i’m kind of starting to get antsy waiting for someone to make the first move regarding Hawks players. Plus i’m starting to get self-centeredly paranoid every time it looks like some team is trying to clear a bunch of cap space.

got my 4 peeps.

And that kid from Degrassi.

Honestly though, I expect Kane to start sobering up sometime after Vegas.

I’m sure Kaner will soon be getting a sit-down with things being clearly explained to him.
1) You just signed a big new contract. Are you going to want another one?
2) You are one of the Faces-of-the-Franchise. That’s a 24-7 job.
3) You had some fun kid, now it’s time to start acting like an adult
4) This organization was embarrasing due to managment for a looonng time. Some player will not embarass it now.

Hopefully that’s all it takes. It would be a shame for a potential amazing career get fouled up buy dependancy issues.

having fun w/Kaner… he’s just not answering questions from TMZ. After Vegas PKizzle might never want to drink again. Hoping for no party fouls from him at the awards though.

Bob is caught in a temporal loop again. Somebody shake him.

That’s where the bars with gogo boys and drag queens are. Diversey and Halsted is a walgreens, a steak house and a KFC.

I do think Pride is very different than a pro/anti choice or tea party rally, and that the Hawks could use a bit of positive PR in that demographic, after the Pronger is gay thing, and the Trib’s helpful Chrissy Pronger poster.

After managing to make themselves one of the “Asshats of the Week” on AfterElton.com, a gay media website, over the whole Pronger thing, the Hawks could use the good PR.

I think it would be great if the Cup and/or players or members of the Hawks organization made it to the parade. Let’s be honest – none of the major sports leagues in the US (with maybe the exception of the WNBA) acknowledge the gay community in any significant way. And how many queer athletes in these leagues can you name? A couple at most – and all of them came out after their playing days were over.

I think the Hawks are in a tough PR spot – now that this has made news they almost have to attend as to not be perceived as homophobic. Then again, if you’re going to go to this parade, why not any of the other ethnic pride parades/festivals this summer? I suspect if they decline, they’d use this excuse as to why they can’t go: “we don’t want to go to one and not all of them.” That reasoning I certainly understand, but there’ll be some fallout if they go that route.

From a personal standpoint, I haven’t been to pride in years – it’s honestly a joke. It’s always too hot, too crowded with drunks and way too damn long (like 3+ hours – and they always start late). Imagine the Hawks parade with better dressed people. The parade has really turned into a horse and pony show for the politicians and local/national businesses to show up and be queer friendly for a day. At least the last time I went the loudest applause was for PFLAG which restored a bit of my faith in humanity.

/jumps off soapbox

But it would be great for any of the guys who were comfortable with it to be there.

With all due respect to our gay friends in SCH and my gay friends outside of SCH I think the Gay Pride parade is more of a political statement which I don’t believe a sports team should be about. Why alienate some fans to reach out to others regardless of the political issue? What if the Hawks paraded with the Nazis in the Blues Brothers? (No, I’m not equating gays to Nazis!) IMO, parades with a political agenda should be avoided by sports teams.

people thought Miller was almost a shoo-in for the cover. I think he was high on the list for consideration, but he got a silver medal and his team bowed out of the playoffs after the first round. Ummmm.

In the Gretzky era? One year Gretzky, the next Messier, then Fuhr perhaps. Obviously next year it will be a non Hawk unless something absolutely spectacular happens like Hossa scoring 70 and leading the Hawks to another championship!

You know, we have a championship team with a lot of great players. Why wouldn’t they be on back to back covers?

it was promised, delayed, then everyone got drunk and were too busy reveling to remember to bring it up again….

That being said, I thought Kopecky was hot garbage up with Toews and Hoss in that game. Kop had his head down all game and really dragged that line down.

It feels weird writing something like that when your team wins the cup, but I was ubber-pissed at Kop going into OT.

that Huet, Sharp and Hjalmarsson were going to Washington for Semin and a 2nd rounder. The source cited by the parody tweet was “dude who parks next to 88’s dad in the UC” but do you think people paid attention to that? No. Instead they C&Ped the message, TOOK OUT THE PART THAT CITED MOCK SOURCES, and then got some people to ask Dreger & MacKenzie to “confirm”.

I mean WTF DO PEOPLE NOT HAVE COMMON SENSE.

I would be much more worried about players leaving and whatnot if they had not hoisted the Cup this year. As it is, I’m reminded of an article from Allan Muir just after the Hossa signing, where he said it was stupid and blah blah blah, unless the Hawks are thinking that the cap is going to explode their team after the ‘09-’10 season anyway and this might be their best and only chance.

I was actually in Chicago this weekend (just flew back today).

…but unless I blacked out after getting punched in the face, I don’t recall ever stepping into a Panera…

Pride is a HUGE event with tons of attendees and participants and major press coverage. It’s a bit different.

We need to work on ending the use of homophobic slurs as an insult (most recently seen in the embarrassing pictures taken of Chicago Blackhawk Pat Kane and a "Pronger is Gay" slogan; Kane just a few months ago wore a dogtag reading "In Honor of Brendan Burke" with the rest of his Olympic hockey teammates)

for the “Pronger is gay” thing not to be the first thing associated with the Blackhawks in the eyes of queers and queer allies.

i wonder how much tickets will end up going for this single game once all is said and done.. To see the banner(s) raised AND watch Franzen watch the banner(s) go up!? MUST be in the building for this.

In what century is the NHL going to give the ‘Hawks their first game of the season at home? I figured after winning the Stanley Cup it would be a given – guessed wrong I suppose. (I’m sorry but the game in Finland doesn’t count).

you’ll be judged a queer.

And no that was not a double entendre. If the Hawks go I assume the Cup will go to a local establishment. When is the parade again?

Should be soon – Sam did say later today

Prices are usually the same as regular season games. Last year we went totally last minute and there were plenty of seats, but then again, that was last year. I got to see Klinkhammer score – YES!