Blackhawks 2010 Cup Winner Replay Recap

Haven’t watched a lot of the 2010 replay games sans the Final (brief pause for a bandwagon fan joke). Game 6 felt like it had to be rewatched, though it did make the free and on YouTube list I made a while back and was on NBCSN last week. I was in high school for this one and watched with friends in a weird scenario where we watched upstairs live while the friends of the older brother watched on a slight delay on the TV the floor below. Was open air so they could hear everything we were saying. Only memorable because of the Kane goal where we’d seen the replay and knew it was in, then waited to hear their reaction knowing theirs would catch up like ten seconds later. What fun! It’s like you were there!

So some thoughts on the 2010 Cup from the unfair perspective of two additional Cups:

-         I don’t believe in justice or karma in hockey much, but Pronger taking a penalty that led to the first goal is close to it.

-         So Hammer scores the goal that gives the Blackhawks the lead, only to have Philly tie it up with 4 minutes left. By my count there’s that goal, the disallowed goal from 2013 Game 7, and hitting the post in the 2015 clincher where Keith scored the eventual GWG. This is why I don’t believe in karma in hockey- how the hell does this guy never wind up with a huge game winner after all those times?

-        Of all ways to tie this game up late, I can’t believe that last Flyers’ goal went off of Hossa’s leg. The “I can’t believe this is happening AGAIN” sinking feeling must have been unbelievable. Of all the guys in the world… no karma! I’m telling you. (He said in the postgame interview that it was “A disappointment, but we still have a lot of hockey left”. Luckily only about eight minutes worth.)

-         For the huge “Niemi says no” craze that came post-Cup, and after watching much more hockey since… he was ok in the playoffs. Not that we needed a brickwall with that roster. I don’t see him having the same “have to be on absolute fire” games that Crow had in the following Cup run. Made a gigantic stop at the end that saved this game, though.

-         Really the underrated unbelievable thing about this game is that we won it in Philly. It’s been the only game we’ve won there in over ten years, right? Couldn’t even beat them at home in damn Prague. But somehow the Cup clincher is the token win there.

-         I know Buff is the forever and always the “can’t believe we let him go” guy from this team, but Versteeg and Kopecky were really what kept this team goin’ round. And how fucking great was Bolland that year?

-        The JR interview after is always a nice touch, but I sort of think he’d have done the same thing if the Flyers won. “To the drunk fan who cussed me out and threw nachos on me after that Tuesday game against Boston… I hope you have a smile on your face.” “You’re emotional.” “Ah shit Dan, don’t let them know that!”

-         I didn’t realize how much I miss those cookie cutter post-championship questions. Love the 10,000 ways they set up “I can’t believe it. There are no words.”. Absolutely the best part of the stupor after. “Duncan, they called you Duncan TEETH upstairs! You gave your TEETH for the Stanley Cup!” “Thanks Pierre, haven’t been able to see an oral surgeon and they’re unclear if they’ll be able to replace my teeth. Might not be able to eat solid food ever again. Haven’t anything but protein shakes for the last week and am already sick of them- all of them, every flavor. Don’t know how much longer I can justify living like this. But, y’know, it’s good to sell jerseys.”

Really the best part about this team was how, if you lived in the Chicagoland area, you heard by no further than thirdhand some personal encounter of the team partying after winning the Cup. Mine was at the parade when I overheard some guy talking about how friends had sat at a booth next to some of the players when a really drunk guy spat in the face of a girl in the group. The commotion was heard by Big Buff who stood up and stared the guy away from the scene. The players have to be beyond relieved that Twitter hadn't fully blown up at the time. 

Remember Cup parades being a thing in Chicago summers? Good times. Glad we didn’t wind up winning it this year with the coronavirus, no point if you can’t leave work for three hours to watch people climb streetposts and throw full beers cans into the crowd. Stay home so we can do it next year.

On the Grapefruit and Cactus League Realignment Proposal

                Screw it, I can’t stop writing commentaries on these proposed ideas for trying to restart this baseball season. Have no hope whatsoever that the season will actually take place but baseball is nothing without the projections and what ifs.

                Latest proposal, probably one of many in addition to the Only Arizona plan from earlier this week, is to have teams play in their spring training facilities, both Arizona and Florida (sigh), divisions split into the Cactus and Grapefruit League setups. American and National League done for the time being.

