Kane, Toews, or Keith?

So the Blackhawks seem to have the best team they've had in years. They currently lead their division with the NHL's biggest off-season acquisition, Marian Hossa, sitting on the sidelines recovering from rotator-cuff surgery, Jonathan Toews trying to get his mind right after a big jolt from Willie Mitchell which gave him a concussion, and their two ruffians (Adam Burish and Ben Eager) out for a long stint. It's hard to imagine what they'll be like when they are healthy. However, it seems that the Blackhawks will not be able to hold together all the talent at their core. The major names that come up are young phenoms: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith.

These three guys have played at a level way beyond their years and losing even one of them would be a fairly big hit. As it stands, though, it seems that the Blackhawks might only be able to keep one of them. As I mentioned earlier, the Blackhawks signed Marian Hossa to a $62.8M/12-year deal. As great as the name sounds, the contract is crippling. Many praised the Blackhaws right after the signing for coming to terms on such a long deal in order to spread out the money enough to avoid paying such a high price per year. However, the Blackhawks have backed themselves into a corner that will make it difficult for them to excel after this year. The Blackhawks now have (and yes, I borrowed these stats from ESPN) 12 players for next year for $42.5M, leaving 11 roster spots to fill with $11M of cap space left. How can the Blackhawks afford more than one of these phenomenal young players?

Kane and Toews have been playing for $875K/year for the last 3 years, because they were still on their rookie signing contracts. I'm not sure what Keith was being paid, but he'll want more than that too. As a Blackhawks fan, you'd really want to believe that these guys would take a hometown discount to stay together and win some championships, but the likelihood is nil. First of all, these guys know they're worth a lot of money, and if they don't, I'm sure their agents will inform them. Either way, they're gonna want their payday. Second of all, it's not easy to take less than what you're worth because the Player's Association won't be too happy with you driving down the price of skilled hockey players.

What can we do?
1. Do what the Blackhawks organization will probably let happen: let them go. Wave goodbye to the guys that have earned you millions in attendance and merchandise sales; the guys who you built an entire advertisement campaign around; the guys who brought hockey back to life in Chicago. Say, "Thanks!" and let someone else pay them what they're worth.

or

2. Cut some minor characters
Dustin Byfuglien is a pretty interesting character. He's a big guy we can throw in front of the opponents net to completely blind the goalie, then have him move out of the way just in time for the puck to hit the net. However, this seems to be the only thing he can do (other than stuff in rebound goals), which a lot of people can do. We're paying him too much money for what he does ($3M)<---and no, that's not three Monopoly dollars, that's three million. Drop him like he's hot, put him on waivers. Save that $3M for someone who's worth it.

Cut Brent Sopel. There's $2.5M of defense that someone from Rockford could easily make up when he's gone. Put the $2M that he's gonna be paid next year to Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, or Duncan Keith.

Brian Campbell. Sounded like a good idea at the time. Get rid of him. He sucks. He's nothing close to what we paid him for. Twice last year, during the playoffs, Campbell turned over the puck to the Red Wings for breakaway goals. Here's where you could really cut some losses: $7.14M. I'd rather have Jordan Hendry.

Cristobal Huet. He finished the season 11-2 with the Capitals in the post-season prior to the Blackhawks signing him. Another guy who sounded like a good idea at the time. However, he's terribly inconsistent. Let him go. Antti Niemi has played just as well as he has and for less money. $5.65M back in the Blackhawks pockets.

This won't solve all our problems, but at least we might be able to sign one more of those guys. The rest of our spots can be filled by guys from Rockford. The Blackhawks have turned lots of minor-leaguers into success stories (Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Niklas Hjalmarsson). I think that with enough solid players around the call-ups will help them develop enough that they can play at a high level.

I'm no contract genius. Maybe everything I've said is illegal or stupid, I don't know. But, all I know is I want to see Kane, Toews, and Keith in the red, Indian-head sweater next year.

Week 4

We're now four weeks into the NFL season. I don't think me or Bryce have blogged as much as we've wanted to, but I've decided that there are too many things to blog about to stay silent.

