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While all of Chicago (well, at least those on the Blackhawks bandwagon and/or those who have a vested interest in the team’s fortunes) prepares for a Stanley Cup celebration parade, here’s hoping team management finds a place this time — unlike the 2010 festivities — for the Ice Crew. Hey, it’s not like asking to have dismissed Comcast SportsNet Chicago broadcaster Susannah Collins be part of the event.
Chicago Luvabulls dancer Ashley Bond looks like a multi-sport threat.
* Of course, all this might be a bit premature with the Hawks only a few hours ago havng defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 at the United Center to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. And, if by some slight chance the Bruins come back to take the NHL title, might there be a few people in the audience who will be invoking “the Curse of Susannah Collins.” Bostonians are familiar with “the Curse of The Bambino.” As in Babe Ruth. But it would be politcally incorrect to refer to Collins as The Babe (although not particularly inaccurate).
* Patrick Kane has 10 of his 29 postseason goals in the fifth games of a series. He has five goals in four such contests this postseason. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville is trying to figure a way to tell Kane the contest Monday in Boston will be a Game 5.
* Speaking of postseason scoring, Patrick Sharp (jersey No. 10) has an NHL-leading 10 this postseason for the Hawks. No word whether he might consider changing his sweater to No. 11 or higher. The power of positive thinking. Or something like that.
* Jonathan Toews did not play in the third period of Game 5. Upper-body injury is the prognosis. Perish the thought that anyone might be more specific — especially if it involves being head traume (as in concussion). For the purposes of clarification, a “minor” concussion is one that happens to you; a “serious” or “major” concussion is one that happens to me or anyone whom I care about.
* Speaking of injuries, the WNBA’s Indiana Fever just might be the league leader in that category. All-stars Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas were among five Fever player who missed Saturday’s game in Indianapolis. Which might help explain why the Chicago Sky prevailed 71-61 — but only after a 22-10 fourth-quarter. Epiphanny Prince led the Sky (5-3) wih 21 points, rookie guard Elena Delle Donne added 13 and center Sylvia Fowles 11. Prince had 11 fourth-quarter points and Delle Donne eight. The Sky’s next game is Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., against the New York Liberty, coached by former Detrit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer. Bulls fans should feel free to attend, if only to boo Laimbeer on general principles from his days with the “Bad Boys” from Motown.
As this space has done sporadically during the Stanley Cup Finals, we have featured Miss Finland from recent years as a way of recognizing Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rast, who is from Finland. He entered the finals as the “hot goalie.” Which frequently is how teams capture the Cup. In the first five games vs. the Hawks, he has played reasonably well, although his team is closing to setting up tee times on the golf course than it is to setting up a celebratory parade in Beantown. Even so, it seems only reasonable to continue the new tradition of running some Miss Finland footage.
Today’s offering is Miss Finland 2008 Satu Tuomisto:
Who wore it better? You don’t have to be a Blackhawks fan to go for Ashley Bond rather than the guy in a Bruins-themed suit.
Well, Chicago is not to be outdone by any of that. Ashley Bond, known around here for being Miss Illinois USA 2009 and a member of the Chicago Bulls Luvabulls dance team, wore a dress made of rally towels to Game 5.
Comcast SportsNet (which surely should know) said: “Credit for the creation of the ensemble goes to Theresa Kennedy and Michelle Frothingham, better known as the ‘Thread Heads’ of Kane County.”
Thank you to CSN’s Jeff Nuich and Danni Wysocki for providing photos of Ashley.
Presumably, the Hawks hierarchy will not issue any cease-and-desist order against Ashley appearing in her outstanding outfit.
Here is the Comcast SportsNet Chicago video featuring her and her delightful dress:
Last but not least, as usual, here is where we go for non-gratuitous video (the result of incomparable diligence by the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and their definition of “gratuitous”). Featured today are bikini fashions, partly because the forecast for Chicago calls for warm weather this week but mostly because I felt like it (one of the benefits of running things around here):
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