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VIDEO: Jake Arrieta’s Heartfelt Message To Cubs Fans

By
Aldo Soto
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In a perfect world Jake Arrieta would still be in the starting rotation for the Chicago Cubs, but the fact is the world isn’t perfect. He and the Cubs had different views on what he was worth and Arrieta decided to bet on himself, signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Arrieta is back at Wrigley Field for the first time since signing a three-year, $75 million contract with Philadelphia and there aren’t any hard feelings. As a matter of fact, Arrieta had a heartfelt message for Cubs fans, as he spoke to the media prior to Tuesday night’s game.

I’ve said it more than once and I’ll say it again, there hasn’t been a more dominant run by a Cubs starting pitcher in my lifetime than what Jake Arrieta accomplished in his 4.5 seasons on the North Side.

Of course we remember the good times like his incredible 2015 run, the no-hitters and the 2016 World Series, but remember Arrieta arrived in Chicago in 2013, when the Cubs were still in the middle of their rebuild.

Arrieta brought up the first few seasons and the support fans always gave him and the team, while also saying how much his experience with the Cubs meant a great deal for his son as well.

It’ll be interesting if Arrieta ever expresses the slightest bit of regret for not re-signing with the Cubs. The front office tried to sign him to an extension since 2015, and reportedly offered him a six-year, $120 million deal this past offseason.

So far Arrieta has backed up his talk, recording a 2.66 ERA through 11 starts this season. While the Cubs are near the top of MLB in run scoring, the Phillies rank near the bottom and frustration finally got the best of Arrieta on Sunday, when he called out teammates and his manager after getting swept in San Francisco.

Oh Jake, you were so much happier in Chicago.

Blame The Russians (Not Those Russians) For The Golden Knights’ Failure

By
Kevin Fiddler
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Roll out the HillBots. Blow the conch shell horn to assemble to the Bernie Bros. Somebody call CNN. Alert Wikileaks. Call the FBI. Activate the social media justice warriors. Lock the barn door. Hide under your covers. It’s official: The Russians have hacked the Stanley Cup Final.

You don’t think Russian president and resident 80s-movie antagonist Vladmir Putin hasn’t used his strategic hacking program to alter the crossbar, slowly melt the ice under the feet of each Golden Knight, all while undermining the greatest feel-good story since the United States National Men’s Hockey Team embarrassed the former Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics?

Silly child. Welcome to “The Colder War.”

There can be no other feasible explanation as to why the Golden Knights went from losing just three postseason games to three games in just one series, and potentially a fourth, here in the Stanley Cup Final. Perhaps Robert Mueller and his crew can look into this theory, after all, it’s in the nation’s capital, a cesspool of corruption, greed, late-night anonymous Tinder hookups, and Russian spies everywhere.

It’s almost as if the Russians inserted one of their own into the first line of the Mighty Ducks so Gordon Bombay’s squad would lose and never get a sequel. Far fetched, you say? The Capitals roster is comprised of at least nine Russian players (we know about), and more we don’t.

Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov, who leads the playoffs in scoring after adding four assists in a 6-2 win over Vegas, has been the Rocky-equivalent to Ivan Drago the entire postseason. The 26-year-old center from Chelyabinsk, Russia, has been nearly impossible to contain (12 G, 19 A, 31 total points).

What? You thought Moscow-born Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin came here to become a hockey great? Silly flat-earther. He’s been a “NHL Manchurian candidate” for decades now, sent to the US to destroy democracy from inside the rink. Ovechkin has 14 goals, 12 assists with an impressive 26 total points scored in the postseason.

There’s no way the guy came here just to play the sport he loves, giving all of himself, year after year, in search of the beloved Stanley Cup.

Nerp. Impossible. Doesn’t make sense.

Inside sources tell me Braden Holtby isn’t actually from Canada but was, instead, snatched from the Saskatoon Blades and slowly brainwashed, alongside Bucky Barnes — aka The Winter Soldier, in a research facility in Siberia. After Game 1, I’m sure his handler came in and read a bunch of random words from a overly-large red book to activate The Summer Soldier. Holtby hasn’t given up a crucial goal since. In fact, Holtby defended 28 of 30 shots in Game 4, and 86 of 91 Vegas attempts since allowing five goals in Game 1.

