The Unconventional at the Convention….

First and foremost I’d like to take this chance to thank all of the fans who stopped by at the Convention-it’s always a pleasure to get acquainted with new fans and the faces behind the names on the Message Boards. Also a “well-done” to Brian Howe of the Blackhawks who appears to be the Tony Ommen of the Convention-another wizard behind the curtain who seems to make it all look like magic.

Now, to address the unconventional. Stay with me here.

The best selling prints from my collection were of Kris Versteeg. Granted, Steeger is an exciting player and I do think the artwork is cool, but I think a big draw for fans to Steeger is the same thing I like about him. He’s not afraid to be himself and say what he feels without first running his opinions through a focus group. Love him or hate him, isn’t it refreshing to see someone in the entertainment industry who we can take at face value?

Yes, I said “the entertainment industry”. Hockey is a sport, but the NHL is part of the entertainment industry. I love hockey at all levels and spend a lot of time watching it being played by both little tykes and old geezers; for me it really is about ‘how the game is played’. The National Hockey League is a different matter. The NHL is and always has been a business that competes for your entertainment dollars just like the movies, theater and concerts. It’s a tough economy for non-essentials-and the Blackhawks, as well as the NHL in total-have to find ways to coerce you into their stadiums and they into your livingrooms. Controversial business and marketing decisions have been a part of the NHL since its inception. A lot of folks came by to ask my opinion concerning the loss of Marty Havlat and Dale Tallon, two guys that I also accepted at face value.

If you’ve been reading my blogs the last few years, you know that I’ve been consistent in my opinion that Dale spent big money to get big names to play in what was inarguably the worst hockey environment in the NHL. He had to do it, there were no options at that time. You can argue about the results of individuals (Aucion and Cullimore?) and the ramifications on future signings (Campbell and Huet?), but you can’t argue with success. I’ve always maintained that Khabi is the best positional goaltender I’ve ever seen and Marty Havlat will always be one of those rare athletes who has both skill and, like a guy named “Sweetness” once had, the ability to ‘see’ the game unfold ahead of him. I also happened to like all three of those guys.

I also liked Ruut’s, I also remember lecturing Yawney as a kid and hated to see him leave a lifetime later as a coach. Billy Ray was a classy guy, and Bobby Hull could never leave Chicago-but he did. Remember when Pat Foley was let go? The list of players and personnel I miss is a long one, but it’s the nature of the business. The only 2 ways I know to avoid disappointment is to 1) either quit watching pro hockey or 2) remove the illusion that this is more than a business and that we are consumers and the players are commodities. So many of us have suffered through so many bad years that we feel we’re owed loyalty because we’ve remained loyal, but those are both OUR problems. There’s no ‘Mr. Blackhawk’ to be loyal to or expect it from. That’s not an insult, its reality! There’s only the game; the guys on the ice today. So, I don’t hate Cheli or Bobby for leaving. I’m not angry about the departure of the guys I liked, but if the decisions were made for the wrong reasons and it screws up the chances of the team on the ice-YOU will remind the decision makers that YOU are the consumer, YOU are the paying audience. I’ve already written my piece concerning chemistry and the guys on the ice last season. The kids played hard for themselves, for their teammates and for the staff-a trait missing from journeymen like Aucoin and Cullimore. In my opinion last season's team would have improved on its own, without new acquisitions-simply from experience and physical maturation. I'll admit that I do enjoy some of the embellishments of the 'new' Blackhawks and the Classic was a terrific event, but in my opinion the building was selling out because of the product on the ice and the thrill of being in the same gravity as a winner, just as it was in the old Stadium once upon a time. If that formula has been altered without sound reasoning, the natural flow of business will correct the mistakes just as quickly as all of the questions, complaints and boo’s will. If the reasons were legitimate, we’ll know that in short order as well and credit will be due. Either way, expectations are as high as the stack of dollars that have been spent, and the countdown is ON!
GO HAWKS!
-tib