Bleacher Report - Articles by Dieter Kurtenbach

Martin Havlat Dropped to Third Line

Dieter Kurtenbach — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:04:09 -0500

Martin Havlat is ice cold, and as Chris Kuc is reporting, he will try to regain his scoring form with the third line, joining Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd.

Dustin Byfuglien will move from the third line to the first to join Toews and Versteeg. Patrick Kane, who has played most of the year on the first line, has been skating with Patrick Sharp and Troy Brouwer since coach Quenneville shuffled lines mid game in the Blackhawks win in Toronto. Kane has been on a scoring hot streak since that point.

Havlat on the other hand, has not scored a point in the last three games and was held shotless in the Blackhawks loss to Los Angeles this past weekend. He has not registered a multi point game since the ninth of November and has yet to have a multi goal game this entire season.

Being the highest paid forward on the team, the Blackhawks did not expect this low level of production from Havlat, who has surprisingly played all 22 games of the season without injury.

Havlat came to Chicago to be a superstar natural playmaker and goalscorer. Cut short by injuries every year, his full potential has never been seen by Blackhawks fans. Now that he is healthy, but not producing, many wonder if the potential is still there.

This year Havlat is averaging 1.99 points per 60 minutes played, the truest statistic to measure playmakers. That puts him in the class of Dave Bolland and Ben Eager, not Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane, the company many believe Havlat should be keeping in that stat. Not to mince words, but Havlat’s play is just not cutting it.

Joel Quenneville has always been knocked for moving around lines too often. There is no data to suggest whether he is right or wrong on average when it comes to these lineup changes, but his winning percentage speaks for itself.

His teams have been 40 game winners all but once this season, and he has never finished with a winning percentage below .530 in his NHL head coaching career. The last time he moved lines the Blackhawks responded immediately, coming back from a 4-2 late deficit to win.

However, will this line change work? Only time will tell, but there are a few things that can be assumed when it comes to this shift in the lineup.

First, the third line has been the defensive stopping line. The two power forwards in Byfuglien (or Eager) and Ladd with Dave Bolland have taken the ice against the best lines other teams have had to offer, and have held them, for the most part, in check.

At the same time, this combination has put goals on the board, and have single handedly won games for the young Blackhawks. Martin Havlat is not a good enough defensive player and it will be interesting to see if Joel Quenneville changes his strategy with him at right wing.

Moving Byfuglien to the first line will have effects on that line as well. It appears that Quenneville has decided that the first line is being pushed around too frequently and needs someone big to crash the net for Versteeg and Toews. It appears to be a good call, as Jonathan Toews has had to scrap it up for the Hawks this year, putting a severe damper on his point totals and ability to control the game.

With Toews presumably going back to a playmaker role, the first line should flourish. Expect Byfuglien’s numbers to go up as well, he played his best hockey last year when on the left wing with Toews.

It appears that Quenneville is looking to play the same strategy on the three scoring lines as well. Under Dennis Savard, the top three lines all had different roles. Quenneville now has his lines where the roles are mixed together. Each line has a power forward (Byfuglien, Brouwer, Ladd) to crash the net and work the slot, a grinder (Versteeg, Sharp, and Bolland), and a sniper (Toews, Kane, Havlat.)

The second line has been utilizing this strategy since the call-up of Brouwer and it has worked exceptionally. While Patrick Sharp’s ability to fill all three roles is debatable, his fantastic play thus far is the real reason for the success. Quenneville has decided to test the theory out across his lineup, while still keeping the productive pairs (Toews and Versteeg, Brouwer, and Sharp) together.

The lines for tonight’s game will be:

Versteeg-Toews-Byfuglien
Brouwer-Sharp-Kane
Ladd-Bolland-Havlat
Eager-Frasier-Adams

Scatches:
Khabibulin, Burish

Sounding The Horn: Denis Savard Lets Chicago Know It's His Way or the Highway

Dieter Kurtenbach — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:59:47 -0400

The trading of Robert Lang has hung a cloud of uncertainty over the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2008 preseason. What was supposed to be a time of anticipation and great expectations has been overrun in the night by questions and a fear of the unknown.

Trading Lang was a big move. A veteran presence and a great center, Lang was supposed to be an integral part of the Blackhawks' supposed success in the 2008-2009 season. The initial shock of the trade has many ‘Hawks fans questioning the move by GM Dale Talon.

But when the dust clears, many will see a new face of the Blackhawks—something directly stemming from the trade of Robert Lang.

All ‘Hawks fans remember the turning point of the previous season. Denny Savard’s ‘Commit to the Indian’ speech was a call to arms for all members of the Chicago Blackhawks to get back to playing hockey the Chicago way—physical, blue-collar, grinding hockey first, fancy skill hockey second.

That’s how Savard played, and he wants everyone who honors the legacy of the Chicago Blackhawks by putting on the sweater to play that way.

What most don’t remember about that speech is that there were two players, not called out by name, that were obviously the targets of the tirade. Only one of them remains—and many in Chicago believe that his days are also numbered.

Robert Lang was one of those players. The problem was that he didn’t honestly believe he was part of that selective group. But Denny Savard had put the writing on the wall, and then out in the open. The trade was a culmination of Lang’s time in Chicago. He was not a Denny Savard player—and for Savard and Tallon, it is their way or the highway.

Lang was an alternate captain last year, yet at the beginning of the season, Jonathan Toews—who can’t buy a beer in the US—was named captain. Most knew that this was going to happen after Toews became the vocal leader of the team, specifically by calling players out during a loss to Florida—but the subtext of the situation was that Denny Savard took a 20-year old with one year of NHL experience to lead his team over a 37 year old highly respected veteran.

Savard wants his captain to lead by example on the ice as well as leading in the dressing room. Lang might be the elder statesman—but his style of hockey was, again, a complete clash with the Hockey Hall of Famer’s.

This leaves the Blackhawks in a situation with two number-one goalies, no number-two center, and a clear decree of the type of hockey that is going to be played in Chicago from here on out. With the talent the Blackhawks have, the Lang trade might turn out to be genius—but for now, uncertainties remain.

Bolland, Kontiola and Aliu will battle it out for the second-line center spot, with the second-place finisher sequestered to the third line and third place given a bus trip to Rockford.

But the real beauty of the situation is that the players know what kind of play they have to exhibit to make the team. This trade was a firm kick in the ass for the Blackhawks youth and veterans alike. Savard has put down his foot—and if you don’t like where it is placed, Denny has a plane ticket out of town waiting for you.

It’s a new era of Blackhawks hockey on the west side of Chicago. But before the grand unveiling can happen at the madhouse on Madison, Denny Savard is holding rehearsals at training camp. Only the tough and angry need try out.

Sounding The Horn: Robert Lang's Trade Opens Door For Chicago Blackhawks' Youth

Dieter Kurtenbach — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:00:05 -0400

On Friday, The Blackhawks made the first move in a preseason that figures to have a great deal of transaction activity.

But it was not Nikolai Khabibulin packing up his goalie gear and heading to Los Angeles, as many had speculated. Rather, center Robert Lang was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2009.

Around that time the Blackhawks will be using that pick, the 37-year-old Lang will become a free agent.

The Blackhawks are by most estimates over the salary cap going into the season, so another move might still have to be made by GM Dale Tallon before the season begins. Many still believe that Khabibulin will be moved before the Blackhawks drop the puck on a new season October 10 at Madison Square Garden.

