Chicago Tempts The Hockey Gods: How Much Bad Karma Can One City Create?
by Travis Hughes on Jun 9, 2010 12:09 AM EDT
in 2010 NHL Playoffs
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PrintIt all started a few months ago, with this:
Some jerk decided to paint a mural in Chicago, visible from a major highway in that city, and die-hard Blackhawks fans knew the implications of this pig-like monstrosity. Putting Jonathan Toews, or at least a pathetic attempt of a portrait of the 'Hawks captain, on the side of a building alongside the Stanley Cup is a death wish. There's no way the team will be winning the Cup this spring, or any spring until that thing is taken down.
But then, the playoffs came. The Blackhawks rolled through the Western Conference after a minor scare against Nashville in the first round. Vancouver? Pesky, but ultimately not a problem. San Jose? Clearly not an issue whatsoever.
That team in the East that finished in 18th in the league, a full 24 points behind the Blackhawks, certainly wouldn't be a bother, right? It looks as though the mural from months earlier would prove inconsequential.
So, it won't matter then when the rest of the city decides to get on the "hey, we've already won this thing" bandwagon as well. Some more examples of a city toying with the hockey gods at every possible turn, after the jump.
We all remember 1997 (well, unless you're younger than 13, I guess). Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell decided to try a policy of appeasement with Billy Penn and his curse, much like the City did in 1993 when they put a Phillies hat on the giant statue that sits atop City Hall.
The City adorned Billy Penn with a giant Flyers jersey after the team beat the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals that May, and the favored Flyers were swiftly swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings. Mayor Michael Nutter learned the lesson by 2008 when he opted not to put a Phils hat on top of City Hall while the team was in the World Series.
They beat the Tampa Bay Rays in five games, we remember. So, the message was clear, right? Don't put jerseys on statues when your team makes the championship round. Would Chicago heed the warning?
Oh, right. Of course not. But that's not as bad as it gets!
No, the largest paper in town decided to literally hand out Stanley Cups to its readers. 516,000-plus of them, to be exact. Yes, the Chicago Tribune printed a page in its paper prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final with a cut out Stanley Cup, headed by 'You will hoist the Cup.'
This cut out still appears on the Tribune website in PDF form, meaning many more than the paper's half a million subscribers can take advantage of its jinx. If this were the Daily News, I'd probably wind up boycotting the paper for the entire summer after the Flyers' inevitable loss.
But seriously, that's not even as bad as it gets.
Check out this website, stanleycup2010blackhawks.blogspot.com, where they are, right now (!), selling 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks banners. The site went live on May 27, apparently, two days before the Cup Final began. The page says the following:
It's just a matter of time until the Hawks take the Stanley Cup. Get a piece of history to hang on to, and remember these historic times.
The banner is pretty terrible (not to mention likely illegal), and it doesn't even use the official Stanley Cup Champions logo, instead opting for one that looks more like the 2008 Red Wings championship logo than the 2009 version or the eventual 2010 version. But execution doesn't really matter at times like these. It's all about the intent.
Who knows, all of this stuff might not even matter. The Blackhawks might win the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night in Philadelphia, or even Friday night back in Chicago. But man, tempting the hockey gods like this is a risky way of going about it.
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I think you’re missing the point. Kind of funny, but that’s the last thing we would want to see every day. Also, if they pan across the Philly skyline during the game, that would just be odd.
It amazes me, considering the history of losing the city of Chicago has witnessed. I would think there would be a few more superstitious people out there or at the very least a little more humility. A lot of them are acting like Yankees fans, who had shirts printed up with “27” on them before the series began last season. That’s not a compliment.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
im really starting to hate chicago
what a bunch of arrogant dicks, cant wait to see pronger lift the cup on their home ice
by Get Jackson a better nickname on Jun 9, 2010 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
looks like
butthead wearing a helmet in the mural 
dumb bandwagon fans
that being said… i’m thinking before tomorrows game, i should make some sort of sacrifice to The Hockey Gods. anyone have any ideas?
"Win today, and we walk together forever"
What about a bucket of fried chicken?
It would please Jaboo.
by Phalange on Jun 9, 2010 8:38 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm thinking
Something Amstel Light inspired
"Call me dumb, call me stupid, whatever. I block shots."
sacrifice a whole 6 pack of molson dry for your homes
thats what a real canadian would do
by Get Jackson a better nickname on Jun 9, 2010 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions
BTW, that is an AWFUL painting of Toews. He looks like an extra from Animal Farm.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
Yeah really, I mean jinx or not, that’s just terrible.
Mancrushin' on Geoff since April 20
"Good night. Good hockey."
by KreiderDesigns on Jun 9, 2010 2:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better!
The Islanders went from Marty McInnis and a 2nd Overall pick to Jesse Joensuu.
yes
if a team makes it to the playoffs the monuments in the city get covered in team colors.