                I’d assume among all the other proposals in front of Manfred this is the “there’s no way we can have games anywhere else” plan. If by some miracle things get better enough to play in other cities, it won’t be feasible to keep this setup together (see below for what the splits would be if it’s strictly the spring training breakdown). If you’re the Sox you’re going to Cleveland, coming back for a series against Cincinnati, before heading to Los Angeles. This is a plan that stays in the respective states until the Series, which means absolutely no baseball anywhere else this year, a shoulder shrug, and “well, something’s better than nothing”.  I guess I’d be for this weird setup if it meant any baseball?

                Let’s play hypothetical, since it’s a Friday and who cares. If the setup really is…

                … that is a TOUGH break for the White Sox. A last place finish among that group wouldn’t surprise me at all. Dodgers might be the best team in baseball, Cleveland can still definitely hit us around, and Cincinnati and LAA could both definitely do some damage. Aside from maybe the East in the Grapefruit league that might be the toughest division.

                I’d assume the whole seven inning doubleheaders, social distancing, etc. would stay here too so much need to comment again on that.

                I guess for the new reality and to get any baseball on that isn’t a replay of some random 2005 game this iteration would make the most sense. Doesn’t make it any less a bastardized version and feels a lot less hopeful than the Arizona for now idea. But that’s just how it goes now I guess.

Album Review: The King of Limbs- Radiohead

Someone has to be the soundtrack for state sanctioned walks through abandoned city streets in the middle of a pandemic, and by god if that’s not what Radiohead’s for. (I personally prefer Amnesiac for that scenario, but dealer’s choice.)

Context is a bit important for this record, and I’ll start with some of the critiques fans have had about this album as well. The King of Limbs was released at a time when long waits in between Radiohead albums had by then been established as the norm, not the exception. It was the follow up to an album that seemed to hit all the right notes, from the songs themselves to the groundbreaking “pay what you want” digital release to a widely regarded tour supporting it. Then came this one, and after two records more on the alternative side, the band swung back to electronic experimentation in a brief record that they weren’t even sure they’d be able to play live. Two complaints emerged after, simultaneous and ironic: it’s not really my cup of tea, and there’s also not enough of it! (Not to mention the whole “no tour” thing, but they figured that out and then some)

I think the reason this record may lose some people is, despite it being a quick 8 tracks, it feels divided into two parts: the first is a rhythm study, the second is a peaceful, nature-like vibe accomplished using several instruments. And this would be an even split, side A and side B, if it wasn’t for “Bloom”, which leads off the album and is probably more in the latter camp, though with the interesting percussion an argument can be made for the other.

The more rhythm centric first half can throw some people off, though it’s sonically interesting and certainly shows how talented the band is. There’s something very Radiohead about it and very un-Radiohead about it: the guitars in “Morning Mr. Magpie” are closer to drums than they are to actual guitar, but we’re long past the group’s guitar hero phase, right? “Feral” is the clubbier version of older cousin twice-removed “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” as an “instrumental” electronic piece, though it’s one that wouldn’t have been surprising to see as a Thom solo release or Modeselektor collaboration.

The tone shifts with “Lotus Flower” as a more familiar sound and song structure, then segwaying into a 15 minute meditation exercise that seems a long way from Magpie by the time “Separator” wraps it up. The album feels back heavy mostly because the second half has a lot of familiar Radiohead elements to it: Thom crooning over a piano, Johnny subtle guitar work, a Colin bass line that fits like an old glove. For a lot of fans still used to the warmness of In Rainbows, this is when the album starts gaining momentum, but then, el fin.

There were rumors circling that a “Queen of Limbs” record was going to follow this, but The King of Limbs and a few b-sides is what we got. I’m happier with the time passed and those outtakes consumed that they kept the record to what it is. I really enjoy this album, though it’s not one that I put on as much their others, and many will say that it’s one that took the longest to “get”. It’s one that makes sense after two previous records that the band saw as too bloated (Hail To The Thief) and an exhausting process to make (In Rainbows). We may not have seen an album just like it with Radiohead before, but we’ve seen it from them before: strike gold with an album, then try something completely different. They deserved to have some fun with this one.

If The King of Limbs doesn’t click for you but you still like Radiohead’s other work, check out their From The Basement sessions where the live versions of the songs get played. A lot of fans came around to the record when this was released. I enjoy this album the most on a day when the season turns- the first spring day, a drive home in a summer night, a rainy October day, etc. The King of Limbs stays king in that regard.

On Jeff Passan's Report of Arizona Opener Details

                Reference: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29004498/mlb-union-focused-plan-allow-season-start-early-arizona                

Sort of elaborating on my post from yesterday based on what Passan dropped last night. And yes, I know Major League Baseball said this isn’t what they’re officially going with, but what else do we have to write about?