With Khabibulin no longer the number-one goalie after the signing of Cristobal Huet, the netminder would be a logical salary dump, especially considering the play of Corey Crawford in Khabibulin and Patrick Lalime’s stead last year. With Khabibulin and Huet together taking up $12 million dollars of cap space this year, speculation that Khabibulin was halfway out the door was not unfounded.

What will happen with Khabubulin awaits to be seen, but it seems as though the Blackhawks will move into 2008-09 without a notable veteran presence or a solid top-line center. As of now, the venerable Dave Bolland has moved up to the second line, filling Lang’s former role as linemate to Dustin Byfuglien and Martin Havlat.

Bolland had a respectable campaign last year, tallying 17 points in 39 games, mostly on the fourth line. A gifted passer, Bolland is a very adequate fill-in, but will likely need time to mesh with his right wing, Havlat, who had great chemistry with fellow Czech Lang at center.

Taking over the roster spot vacated by Lang’s trade seems to be rising star in the Blackhawks’ system Petr Kontiola. The Fin had five assists in 12 games for the NHL team last year, and had a fantastic season for Rockford, the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate. Many believe that he is a potential top-line NHL talent.

Going into training camp, it appears that the spot is Kontiola’s to lose—but many in the Blackhawks’ circle believe that 2007 third-round pick Akim Aliu will make the team.

Also take into account that Troy Brouwer—who many believe could score 100 points in the NHL if he ever becomes merely a half-decent skater—and Michael Blunden—who had 37 points and 83 penalty minutes last season in Rockford—both have the credentials to make the team, and fit the role of power forward Coach Denny Savard looks for on his fourth line.

All that makes this move of Lang to Montreal not only surprising, but also incredibly intriguing for the Blackhawks.

With loads of talent in the system, the 'Hawks have many talented players to fill the roster spots, but not enough roster spots to fill with talented players. Now that there is another spot open, there is a new window for young players like Brouwer and Aliu to break into the NHL through.

With all of the contributions Lang made as a veteran to help out younger players, the best contribution he might have ever made was being traded, and giving some of those players a chance to play.

Home Run Derby: Fun, But Flawed

Dieter Kurtenbach — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:22:49 -0400

Josh Hamilton’s performance at Yankee Stadium on Monday will transcend the fact that he did not actually win the exhibition. In fact, a large group of baseball fans likely wouldn’t be able to tell you who won the Home Run Derby last night.

And while Justin Morneau will leave New York with the trophy, and Josh Hamilton will leave Yankee Stadium as a household name, there is one thing that Bud Selig and the baseball big wigs can leave the Bronx with this week—the home run derby is very flawed

While it’s an exhibition that counts for nothing, it can be so much better. Bud Selig, are you reading?

By tweaking the Home Run Derby, you can make it even more exciting than the current version. That means more advertising money for the league, as more people tune in.

I think I have your attention now, Bud.

Now I am going to need you to stay with me Bud, because the last time you tried to tweak the All-Star festivities, you made an exhibition game far too important for anyone to grasp. If you can pace yourself, and restrain from making the Home Run Derby the determining factor on who plays in the league championship series, I think we can do some good here.

The first round is fine. Eight players, 10 outs. Dandy. Nothing wrong with that system in place right now. But, in the current system, it is feasible for players to stop hitting home runs when they have enough to advance to the next round.

There is no incentive to continue to hit, as it’s merely detrimental to the player hitting. So my proposal is such:

The eight batters go through the first round in the same system that is in place currently, but in my second round, only three players can advance, and only two compete. The home run leader from the first round gets a bye to the finals, and the second and third place sluggers battle it out for the right to go head-to-head with the leader.

If we were to use the 2008 HRD as an example, Justin Morneau and Lance Berkman would face each other in the second round for the right to battle the first-round leader, Josh Hamilton, in the finals.

I feel that a system that uses direct competition as much as possible, without making it a true tournament, makes the derby more exciting.

The semifinal competition could be a shorter version of the new finals system, which I will explain later, or merely just a 10-out duplicate of the first round. Either way works, because the final round is all that really matters.

So say that Morneau beats Berkman head-to-head, earning the right to battle Hamilton. There, the slate is wiped clean. (Some people are against clearing the board before the finals, but it really is the only way to inject drama into the derby. Under the current rules, it would be better to have the running total, as it would illicit just as much drama in most situations.)

But once the slate is wiped clean, the two sluggers play a Home Run Derby final game. And, while I am sure that the marketing geniuses could slap a catchy name and sponsor it 12 times, it isn’t the name that counts. It’s the concept.

In the final round, the contestants, in this case, Hamilton and Morneau, each get nine outs total. The way the final showdown would take place is the first round leader, the player that received the bye, is the home team. So Justin Morneau bats in the top of the frame and is allowed to hit as many home runs as he can achieve with three outs.

Then Hamilton gets to bat in the home half of the bottom of the inning. You play three innings and the player with the most home runs is your champion.

Which way is more dramatic?

Josh Hamilton coming to the plate with 10 outs and the task of hitting five home runs, or Josh Hamilton coming up the plate in the final inning down by two with two outs? The answer is obvious.

But alas, styling the derby like a game seems too logical to ever be done by Major League Baseball.

But, even with that new system in place, your work is not done yet, Bud. To really make the derby more enjoyable, it would be a very good idea to have an online fan vote to elect one player that did not make the All-Star team to hit in the derby.

This year, we could have seen Ryan Howard or Jason Giambi battle it out for the final spot in the Home Run Derby in an online poll going on concurrently with the final-man voting.

What no one wants the Home Run Derby to become is the NBA Slam Dunk competition, where no names and wash ups try to do things that have been done before and pass them off as original and remarkable. If you could find a group of Dwight Howards, Michael Jordans, Spud Webbs, and Dominique Wilkins, you would have a pretty good dunk contest.

Instead, you have Jamario Moon and Gerald Green stinking up the court, while Howard keeps the entire event afloat. This should be a strong model of what not to do when it comes to an All-Star Game event.

Now, the idea of having All-Stars only in the HRD is honorable. It keeps the event legitimate and all the players are recognizable to a good baseball fan. And while it might be blasphemous to have a non All-Star member in the derby, merely consider the player a designated slugger All-Star spot.

If you call it that, everyone is an All-Star on the team. I also doubt that anyone would put a player like Jose Vidro on the exclusive ballot to begin with. You also guarantee, with the online voting, that you will have one of the finest and most recognizable sluggers in the game performing in the Derby.

So Bud Selig, I hope you take some of the ideas of the fans and at least test them out with the players. If you were watching tonight, you would have seen that most of the players are just fans themselves when it comes to the Derby. And while the Derby is a great event, with a bit of tweaking and a smidgen of common sense, it could be an elite event.

Brett Favre: A Letter From an Editor

Dieter Kurtenbach — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:04:44 -0400

Dear Brett Favre,

Right now, you are being kind of a douche.

Check that. You are being a big douche.

I get it. You want to play football again. It is your constitutional right to play football again. Not even Roger Goodell can take that away from you.

But, you seem to forget that you stated to the entire world four months ago that you didn’t want to play football anymore.

It was at that point when you revoked your right to call the shots. You quit, remember? When you quit, you don’t get to make decisions anymore. So why does it surprise you that when you, very predictably, announced you wanted to come back, the Packers treated you with, in your words, “disrespect?”

