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Midweek musings: Forecasting the Chicago Blackhawks-Boston Bruins Stanley Cup finals that start Wednesday night (June 12) at the United Center is pretty easy. The Hawks will win in seven. Or six. Or the Bruins in seven. Or six. The biggest upset in predicting the NHL’s finals would be finding someone credible who thinks the series will be five games or fewer.
Is 2013 Playboy Playmate of the Year Raquel Pomplun on this week’s “Sports * Torts” show? Find out below. Or don’t. It’s up to you.
* Some people are picking the Bruins to prevail. Tell Hawks fans so they can be outraged and take such selections as a personal insult.
* Speaking of the Stanley Cup, for those excited by such things, Comcast SportsNet Chicago will televise “Blackhawks Morning Skate Live” at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. “Blackhawks Morning Skate Live” also will also air on CSN on Saturday (June 15) at 10:30 a.m. and June 22 and June 26 if necessary).
* Speaking of championship series going the distance, the Miami Heat can only hope its NBA Finals against San Antonio goes at least six games. The Spurs took a 2-1 series lead with a 113-77 victory Tuesday. LeBron James had 18 for the Heat. He has not had a 20-point game in the series. Michael Jordan never scored fewer than 20 points in a Finals game. Not to say King James is as great a talent that has walked onto a basketball court. Different players. Different teams. Different Finals success. Jordan’s Chicago Bulls reached the NBA Finals six times and won each time. James has lost twice in three previous Finals appearances. On the bright side, the Heat is faring better than James and the Cleveland Cavaliers did in losing the 2006-07 title to the Spurs in four games.
* If Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy doesn’t receive a severe suspension for hitting Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke in the head with a pitch after hitting Yasiel Puig in the head earlier in Tuesday’s game, commissioner Bud Selig ought to have his head examined. How about 50 games, Bud?
* There’s nothing quite like giving up nine runs in five-plus innings to increase your trade value as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher or to tempt your current team to sign you to a long-term contract. Just ask Cubs right-hander Matt Garza, who has a 6.26 earned-run average. Gee, the Cubs commit four errors, and all the team’s runs are earned in a 12-2 loss to Cincinnati. Cubs pitchers just can’t catch a break. Or perform particularly effectively against the Reds, who lead the season series 9-2.
* The Cubs suspended third baseman Ian Stewart without pay for an indefinite period after he took to Twitter to post critical comments about the organization. All in the hope that the team would release him from his Class AAA exile to Iowa, where he has struggled. Stewart later issued an apology and closed down his Twitter account. Guessing if he wants to be freed from the Cubs organization, he will have to kiss his $2 million contract goodbye. Yeah, I’d probably shut up and spend the summer in Des Moines for that kind of money.
* Speaking of making mistakes by Cubs third basemen (on the field rather than on Twitter), Cody Ransom committed three Tuesday to give him six for the season. If it’s any consolation to Cubs fans (and the guess here is that it is not), he also hit a home run to give him seven.
* Speaking of onfield errors, the White Sox committed three in a 10-inning, 7-5 loss to the visitng Toronto Blue Jays. The three errors led to three unearned runs and gave the Sox 42 erros this season (compared to 70 in 2012). The Sox have allowed 23 unearned runs (they yielded 30 last season). Maybe the Sox need to hit the Comcast Fundamentals area at U.S. Cellular Field.
* The only .300 hitter in the lineup for the Cubs for Wednesday’s game figures to be pitcher Travis Wood (.308), whose name rhymes with “good” — which is as close to good as the Cubs figure to be any time soon. The only other Cub hitting .300 is backup outfielder Ryan Sweeney (.345).
* Speaking of .300 hitters, the White Sox can claim second baseman Gordon Beckham (.314 in 51 at-bats) but no position player with 52 at-bats or more.
Miss Finland 2012 Sara Chafak. You were expecting Tuukka Rask?
As noted yesterday (Monday, June 10), a wise man (again as noted, meaning he is not affiliated with the fine folks at elliottharris.com) suggested running Miss Finland photos. All in the name of hockey, of course. With the Boston Bruins featuring goalie Tuukka Rask of Finland, that request seemed more than reasonable.
Of course, there will be those in cyberspace who see these as merely another excuse for gratuitous photos. And, of course, this is anything but that. First of all, as has been noted time and again, those of us around here have yet to encounter anything approaching what could be deemed “gratuitous.” And secondly, we also are providing video. Yes, our efforts to try to inform and entertain know no limits.
So today we are pleased to offer another Miss Finland. Yesterday we had Lotta Hintsa, the 2013 Miss Finland. Which is her name rather than mangled English for “a lot of hints.” Today we have the 2012 Miss Finland, Sara Chafak. Plus if you look at at least one of the following videos, there are other contestants from the 2012 pageant. If you comphrehend Finnish, it might enhance the viewing experience. Or perhaps not.
Let the record show that the folks behind “Sports & Torts” on Talkzone.com still are in pursuit of 2013 Playmate of the Year Raquel Pomplun to appear on the show co-hosted by David Spada and Elliott Harris on Thursdays at noon Central time. No, she will not be on the June 13 program. Sorry to say. Happy to say the guests will be Pro Football Hall of Famers Warren Moon and Alan Page.
And here we go with our daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the diligent efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and the fact that they do not know the meaning of “gratuitous,” among many other words):
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