“Ready to comply, comrade.”

Just like the 2016 election, the losses Ovechkin and his Russian teammates have delved out definitely couldn’t have anything to them simply running a better offense and defense, but — if the Democratic National Committee is going to blame Russians for their upset loss to an Orange Cheeto in an election a silent canned ham could’ve easily won — maybe Vegas can also use this weak excuse to make us also feel better about the loss.

Or, perhaps, Golden Knights fans will maturely own up to the fact that the Capitals have run the series better than their own team, the Knights haven’t executed a strong game plan, and the Capitals won because they were simply the better team. That’d probably be the most mature and logical reasoning but who said logic and reasoning existed in this social media-ruled world we live in? Until then, let’s follow the current trend of yelling ‘Murica and blame someone other than those who lost.

Might at least help us sleep at night.

White Sox Get Great Value With 2nd and 3rd Round Selections

By
Conor Strandquist
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White Sox 3rd Round pick Konnor Pilkington
White Sox 3rd Round pick Konnor Pilkington

The MLB Draft kicked off last night and the Southsiders have made a few solid selections so far. Nick Madrigal was selected with the 4th overall pick. He was regarded as the best hitter in the draft and we should be thrilled they took him. For more on Madrigal check this out from the Sports Mockery gang.

The White Sox followed up their first-round selection with just an all-time baseball name. Steele Walker, an outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, was selected with the 46th overall pick.

Name aside, this is a good selection. Walker was the 30th ranked draft prospect by MLB.com. He has as solid a track record as any. His sophomore year at Oklahoma he slashed .333/.413/.541 with 8 Home Runs and 51 runs driven in. He followed that up with what has been an even more impressive junior season where he slashed .352/.441/.606. His power numbers saw a nice jump as well. He hit 13 round trippers this past season.

Including this mammoth shot.

He’s split time between center and right field in 2018 but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him land in left field. His bat will play at all levels and he has a proven track record with wooden bats. He led the Northwest Woods League with a .406 average in the summer of 2016. His experience and success with wood bats could likely shorten his adjustment period to pro ball.

The White Sox drafted Konnor Pilkington, LHP from Mississippi State with the 81st overall pick.

I’m digging the White Sox draft strategy this year of college players with solid track records. Pilkington is no exception. He’s been Mississipi States #1 starter since his sophomore year. Konnor hasn’t had the best statistical season posting a 4.62 ERA in 16 starts, leading to his slide in the draft.

Pilkington is a three-pitch pitcher. He throws a fastball, changeup and has a slider that he mixes in as well. He’s seen his fastball velocity dip slightly as well. I’d attribute that to a lack of conditioning more than anything. He has touched 96 mph on the gun which may lead one to think the bullpen is in his future but he’ll stick as a starter. His command and three-pitch mix will allow him to eat innings and hopefully settle in somewhere in the middle of a rotation. It’s also worth mentioning that he will not turn 21 until September.

Pilkington also adds LHP depth to the White Sox Farm System. For as talented as the system is, this was the one area where they were a bit thin. He’s still pitching for Mississippi State as yesterday they eliminated his future teammate, Steele Walker, and his University of Oklahoma Sooners. This will delay him signing with the team and joining any affiliate but you won’t hear me complain about watching this kid compete on the biggest stage in college baseball.

 

Mixed Martial Arts: Is UFC A Sport Or A Roman Spectacle?

By
Sina Pahlevan
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No matter the situation, no matter the time, no matter the environment, there is only one thing that will always draw someone’s attention: A fight. Fighting has been ingrained in the minds of every organism on the planet since the beginning of time. As the human race has evolved, so has fighting. Discipline, athleticism, skill, focus and other trades have been incorporated into fighting to the point where it has been transformed into a more than just survival, but a wildly-successful, commercial sport.

Mixed martial arts is one of the most fascinating and gruesome sports in the world. The sport’s leading organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has pushed mixed martial arts into territories people could not have imagined. Names like Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and many more have made the UFC one of the premier sports organizations in the world.