Oh, that’s right, because you are disrespecting them.

You see, the Packers didn’t want you to retire. They wanted Brett Favre to lead them to the Super Bowl again. They knew that you still had some more greatness left in you. Hell, you knew you had greatness left in you. But, you decided to stop playing. Let me repeat that. You decided to stop playing!

The Packers were sad, but they also realized that the 2008 season couldn't be the Brett Favre mourning period. They installed a new quarterback—a kid that is supposed to be a heck of a player. Obviously, he’s no Brett Favre, but he will certainly be the best quarterback in the NFC North this year.

So, now the season is rapidly approaching. And you have gotten the itch. You want to play football. You want to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Well, way to put the Packers in a spot. The Packers can release you from your contract and subsequently let you sign with any team you want. I am pretty sure that the Packers don’t want to let you go play for the Vikings, the Bears, or the Buccaneers.

With those teams, you could hurt the Packers, and making moves that you know will hurt your team are usually not one’s you should make.

No one in their right mind would release you, so the Packers now have to pay you $13 million for the next three years. Now, when you were the starting quarterback, you deserved that money. But, the Packers have written, in sharpie, A. Rodgers at the top of their quarterback position on the depth chart.

So, here’s Mr. Brett Favre riding in on his high horse, demanding to be the starting quarterback. Again, I’m sure that the Packers really appreciate it, Brett. But you won’t be the starting quarterback in ’08. You will play for the Packers, or to phrase it better, you will probably stand on the sidelines for the Packers.

When you retire, you revoke your honorary status, Mr. Favre. Lest we forget, Brett, you aren’t exactly the most trustworthy of figures right now. What’s to say that you will not go and retire next year, only to get the "itch" yet again.

Nothing, really.

The Packers aren’t idiots. They like you Brett, but you aren’t being very nice to them right now. You're badmouthing the organization to any Biloxi paper with a reporter in sight.

Maybe you should take the hint that it’s not in your best interests to come back. It’s not in the Packers' best interest to let you play for them, and it would be even worse if they let you to play for another team.

So they’ll bite the bullet by taking your contract. That’s a lot of money to pay for a backup quarterback. You, in turn, will get paid to have the best season tickets in all of football. You won’t play very much at all.

Take the hint. It might be best if you just stick with the decision you made. But, you can be angry that they won’t let you play football. However, there is only one person to be angry with—you!

What did you expect? The Packers dropping to their knees when the all-exalted Brett Favre decided to come out of retirement and save them from the exile of mediocrity that they were facing in the upcoming season?

I never pegged you as a very smart man, but to expect that from the Packers would be dumb.

And, I don’t think that you are dumb, so I can only come to one conclusion.

You’re a jerk.

Sounding the Horn: Three Netminders To Keep in Mind

Dieter Kurtenbach — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:08:40 -0400

The hockey world was abuzz after the signing of Cristobal Huet to the Chicago Blackhawks. Signing a four year contract, Huet is expected to battle Nikolai Khabibulin for the starting goaltender spot in 2008-2009 and will claim his spot as the starting goalie the following year as Khabibulin’s contract expires June 2009.

But as of right now, the Blackhawks have 12 million dollars wrapped up in goaltending for the 2008-2009 season, by far the most spent on goalies in the NHL. But, when both goalies are healthy, the Blackhawks have by far the best duo of goalies in the NHL. They are compensated as such.

But there is confusion coming out of the Blackhawks front office in regards to the team’s intentions at goalie this season. The word from general manager Dale Tallon seems to change daily, and as of now, the Blackhawks, who are slightly over the salary cap, intend to keep both star netminders in 08-09.

There was word that Khabibulin, expected to make just under seven million dollars for the upcoming campaign, was being shopped to other teams earlier in the week.

But with the recent statement by Tallon that Khabibulin would play for the Hawks this season, the team is faced with a conundrum. They have three NHL goaltenders for a roster that can only carry two.

They have Khabibulin, who is spectacular when locked in, but inconsistent in his performance and ability to play. They now have Huet, who is solid, consistent, albeit unspectacular. A number one goaltender without doubt, Huet isn’t as talented as Khabibulin by half, but is certainly twice as reliable to give the Blackhawks his best, night in and night out.

Then they have Corey Crawford. Crawford went 1-2 for the Blackhawks last year in emergency reserve duty, replacing Khabibulin, who (to no one’s surprise) was injured. Crawford had a coming out party of sorts against Detroit, saving 44 of 46 shots in a 3-1 loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

Crawford, before the signing of Huet, was supposed to start a minimum of 30 games as Khabibulin’s backup in 2008-09. If he performed well and the Blackhawks liked what they saw, he would be the number one goalie in 09-10.

With Huet in town until 2012, Crawford’s time table looks to be pushed back at least two years, possibly four, when he would be 28 years old. Quite a drastic difference for the young man who was rock solid in the Ice Hogs' run in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs the past year.

All that said, the signing of Huet still makes sense for the Hawks. He might be the starting goalie this year, and if not, he will be the best backup in the NHL. Khabibulin will end his Chicago campaign, a campaign that some say was a reign of terror, holding fans hostage, at the end of the year.

Huet will immediately fill the vacancy of number one with Crawford becoming the backup in 09-10.

It is theoretical that Crawford could beat out Huet for the starting job the year after. But Crawford is not a Carey Price type talent. And while he could be a top of the list starting NHL goaltender, it seems more likely that he will fit the mold of a Huet. Solid, certainly a number one, but not spectacular.

Because of this, it seems unlikely that he will pull a coup and take Huet’s job any time before the last year of Huet’s contract. And while his playing time could certainly increase from year to year, it seems unlikely that Crawford will be starting goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks in the foreseeable future.

Taking into consideration that Dale Tallon recently said that Crawford was “right on schedule” to be the starting goalie in 09-10, the signing of Huet is a drastic shift.

And while the signing of Huet might only have the implication of making the Blackhawks a better team, which it certainly appears to have done, a side effect seems to be that the Blackhawks have lost an enormous amount of confidence in their goaltender of the future, Crawford.

That honor might have been passed without intention to prospect Josh Unice, who for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL had a regular season 2.309 GAA and .908 save percentage.

But while those numbers are pedestrian, his playoff numbers that helped the Rangers to the OHL championship and the Memorial Cup, were better than his regular season totals. Unice racked up a .915 save percentage in the playoffs to go along with a 2.375 goals against average.

Pairing that with a CHL player of the week honor, the Blackhawks could see a great upside for the 18 year old. Crawford could leave as a free agent before Huet’s contract is up, and at least at this point, if that happens, Unice seems to be the answer to the question of who will be Huet’s home grown backup.

But right now, the Blackhawks have an incredibly solid goaltending situation. In fact, a their goaltending situation can be labeled as Stanley Cup caliber. They paid for those expectations.

Drama and intrigue will certainly continue as the season goes on, as Huet and Khabibulin battle for the starting spot and Crawford, who will see time when, seemingly not if, Khabibulin gets shelved with injuries, fights to prove his worth to the organization that has seemingly shunned him.

The soap opera of goaltenders on the west side of Chicago will be cast and produced by Dale Tallon and directed by Denis Savard.

It certainly looks to be a thoroughly entertaining show.

Sounding The Horn: Chicago's Attacking Corps Proven, Ready To Prove More

Dieter Kurtenbach — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:14:51 -0400

Despite the major acquisitions and major injuries on the Blackhawks blueline recently; causing major turnover and competition for significant ice time, the Hawks need to score goals.

