The ChicagoBlackhawks are ten years removed from that amazing 2010 Stanley Cup run. Jonathan Toews became a true elite NHL player that year.
The Chicago Blackhawks spent a lot of the 2019-20 season celebrating that great team that won the Stanley Cup in 2010. They ended a 49-year drought when Patrick Kane‘s crazy shot beat Michael Leighton of the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Stanley Cup. It was a great moment in the team’s history that will be remembered forever. Every player that was on that team was important to that run, but few were as important as Jonathan Toews.
That season was the third full season for Toews in the National Hockey League. He had already established himself as a very good NHL player by that point but his run in the playoffs that season was the beginning of his legendary legacy. In the regular season, he had 25 goals and 43 assists for 68 points in 76 games for Chicago. That marked the third year in a row that he increased his points per game numbers.
As good of a regular season as it was for the Hawk’s captain, it got even better in the playoffs. A lot of the time, a player’s greatness is largely measured by their play when it matters most. Well, Toews was so good that year in the postseason that he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
In the year prior, he was good in the Hawks’ run to the Western Conference Finals before being defeated by the Detroit Red Wings. He had seven goals and six assists in his first 17 playoff games of his career that spring. Well, the 2010 playoffs saw him explode even more. He had seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points in 22 games en route to the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe. That year was the first of three championship seasons for Toews and the Hawks.
Since then, he has gone on to become one of the most well-respected players in the league. In addition to adding two more Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015, he has won the Selke Trophy for the league’s best defensive forward, been an NHL All-Star, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award. It has been a legendary career for Jonathan Toews. He will certainly walk into the Hall of Fame when he is done and it all got started early on with this magical 2010 Cup run.
Creating the perfect ChicagoCubs lineup using players from the year 2000 to now.
With the baseball season on hold, now is the perfect time to look back. When it comes to the Chicago Cubs, nothing is more fun than looking back at the 2016 championship team, and we are certainly going to do a bit of that here. However, there is more to the recent history of this franchise than that 2016 team.
In this post, we are going to create the perfect lineup using players on the Chicago Cubs of the modern era. Any player who has played for the Cubs anytime from the year 2000 to now is eligible to be selected. Why start in 2000? Well, that’s about the time I really started to obsess over this team. The home run race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire in 1998 drew me in and I have been hooked ever since. The year 2000 also feels like a nice, round number to start with.
A few ground rules to keep in mind before we get started. While any player who played with the Chicago Cubs from 2000-2019 is eligible to be selected, we are only going to take their time with the Cubs into account. Nomar Garciaparra was a great MLB player, but his time with the Cubs did not go well. We can’t just take everything he did with the Red Sox and say, “He’s an all-time great Cub!” That would just be silly.
Also, this lineup is being created to win a season’s worth of games, not just one single game. There may be some guys who could help the Cubs more in a single-game scenario, but we want to take into account long-term success throughout the length of an entire season.
Alright, let’s start putting this thing together. Here is the perfect lineup for the Chicago Cubs, using players from the modern era. We will get started with the catcher position.
I’ve been spacing out the beers in the cellar. Trying to get to the hoppy ones while they’re still fresh, and bringing some high-alcohol oldies out of the lower shelves.
Most of the carry-out and virtual beer events have tended to get announced as late as the day of, so please do check back on occasion. I will update as much as I can.
Fresh Beer Events, occasional bacon, but always spam free, opt out any time.
Meet The Blogger
Mark McDermott
Writer, trivia maven, fan of many things. I thought to learn all there is to know about beer as a way to stay interested in learning. It is my pleasure to bring Chicago’s craft beer scene to you.
It’s one of the big holidays. Even a guy who doesn’t celebrate it, knows this. We start out headed to the church of your choice to celebrate the return of Jesus…and man could we use him now.
Then it’s time for a big family meal. Brunch sounds good, doesn’t it? Remember how the Barone’s from Everybody Loves Raymond did the big family Easter brunch?
