In my opinion, Mark Bell is on his way to becoming a good
In a recent article by
The Blackhawks' honchos are very upset by the barrage of criticism, not only in the ESPN magazine but also Sports Illustrated and USA Today, which ran similar stories. I don't have enough in-depth knowledge on the pro baseball, football and basketball teams to make a judgement on whether or not the Hawks are the worst franchise in pro sports. But when you see all these expansion teams--most notably Tampa Bay and San Jose--playing much, much better than the Hawks it's obvious that they've made some bad mistakes over the years.
Should the Olympic committee seriously consider returning hockey to the amateurs for the
Personally, I'd love to see amateurs back in the Olympics. However, I disagree when you say, "Pro players haven't done much to make people watch." In the last Olympics, I thought the caliber of play was very high and the games were very good. The championship game between Canada and the U.S. was outstanding and the TV ratings were exceptional for hockey.
What would be the most important single item the Hawks could do to improve the fan experience? Show home games on TV? Pay more for players? Get a better coach? --Steve Ciatti, Lombad, Ill.
Good questions. This season, if the Hawks had broken from tradition and shown home games on TV, people might have been turned off watching so many losses. On the other hand, because the Hawks are such a young team, they might have been able to put some staunch supporters in the bank because of how hard these kids have been playing. Money doesn't necessarily buy championships--exhibits A. B, C and D are the New York Rangers, who began the year with the second biggest payroll in the NHL; the
The reason the Hawks have deteriorated is because they've made several very bad investments. I don't think Scotty Bowman in his prime could have done a better job of coaching than Brian Sutter has this season. Goaltending is the backbone of every team and the Hawks' outstanding goalie,
Look at some of the guys he got rid of and see what they're doing now. To name a few:
During a Hawks-Toronto game, a player put his hand on the puck in the crease. He received a penalty, but isn't that a penalty shot infraction? --Harry Tram, Chicago
You are right in your interpretation of the rule: a penalty shot is awarded when a defensive player puts his hand on the puck in the crease. I didn't see the Toronto game so I put your question to the Hawks' announcers Pat Foley and Troy Murray. Neither could remember a player putting his hand on the puck in the crease. They suggested that perhaps the player you cited was penalized for another infraction and fell on the puck during a skirmish in front of the net.