And while the D-men are very important in such endeavors, more times than not, the forwards are the one's who take care of business, light the lamp and sound the horn.

Last year was a coming out party for many of the Blackhawks, all of whom will be expected to match or exceed their play from the season prior in 2008-09. If before the 2007-08 campaign the Blackhawks were full of question marks, the 2008-09 version of the Hawks are full of exclamation points.

The first line I expect Denis Savard to trot out in key situations will have two big exclamation points, fail not. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the two most dynamic rookies in the NHL last year, and two of the most remarkable talents in the game, will look to gain superstar statuses across North America.

With Toews at center and Kane on his right, Savard will rotate his top three left wings to that line. Patrick Sharp made it apparent early last year that he plays best with Toews and Kane feeding him the puck. And when Patrick Sharp is on the top of his game, the Blackhawks are a very hard team to beat.

Dustin Byfuglien also saw some ice time with numbers 19 and 88. A big physical presence, who resembles more of a NFL linebacker than a NHL winger. Byfuglien has in his arsenal deceptive speed and a formidable slapshot. Overall, Byfuglien is a hose and doubles as protection for Kane and as a decent goal scorer.

Working Byfuglien in the slot with Toews doing his magic behind the net reaped many benefits in 2007-08. But Byfuglien will see his fair share of time with the second line, a line which he also established strong chemistry and play with in last year's campaign. Despite that, expect him to play with Toews and Kane frequently this year.

Andrew Ladd also saw some time on the ice with Toews and Kane. Ladd, the enigmatic talent, played his best hockey when paired with the team's best players. He’s also a scrappy player, a grinder.

Ladd has shown that he can help establish the forecheck with efficiency, so when Byfuglien is not on his game and the Hawks need to manufacture a goal through hard work on the forecheck and strong offensive-zone puck movement, expect Ladd to jump over the wall with the no-longer rookies.

The second line is a 180 from the young, vibrant first line. Robert Lang, the steady veteran presence on the Hawks played his best hockey with the adroit Marty Havlat last season.

But alas, Havlat’s propensity to catch the injury bug over his entire career did not make an exception in the 2007-08 season. Havlat played less than half of the season because of leg and shoulder problems. If the perfect storm of injuries, one that seems to hit every year for the Czech right wing, is quelled next year, Havlat’s contributions will be significant. But, like every year, his health status is the biggest question mark on the team.

Similar to the first line, the left wing position for Lang and Havlat will be anything but solidified. The same three characters will fill in the vacancy, but Byfuglien will see the most time on the left side. The combination of those three players give the Hawks an all encompassing line.

A player who can score with brute force (Byfuglien, who has also shown great touch when called for), a dexterous goal scorer with great puck handling (Havlat) and a veteran player who generally knows how to find the back of the net in any situation by any means (Lang).

Many teams would feel fortunate to have a line like such to trot out late in games. The Blackhawks would feel the same way if the line’s fate wasn’t in limbo every year, dangled by the fragile body of it’s most prodigious player.

The third line is where the other young Blackhawks will show their skill. There will be shuffling on this line, certainly, but there are clear favorites to start on this line on opening day.

The line will certainly be centered by Dave Bolland. Bolland, no longer considered a prospect, but an unproven young NHL player. He is considered to be in a class of talent enviable to that of Toews when it comes to playing center in the NHL.

If he plays at the level the organization knows he is capable of performing at, he will be the second line center in 2009-10, replacing Lang, who's contract will expire. Until then, he will line up with some other fantastic talents on the third line.

I presume playing on his right side will be Jack Skille. Skille is a great talent who might make one of the most formidable lines in hockey with Toews and Kane one day. As of now the 20-year-old is considered the best prospect in the Blackhawks deep system.

Last year he came up when the injury bug hit the Blackhawks hard. He received more and more ice time as his 16 game NHL stint went along, eventually tallying 5 points (3 goals) with a +1 rating. And when the injury bug that hit so hard subsided and players came back, Skille’s unexpected play made it very difficult to send him back down.

Alas, after another round of seasoning in Rockford, Skille is ready to claim his spot on the Blackhawks roster.

Andrew Ladd will likely start with the third line in 2008-09 on the left side, but like the top two lines, expect Savard to shuffle left wingers to maximize the team’s efficiency. Ladd, drafted highly by the Hurricanes in 2004, as the fourth pick overall, never lived up to expectations in Raleigh and was shipped to Chicago for fellow enigma Tuomo Rutuu.

Ladd does a little bit of everything well and while he might never be the player the Hurricanes envisioned him to be when they drafted him, he was rewarded with a two year contract from the Blackhawks in June.

Ladd doesn’t buy into the high draft pick stigma and will scrap and battle with the best of them. And while not an enforcer, he does fight pretty well, and honorably, as evidenced by HockeyFights.com.

The fourth line, the goons, the grind line. This line might as well be written in stone. The Blackhawks' most prolific penalty minute player, Adam Burish, will captain the line and center it as well. His job is to go out and raise hell. It is a job that he does very, very well.

He was in 16 fights last year and was fifth in the NHL in penalty minutes. Pair him with Ben Eager, who when healthy is just as irritating and scrappy as Burish, and you have possibly the best goon line in the NHL. Craig Adams, who will line up on right wing with Burish and Eager is a very physical player, but has the ability to make plays and score goals.

The element of surprise will play well with him, as I would expect teams goons to counter goons, and while their back is turned, Adams, after a great forecheck, could sneak one past the clumsy forwards and puts one in the back of the net.

This will happen a few times this year, and when it does, expect the Blackhawks to be nearly unbeatable because of it.

There are a few players who will also challenge for playing time on the third and fourth lines:

Akim Aliu, who will likely start the season in Rockford, is a great talent that the Blackhawks stole from the rest of the NHL with the 56th overall pick in 2007. He is a pure goalscorer and a power-forward to boot.

The Nigerian Nightmare as he is called in reference to his birthplace is a player along the future lines of Chris Drury. If he shows in Rockford what he showed in London of the OHL, he should be up with the Hawks, playing any one of the three forward positions he is capable of, very soon.

Mike Blunden, the right wing who had 37 points and 83 penalty minutes last season in Rockford could see some time with the third or fourth line this upcoming season. He is recovering from a bum shoulder, but is a strong power forward who can light the lamp without help. Blunden is the proud owner of a 6’3” frame and a thunderous slapshot.

Many people are very high on the prospects of Petr Kontiola. Hockey’s Future has gone so far as to say that he is the best prospect in the Blackhawk’s system. He does project to be a top three NHL center one day. But that day never seems to come.

A smart and “deft” playmaker, Kontiola had 50 assists with Rockford last year to go along with 18 goals. In the Ice Hog’s playoff run Kontiola had 10 points, evenly split, in 12 games. If he can keep that form up in Rockford at the beginning of the season or if he dazzles in early at training camp, expect the Fin to be on the Blackhawks roster as soon as possible.

Kris Versteeg, whom the Blackhawks acquired from Boston is a good two way player, albeit a bit undersized. He has an NHL scoring touch and is a talented puck handler. But neither of these abilities allow him to overcome the fact that he is too small and not strong enough for the NHL.

His goal in Rockford this year will be to bulk up and maintain his ability in the process. If he is able to do this, he can challenge for a roster spot, but likely won’t make much noise at the NHL level.