Not bad for an organization that without weight classes in one large “Royal Rumble” style eight-man tournament format that even pitted a 5-foot-11 air conditioning repairman squaring off — and beating — a 616-pound sumo champion. It was banned in many states, including New York, which finally became the 50th state to legalize it in 2016.

On, and nut shots weren’t made illegal until 2001, when the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board adopted a set of standards that would become known as the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The rules went from a total of three to 30 overnight. In 2009, the Association of Boxing Commissions also adopted the same rules.

Of course, nobody in their right mind thinks legal nutshots wouldn’t be ratings gold.

Besides the display of extreme violence people crave when they watch MMA, the drama that is sometimes present takes it over the top and that is truly what brings in the revenue through pay-per-view and at the gate. While this brings in more ticket sales for premier MMA organizations like the UFC, it is also the problem eating away at the sport.

The traditional rankings and ladder system, where fighters have to climb up the rankings of their division in order to win a title shot, is being pushed to the side. Promoters are now more focused on setting up money fights for the public. For many people, this is wonderful. The UFC has played its part in promoting big fights as of late.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor? Jon Jones vs. Brock Lesnar? Georges St. Pierre vs. Michael Bisping? All these fights sound amazing; however, through booking all these fights and making more money, the UFC is diminishing the foundation upon which the sport was founded on. Fighters are becoming less and less satisfied with the way the world of mixed martial arts, especially the UFC, is trending. Money is being dispersed to fighters who at times might not deserve it as much as other fighters.

The UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (26-2-1), is regarded as one of the best fighters of all time and has maintained a spot in the upper echelon of the UFC pound for pound rankings for quite some time now.

However, since he is not able to promote himself like a Conor McGregor, he does not make as much money even though in reality he is probably a substantially better fighter than McGregor is. Conor has not defended his title nearly as much as Mighty Mouse has nor does he have the tools in his arsenal that Mighty Mouse does when it comes to an overall fight game.

According to mmamania.com, Joe Rogan even came out and said Conor McGregor receiving special treatment from the UFC because of his star status is “f*cked up.” Conor suffered minimal repercussions for the controversial actions he committed before UFC 223 by the UFC. In reality though, if almost any other fighter did what Conor did, they’d be thrown out of the UFC in an instant.

More money should be paid to the athlete who performs better, not speaks better. After all, is that not the way money is given out in other major sports organizations such as the NBA or the NFL? The sport of mixed martial arts is starting to digress from a well renowned combat sport to a mere form of entertainment. Maybe that’s fine for the premier MMA organizations in the world, however there is no denying that with all this money coming in, respect and credibility are going out the door.

Chase Daniel Shocked at How Bears Coaches Installing New Offense

By
Erik Lambert
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chase daniel

Chase Daniel signed a two-year contract worth $10 million to become the new Chicago Bears backup quarterback. This was done on purpose. His prior knowledge of Matt Nagy’s offensive scheme from their time together in Kansas City made him a perfect choice. Nobody else would be able to help Mitch Trubisky transition to the new system quicker. He could spend that extra time with him off the field when coaches couldn’t, helping him with the language and terminology.

He’s already made a positive impression on the locker room, assuming a veteran leadership role. Yet even Daniel himself wasn’t quite prepared for what the Bears coaching staff had planned for this new offense. It turns out Nagy has changed somewhat from five years ago when he installed his first scheme with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Namely, it’s how much the coaches are throwing at the players in terms of the sheer number of plays. Apparently, it’s upwards of 10 times the number that came through by this point back in 2013. Daniel is surprised, but also isn’t worried. He’s encouraged by how the players, especially Trubisky have handled it.

“I’d say it’s way ahead of schedule. I think that’s on purpose, too. I think coaches are doing it on purpose and putting a lot of stress on us now. And once training camp comes, we’ll get back to fundamentals and details.”

Matt Nagy taking his first step away from Andy Reid umbrella

It’s important to remember that the man who decided how quickly the Chiefs installed the offense back in 2013 wasn’t Nagy. That was head coach Andy Reid. He seemed to have a more methodical approach. It’s hard to argue with it. Alex Smith went to his first Pro Bowl that season. Nagy seems to be taking a more aggressive approach. He wants to see how much his young quarterback can handle.

