Dear Blackhawks:

Congrats on making it one step closer to your ultimate goal. Everyone we know is cheering for you, and your grit and determination are an inspiration to us all.  It’s so neat hearing so many of our friends talk about who their favorite Hawk is and way – and all for their own reasons.  It speaks volumes to what a great group you all are.

Now, I know you already have a lot on your mind as you get ready for Game 1, and there is a ton of pressure on you, but I was hoping you could help us with one small wish: Make the world a better place for our child.

You see, when we were growing up just north of Chicago, we had enough to get by, but we never had a Stanley Cup to call our own. We had the ‘85 Bears, which at only 5 years old (most of you weren’t even born yet) I still remember the Punky QB and the Fridge.  I remember having a #34 Payton jersey, too – boy we sure could use sports heroes like him again.  Bless you, Sweetness.

I was 10 when the Bulls started the first of their 2 three-peats and before the old barn was torn down in place of the new Madhouse.  It was great to see the entire city rally around a team like that in celebration of their achievements.  But I still remember wishing it was the other West side team at Grant Park, not the Bulls.  And I know, if it wasn’t for Super Mario and that young Jagr kid, it could have been.  Ask Scotty, he was there.

As for the Cubs, well, let’s not kid ourselves.  The Sox were a pleasant surprise in ‘05, but I was already grown up by then.  Still no Stanley Cup.

Our Wish

Like any other good parents, we only want our child to grow up in a world that is better than ours. So, now that my wife and I are expecting our first child right smack in the middle of the ‘10-‘11 season, there’s no time like the present to start a dynasty of our own and keep the cup here in Chicago for the next few years.  My mother was still pregnant with me when Team USA defeated the Russians in 1980, so I think it’s only poetic for you guys to carry on that tradition.

To give you a sense of where we’re coming from, my brother and I have been playing the greatest game in the world since before we could ride a tricycle.  For what it’s worth – if anything – we even played in the same rink that Mr. Olczyk did back before they added all the polar bears.  I’m sure he had nothing to do with the polar bears, but one can never be too sure.

We grew up in listening to Foley and Tallon on WBBM 780 AM because we couldn’t pay for Hawkvision. We grew up watching Savvy and Cheli and Belfour and a young Jeremy Roenick who my brother actually got to meet after one of the games he went to.  Sure, JR was necking with his wife at time, but he politely stopped to say hello to a young, adoring fan. (Not sure if that’s an entirely true story, you’d have to ask my brother). And then there was January 1st, 2009, but that’s for another time.

The point of all this is, if you could take care of business in the finals over this next week or so, Cindy and I would be eternally grateful.  Coming back to the Blackhawks Convention this summer and getting to take our picture with the Cup would be something we’d be telling our young one for years and years to come.  That is, at least until you win a few more when he or she is old enough to watch you guys in person.

Best of luck against the Flyers, and we all know you guys can do this.  Until then, we’ll see you guys again this summer at the convention, sans the beards.  And forgive us if we don’t stand in line for 2.5 hours for a photo and an autograph.  That is, unless you have an expected mothers’ line – now that would be sweet!

All the best,
– Kris and Cindy

Let’s Go Hawks!!!

Well, our hometown Blackhawks have made it to the final step in their journey for the Stanley Cup Finals. And all I have to say is, thank goodness for HD television.

All of the lifelong hockey fans in our lives are buzzing about how much tickets for the Finals are going for now, and the few that are season ticketholders are smitten with glee that they get to see it live.  The latest I’ve heard is that standing room only tickets are going for $350 a piece, and the seats that we would buy for single games last year are around $750 per person.  You see, my mom’s knees are that great, ya know, so we can’t have her standing the entire game.

But alas, with our own little hockey player on the way, dishing out $3,000 for a group of us to enjoy the best game on earth in person this weekend just isn’t in the cards.  That kinda cash can buy a lot of hockey gear for our youngster, not to mention a week long stay in Maui. But for those that have the dough to pack the Madhouse, all I have to say is “make it count!”

The Next Best Thing

Well, when we’re not at the game, we’re either watching and cheering from the comfort of our own home, thanks to the beauty of high definition television, or we’re out at Buffalo Wild Wings like we were last Friday. Of course it’s not the same, but from the noise we make watching the game, you probably couldn’t tell the difference.

As for the chance of seeing the cup in person, I’m sure we’d have a better view of it if it makes a trip to the Blackhawks Convention this summer when we stop by for the second year in a row.  It’s a lot easier to read the names on it from up close than the 300 level at the UC.  But, now that’s getting ahead of ourselves, and we don’t want to do that.

Let’s Go Hawks!