Troy Brouwer is an NHL class scoring winger. No scout will tell you otherwise. His body seems to have been ready to dominate in the NHL since puberty. So why isn’t he in the NHL? Brouwer can’t skate very well. In fact he is brutal.

So while his game might belong in the rinks of the NHL, his skating ability belongs with the midget league of the local rink. He might see action as an injury fill-in this season, but unless he can overcome his skating woes, he won’t challenge Skille, Ladd, Eager, or Byfuglien for playing time any time soon.

If he can overcome his skating problems though, he might be able to be a 100 point scorer in the NHL. And while his skating might be, that prediction is not a joke.

Sounding The Horn: Chicago Blackhawks Blue-Line-Up In 08-09

Dieter Kurtenbach — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:47:18 -0400

Fresh off the moves to solidify their chances for long lost playoff success on the west side of Chicago, the Blackhawks have a conundrum, one that many teams would feel fortunate to have, in that they have too many talented players with NHL experience, but too few spots to play all of them.

The 2007-2008 season was a great awakening for the Blackhawks, who despite having the most rookies that saw playing time in the NHL, finished only three points out of the playoffs. Even with injuries to Martin Havlat and Nik Khabibulin, their two highest paid players.

The signing of Campbell looks even more valuable after James Wisniewski announced that he would undergo knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, an injury that will force the Wisniewski to miss a significant portion of the upcoming season.

Even with the loss of Wisniewski, the blue line will have numerous candidates to start on a nightly basis, and battles might be brewing for the right to commit to the Indian.

Brian Campbell will be the first line left defense man, and will also be in the same position on the power play in 2008-09. And while Duncan Keith, the Blackhawks’ best defenseman before the acquisition of Campbell, would form a formidable blue line with Big Red, two left handed shooters on the same defensive pair could cause problems for the Hawks.

It seems more likely that Brent Seabrook will pair with Campbell in even strength situations. The second group of defenders will most certainly be lead by Duncan Keith on the left side and James Wisniewski on the right side when he returns to his late season form.

Until then, my money would be on the 21 year old 6’3” Sweed, Niklas Hjalmarsson to hit the ice with Keith. Hjarlmarsson’s name might be hard to pronounce, but his talent is hard to mistake. He didn’t put up gaudy numbers in his NHL service last year, but he earned high praise from Denny Savard.

A physical two-way defender, Hjalmarsson plays both sides of the game with an aggressive nature. This will endear him to fans very quickly, even if it does find him in the box at times, something fans are very used to with Wisniewski. There is a small drop-off on both the offensive production and size between Hjalmarsson and Wisniewski, but Hjalmarsson is an adequate substitute in the second pair and his time with Keith will only make the Blackhawks better when the Wiz comes back.

When Wisniewski comes back, there will be a logjam. Without injuries, the Blackhawks have four NHL defensemen and only two starting spots to fill them with.

Brent Sopel, who received a multi-year contract extension last year, and is a solid veteran presence on a very young team, stands to make claim to one of the spots. So the battle for the final spot on the roster and a spot in the starting lineup comes down between Jordan Hendry and Cam Barker.

Barker, who has been enigmatic in his time with the pro team, but dynamic with his time in Rockford certainly has the offensive talent to make the team without a challenge. However his inconsistency and often times clumsy play puts him at a disadvantage.

Which is all the advantage for Hendry to make a name for himself, something that he was unable to fully do in 40 games for the ‘Hawks last year, tallying only 4 points and 22 penalty minutes with a 0 +/- rating. Hendry is not one to wow the scouts on the offensive side, but he is a strong defender who finishes his checks and is capable in moving the puck.

Barker looks lost on the defensive zone at times, but is a top-notch offensive d-man talent. Depending on what Denny Savard thinks his team will need in the regular season, the choice between them will be made, with the other getting spot minutes on the bench until Wisniewski’s return.

Expect Savard to experiment with both in a platoon role for a solid chunk of the season.

Sounding The Horn: What Campbell and Huet Mean for the Chicago Blackhawks

Dieter Kurtenbach — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:29:41 -0400

First, may I welcome you to Sounding the Horn, the first installment of what I hope will be a regular installment of Blackhawks news, notes, recaps and analysis on Bleacher Report and soundingthehorn.blogspot.com.

If news reaches you slowly, the Blackhawks signed Brian Campbell to a lucrative eight-year contract on Tuesday—but not before signing veteran goaltender Crist Huet to contend for the starting spot in net with Nikolai Khabibulin this year, and to be the staring goaltender for the next three years after that.

On an active first day of signs and trades, the Blackhawks were the talk of the NHL, as a franchise recently considered dead made moves indicative of Stanley Cups dreams.

A year ago, those dreams would be considered to be of the pipe variety. What a difference a year makes.

But what exactly do the signings of Campbell and Huet mean for the Blackhawks? Surely they would not sign these players to long-term deals merely to make noise. And while league-wide notoriety was certainly not a deterrent, and possibly an intention of Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon, the main goal was to fill the missing pieces on a Blackhawks team looking to step into the playoffs—and possibly beyond.

The Hawks' play last season was exciting for the first time in many years. The infusion of youth and its speed (Kane), skill (Toews), and toughness (Byfuglien, Burish) created the first likable team the Blackhawks have had in years. Breakthrough years by Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith excited fans and earned them contract extensions during the season.

In the end, the team that had the most rookies in the NHL—by a wide margin—missed the playoffs by only three points. A team expected to wallow in itsown mediocrity for another season became the darlings of the NHL and truly a team on the rise.

I recall in November having a discussion with another hockey fan in regards to the Blackhawks and their future. It seemed a certainty that the Blackhawks would make a move for a puck-moving (offensive) defensemen to run the power play. It was something that the Blackhawks had lacked for years on end, and it frequently frustrated fans to the point that if the Blackhawks even shot the puck once on the advantage, it was considered a success.

Last season bode better for the 'Hawks compared to the monstrosities of years past, but they still finished in the bottom third of NHL teams in power-play efficiency. Knowing that James Wisnewski will never be the power-play quarterback of a playoff team, the 'Hawks knew they needed a top-notch blueline puck mover if they wanted to ever win a Stanley Cup.

Nic Lidstrom and Sergei Zubov were not available and the chances of trading for them in a long-term capacity would be impossible. Brian Campbell was the perfect fit and the Blackhawks had all the money in the world to lure him to Chicago.

In my eyes it was a foregone conclusion nearly a year in advance of the actual signing. The Blackhawks had to have Brian Campbell—and they went out and got him.

Looking at the tentative roster for next year's Blackhawks, Denny Savard should trot out Kane, Towes, Sharp, Byfuglien, and Campbell for the powerplay. That attack could be specatular—and certainly will be solid and formidable.

But although Campbell was foreseeable, the Cristobal Huet signing was truly the biggest surprise of the day. When I heard through the wire that the Blackhawks had made a splash on the free-agent market, I thought that just Campbell was coming.

I never even heard rumors regarding Huet and Chicago. So to hear that he had signed with the 'Hawks so early was surprising indeed. And to have Campbell sign later in the day was the icing on the cake—no pun intended.

Huet doesn't bring anything new to this team other than piece of mind. Over the course of Khabibulin's reign in Chicago, Nikolai has been peppered with injuries and inconsistent play. When he is on his game, he truly is one of the best goaltenders in the world.

The problem is, those times are few and far between.

