my brain.

The Blackhawks just won the Stanley Cup! WHAT?! My Blackhawks?!? My black & red, my Toews, my Kane, my city, my heart, my joy & pain just won the ultimate game!!!

WHAT?!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

THE BLACKHAWKS JUST WON THE STANLEY CUP!!!

It feels like it was just yesterday I was so ridiculously upset the Blackhawks lost to the LA Kings in the Western Conference Final in June 2014. And then the season began and we struggled to stay in first place. And then I was at the Garden watching them take on the Bruins in December. And then Kane’s clavicle got knocked out of place and MY HEART COMPLETELY DROPPED! And throughout it all I’m texting my two Blackhawk-fanatic besties at home after every win, loss and headline. And now the season ends … with THIS!

I still can’t comprehend it: 3 Stanley Cup wins in 6 seasons. My brain hurts.

Duncan Keith with 700+ minutes of ice time. And COREY!!!! (***shaking my head with my eyes closed like I’m at church***)

Corey Crawford went BEAST MODE!!!

I love this team. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS TEAM.

Cue the Chelsea Dagger Chicago. WE WON THE CUP!!!

Ladies & Gentlemen Introducing the Headbutt Goal

Posted in Blackhawks, Chicago, Hockey, Love, NHL, Playoffs by

WHAT?! WHAT?!

DID YOU SEE THAT GOAL?!?!?

See it here!

The puck flies in the air and Blackhawks sweetpea Andrew Shaw creatively and intelligently headbutts it past Ducks G Frederik Andersen and into the net.

WHAT?!

That was SHAWSOME!!!

I have never seen anything like that. I’ve seen David bend it like Beckham, Jordan make the flyest dunks and Albert Pujols hit the most beautiful home runs. But this is in a class of its own! You know it’s going to be No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Week and Year. Schucks, it should win an ESPY!

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On To The Next One

Posted in Blackhawks, Chicago, Hockey, NHL, Sports by

In the words of Mr. Jay Z, the Blackhawks are on to the next one.

They played 60 minutes of solid hockey, gave my heart a bit of a scare in the final minutes, but came out with a huge win over the Minnesota Wild. And I couldn’t be happier… and tireder!

Yes, I know “tireder” is not a word but a sista is tired. It’s what happens when you’re on the East Coast and your beloved teams are in the Midwest. Usually when I come home it’s super late and all I want to do is sleep. But then I think “Oh hey the Hawks are on” or “Let me catch the 4th quarter of the Bulls game.” So I stay up and watch the game and the next thing you know I’m yelling at the TV, just like I did tonight when the Wild scored 2 goals in 2 minutes in an effort to rally from a 4-1 deficit.

#Ahhhhhh is what I think I tweeted.

This is why we can’t have nice things, like leads. Nonetheless, the boys held on to their one-goal lead for dear life and are now off to the Western Conference finals for the 5th time in 7 years.

This sista is tre proud! But, off to bed I go!

Tea of Choice: Chamomile … to put me to sleep.

Let the Hunger, er Hockey, Games begin

Posted in Hockey, Playoffs, Sports by
Throwback Bruins

Throwback Bruins

Let the Hockey Games begins! The postseason barely started and there’s been so much activity on and off the ice. First there was the Bruins major announcement of GM Peter Chiarelli’s departure. I asked a friend the other day “Who do you think’s gonna go first: Chiarelli or Julien?” And he said plainly “Chiarelli.” Me, I was stumped. It could’ve been either or. But my friend was right. And now that I think about it, it should’ve been Chiarelli (as it was).

Remember that Tyler Seguin trade?! I NEVER agreed with that move. Yes the kid was wild off the ice but on it he got the job down. During his rookie season he helped the Bruins get to the Stanley Cup. And the following year he had a plus-minus of +34! That’s ri-donk-culous. Continue reading →