“We should wallowing in a beautiful brunch of waffles and berries. And sausages of both link and patty.”
Sounds delish doesn’t it. Too bad it didn’t happen for the Barone’s that day because Debra and Marie were not talking to each other. It’s also not going to happen for most of this Easter because of social distancing due to the Coronavirus. No waffles. No berries. No sausages of either link or patty. No huge family meal.
The coronavirus has ruined Easter!
But then I heard an ad. It’s from a restaurant chain that you don’t normally associate with Easter. The Olive Garden wants to bring you your family Easter meal.
You can order platters of Lasagna, Chicken Parmigiana or some of their other Italian specialties. The O.G. will even deliver it right to your front door! Plus, if you spend more than forty dollars, the delivery is FREE!!!!
Okay…I know all the bad things that you are saying about Olive Garden. Yeah, I know how it’s average at best Italian food. Yeah, I know your mother makes much better whatever. Yada, yada, yada and so on.
But I’ll admit this…I LIKE THE OLIVE GARDEN! Really! Seriously!
I like the breadsticks and salad. I love their pasta e faguli, especially on a cold winter day. I love their peach bellini ice tea that has a real peach inside the glass. Okay, maybe that peach comes from a can…maybe not…it’s still a peach. But, what I like the most is that my family used to go there on my oldest daughter’s birthday. It’s the memories that I like more than the food and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong at all!
And don’t tell anyone, but I’ve done a lot worse for Easter meals than Olive Garden. Yeah, you’re thinking that’s impossible, but one year we went to a buffet restaurant that you wouldn’t usually associate with good dining, much less Easter. Surprisingly, it was awesome. Excellent ham and roast beef and don’t get me started about the bread pudding….all you can eat bread pudding!
So if you can handle the buffet on Easter, why not the Garden?
Now I’m not advocating that you do this and I’m certainly not getting paid as a spokesperson for Olive Garden, although I am willing to offer my services for a fee. I’m just providing you with this important information!
So have a happy Easter. Enjoy your church service and family get together on Zoom. And if you do get Olive Garden for dinner, GET THE PASTA E FAGIOLI. You can dip your breadsticks in it….MMMMMM. It’ll make everything else taste better.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
Thursday afternoon I’m getting ready to take an afternoon nap. It’s a daily activity while we are under quarantine conditions. Okay…I’m not fooling anyone…it’s a daily activity under normal conditions.
I got under the covers and decided to have some background music. I found a classic rock station and started my rest period. There was music from The Who, Doobie Brothers, The Beatles, and I drifted off to sleep. I awoke about an hour later to a live version of “Light My Fire” by The Doors.
While listening to the song, I was wondering what the members of the band were up to so I started to Google. I knew Jim Morrison had died close to fifty years ago. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek died from cancer in 2013. I was checking up on drummer John Densmore, when I came across this article, written by music critic Mikal Woods, in the Los Angeles Times.
The gist of the piece is he hates The Doors, but is willing to give them another opportunity to change his mind while he’s under quarantined conditions.
My thoughts were this is a cool idea. I wonder if I have any bands like this? Could my mind be changed?
I really don’t have any musical artists that I would describe with the word hate. I came up with three whose music does nothing for me and most people seem to like. Journey, Van Halen and Dave Mathews Band top my list.
You would think that Journey and Van Halen would be at the top of my play list. Journey was formed by two members of Santana, a band that I loved. Van Halen is extremely guitar-centric and so am I. You’d think that would be right in my wheelhouse of music. I just could never get into either of them. Their music leaves me cold. Whenever I hear it, I’m looking another station. I guess I’m just not belivin’ in either of them.
DMB is a little different. I’m not as familiar with their catalog as I am with the first two bands. Howwever, when I hear them, it leaves me blah. Don’t like em…don’t hate em…just a blah nothing. Music shouldn’t be like that. You hear a piece and you should feel something. Even if that something is disgust, at least you’re feeling. Better that than nothing at all.