His huge contract is up at the end of the year—and before yesterday, it was assumed that Corey Crawford would be handed the keys to the crease in 2009.

This was viewed with skepticism from fans. In my honest opinion, I don't believe that Crawford is a starting NHL goaltender. So to sign Huet to push Khabibulin this year, and Crawford for three years after that, is a great move by Dale Tallon.

Many are skeptical of wrapping up 12 million dollars in goaltending alone this year. And to that, I say—if you are going to wrap up six million dollars in Marty Havlat, I believe that having two playoff-ready goaltenders in certainly worth it.

Because three things win in the playoffs—a potent power play, a physical brand of hockey, and impeccable goaltending. On June 30, the Blackhawks had the physical brand of hockey locked up, and were less than questionable in the other two categories. A day later, the Blackhawks look like Stanley Cup contenders.

Indeed, what a difference a year makes.

MLB Stock Market: Sluggers

Dieter Kurtenbach — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:24:24 -0400

Buy (Guys ready to make the leap to major league notoriety.)

Melky Cabrera, CF, New York Yankees

This year, Melky Cabrera is making a paltry $461,200. The competition to take his spot as starting center fielder, Johnny Damon, is making $13M. This is more than 28 times Cabrera’s salary.

Despite this travesty, Cabrera is outplaying Damon and, in fact, most of the American League’s center fielders.

Currently batting .289 with five home runs and 11 RBI, Cabrera also has a cannon for an arm and is no scrub in the center field gaps. He has an outfield assist to his name on the year, a statistic which led the majors last year with 14.

Cabrera isn’t doing any disservice to himself in the field but, as we all know, the Yankees are about hitting. Cabrera’s stats this year indicate that when he comes to the plate, the only fear will be from the opposite dugout.

A career .276 hitter, it would be foolish to expect Cabrera’s average to be above .300 this year. But for a player with a high on-base percentage, like Cabrera, it is not silly to expect him to stay in the high .280s this season.

But that’s not where Cabrera’s value lies. The 2008 season has all the makings of a breakout season in the power category for Mr. Cabrera.

Melky is slugging at a much higher rate, and can flirt with 30 homers by the end of the year. He is a solid RBI guy, and those numbers will increase dramatically as his average with runners in scoring position improves from its current .188 mark.

Expect to hear Melky Cabrera’s name more often this season.

Hold (Let’s wait this one out.)

Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers

A lot of hubbub has circled around Ryan Howard’s slow start.

Not to say that the baseball world shouldn’t be concerned about Howard’s slow start, but another slow opening (by a player that had a better season than Howard in 2007) has gone relatively unnoticed.

Prince Fielder, with a 2007 consisting of 50 home runs and 119 RBI, along with a .288 batting average—a full 20 points higher than Howard—has been struggling mightily this year.

Batting a paltry .244, the Prince’s RBI numbers have been solid (he has 18 as of Tuesday), but his power numbers have been down, specifically in the home run department. If his current stats continue on their current trend, he will finish with more doubles than home runs.

I expect Prince’s slugging percentage and RBI numbers to stay strong, but you have to wonder when the average and home run numbers are going to spring to life.

If Prince can get to the .270 batting average range and double his home run total, he should have an MVP-type season. I expect Prince to do just that, because even when he is struggling, he still is near the top of the league in significant categories.

Sell (Don’t wait around for this guy!)

Troy Glaus, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals

Look at Troy Glaus’ production at this point: .261/1/18.

Look at his stats from 2007 in Toronto: .262/20/62

While Glaus did have a solid power-hitting season in 2006, it has been documented that he was using human growth hormone, something that should not be devalued when it comes to Glaus’ performance.

That said, Glaus is on a hot streak right now in St. Louis, boasting a batting average of .261, and is supposedly clean from performance-enhancing substances.

What I ask is this: if, during a supposed hot streak over the last seven games, Glaus is batting .286 with only one home run, what does that say for the majority of the year when he isn’t hot? More importantly, what does that say when he is cold?

Glaus’ power numbers are indicative of a post-steroid era player, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the category of home runs. For a player, when healthy—and juiced—who was a threat for 40 home runs every year to have one after a month of the season is beyond disappointing.

Troy Glaus is staring down the pipe at a .250/15/80 season. For a supposedly elite third baseman, it would seem to even the casual observer that Glaus is over the hill.

I would argue that if it looks, smells, and tastes like a bad season, it will be a bad season. Troy Glaus has the unholy trifecta, and I would move away from the problem that he is as soon as possible.

MLB Stock Market: Division Leaders

Dieter Kurtenbach — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:39:06 -0400

Sell (bought low, sell high): Florida Marlins

I appreciate what the Marlins are doing, I really do.

It is good to see a team like the Marlins overachieve. We are now ending the first month of the season and to see the Florida Marlins on top of the NL East attests to the fact that playing hard pays off.

But, like a Southern Florida spring, the rain is coming—in this case, to wash out the Marlins’ parade.

I love the way Hanley Ramirez is playing right now, and he is my NL MVP at this point in the season. It is a shame that he has little to no help around him in the lineup.

The pitching staff is overachieving at this point, moving themselves up to the middle of the pack in NL team pitching.

Even if the Marlins can stay at this plateau of performance with three pennant contenders in the same division, all of which are massively underachieving, it seems that the Marlins don’t stand a chance of maintaining their position atop the NL East.

Hold (don’t expect anyone to challenge, don’t expect anything to change):
Arizona Diamondbacks

This team is the real deal.

They had the best pitching staff in the majors entering the season, and to this point they have been better than advertised. Again, a downfall won’t affect the Diamondbacks to the point where the division crown is now in jeopardy.

Take into account that the teams that could challenge the Diamondbacks are struggling and show no signs of clicking anytime soon. The D-Backs could have this division locked up by the All-Star Break.

And for all those who worry about the D-Backs' run production, remember that they nearly won the pennant last year despite scoring less runs than they gave up. Their offense is exponentially better than the 2007 team.

I see no reason this team shouldn’t easily win the NL West, even if Colorado can pull a 2007 and win 23 in a row.

Buy (teams expected to wilt to "better" competition, despite the fact that they are legitimate contenders): Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays

Let’s start with the Rays—the little team that could.

I feel that this team will hang around. They will contend for the division for longer than expected, and will certainly make it interesting for the team that does win the division.

At this point, despite the bloated salaries of the teams they will be contending with, the Rays seem to have just as good a shot as anybody to win the AL East.

I don’t think they will be able to pull it off, but I do think they will have a say in the matter much longer than anyone expected.

Buy the hype from the Bay—the team has superstars at the corners of the infield. Also, while no player will match up on paper with the high salaried all-stars in Boston and New York, this Tampa team seems to have a great chemistry. That's something the Yanks and Sox just don’t seem to have.

The Rays’ pitching staff is pedestrian. Their bullpen is quietly the best in the AL East. Their lineup is silently potent and, most importantly, is currently underachieving.

Only a few people believe that the Rays can contend for an AL East crown, and those believers are in the home clubhouse at the Trop.

They are standing their ground against the typical AL powerhouses, even if it succumbs to fisticuffs. They have some swagger and some noise from the hometown fans directed at them.

All of that has led to this belief that the Rays can pull this trick off. That belief is translated onto the field and has made a believer out of me.

I expect the Rays will have something to say when it comes to who wins the AL East come September. And in Tampa, they are saying the winner will be the Rays.