It might also be because Trubisky is absorbing it faster than expected. Rookie receiver Anthony Miller noted how amazed he was at the QB’s ability to spit out plays so soon after they were installed. A testament to his hard work and preparation.

“MITCH, HE KNOWS THE GAME ALREADY. HE’S A GUY THAT STUDIES THIS OFFENSE, AND I SEE THAT. WHEN HE COMES IN THE HUDDLE, WE’LL HAVE A PLAY THAT’S SO LONG AND HE’LL JUST SPIT IT OUT. THAT TELLS ME THAT HE’S IN HIS PLAYBOOK AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO HIM.”

Give Nagy credit.

One of the hardest things for a head coach to do is stepping out of the comfort zone he’d lived in for years with their former mentor. He’s recognizing that he can’t coach like Reid because he’s not Reid. He has to do it his way and trust it’s the way that will work.

People don’t give enough credit to Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith for that. Ditka learned at the knee of all-time great Tom Landry. He easily could’ve tried to emulate the man in Chicago but instead took his lessons and applied them with his own style. Smith was a protege of Hall of Famer Tony Dungy but developed his own intricacies over the years as well.

Nagy wants to forge his own path. This is merely one of the first steps.

Delaware Governor John Carney Bets Against The Cubs In State’s First Legal Bet

By
Aldo Soto
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A little more than three weeks ago the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and now allows all 50 states to bet on sports games. On Tuesday, Delaware Governor John Carney made the first legal bet in his state and it happens to be against the Chicago Cubs.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell posted the video on Twitter, showing Carney placing a $10 bet on the Philadelphia Phillies money line.

Because gambling on sporting events still isn’t legal everywhere, I’m resorted to going on Bovada (hey Bovada sponsor us or something) and to celebrate Delaware having legal sports betting I’ll bet on the Cubs tonight.

I have no clue what the money line was that the governor bet on, but obviously those odds are terrible for the Cubs, who are heavy favorites at -235 on Bovada. (You bet $235 to win $100) So, instead I’ll bet on the spread, -1.5 for the Cubs and that’s at -125.

If you’re new to gambling, the -1.5 just means the Cubs have to win by more than one run and the -125 is the same concept as the -235.

Let the best man win.

Wonder how long until Pete Rose goes into complete bankruptcy once betting is in place throughout the country. I mean, baseball games on almost every day for six months? Either his hell or heaven.

Luis Robert Assigned To Kannapolis Intimidators

By
Conor Strandquist
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What a couple of days for the White Sox farm system. Oregon State middle infielder, Nick Madrigal, was taken with the 4th overall pick last night followed by the first-ballot member of the baseball guy name hall of fame, Oklahoma outfielder, Steele Walker. Speaking of outfielders (that’s what we call a segue here in the writing biz), Luis Robert is officially set to join a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

excited fuck yeah GIF

 

Here’s the announcement:

This move makes all the sense in the world. Yes, Robert was originally assigned to Winston Salem at the start of the season. With the likes of Micker Adolfo, Alex Call, Blake Rutherford, Joel Booker and Luis Alexander Basabe already clogging up the Winston Salem outfield, Kannapolis is a perfect fit for Robert.  Coming off a relatively serious thumb injury, there’s no reason to rush him. Think of this as a rehab stint. He will be able to see his first taste of minor league pitching and get his feet wet in professional baseball.  This does not mean that Robert won’t tear up Low-A pitching and earn a promotion to Winston Salem rather quickly. That’s exactly what should happen but again, why rush it?

There will be an interesting chain reaction of promotions in the coming weeks. The inevitable promotion of Eloy Jimenez to Charlotte will create a hole in Birmingham’s roster likely to be filled by one of the aforementioned Winston Salem outfielders (Basabe is my guess).  Robert’s promotion to High-A will be mixed in there.

The White Sox are currently dealing with an embarrassment of riches in attempting to find all of these young guys enough at-bats. That’s a good problem to have.

Akiem Hicks Takes Thinly-Veiled Shot at Dowell Loggains and John Fox

By
Erik Lambert
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akiem hicks

One thing Vic Fangio has proven over the years is he doesn’t like beating around the bush. He tells it like it is, whether people want to hear it or not. It would only make sense that players who exhibit a similar personality would fit so well in his defense. That’s why Akiem Hicks has emerged as one of the primary leaders for the Chicago Bears defense.