White Sox (2005)
Bears (1985, 2006)
Cubs/White Sox (2008)
I couldn’t find anything Bulls, but I refuse to believe there wasnt anything for that.
of course they also do stuff like
The Toews mural was a bit troubling, but I think the jersey/hat on statue thing is just a problem for you guys.
as for the thing in the paper….the Tribune has been doing some stupid stuff lately. between the paper cup and the Chrissy Pronger thing it’s pretty obvious they are just trying to get some attention.
anyways….best of luck to you guys tonight. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but part of me expects to be watching hockey Friday night.
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
A Bulls jersey was put on the Picasso
during their championship years.
In the years that Chicago has dressed up different statues etc., and made it to the championship round, our record is 8-1.
Maybe, just once, someone will call me 'Sir' without adding, 'You're making a scene."
Since Chicago's already had the coronation,,,,,
I wouldn’t want to be manning the suicide hot lines should things go south. I’m just wondering how wide the hole will be when the bandwagon augers in.
Just a chew toy for the hockey gods
All of this just makes winning...
That much sweeter.
Go Go Gadget Gagne
What if Broad Street Didn't Fight Back? History HAS been made. 5-7-10
5-8-10...the day the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team won the 2011 NCAA Championship!!
C'mon Chicago
act like you’ve been there before. I know its been a while for the Hawks, but pump your brakes a bit, kids.
Free Agent Sigining
Regardless of the result of this series, the Hawks should obtain winger Dainius Hubris this summer.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
by mikefive on Jun 9, 2010 9:13 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Add the league to those tempting the hockey gods...
Link to the new history will be made commercial showing Pronger getting knocked down with the caption suggesting that the Blackhawks won’t be “bullied”… rrrrrrrr…. Between the Tribute poster and this, Pronger’s really got some motivation tonight.
They need to just stop it with the Bullies stuff; this team is nothing like that team.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
But the comparison between “Richie” and “Clarkie” was okay?
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
by PatterPoet95 on Jun 9, 2010 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t like that, either. I think it’s a disservice to both players.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
That’s what I had said when it was aired, I was really asking a question, hope it didn’t come off as sarcastic (stupid machine with no emotion)
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
by PatterPoet95 on Jun 9, 2010 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
You're right
I don’t like when your team gets characterized that way either, because it really marginalizes the talent and depth of skill that you guys have.
To be fair
The 70’s teams had a lot of talent and skill on them, too, but that’s been marginalized by all the fighting/sideshow stuff that ruled their era. They didn’t even invent the style of play, either, contrary to popular belief—they just perfected it.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
It was really a response to the Blues’ physical domination of Philadelphia the previous couple of years in the playoffs. If St. Louis hadn’t played that style, we wouldn’t have refined it.
Honor is no substitute for victory.
Exactly. Snider and Co. got tired of watching their team get pushed around on the ice.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
Agreed.
The worst thing about that era is that people thought we only had goons, Clarke, and Parent.
Don’t the names Barber, Leach, and MacLeish mean anything to anyone? (Among many, many others…)
#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)
by Orange and Black Forever on Jun 9, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
There were 8 40-point scorers on the first Stanley Cup team – Clarke, MacLeish, Barber, Lonsberry, Dornhoefer, Flett, Kindrachuk, and Saleski. The second team added Leach, and Clement fell just short.
Those were also defensively amazing teams. The first Cup team allowed 164 goals when the average was 249, and the second team allowed 181 when the average was 274.
Honor is no substitute for victory.
by The Dark on Jun 9, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Exactly
They were complete teams on both ends of the ice.
I guess it was better for their egos after we beat their teams to believe we were only goons.
#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)
by Orange and Black Forever on Jun 9, 2010 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you watch the HBO doc?
My God, that Boston writer? What a bitter POS he was. He took it personally that the Flyers were able to win 2 cups. Oh, the humanity. The world was restored to order when it was taken from them in ’76. What a bunch of malarkey.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
I haven't seen it yet...
…but I will.
I hope that HBO releases it on DVD as soon as possible. I’ll immediately order it. (Fortunately, I have a DVD player that will play North American DVD’s (NTSC format) in the UK (PAL format).)
I have heard about the Boston reporter, though – I’m sure he was bitter and sanctimonious. :)
#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)
by Orange and Black Forever on Jun 9, 2010 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Arrogance because of Chicago's incompetent media?
So you guys can criticize your mainstream media for being idiots, and somehow when ours does incredibly stupid things, it reflects on our “bandwagon” / “entitled” / “arrogant” fans?
/shakes head
Sorry, I should let you guys revel in the stupidity of our fellow Chicagoans, but I can’t let myself (or many of my fellow blogmates) be blanketed in with them.