Antwan Odom and the Bengals are impressing the hell out of me

Not that I like it. I was near inconsolable when the Bengals beat the Packers while I was at the game. I felt a little better when they continued to beat the Steelers a week later. Then again, they had to go to OT to beat the Browns. The Bengals are 3-1 and really, they ought to be 4-0 had Stokley not made that fluke of a catch for a TD at the end of their game on Week 1.

We see a Bengals team this year that features a decent defense with Antwan Odom racking up sacks and tackles. Rey Maualuga was not a bad addition either. To that, add a healthy Keith Rivers who was knocked out for the season with a broken jaw by the most beastly receiver I've ever seen, Hines Ward.

The Bengals lost T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the Seattle Seahawks in the off-season, however, this offense seems more alive than it's been in a while. Carson Palmer is healthy this year--a much better option than Ryan Fitzpatrick--and Chad Johnson has not been disappointing either. Cedric Benson, whose career seemed to be dead, is running pretty well this year.

It's things like this that make the NFL interesting.

Josh McDaniels blunders in the off-season, starts the season 4-0?

Should I subtitle this "Orton looks less like a pedophile, more like a QB?"

Everyone shook their head and said "Idiot" when McDaniels got caught trying to trade his Pro Bowl quarterback, Jay Cutler, for his man-crush, Matt Cassel. Cutler proceeded to pout and make a big scene until he got traded to the Bears. Who was going to take Cutler's place? The Broncos acquired Kyle Orton--amongst many draft picks--who seems to be managing games and making throws to lead the Broncos to a 4-0 start. It seems, maybe, that Cutler wasn't the critical piece, but defense was. Their off-season acquisition of Brian Dawkins was smart and whoever was responsible for that move is probably preparing to move into a bigger house.

Another rookie QB tearing it up?

Mark Sanchez, other than today, has looked awesome this season and has taken his team to a 3-1 start. Sanchez still has a lot to learn, as he exhibited today, but he looks to be the next Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco. It doesn't hurt that Sanchez has considerably more pieces in place than fellow rookie start, Matthew Stafford. With guys like Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller to throw to and Thomas Jones and Leon Washington to hand off to, Sanchez doesn't have to carry the whole load.

The defense isn't too shabby either. Shaun Ellis, Kris Jenkins, and Darrelle Revis are good places to start. I predict the Jets to make it to the playoffs--for real this year.

The Titans are 0-4?
Who could have predicted this? This team started out the year 10-0 last year, right? They only lost 3 games last year, right? Needless to say, this team has already missed the playoffs this year...


Packers/Vikings
There's never been a more heart-breaking game...and it hasn't even happened yet. Either way it turns out, it won't be okay. Ultimately, I want the Packers to win, but if they do, what does that say to whatever legacy Favre has left. I know that I was mad at Favre for coming back again this year and for playing for the enemy, but last week's last second TD pass made me remember Favre's magic and I missed having him on our team. I kinda don't wanna see him lose. However, I would hate to see him beat his old team. It just isn't right. I would hate to see Favre happy to see the Packers lose.

My predictions? Packers lose by 10 or more. The Vikings have a balanced attack and Favre has something to prove. I don't think we can really stand up to that. Best case scenario? Packers are hungry on the ball on defense and send a lot of blitzes, force a lot of turnovers. Ultimately, we'll just have to see.

Week 1: Packers

It wasn't pretty. Before the Packers' final touchdown, Rodgers only had 134 yards passing on the night. Rodgers missed his receivers when they had their coverage beat. Rodgers could have had at LEAST one more deep TD pass like he had to Jennings for the game-winner. However, the Packers still managed a win (over their rival no less!), but more importantly they did two things they couldn't do last year that cost them many games:

1. Rodgers led a 2-minute drill, 4th quarter comeback

Time and time again last year, the Packers came up short because they were offensively stagnant in the fourth quarter. These were times when Packers fans wish they had "He Who Shall Not Be Named" back. I'm sure Rodgers knew what everyone was saying when he walked on the field for the final series. "Will he do it?" Did Rodgers really answer the question? Last night he did. I do not necessarily think that this means that everything has changed since last year, but it's a good sign and was very reminiscent (as Bryce and I discussed last night) of the deep ball Jennings caught to win the game in Denver two years ago.