I’m willing to do the challenge on these three bands, that Mikal Woods is doing with The Doors. I’m going to give them a chance to change my mind. Over the next three weeks, I’l be listening to their music. Each band gets a week. We’ll start with Journey because they’ve been around the longest. The next three Saturdays, I’ll report my findings. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?
I’m hoping at least one of these bands can change my opinion of them. If nothing else it’ll kill some time while being stuck inside the house. We’re all looking for that!
So….let’s get the party and the music started. I’m ready to “Jump” into this assignment. Might as well jump.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
Finally, both The Strokes and Local H have released their full-length albums. The New Abnormal and LIFERS, respectively, are both available on Spotify for your enjoyment.
Local H celebrated 30 years in the music industry, and the release of their 9th album LIFERS, by live-streaming a record release party from their rehearsal space in Chicago. The new songs they debuted sounded rich and powerful. Songwriter Scott Lucas wrote a concept album that was produced by local legend Steve Albini. Hard to believe this was the first time Lucas and Albini have worked together. Check out “Winter Western” and see if you can hear Juliana Hatfield singing?
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The Strokes chose Rick Ruban to produce The New Abnormal, their first release in seven years, and 6th album overall. I would say it works on about half the album, while the other half is slow to get off the ground, if at all. Not sure which party is responsible for the direction they’ve taken, but this one will definitely take some getting used to. Maybe that’s a good thing?
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Hey now, The Kooks release a new EP called Unshelved: Pt.1. Well, this is exciting!
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Butch Walker releases the second single from his upcoming rock opera, AMERICAN LOVE STORY (out May 8th) and “Gridlock,” might be better than it’s predecessor, “Pretty Crazy?” Yes, that is pretty crazy. I think this album is going to be great!?
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It’s so good to hear Damon singing on the new Gorillaz song, “Aries,” I miss his voice. JR JR releases another fun single called “The Way I Do,” and Rogue Wave returns with new music, “Aesop Rock.”
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Now I had no idea that rapper Aesop Rock had a new single out called “Rogue Wave?” Apparently, this is their answer.
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Washed Out’s “Too Late” is nice and lush, while Juliana Hatfield’s Police cover, “Truth Hits Everybody,” is too sparse and could stand to be a little more rich and layered.
Sinatra in his younger days? Yes, “The Nearness Of You” sounds pleasant as Frank gets remastered. Big B records a drinking song that will help you through this #ShelterInPlace.
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I’ll be damned if we didn’t wake up to an Active Child LP? WTF? I heard nothing about this ten-song drop called In Another Life.
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A nice surprise this week is the pretty and eloquent, “Love Song For The Haters,” from Fleece. The Dropkick Murphy’s release a banger called “Mick Jones Knicked My Pudding, ” which was also a treat. Pop and punk, what else do we need?
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A little jazz? Well, Henrik Janson’s “Chopin’s House,” is both classical and jazz, so meditate on this for a few minutes.
Where Can You See It?: On Demand (Rent for $19.99)
Premise: Poppy (Anna Kendrick) discovers that the Troll World is bigger than just her Pop kingdom. There are other musical troll kingdoms, like Country, Classical, EDM, Funk, and Rock. When Queen Barb (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rachel Bloom) of the Rock kingdom tries to assert world domination by collecting the magical musical string from each kingdom, Poppy and Branch (Justin Timberlake) set off on a road trip to try and stop her.
Behind-the-Scenes: Originally set for theatrical release on April 10, Universal decided to keep the date in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, and release the movie for rental on the same date. Universal recently did the same for other theatrical flicks like The Invisible Man, Emma, and The Hunt. This is a pretty big departure from other studios, who have shifted release dates for their big tentpole pictures like Black Widow and Fast and Furious 9, and could signal a new method of skip-the-theater distribution if it’s successful.