Reading comprehension FAIL
“die-hard Blackhawks fans knew the implications of this pig-like monstrosity.”
Honor is no substitute for victory.
I think he is talking about the comments above that take these items and link them somehow to the fans. I agree. These items are not about the fans (die hard or not). It is about the leaders of the city, business, political, and otherwise playing along with the fans mostly for economic benefit.
To then turn around and say these are somehow because of the arrogance of the fanbase is, well, arrogant…
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
At least they white washed the mural.
What boggles me is that apparently none of these people have ever been fans of any sports before. My hockey fandom may have been minted in 2009, but I know that the two people walking around the UC in jerseys Stanley 20, Cup 1? were ridiculous and I was cringing behind them on the escalator.
Watch it with the jinxing!
Time for some thrillin' heroics!
by shinkicker on Jun 9, 2010 10:20 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
By cringing
I hope you meant “standing with your fist clenched ready to punch them in the back of the head.”
More like “went racing up the escalator and after them on the concourse so I could photograph their fail”. Was surprised it didn’t make the jersey fouls on PD.
Watch it with the jinxing!
Time for some thrillin' heroics!
by shinkicker on Jun 9, 2010 10:33 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
the mural was also a attempted budweiser ad
i believe. and they repainted with a slide red wall, the logo, and a simple “Let’s Go Hawks.” That was just simply market research fail, and non-hockey people being asked to come up with a hockey ad….
by puppetmasterp on Jun 9, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Hmmm interesting, on behalf of myself I say “I’m so smart.”
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
by PatterPoet95 on Jun 9, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
and by "slide"
I meant “solid” red wall…
by puppetmasterp on Jun 9, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks, I didn’t have any problem with Travis’s post, since it’s all in good fun and a way to motivate fans. It’s just that I’ve heard one too many shots at our fanbase (and in the interest of full disclosure, I’m a “bandwagon fan” too — though that doesn’t mean I haven’t tried to learn the ways) and probably took it too personally. Carry on…
I’m not sure if you were being sarcastic in that last sentence, but that is the truth. There’s an abnormal amount of fans that aren’t just bandwagon (which happen everywhere), but entitled and presumptuous. I deal with these people everyday.
I was not being sarcastic. You are right about having some groups within any fanbase being entitled and presumptuous. You’d get that with any group of people. My point is that the fans would have no decision power over putting a helmet or jersey on a statue, painting a mural overlooking a highway, or any of the other things mentioned in Travis article.
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
by PatterPoet95 on Jun 9, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Lots of nice interesting stuff to talk about but really none if it matters. Either the team plays well or they do not. Either they win or they lose. All of this other stuff is fun to talk about nonsense…
I will say I think the jersey on Jordan is a bit on the tacky side.
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
Because of this I have got to hope sombody pulls a Hextall and beat sombody to a pulp if we are loing in the last minute tonite.
I wasn't even a year old but I stayed up to be outside the Vet with my Dad and Mom when the Phillies won the World Series 1980.
There’s no need for that. This has been a (relatively) clean series. Hextall went off on Chelios because of Chelios’ blatantly dirty hit on Propp. There hasn’t been anything like that in this series.
Honor is no substitute for victory.
No, No- we should all go out to broad street, flip over cars, light some shit on fire, maybe throw a few trashcans into store fronts. You know handle things appropriately…
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
by PatterPoet95 on Jun 9, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Sorry
Reply- FAIL
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
by PatterPoet95 on Jun 9, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Quality sportsmanship right there.
Watch it with the jinxing!
Time for some thrillin' heroics!
by shinkicker on Jun 9, 2010 10:15 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
do you mean quality sportsmanship on the behalf of hextall or chris?
Eat what the monkey eats, then eat the monkey. -U.S. Navy survival guidance
Chris. I’m not a fan of hoping that players get injured (I’m assuming there’s a desire for injury what with the bloody pulp line).
I mean, I loved it when Evander Kane totally KO’d Matt Cooke, but it was even better that he was a decent human being and kept Cooke’s head from hitting the ice.
Watch it with the jinxing!
Time for some thrillin' heroics!
by shinkicker on Jun 9, 2010 10:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sooooooooo
because someone decided to paint a horrible mural of Toews and the Cup, the Flyers should resort to goonery if they’re losing tonight???
Your logic must be so amazing that it’s on another plane of existence, because I just don’t get it.
what’s going on with toews’ right eyebrow?
Eat what the monkey eats, then eat the monkey. -U.S. Navy survival guidance
Forget the eyebrow—Laperriere has a better nose than that painting and his nose is on the other side of his FACE.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
Lappy’s nose is a work of art.
Watch it with the jinxing!
Time for some thrillin' heroics!
by shinkicker on Jun 9, 2010 10:48 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It’s more a work of repeated beatings.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
It is admirable, the way he’s sacrificed his face for the good of the team. But the visor was probably a good idea.