2. The defense held in the fourth quarter

The Packers always gave up vast amounts of points in the second half last season. They seemed to be going down the same road last night when they gave up their lead. After Rodgers answered his call last night, my first though was (and Bryce can attest to this, because I sent him this text) "We have to play defense." I knew the things that the Packers always struggled with late in the game. However, the defense answered its challenge by picking off Jay Cutler for the FOURTH time. It was very reminiscent of the Packers' playoff game against the Seahawks many years ago when Matt Hasselbeck so infamously said "We want the ball and we're going to score." Al Harris picked him off that day for a game-winning touchdown. Although Al didn't score last night, the effect of his interception was still game-winning. Good job D, and great job Dom.

Some Thoughts Before the NFL Season Begins

1. Brett Favre is gonna suck this year.
No, this is not because I'm bitter, although I am. Favre is too old and his arm is too gone. I know that for a game or two, Brett will prove me wrong. And I know that pre-season doesn't mean all that much, but Favre seriously sucked last night. 1 for 4 for 4 yards. Wow. Rosenfels made a pretty good case for the starting position in the first pre-season game with 10 for 13 for 91 yards. And Jackson was even more impressive in the second pre-season game going 12 for 15 for 202 yards and 2 TDs. I'd take either one of those guys right now. But, sadly for them, they won't get the chance because the Vikings spent $25M on a guy that is more likely to divide his team than to split defenses. Also, for the second year, Favre skipped camp. No one likes camp, but it's important. Peyton Manning missed camp and pre-season last year and look at his first-half stats. And on a personal note, I hope the Packers catch a few more passes from Favre this year.

2. The Packers defense will surprise a few teams this year.
This is mostly just because I'm a Packers fan. But, on a serious level, I really think they will. Rodgers said he was having a tough time predicting the new 3-4 defense in camp. A lot of guys are stepping up too. Desmond Bishop has 2 interceptions, a sack, a fumble recovery and 9 tackles in the first two games of the pre-season. And Brady Poppinga had a good game against Buffalo with an interception and a fumble recovery. The only problem they seem to have is that they have too many capable linebackers (Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk, Brandon Chillar, Brady Poppinga, Desmond Bishop, Clay Matthews), but it's a good problem to have with a 3-4 defense that relies heavily on linebackers.

3. Beanie Wells will be a disappointment.
Wells has been highly touted because of his college career with "THE" Ohio State University (what a bunch of crap) and because the Cardinals no longer have Edgerin James. This means Beanie will only have to battle it out with Tim Hightower for the starting job. Considering that Hightower is a third-down, change-of-pace back, Wells will probably get most of the touches. Here's the problem, though: He was injury-prone in college, and the NFL won't be any softer. Wells has already missed a considerable amount of time and reps with the Cardinals in training camp and pre-season. Wells will either get injured or start the season cold, or both.

4. The Lions will still suck.
Congratulations, Detroit! You went 0-16 last season! No one has ever been that terrible, EVER! Your prize is the first overrall pick in the draft! You selected Matthew Stafford! Good choice! Too bad that this excellent pick won't make a difference for a while. You still need an offensive line, and maybe a defense. Later on, though, Stafford will be worth it.

These are my predictions, and I will happily admit if I am wrong....except if Favre actually turns out to be good....or if the Packers' defense sucks...or if the Lions are good...

Wow, Dale, Really? You Got Us In MORE Trouble?

It's coming out now that the NHL is investigating the contract that the Blackhawks signed with Marian Hossa. As you may recall, the Blackhawks signed Hossa to a 12-year/$62.8M deal. The NHL has found that Hossa will be making $3.5M/year towards the end of the contract as opposed to the normal $5M-something/year he will be making otherwise.

The league is looking to see if the Blackhawks discussed Hossa's retirement during the contract negotiations. This is apparently against the collective bargaining rules of the league. Apparently this has also pissed off other owners around the league, becuase they're backing the league on this one.