The Good: Like the first Trolls, the music is catchy and the animation is brightly colored with a lot of excellent texturing. The voice work by its starry cast works like a charm, with Anna Kendrick and Kenan Thompson (as Tiny Diamond) being particularly funny standouts. The script is “just good enough” with a handful of sight gags and jokes that actually stick the landing. It moves quickly, and at 90 minutes, doesn’t overstay its welcome. Dreamworks’ animated flicks are usually pretty reliable family entertainments, and World Tour is no different in that respect. The opening 10 minutes are probably the best, a barrage of music and neon colors that tickle the ears and delight the eyes.
The Bad: It’s a standard sequel in terms of delivering a lot of the same elements that made the first film work and expanding the world, without ever being able to match the fun or freshness of the original. Despite the promise of five new Troll worlds, the screenwriters don’t really flesh out those worlds or the different characters in them, skipping over that stuff in favor of the next musical moment. Speaking of musical moments, the filmmakers had a wide array of pop songs to choose to use here – and to represent the best that pop has to offer, they go with “Gangham Style” and “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
Should You See It?: Sure. What else are you going to do while sheltering in place? Grab the family, make some popcorn, and shell out the $20 for an in-home theatrical experience. I love the convenience of it, but I sure do hope this isn’t the new normal. We still need movie theaters!
Star Rating: *** out of 5 stars
Better Than: Sonic the Hedgehog
Worse Than:Trolls, Onward
* * *
For more movie/TV commentary and other mischief, follow me on Twitter: @Hammervision and on Letterboxd: @Hammervision
Hammervision is movies. Hammervision is TV. Hammervision is the creative byproduct of a marriage built on a mutual love of all things popular culture. John and Julie Hammerle have been watching movies together since Face/Off was in the theaters. John is an attorney at a Chicago law firm. Julie is not. They have two kids and a dog named Indiana.
Things come together; things come apart. The most infamous break-up in the music world was the end of the Beatles. I know that I can’t pick any one song as my favorite Beatle hit, but can I pick a bestie from each of John, Paul, George, and Ringo’s solo careers?
Let’s get the easiest one out of the way first. Mr. Starr has recorded a few numbers that have stayed with me. It Don’t Come Easy is a song that sends out a message in these trying times. Oh My My and No No Song are nice and whimsical. So is Bang on the Drum. What, you say? That isn’t Ringo, that’s Todd Rundgren? Well, shouldn’t it be a Ringo tune?
What wins the Ringo Round-Up for me? Hands down, it’s Photograph, a warm-but-sad ode to a lost lover. George Harrison helped write and produce, but this is Ringo’s shining moment.
Speaking of George, what’s my favorite song from the guy who always seemed like the most morose Beatle? What is Life? Too questiony. Bangladesh? Too rooted in the 70s. My Sweet Lord? Bingo. Despite issues with the lyrics (too religious) and the melody (too much of a Chiffon’s rip-off,) I’ll always stop and listen when this comes up on my Pandora stream. Hallelujah, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna!
Then there is John. Yeah, most of you would vote for Imagine. Greatest song of all time and all that crap. I’m sorry, it is just too preachy and solemn for me. Even in COVID-19 times. When I want to hear Lennon get in people’s faces, I’ll make my pick Instant Karma. It’s gonna get you! Gotta love the real John, the snarky John.
Paul. The longest solo career, the most hits. The basic question? Is the song solo if it was with Linda? Or if it was with Wings? Sure–any post-Beatle Paul is Solo Paul. So I could choose something from McCartney or from Ram but I am going to give my favorite nod to the title song from the Wings album Band on the Run. Honorable mentions go to Live and Let Die and Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. I’ve always wanted to know what a butter pie tastes like.
I’m sure you disagree with some, or likely all, of my choices. Send me your favorites and I’ll take another listen. Now is the time to share.