And then comes the Chicago White Sox.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a contributor to JJ Stankevitz’s White Sox round tables, so it is fair to say that I am a fan. That said, it might take a fan to believe that the White Sox can win the AL Central with teams like the Indians and Tigers also in the division.

I am here to convert you to the South Side. Not to fool anyone and say that the division will be a cakewalk for the White Sox, but it is fair to say that the White Sox have the tools to defeat both the Indians and Tigers. These teams will snap to and play baseball the way they were expected to very soon.

No one knows when that time will come, and everyone can agree that the time isn’t now.

That said, the White Sox need to stay consistent in playing well. The rotation needs to maintain its outstanding form—Danks, Floyd, and Contreras need to keep the shenanigans up if the White Sox expect to continue to win series.

In this division, that should be the goal—just win each series. That’s two of three games, a clip that will easily win any division.

The Sox have 16 more games vs. Cleveland and 13 vs. Detroit. It is feasible that even if Cleveland can maintain the White Sox's pace when they start playing well, it will be too late and they will have dug themselves a hole too deep to get out of.

So right now the Chicago White Sox are in the lead for the AL Central. If they can keep this pace, they cannot lose.

Call it home hope, but I think that the White Sox are capable of keeping up this pace.

Note to Self: Pack for Stillwater, Bill

Dieter Kurtenbach — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:43:51 -0400

Imagine for a moment that Stephen Curry hadn't picked up his dribble. Imagine if he had risen up towards the rafters of Ford Field. Imagine that Brandon Rush, guarding Curry perfectly, had jumped merely a micro second too late as Curry released the ball from the top of his jump. Imagine, if you will, that the ball, like seemingly every other shot Curry fired in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, went in. Davidson’s fans, a number that seemingly filled the cavernous Ford Field at numbers 25 fold their usual base, go crazy, and the only thing stopping them from storming the floor is the fact that the court is 5 feet above the ground. The celebration caravans itself all the way to San Antonio.

The Jayhawks shake their opponents hands and drop their heads as they leave the court. Bill Self can sense the disappointment in the Kansas fans. After loosing to a 10 seed with an enrollment that wouldn’t fill some of KU’s auditoriums, Self knows that the fans would rather sling rock chalks than sing them.

No one’s head hangs lower than Bill Self’s as he steps down off the court, knowing the final straw between him and Lawrence, Kansas has been broken.

Some say that the drive between Lawrence, Kansas and Stillwater, Oklahoma is a boring ride. Bill Self will be taking that boring drive very soon. And no drive is unbearable when there is a minimum of 40 million dollars at the other end of the road.

So say that Kansas didn’t win the national championship as they did. Say the events transpired differently. No on in their right mind would believe that Self would stay in Lawrence for another shot at failure. Certainly not when there is limitless money and job security is available at his alma-mater a position he has called dream job.

The only thing Bill Self owed Kansas was a national title. It was a great move for everyone involved in the KU program. Now that Self’s goal was attained he can go on to another one of his goals, being the head coach at Oklahoma State.

Kansas will make a push. They will offer him an exorbitant amount of money over as long as he wants. Oklahoma State will take that figure and add millions. It’s a bidding war Kansas can’t, and shouldn’t try to win. And though Self knows that the Cowboy’s job is going to be a lot tougher than Kansas, the money, and the fact that he can fulfill a lifetime dream will put coach Self on the road to Stillwater as soon as the celebration in Lawrence is done.

MLS: Capturing My Attention

Dieter Kurtenbach — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:52:22 -0400

I enjoy soccer. I won’t lie.

I follow Liverpool FC from my humble North American home on my humble Chinese-made laptop. I follow the USMNT and the World Cup is something I look forward to every four years.

That said, I have never been a major league fan of Major League Soccer.

I have been given free tickets. I live on the same street, 70 blocks north of Toyota Park in my hometown of Chicago. I have wanted to go see this game that they say is getting bigger by the year. But, for whatever reason I haven’t been to an MLS pitch anywhere in the US.

In fact, despite my fanhood of the game, my exposure to the MLS was limited to the ESPN2 monitor at work and the All-Star game on a Bennigan’s bar TV.

Last night, for a reason unbeknownst to me, I came back to my dorm and decided to turn on the MLS primetime Thursday doubleheader that featured the Chicago Fire against the New England Revolution and later the Los Angeles Galaxy drawing the San Jose Earthquakes. I watched the entire first game and the majority of the second. It was 10 fold of the total MLS action I had seen in my life up to that point, in one night.

Consider me hooked.

When I haphazardly watched the MLS before I never paid any attention to the style of play. I assumed that the game was sloppy, inept and weak. I was dead wrong. Without a doubt, the MLS is not even close to the level of the European class, but the game is crisp, clean and exciting.

I don’t know when this happened, but I can attest that the Beckham factor certainly helped. I didn’t care about the Chicago Fire before Cuauhtemoc Blanco arrived on the South Side, but the star attraction attracted me to watch the game.

And as much as I like Landon Donovan, I am more interested to see Beckham with the ball on his foot. The combination of Donovan and Beckham makes the Galaxy a great team to watch, no matter what league they play in.

The proponents of soccer in the United States, a group I have long considered myself a part, have been looking to attract those who do not know much about soccer to the MLS. This is the wrong way to go about it.

Shoot the easy kill first.

The main goal of American soccer ambassadors should be to bring the overseas game to America both on the pitch and in the stands. Across the country there are thousands of Americans who, like me, follow the European leagues and couldn’t care less about the professional game domestically.

How can American soccer expect to attract new fans of soccer when the game is inferior here in the states? Take the ones who love the game and convince them that the drop off is not as significant as it was merely five years ago.

The MLS has convinced me, but I’m a pushover. There are plenty more easy targets across the US that merely need be exposed to the light. The young people will come soon, but if the league can convince those who already love the game that the MLS is legit, the league will soar to new heights.

Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2008: Catchers

Dieter Kurtenbach — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:09:03 -0400

It is a frequent dilemma for those who love the sport of baseball.

"Who will Leyland's Lungs take in the 20th round?"

"Are there any good relief pitchers not named Rivera or Papelbon?"

"I don't recognize any of the names on this list."

For some, this could lead to a nervous breakdown, a horrible selection, and an offseason full of shame after finishing in the cellar of your league.

And while I cannot help you to become a good fantasy player overnight, I can provide the fine citizens of bleacherreport.com with this fantasy cheat sheet of sleepers easily ascertainable in the late rounds or on the waiver wire.

Catcher.

I'll be blunt. Catcher has always been the weakest position in all of fantasy baseball, but the battery mates have really outdone themselves this year.

If you can't get Cleveland's Victor Martinez, don't bother picking until the very late rounds, if at all.

Unless this article catches on like wildfire, these players should be available very late.

Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay Rays

Big Dio as I call him had a bad year last year. That's great news for you. This switch-hitting catcher slugged a respectable .475 after the All-Star break. That number puts him in the top three of Major League catchers over the same time period. He also batted .285 with eight of his nine home runs and 31 of his 44 RBI. This shows that Dio has figured out big league pitching and is turning it into big league hitting. I expect Navarro to continue that into 2008.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers

If you are playing in a kick-ass name only league, you'll be fresh out of luck in picking this kid up. If you are in a league like the rest of society, I believe you will find this young whippersnapper to be worthy of a late-round pick and a spot either as your starter or anxiously awaiting playing time on your bench.