The isolation measures that it looks like they’ll be taking are really jarring to read when they look like some semblance of a plan. It is an enormous, enormous ask to have players isolate without any contact with really anyone. Enormous enough for someone who likes baseball to the point of writing a damn blog about it to say that seems a little too cruel. We can harp on the "they're making millions to play a game" wagon all we want, but playing doubleheaders in an Arizona May just seems like a fresh hell to me. Especially with only the hotel channel to greet you coming back.

Interesting that it is just Arizona as well. It makes sense, I don’t want anything to do with group gatherings in Florida right now, and I’ll stop beating the dead horse about that right now.

Now, into the specifics:

1. Implementing an electronic strike zone to allow the plate umpire to maintain sufficient distance from the catcher and batter

            *Sigh* It was likely bound to happen at some point, but I guess I’m enough of a purist that I think balls and strikes should be called by a human being. I can’t really elaborate too much on this since I have no idea what it will look like, but I think it would be a slight advantage for us since a lot of our pitchers are more straight heaters than the breaking ball types.

2.       No mound visits from the catcher or pitching coach

Yeah, there’s no way Coop’s agreeing to this.

3.       Seven-inning doubleheaders, which with an earlier-than-expected start date could allow baseball to come closer to a full 162-game season

This is the one that’s probably the most interesting/concerning to me. First off, even though it’s the same for everyone, I don’t like the thought of the White Sox having 22% fewer at-bats per game. This lineup was made to score runs and anything that limits that hurts us. I also just don’t think our pitching’s there yet for a setting which basically takes away the “give up a few runs early but battle back” aspect of some starts. That’s the only practical insight I’ll give for the Sox since we’re talking about something that’s not official yet.

League-wide, this would be brutal for pitchers and catchers. It is going to be 110 degrees for whoever takes the mound in the first game, and I don’t think anyone should throw more than 5 innings if it’s going to be that hot with fewer games in between starts (assuming a five man rotation stays). There’s just no amount of hydration for that sort of weather, and rebounding for the night game will be especially difficult.

4.       Regular use of on-field microphones by players, as an added bonus for TV viewers

 “Just want to say hi to my wife and kids, it’s fun getting to play but I miss you. Honey I… wait, we have a Plumbers 911 fan call after the pitch… Hi, Todd from Chicago, you’re on li-… Out of Miller Lite at Declan’s? Wow, that seems… Oh boy, Jason, can they say that word on live TV?... Well nice talking to you, Ted, glad you’re enjoying the night game, brought to you by…”

5.       Players sitting in the empty stands 6 feet apart -- the recommended social-distancing space -- instead of in a dugout

Those seats are going to be the inside of an oven at Camelback.

And yes, this is the rule that will force Coop into retirement.

Possibility that MLB starts season with no fans games at spring training facilities. July 1st target date.

               “MLB is discussing a 100-game regular season that would begin July 1, include no All-Star Game and end with a November World Series at Dodger Stadium.”

                https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1245685922865217541               

                Right now I’m torn between wanting to take any and all possibility of a baseball season this year and running with it, and trying to convince myself that we won’t see baseball until an abbreviated season starts.

                In 2021. When we have a vaccine that June.

                I’m as intrigued by the possibilities of whatever pseudo-season they come up and trying not to be disappointed if and when it just doesn’t happen in any capacity. I’d rather any baseball at this point be a pleasant surprise and not hold onto a random date that gets tossed around and has just gotten pushed back as of now.

                That said, there’s a rumor floating around that the season will open behind closed doors at teams’ spring training facilities with July 1 as the target date. With nothing else going on it might be worth considering that hypothetical.

                First off, it’s amazing that anyone is considering any sort of major thing happening in Florida. It’s been the absolute petri dish of the virus in this country so far and a few states over they’re opening up the beaches again. Arizona, though I don’t think they’re taking as radical social distancing measures, doesn’t seem to have quite the notoriety.

                Either way, it will have to be all night games so they’re not playing in 110 degree weather. No need for getaway days, all for it. I guess next would be the quarantine measures, so… six feet away in the clubhouse and bullpen at all times? It’s not like we can have anyone except coaches in the dugout if that.

                Wait, the clubhouse is up that hill in right field at Camelback, correct? Can we have all pinch runners and defensive replacements enter WWE style, to an empty stadium? Would be the best thing in baseball since the bullpen cart.

                Bring on the belts and eight straight games against the Dodgers to start the season, I guess.