For the “Worst” part of today’s double feature click here.
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Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
I wrote about my favorite theater experiences long ago. But sometimes writing “Best Of” lists get boring. Sometimes I’ve got to let the other flag fly. Can I remember my 10 worst theater experiences? Here’s a shot at it. ((Confession: although most of these shows have played Broadway, we saw most as local productions.)
Ten Theater Take-Downs and Disappointments
10. Spring Awakening. Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. 2016. Based on an old German play. It should have stayed there!
9. Big Fish. Nederlander Theatre. 2013. If I could have stayed awake it might have made more sense to me.
8. The Merchant of Venice. Bank of America Theatre. 2011. Starring F. Murray Abraham, I was so looking forward to this. But the air-conditioning failed on an unusually hot early spring day, and we felt as if we were broiling under a Venetian sun in mid-summer.
7. Godspell. Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. 2014. We left at intermission. At least half the audience left before we did.
6. The Pirate Queen. Cadillac Palace Theatre. 2006. Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg wrote Les Misérables. We loved it. They wrote Miss Saigon. We tolerated it. They wrote The Pirate Queen. We detested it.
5. Next to Normal. Bank of America Theatre. 2011. On Broadway, Pulitzer Prizes and Tony Awards. For the Broadway in Chicago production., not even a Jeff Award.
4. Into the Woods. Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. 2006. I know I am supposed to like Sondheim. I try. I really try.
3. In the Sick Bay of The Santa Maria. Goodman Theatre New Stages Festival. 2019. It was short, it was experimental. The tickets were free and still over-priced.
2. Chess. Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. 1990. Evita meets ABBA in this Tim Rice-Benny Andersson-Björn Ulvaeus mish-mash. My mother was babysitting for the kids and called us during intermission to tell us our son had a fever. We were overjoyed to have such a good reason to leave the theater.
1. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Belasco Theatre. 2010. Patti LuPone, Sheree Renee Scott, Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell. Too many stars, too much of a hot-hot-mess.
Did you like some of these shows? Or maybe you have even worse theater memories. Tell me about it!
Click here for the “Bests” in today’s double feature.
Like what you read here? Add your name to our subscription list below. No spam, I promise!
___
Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
“We are not expecting to do any layoffs,” the mayor told a news conference hours before Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order was extended for another month.
“Our economy in this region is incredibly diverse. And if you look at how we have fared in other economic downturns — whether it was 9/11, the Great Recession of 2008 or 2009 — we’ve had some impact, of course. But, we rebounded back very, very strong and well.”
Wow, talk about President Donald Trump being disconnected from reality. That would make Chicago unlike every other city in America whose budgets are getting torpedoed by the pandemic’s higher costs and lower revenues.
In just three weeks, jobless claims have roared in the tune of 16 million but if Lightfoot is right, none of the city’s 34,000 are included. Meanwhile, Chicago taxpayers will continue to get squeezed, but only tighter.
No one wants to see anyone get fired, but the exclusive club of Chicago employees reeks of dysfunction, at best. Or blind incompetence and the Way of Chicago.
Consider: The New York Times reported that ten percent of American workers filed for unemployment in the past three weeks; never, not even in the Great Depression, has the nation suffered such a rapid collapse of the labor market.
Millions more are struggling to submit unemployment claims to overwhelmed state agencies. And still more face the loss of their jobs in the coming weeks.
The scale of the economic damage is breathtaking. In one recent poll, more than half of all Americans under the age of 45 said that they had lost their jobs or suffered a loss of hours.
But that mammoth effort [the federal rescue package] is still likely to leave millions of additional Americans unemployed for an extended time, according to new economic forecasts that see U.S. unemployment not just spiking to Depression-era levels in coming weeks, but remaining above a relatively high rate of 6% through the end of 2021.
But not Chicago city workers. Did I hear someone say, “We’re all in this together?”
Chicago’s Favorite Food Critics and Bloggers
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