The guy is a talker. That’s what stands out first. He’ll talk major trash about anything. Ask Prince Amukamara and Danny Trevathan who were on the wrong end of his barbs this offseason. He’s also not afraid to answer questions honestly. It’s a big reason Bears fans love him. That was on display during his press conference before mandatory minicamps on Tuesday.

When asked about the new offense being installed by head coach Matt Nagy and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, Hicks had plenty to say, not all of it easy.

“It’s faster. It’s blazing. There’s so many dang moving parts, it gives us fits in practice.”

Hicks is a competitor. For him to admit that is a big deal and a welcome sign for what’s to come on offense. However, he wasn’t done. His most inflammatory comment came when asked about what will be different for the Bears in 2018 versus last year.

Akiem Hicks was not a big fan of the Loggains and Fox offense

It couldn’t have been easy playing defense last year. Hicks had to play a lot of snaps. Much of that because the offense couldn’t score a lot of points. One of the most persistent issues had to do with constantly forcing the defense to play catch up.

“I think the biggest difference for us is we have an offense that is going to score in the first half.”

It’s a fair criticism. In 2017 the Bears averaged just 8.2 points scored in the first half. That ranked them 28th in the NFL. Of the 16 games they played in total, they trailed at the end of the first half in 10 of them. It’s hard to win in this league when one has to come from behind constantly. Hicks knows this. He experienced life as a defender playing with constant leads in New Orleans and New England. It is way easier.
Clearly, he wasn’t impressed with what former offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and head coach John Fox put together last season. So if anybody rolled out the welcome mat for Nagy back in January, it likely would’ve been him.

Corey Crawford Is The Wild Card Of Blackhawks’ 2018-19 Season

By
Tony Gianares
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This offseason, one of the biggest unknowns on this Blackhawks team is Corey Crawford. Many fans, including myself, are wondering whether or not he will be able to play in the upcoming 2018-19 season. The organization has been very secretive and vague about the whole thing up until now. The suspense has the entire fan base on the edge of their seats.

There have been signs pointing towards Crawford being able and ready to play next season. The first bit of good news was that the organization revealed that he would be attending the annual Blackhawks Convention this year.

There was also a leaked photo of Corey Crawford’s goalie mask for the 2018-19 season.

How Valuable Is Corey Crawford to the Blackhawks?

In case you were wondering how valuable Corey Crawford is to the Chicago Blackhawks, the answer is extremely. Look no further than last season. The Blackhawks found themselves in unfamiliar territory as the team finished the 2018-19 season in last place, looking up at the Central Division. There are currently more questions than answers in the Blackhawks’ organization. Unlike in seasons past, this year, the biggest question involves the goaltending position.

Crawford missed three and a half months and look how the season turned out. In the 28 games before his injury, Crawford was performing at the level of a Vezina Trophy finalist.

                                                                                                     Goal                  Scor
Season    Age  Tm  Lg  GP  GS   W   L T/O  GA    SA    SV  SV%  GAA SO   MIN  QS  QS% RBS GA%-  GSAA  GPS    G A PTS PIM Awards
2017-18    33 CHI NHL  28  27  16   9   2  60   842   782 .929 2.27  2  1584  17 .630   3   81 13.90  6.2    0 0   0          0
Career            NHL 409 395 230 124  45 930 11454 10524 .919 2.37 23 23567 238 .603             49 75.4    0 5   5         18

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Corey Crawford has had a great career so far and he did it relatively under the radar. He regularly puts up a solid Save % and Goals Against Average (GAA). Another impressive feat is that Crawford has posted at least 2 shutouts every season since 2012. You can easily see the amount of value and impact he has.