Watch it with the jinxing!
Time for some thrillin' heroics!
by shinkicker on Jun 9, 2010 10:56 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I prefer this mural
Sorry, it’s so big. Don’t how to resize…
In Latvia, they're rooting for Bartulis' team, the Filadelfijas Flaieri!
Resizing pictures
At the very end of the image script, get rid of the front slash and insert the text “height = 200” (quotes are mine) before the last angle bracket. I use either 200 or 250 for pics, it’s a good size.
this is a 200 size:
"I have only space enough to add: against the assault of desperate pandas nothing can stand."
-ChicoMaki (channeling Mark Twain)
by HungryHungryPanda on Jun 9, 2010 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Couple things
The mural artist does not represent the entire city or it’s fan base and the mural has since been whitewashed as of April 7th according to Puck Daddy. Yes it was stupid and equally bad when it was painted and then painted over… two months ago.
Creating fake Stanley Cup’s is nothing new. A quick Google image search for Homemade Stanley Cup reveals 98,200 results with fans from every team in the league getting in on the action.
So quit whining. It’s not arrogance, it’s passion. Good luck tonight!
Passion
The same term that MSM uses when they are trying to favorably describe Philly fans. I don’t believe it’s a compliment.
You don’t need to stick up for your lousy newspapers out there and what they do; we certainly don’t around here. We know journos are mostly fat, lazy bastards who don’t even know an iota about the sport they cover.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
I think we can all agree on this
John Gonzalez and Jay Mariotti are disgraces to journalism, and essentially the same person. To me, it’s like politicians. Put enough like-minded people in a room, and they get more and more sure that they’re right. It’s groupthink (applies to most SBN blogs as well!)
"I have only space enough to add: against the assault of desperate pandas nothing can stand."
-ChicoMaki (channeling Mark Twain)
by HungryHungryPanda on Jun 9, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm really not sticking up for them.
They get what they deserve when they deserve it- like the Chrissy Pronger photoshop. That was just insulting and no need for it.
The mural that doesn’t exist any more had nothing to do with the newspaper.
Giving fans instructions on how to create their own Stanley Cup to hoist is kinda cool- win or lose. If I was so inclined, I’d make one. It would be a cool way for me to remember the year the Hawks made it to the SFC. I wouldn’t make it before they won, just because I’d probably throw it out if they lost.
If they do win, I’ll probably just buy a hat. And a Hossa jersey. And maybe a puck.
Yeah what fanbase in their right mind would allow things like this to go on.
Goddamn that things still looks delicious.
"Game 7's are tough... It's a game that's made for men and our guys proved to be men today." -Laviolette
I’d like a real one to drink some beer out of to go along with a nice slice of that Stanley Cupcake.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko
Chicago parade plans
Really tempting the hockey gods.
Hope this works out as well as Prior for game 6 and Wood for Game 7!
and then
the oilers took to the path after game 7.
um. as far as examples go, that's kind of faily
how about the Vancouver Canucks’ parade route after sweeping the Blues last year?
But when it was suggested to him that Toews v. Kane seems likely to become a sidebar to every future international hockey tournament, he smiled and said: "I'd like us to win something together, too."
(Tweets @ChiBlackhawks and blogs at Blackhawks Down Low.)
by chiblackhawks on Jun 9, 2010 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow, you didn't even include the worst offenses to the hockey gods!
Although I think the jersey-on-the-statue thing is maybe a Philadelphian thing.
Trust me when I say if it were up to me, everybody in Chicago would be walking around with their mouths taped shut and their hands tied behind their back to keep them from saying or typing anything remotely offensive to the hockey gods. it’s annoying as shit especially since no, we haven’t actually won anything.
The Trib has been the worst— I honestly didn’t expect them to act like this. Meh.
But when it was suggested to him that Toews v. Kane seems likely to become a sidebar to every future international hockey tournament, he smiled and said: "I'd like us to win something together, too."
(Tweets @ChiBlackhawks and blogs at Blackhawks Down Low.)
yeah the jersey-on-statue thing is def a Philly thing
but the Trib more than makes up for it with the stupid things they say.
by puppetmasterp on Jun 9, 2010 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
The most important jinx you missed
Signing Marian Hossa in the off-season. Travis, you really missed the boat on that one.
Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com
but didn’t they (Chicago) refuse to touch the Campbell trophy while the Flyers made sure to touch the Prince of whales? Isn’t that a jinx in and of itself?
lets be honest here, whoever has the better team wins. posting ads, propaganda, parade routes etc has nothing to do of whether or not a team will win the cup or not. there’s no such thing as jinxes. (surprise!)
There ya Go!
Screw the media. May the best team win. It’s been a great series so far.
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