Saltalamacchia (or Salty for short) was the deal breaker in the Teixeira trade to Atlanta, finishing the best transaction line in the history of baseball. The catchers spot is Salty's to loose, and his closest competition is the last player you want to draft, Gerald Laird.

That said, Salty is raw, but incredibly talented. A member of the rare guild of switch-hitting catchers, Saltalamacchia had 7 RBI in Texas' 30-3 win last year in Baltimore. And while Baltimore is hardly a good barometer of major league pitching, I think that the exposure on the major league level last year will benefit him greatly.

Saltalamacchia is a bit of a risky pick, but don't fret if Jarrod starts slow, the only thing he needs is major league experience. As soon as it clicks for him, he will be a valued commodity, especially in keeper leagues, and will pay major dividends in the second half of the season.

In Hochuli I Trust. You Would Be Advised To Follow Suit.

Dieter Kurtenbach — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:27:11 -0400

Why is Goodell so perturbed? He is staring Death (see: Ed Hochuli) directly in the eyes. This will be the last thing he ever sees before Ed permanently blinds him for his insolence.

Human cloning needs to happen now. There is only one reason why, and it is the most definitive and ultimate answer in this modern argument: Ed Hochuli.

I used it the other day to explain why I forgot to walk the dog:

“What the hell were you doing?”
“Ed Hochuli?”
“Well, I guess I will do it, and never bring it up again.”

But indeed it will be brought up again. As long as Hochuli lives, I fear nothing. Nothing, that is, but Hochuli.

Ed, a 55-year-old former UTEP linebacker and currently a successful Phoenix lawyer and father of six, is all that is man. And he is, by proxy, the most dangerous man alive.

He can kill with a glance, break bones with a punch, and he is not afraid to dish out 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties so harsh they actually scare players straight.

Indeed, if Hoculi were the ref of every NFL game, world hunger would be eliminated in a matter of hours.

You may ask, "Why is this?" Well, when Ed Hochuli is awoken after five straight hours of rigorous lovemaking to his lovely wife by his massive pythons' hunger calls, Ed feeds them the finest of all the worlds foods.

These include an entire bull stuffed with corn-dogs, carefully placed inside it earlier in the week by punching the breaded frankfurter through the skin and into the body.

This process is so revolutionary it is called "Hochulizing," and it happens so fast that the impact of the punch will not hit them until the cows drop dead later in the week.

You may be surprised that he can do this, but it is not uncommon for Hochuli to defy the laws of modern science. This is what is known as the Hochuli Effect, and it is how numerous NFL players have died, only to be covered up by the police as pedestrian and tragic.

They are indeed tragic, but not pedestrian by any means. They are Hochulian.

Ed also can take sorrow out of the widows and mourning girlfriends of these players by placing his hands over their bellybutton. There he sucks out the sorrow by a method he developed hanging out in an Albuquerque YMCA.

It is 100 percent effective and the only FDA approved cure for cancer. Hochuli heals on every second Tuesday of the month, and sometimes before and after games if he is in a good mood.

But I digress—and you shouldn’t do that frequently because Ed hates doddlers...

After Ed has fed his biceptial overlords, he goes to his basement and frees innocent people over the phone, even though it is not his area of law, while constantly lifting weights.

Sometimes when Hochuli gets angry he hands out holding penalties to the entire world. This is what is known as having a bad day. It happens to all of us, and the only way to avoid it is to be Ed Hochuli.

Ed Hochuli is all that is man. He was this before he was born, and was already building his legacy by the time that chump Chuck Norris got a bunch of ivy leaguers to kiss his butt so he could be famous again.

Hochuli lets you kiss his pythons, in return for letting you live. You are of more used to Ed Hoculi when you are alive. Only Ed Hochuli knows why.

Hochuli wears the number 85 because that is the approximate circumference of each of his guns. No one knows what the circumference is for sure because every tape measurer that has been wrapped around his arms has exploded due to the tension caused by wrapping his arms.

It is also coincidental that Ed Hochuli wears 85 on the back of his uniform, because that is the exact number of people he has killed by accidentally touching them.

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, Hochuli emits lasers from the palms of his hands.

Then again, with Ed Hochuli, everything happens for a reason. So we should all fear the lasers. And henceforth Ed Hochuli.

He is fear itself, and that is an automatic FIRST DOWN.

Wrigley Field Is More Than a Name

Dieter Kurtenbach — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:02:18 -0400

Despite my unbridled hatred for the Chicago Cubs, it is hard to hate a ballpark like Wrigley Field.

I attend one Cubs-Sox game every year on the north side. Despite the fact that I stick out like a sore thumb, experiencing a game at Wrigley Field, no matter who is playing, is one of the great joys of my life.

Wrigley Field is the last great cathedral of baseball.

It is a throwback to a time where the game was not commercialized, the players were personable, and above all, it was pure.

Slapping some company's name on the marquee would be the final straw and the old guard of baseball would be dead. If the new owner were to sell the name, they might as well sell ad space on every open space on the Cubs' uniforms, buy the biggest jumbotron in the known universe, build a great grandstand blocking the views on Waveland and Sheffield, and play all the games at night.

I am sure any person who did that would be favor of bringing the DH to the National League.

Chicago has seen a lot of bad sports owners in its day, but the person responsible for desecrating Wrigley Field would have achieved an act as close to Wirtzian as anyone besides Dollar Bill could pull off.

Wrigley holds power.

It is the standard by which all other ballparks are measured. All the new mega stadiums are trying to be Wrigleyesque.

Even their most hated rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, can't help themselves when it comes to emulating the world that is Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville, and to do that they built a new ballpark that went along the lines of the new en vogue style—retro.

Every park wants to recreate the ambiance of Wrigley Field. They want the fans to feel like they are going to a place storied with tradition and popping with folklore.

Every park has failed.

You see cities all over the Major Leagues trying to create ballpark villages to recreate the atmosphere in Wrigleyville after a game.

They have all failed.

You can't manufacture what Wrigley Field has. It was created naturally. Going to a game at Wrigley is an event. It is that experience that is most pure—in no way artificially created. You feel as if you are doing something special when you take in all that is Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville on a sun-soaked July day.

To bastardize that which is most pure would question the very foundation of Americana.

To the new owner of the Cubs, let me just warn you:

It is a suicide mission for the owner who tries to change the name.

There was a strong backlash against the US Cellular name change. The people who protested had nothing to base that on. There was nothing special about Comiskey II. It was no more a part of the town than Wal-Mart.

Wrigley Field is the town.

That means that those who will protest, and that number will be in the millions, will have something to fight for other than a name, they are fighting for all the tradition and memories that go along with that name.

They are fighting for Ernie Banks, Harry Caray, Ron Santo, and Andre Dawson.

The Cubs didn't play their first night game at Allstate Park. The Chicago Bears were never the Monsters of the Midway at Verizon Stadium.

A name change would also affect your pocketbook; something you think will be padded when you sell the name.

You see, Wrigley Field sells on name power.

People came to Wrigley not to see the Cubs, but to see the splendor of the Friendly Confines. I don't think that would carry over to Wrigley Field at Bank One Park, or Tampax Field.

To the fine citizens of Chicago, and to millions of other baseball fans around the globe, Wrigley Field is not just a name, it is synonymous with baseball.

Perhaps one day when the ballpark comes down, the name will too, but as long as the building itself stands, the name should as well.