                                                                                                       Goal                                   Scor
Season    Age  Tm  Lg  GP  GS   W   L T/O  GA    SA    SV  SV%  GAA SO   MIN  QS   QS% RBS GA%-   GSAA  GPS    G A PTS PIM                  Awards
2005-06    21 CHI NHL       2   0   0   1   5    41    36 .878 3.47  0                              86  0.1    0 0   0                           0
2007-08    23 CHI NHL   5   3   1   2   0   8   112   104 .929 2.14  1   224   2  .667               0  0.9    0 0   0                           0
2009-10    25 CHI NHL   1   1   0   1   0   3    35    32 .914 3.04  0    59   1 1.000               0  0.2    0 0   0                           0
2010-11    26 CHI NHL  57  55  33  18   6 128  1545  1417 .917 2.30  4  3337  34  .618   6   95   6.59 10.0    0 1   1   2                Calder-4
2011-12    27 CHI NHL  57  55  30  17   7 146  1507  1361 .903 2.72  0  3218  27  .491  13  112 -15.70  7.3    0 0   0                           0
2012-13    28 CHI NHL  30  28  19   5   5  57   769   712 .926 1.94  3  1761  19  .679   1   84  10.73  6.0    0 0   0   4  AS-6Jennings-1Vezina-8
2013-14    29 CHI NHL  59  56  32  16  10 128  1533  1405 .917 2.26  2  3395  31  .554   6   97   4.09  9.8    0 1   1                           0
2014-15    30 CHI NHL  57  57  32  20   5 126  1661  1535 .924 2.27  2  3333  38  .667   4   89  15.77 11.9    0 1   1   8 AS-10Jennings-1Vezina-6
2015-16    31 CHI NHL  58  58  35  18   5 131  1718  1587 .924 2.37  7  3323  40  .690   9   90  15.27 12.0    0 1   1   2            AS-4Vezina-5
2016-17    32 CHI NHL  55  55  32  18   4 138  1691  1553 .918 2.55  2  3247  29  .527   7   94   8.34 11.0    0 1   1                           2
2017-18    33 CHI NHL  28  27  16   9   2  60   842   782 .929 2.27  2  1584  17  .630   3   81  13.90  6.2    0 0   0                           0
Career            NHL 409 395 230 124  45 930 11454 10524 .919 2.37 23 23567 238  .603              49 75.4    0 5   5                          18

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Which Crawford will we see upon his return? Will we get the 3-time Stanley Cup champ and 2-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner in peak form, or will the wear and tear of playing in 82 game seasons every year (besides 2012-13) and playoffs over the past 8 seasons finally catch up to him? It is hard to say really. Crawford is currently 33 years old and will be turning 34 on December 31st. Age could start to become a factor for him at this point in his career.

Blackhawks Preparing For Post-Crawford Era?

The Blackhawks are preparing for the future. They recently signed four players on May 21st and one was a goalie, Kevin Lankinen.

Lankinen is a promising, young Finnish netminder who is getting better and better each year. He is also a proven playoff performer. Here are his career stats:

Lankinen also has the ability to make an acrobatic save as seen here in this video.

However, I do not see Lankinen making his NHL debut this season. He will likely report to either the Indy Fuel (ECHL) or the Rockford IceHogs (AHL), both of which are affiliate teams of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Corey Crawford Will Need Some Help Next Season

A healthy Corey Crawford will not be able to do it all on his own next season. If the Blackhawks are smart, they will surround him with a capable backup and some competent defensemen to take some of the pressure off of him. There are a couple ways to make this happen.

The 2018 NHL Draft is June 22-23 in Dallas, Texas. In my article about the upcoming draft, I listed my Top Targets in the draft for the Blackhawks. My favorite target is Quinn Hughes, a defenseman from Michigan who is oozing with potential and upside. Besides Hughes, there are a number of other players in the draft that can come in and make an immediate impact on the team.

As far as the backup goalie spot goes, it seems like the Blackhawks will make a move in free agency to fill that need. They have a few viable options to go with. My top UFA goalie target is former Blackhawk, Carter Hutton. At age 32, Hutton just posted the best stat line of his career in St. Louis and forced Jake Allen into a timeshare situation.

