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Some streaks in sports are more memorable than others. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only NFL team to win a Super Bowl in an undefeated, untied season. Most football fans are aware of all that. You know the members of the ’72 Dolphins certainly are.
Elliott Harris with Anjali Antani. My idea of work.
The New York Giants baseball team won 26 consecutive games in 1916. They did not win the World Series. They didn’t even win the National League title. Some fans are aware of that. The 1984 Detroit Tigers started off the season 35-5 and won the World Series. More fans probably are aware of that than they are of the Giants’ streak
The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers won an NBA-record 33 games in a row. The captured the league championship that season. A fair number of fans should be aware of that.
The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers have the league record for overall points strek with 35 games (25-0-10). The Flyers did not win the Stanley Cup that season. Flyers fans probably are aware of that fact. Not sure how many other hockey fans are.
Which brings us to the Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday (March 6) for their 11th consecutive victory. The victory also gave the Hawks (21-0-3) at least one point in their first 24 games, an NHL record. They are halfway through the lockout-shortened 48-game season wthout a loss.
What the Hawks have accomplished is certainly amazing. It also is not particularly meaningful. Of course, you are reading something written by someone who makes no claim of knowing much about hockey — well, other than it is played on ice. And someone who is fairly certain of the color of the blue line.
What is meaningful is winning the Stanley Cup. The Hawks’ success seemingly bodes well for the future. But past performance is no guarantee of future success.
Not to minimize anything the Hawks have accomplished, but double-digit winning streaks in baseball would seem the greatest accomplishment. In basketball, a star player such as LeBron James can lead the Miami Heat to 16 consecutive victories. In hockey, with superior talent, teams such as the Hawks can prevail. In football, a top-flight quarterback can be the key to success. In baseball, you have a different pitcher every game for four or five games.
Feel free to debate any and all of this.
Wait till the Hawks lose a game — and the guess here is that they will. Then wait til they lose two in a row — and the guess again here is that they will.
The Hawks’ season will not be measured by the team’s start but by its finish. Anything less than a Stanley Cup title will make their early-season success a footnote in history, an answer to a trivia question, a memory for Hawks fans of a remarkable run.
A Stanley Cup crown would provide the Hawks, their fans and the NHL with an exclamation point. Until then, the Hawks will have a question mark lurking in the background — regardless of how well they fare in the regular season.
As promised, here is more video from the Arnold Sports Festival. I have to admit that attending the annual gathering is a wonderful opportunity to gather video and chat with fun people. Here we are with Bikini B competitor Anjali Antani, who finished 14th. We had a chance to catch up wth her at the B.N. Shape Clothing booth:
The calendar calculators at elliottharris.com have determined that today is Thursday. They come to this conclusion based on the fact that yesterday was Wednesday. Well, it was if you’re reading this on March 7, 2013, or a subsequnt Thursday. In which case it is time once again for “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris at noon Chicago time on talkzone.com. The highly acclaimed interview show (well, it’s held in such respect in the Spada and Harris households as well as reportedly elsewhere) has two guests on the March 7 show who have achieved a level of success singing and in other pursuits. Pro Football Hall of Famer Lem Barney has a Gold Record as a backup singer to Marvin Gaye. Lariyah Daniels sings in the music group Hessler. She also is a model, fitness trainer and entrepreneur.
OK, never enough bikini video, so here you go:
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