If the NHL finds the Blackhawks to be guilty, they can face a fine of up to $5M, and could lose future draft picks.

Way to go, Dale! Looks like we got one good year, and now we'll be mired down at the bottom of the Central Division again, thanks to your antics.

Dale Tallon, You Officially Suck

Okay, I can understand not wanting to pay the big bucks for players who have been injury-prone in past years. We dealt James Wisniewski--a great young defenseman--at the trade deedline in order to obtain a good face-off man in Sami Pahlsson. I can deal with that, I guess.

Then, this offseason, we waved goodbye to Nikolai Khabibulin--easily our best goaltender--because his high price tage and annual injuries just didn't jive well. I can understand that from a financial standpoint, even though I realize how badly that hurts us at the goalie position.

Also, this offseason, we gave up contract talks with our points leader from last season, Martin Havlat. This last season was the first time in a long time that the veteran forward didn't suffer an injury that kept him out for any extended time.

What did we do instead? We signed an injured player. WHAT?!

Granted, Marian Hossa is a great talent. I mean, he led a team of all-stars in goals scored last year for the Detroit Red Wings. Some reports say that the Blackhawks never made Hossa pass a physical. Others say that we knew about his torn rotator cuff when we signed him. Both these stories could be true, but why would we do this?

Hossa underwent surgery last Friday and will be recovering for four months. This means he will miss the first two months of the season. I know you're all thinking, "Yeah, but when he's healthy, he's gonna be killer!" But the fact still remains, he will miss two months of the year that the Blackhawks need to make it to the Stanley Cup before they lose their young players. Why would they be losing their young players?

Because Tallon's an idiot. If the huge 12-year deal didn't tie up enough money in a player, then Tallon's next blunder definitely did. Tallon failed to send 6 restricted free agents qualifying offers before the deadline. Why? Because he decided to mail them during the July 4th weekend, instead of faxing them like he was supposed to. The result? The Blackhawks had to scramble to re-sign several of their integral parts (i.e. Cam Barker and Calder Trophy finalist Kris Versteeg) costing them more money.

Now, the Blackhawks face an off-season next summer where three great, young talents' contracts come due: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks have already promised big money to two disappointments--Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet--and made the biggest off-season move this summer by signing Hossa. With this added blunder, how will we ever fit under the cap?

Either all three are going to have to take huge hometown discounts, or we're going to have to let go of one of our better players in order to pay for one of our gambles.

Duncan Keith makes up one of the best young defensive pairings in the league. How can we afford to give up yet another defenseman? Keep in mind, we failed to re-sign Matt Walker this off-season, and we let go of James Wisniewski last season.

Patrick Kane was the first overall pick of the 2007 draft and won the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) that season. Kane is small, maybe a little quiet, but he's an assist machine, and a scoring Houdini, not to mention my favorite Blackhawk.

I consider Jonathan Toews to be least likely to lose his job. This is because the Blackhawks named him captain of the team last summer. I doubt that they will part with him after two seasons as captain. Although Toews may not score quite as much as Kane, but he does carry some innate leadership qualities.

So, as I was saying before, the Blackhawks need to make their move this season, before they lose one of these young phenoms. Tallon has just made it more difficult for this year, and even more difficult in the years following. Great work.

One final note. Blackhaws, what are you thinking? Sure, you demoted him, but why not just get rid of him? I can see why you kept Savard around after you fired him as coach--he was a Blackhawk legend. But Tallon? Really? Maybe there's something I'm missing here.

Mr. Favre

Recent reports indicate that Brett Favre, former Packer great, will most likely be playing for the Minnesota Vikings this coming season. If this happens, all of my Brett Favre memorabilia will be boxed up for 10 years, except for the NFL Authentic jersey that Spencer got me. ESPN quotes Football Outsiders as projecting Favre for 25 TD's and 18 INT's. I doubt that. Anyway, mark my words, I'll put away all my Favre stuff for 10 years as a punishment, maybe longer if he does well.

Go Pack.