'Big Buff' now a part of Blackhawks lore

The 2010 Chicago Blackhawks will go down as one of Chicago's most loved sports teams of all-time. During the playoff run, perhaps no one on the team made more fans than Dustin Byfuglien, or "Big Buff." Clearly a fan favorite, Byfuglien gave the Hawks an attitude with his aggressive play against the Vancouver Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo and his game-winning goals against San Jose. 

No matter what the future held in store for Big Buff, he would go down as a Chicago legend for what he did in the 2010 playoffs. Unfortunately for Blackhawk fans who were looking forward to seeing him in red again next year, the instigator was traded, along with Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to the Atlanta Thrashers today. 

Less than three weeks after the Stanley Cup victory, the famed '10 Blackhawks have been broken up. Never again will we see that team that so many Chicagoans fell in love with. The Blackhawks are still really good and are the favorites to make the Stanley Cup finals again. The trade may have even made them better. But even a better team won't capture the hearts like the one Buff was a part of. 

Compare him to Aaron Rowand of the 2005 White Sox. A one-year hit, but one that will be loved by Chicagoans forever. When the Blackhawks reveal their Stanley Cup banner and pass out rings on October 9 before their home opener against the Detroit Red Wings, Big Buff will get the loudest cheers. 

Byfuglien should have a good career with the Atlanta Thrashers. Atlanta may not embrace him like Chicago is (The ATL is definitely not a hockey town), but he will be a big part of their success.

If not, maybe he will get demoted and sent to the Thrashers' minor league affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Would any Blackhawks fans be interested in seeing Big Buff and Chris Chelios as teammates for the the city's minor league squad? 

Blackhawks win, parade great for the city

CHICAGO - Two million Blackhawks fans crowded the streets of Downtown Chicago Friday to celebrate the Original Six franchise's first Stanley Cup championship since 1961. The estimated two million in attendence is clearly the largest number of fans to ever attend a Chicago sports team's championship celebration.

Ever since the Hawks won Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals in San Jose, it was clear that the Cup was headed to Chicago. There was no way any team still in contention could beat them four times.

Philadelphia gave it their best shot. The Hawks won the first two games of the series by a goal each time, and Philadelphia responded with wins in Game Four. Game Five was the best game of the series, with the Hawks winning 7-4. And Patrick Kane's overtime goal that no one saw in Game Six put an exclamation mark on one of the quickest turnarounds in sports history.

To truly put this in perspective, all you have to do is look at how things were three years ago, when the Blackhawks were seemingly irrevelvent.

The team was giving tickets away. They were the exception in an otherwise successful sports city. The Sox and Bears were less than two years removed from a championship appearance. The Cubs were the favorites to win the National League and the Bulls were even in the second round. The Hawks were the forgotten team. No one knew who the head coach was or even the leading scorer. Home games weren;t on television. Few were outraged because few cared.

But ever since the Blackhawks won the No. 1 pick in the draft and selected Patrick Kane, things have steadily improved. Over the last two years, this young group has won six of seven playoff series. Perfect free agent signings and good draft picks gave them the talent. And the 09-10 group meshed as well as anybody.

This isn't the greatest hockey team of all-time, but it seemed to have captured the hearts of Chicagoans more than any team in my lifetime. And hockey is suppose to be only the fourth most popular sport.

Chicago went crazy when the Hawks won it all Wednesday night. On Friday, the fans proved that the windy city will support a winner more than any other town. It was a party atmosphere all day. News cameras caught shots of not just one sea of red, but one on every street. People used anything to get a better view of the rally happening at Wacker and Michigan. There were no rules. It was a jungle.

Walking down Michigan Avenue at a snails pace because every space is occupied while confetti is flying all over the place and Chelsea Dagger playing on the stereos. It was a great moment.

I was happy to jump back on the "bandwagon" of Blackhawks fans last year. I don't feel bad about it either. About 80 percent of the people who will call themselves Hawks fans today couldn't name one player on the team in 2007. But when teams begin to do things the right way and compete at a high level, the influx in fans is the reward.

The number of Hawks fans tripled this year. Everyone is happy about this. So what argument is there against sports? Sports always have been a distraction at best, but, what else can make a mass of people collectively happy? The Chicago Blackhawks did that. As obvious as it was two weeks ago that the Hawks were going to win the Cup, it is still hard to believe it. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Unbelievable.

Photo: Patrick Kane (88) with the Stanley Cup and a bottle of Champagne on the parade route.

18 years in the making

CHICAGO - Some fans went to great lengths to celebrate the Hawks' win Sunday. This fan holds a home made "Stanley Cup" while leaning out of a car on Madison and Ashland. The Blackhawks had recently completed a four-game sweep of the San Jose Sharks, defeating them 4-2 in the fourth game blocks away at the United Center. 

Blackhawks sweep way to Cup final

CHICAGO - It's hard for Chicago sports fans to even believe, but the Chicago Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Just three years ago, the Hawks were one of the worst franchises in sports. It was easy to get a ticket, but nobody wanted to go to a game. In 2006, the team gave the college radio station I worked at 30 free tickets to a game against the Dallas Stars in return for any air time at all. None of the major sports stations would discuss the Hawks. They were irrelevant. We couldn't even give all 30 tickets away. We opened the phone lines and said "The first person to call this station, wins two tickets." But no one bit. I went to the game that night and the stadium was more than half empty. 

So how have things changed since? Well now they are the talk of the town. The most talented team in hickey with a brighter future than perhaps any club in all of professional sports.   

I went down to the west side with my father and a friend on Sunday to watch the Hawks battle the San Jose Sharks in Game Four of the Western Conference final from Billy Goat Tavern, just a couple blocks east of the Madhouse. My plan was to watch the game near the stadium that day regardless of how the series was going for the team. My luck was that they were already up 3-0 and they had a chance to sweep. I had a chance to see a celebration. 

Game Four will be remembered forever. Duncan Keith lost seven teeth, but four shifts later, he reentered the game. San Jose took a 2-0 lead, but the Hawks evened it up pretty quickly late in the second and had all the momentum heading into the third. 

Before the final period began, I remember predicting that the Hawks would win 4-2, getting a goal with six minutes to go and then an empty netter with 30 seconds to play.

Probably the best prediction I have ever made in my life. And I doubt I will even come nearly that close to accuracy again. The Hawks went ahead with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal with 5 minutes, 55 seconds left in the game. The empty netter came with 42 seconds to go. I guess I was off by five seconds and 12 seconds, respectively. 

The Blackhawks are the perfect example of how it's possible to resurrect a franchise from apparent hopelessness to great promise. True Hawks fans should savor this run. They have four more wins to get, but the Flyers should not be too much of a threat. Barring an upset, this will be the Hawks' first Stanley Cup title since 1961. 49 years, the biggest drought in the sport. 

Two years ago, we wondered if this team would ever return to the big stage. Two weeks from now, we could be planning a parade down State Street. 

Go Hawks!