                      Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal  Goal Goal
Season    Age  Tm  Lg   GP   GS    W    L  T/O   GA   SA   SV  SV%  GAA   SO  MIN   QS  QS%  RBS GA%-  GSAA  GPS
2017-18    32 STL NHL   32   26   17    7    3   56  810  754 .931 2.09    3 1610   19 .731    2   79 15.09  6.2
3 yrs         NSH NHL   75   66   33   23   12  173 1920 1747 .910 2.55    4 4074   28 .424              12 10.5
2 yrs         STL NHL   62   47   30   15    5  114 1473 1359 .923 2.23    7 3069   30 .638               5 10.0
1 yr          CHI NHL    1    1    0    1    0    3   28   25 .893 3.06    0   59    0 .000               0  0.1
Career            NHL  138  114   63   39   17  290 3421 3131 .915 2.42   11 7202   58 .509              17 20.6

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Here are a few more capable options to fill the backup spot for the Blackhawks:

  • Jonathan Bernier
  • Michael Hutchinson
  • Kari Lehtonen
  • Jaroslav Halak
  • Cam Ward
  • Anton Khudobin
  • Ondrej Pavelec
  • Eddie Lack

If the Blackhawks decide to make a promotion from within the organization, I believe their best bet is to give Collin Delia a shot at the backup goaltender spot. He has definitely earned an opportunity to crack the NHL roster and I talked about it in detail in one of my previous articles.

The Blackhawks will definitely have their work cut out for them this offseason. General Manager, Stan Bowman, will need to use his last chance wisely and try to squeeze out one more postseason run before the window closes for our beloved Chicago Blackhawks. Let’s see if they can make it work because nobody wants to go through another failed season without a playoff appearance.

Matt Nagy Faces a Worrying Trend in History of Bears Head Coaches

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

People often make a big deal out of the NFL conferences in the NFC and AFC. Sort of a pro version of the college conferences. There’s a bit of pride from fans whose teams play in either one and they see it as the superior conference. It may not seem like it on the surface but there is a significance behind the fact that Matt Nagy came from the AFC to take over the Chicago Bears.

Here are a few interesting nuggets. Since 2000, the NFC has won seven Super Bowls. This was done by six different teams. The AFC has won 11 Super Bowls but this was done by just five different teams. So while the AFC may hold the decisive advantage in total wins, the NFC has proven the tougher conference to play. It’s also worth noting this.

Six of the Super Bowl-winning coaches came from NFC teams prior to their head coaching hires. Five came from the AFC with Pete Carroll being exempt having come from college. This is not to say AFC coaches have trouble taking over NFC teams. Last season proved that much with Doug Pederson.

However, it could be a big deal when it comes to the Bears.

Matt Nagy faces an uphill battle in Chicago coming out of the AFC

Before delving into the information, one key point must be made. Both Jack Pardee and Marc Trestman will not be included on this list. Pardee came from the World Football League in 1975 and Trestman came from the CFL. So neither qualifies under these parameters. So here is the slate as it stands.

  • Abe Gibron – NFC – promoted by the Bears
  • Neill Armstrong – NFC – assistant coach for Minnesota Vikings
  • Mike Ditka – NFC – assistant coach for Dallas Cowboys
  • Dave Wannstedt – NFC – defensive coordinator for Dallas Cowboys
  • Dick Jauron – AFC – defensive coordinator for Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Lovie Smith – NFC – defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams
  • John Fox – AFC – head coach of the Denver Broncos

NFC = 268-245 record and 12 playoff runs

AFC = 49-79 record and 1 playoff run

Now the total number of seasons played must be taken into account. The AFC coaches covered just eight dating back to 1972. Still, the numbers are telling. Whenever the Bears have plucked from the NFC, it has led to more success. Their winning percentage is far superior as is their ability to reach the postseason. Both of their Super Bowl appearances also occurred under NFC coaches.

Now with that said a little context is needed. Though Jauron and Fox were major flops, it must be noted both inherited teams going through significant rebuilds. The Bears had gone 4-12 in back-to-back seasons prior to Jauron’s arrival. Fox took over a 5-11 team that was the oldest in the NFL.

Yet the results speak for themselves. AFC coaches have had a rough go of it in Chicago. The good news is Matt Nagy has advantages both Jauron and Fox didn’t. He’s inherited a young and athletic team. He already has a top quarterback in place and a strong defense as well. Not only that, but he’s also the third coach from the AFC to take over this franchise.

You know what they say about the third time.

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