Category Archives: Rich Lindbloom

Lindbloom’s View: The Incredible Bickell

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

Bickell emerges as frontrunner for John Druce Award

By Rich Lindbloom

OK, you can breathe now. With seconds remaining on the jobing.com Center’s scoreboard, the Blackhawks managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Despite outshooting the dogged Coyotes 50-33, the Hawks were quite fortunate to emerge triumphant over a tenacious, disciplined Phoenix squad. Bryan Bickell scored two goals, including the game winner in overtime late Saturday night; or was it early Sunday morning? He’s clearly the front runner for the John Druce Award, named after a role player who scored 14 goals in 15 games for Washington in the 1990 playoffs. Although goals are an obvious mark of a player’s efficacy, they often overshadow the less refined parts of the game. Refined is not generally a word associated with Bickell; he’s more like a working man’s hero. Just prior to his game winner, Brian started throwing his body around like dat Buff-lin guy did a few years ago. (Now that’s hockey.) I believe on one shift he clobbered three different Coyotes, seeming to take a sadistic delight inflicting pain upon his unsuspecting prey. Read more »

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Lindbloom’s View: From Parts Unknown

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

The Angel of Playoff Death

By Rich Lindbloom

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every first born-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” – Exodus12: 12-13

And you thought Pharaoh Shanahan’s rulings were severe!

The Jewish Feast of Passover, so inextricably bound with Christianity, is one of the most incredible events I’ve ever pondered. The Readers Digest version is God rescues the descendants of Jacob from the intense persecution they were facing in Egypt. He accomplished this through an obedient servant, (a servant who initially tried to convince God he had the wrong man for the job), and a series of ten plagues. The last plague was the death of the first born throughout Egypt, unless the door posts were covered by the blood of a one year old male lamb, without defect. One of the most unique aspects of the Bible is it’s almost completely devoid of humor-although I would say that God’s command of finding a male without blemish comes about as close to humor as you can get. Read more »

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Lindbloom’s View: Blackhawks ’12-13 season ticket cost hike a hustle formula

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

Hawking at Dixie Square Mall

By Rich Lindbloom

“Kung Fu
That was one of my good ones
Well what’s a few broken bones
When we know it’s good clean fun
Skateboards
I’ve almost made them respectable
You see I can’t always get through to you
So I go for your son…so
Give me all your money ‘cause I know you think I’m funny
Can’t you see me laughing
Can’t you see me smile

I’m the man
I’m the man that gave you the hula hoop
I’m the man
I’m the man that gave you the yo-yo.”  - Joe Jackson

All right Peabody, time for another journey on the way back machine. Back in 1973, my good friend Jack Carlson and I used to frequent the Game Room in Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, instead of attending our chemistry class at Thorton Community College. Read more »

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Lindbloom’s View: From sands of the Hillbilly Riviera

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

The Thrill Is Gone… 

By Rich Lindbloom

Ah, but the hatred is alive and well. With the emergence of the rum dummies on the western side of the Mississippi, otherwise known as the Blues, our rivalry with a team that personifies the word “malfeasance” had been put on the back burner. To be quite honest with you, with the arduous schedule we’ve had in March, I didn’t even get that worked up about playing the Canucks last Wednesday. This was a bit unusual when one recalls for the past three years these affairs have more resembled terrorism than hockey. They’ve always been a highly sought after ticket. After about two minutes of watching this battle royale, I quickly recalled what fuels one of hockey’s best rivalries. My complete and utter disdain for the blue and green men returned with a vengeance. Read more »

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Lindbloom: Serendipitous Moments

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

‘The Gray Line’ tearing it up

By Rich Lindbloom 

Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. Good luck, good fortune.

Going 8-1-1 in the last 10 games, with Tazer still trying to count to ten, might add new meaning to the word serendipity. Not even the most optimistic Blackhawk fan could have expected the good luck and fortune that have been our allies over the last couple of weeks. Are you kidding me; Andrew Shaw has two shots bounce off various parts of his body for goals in the last two games? After struggling mightily in January and February between the pipes, are beleaguered goalies are named #1 (Emery) and #3 (Crow) Players of the Week the last two weeks in the NHL? (That’s got to be an oxymoron or something.) Johnny Oduya, acquired in the 11th hour of the trade deadline, suddenly anchors the aft end of a listing defense? Temperatures hovering around 80 in mid-March? Before I get into the “full speed ahead” portion of this article, I’d like to tell you about a serendipitous moment that happened in the Orcas Islands in the Puget Sound. Read more »

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Lindbloom: On Kitchen Sinks, and your Blackhawks

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| 1 Comment

Seen sliding through Halak’s five hole in the Shoot Out

By Rich Lindbloom

Jaroslav Halak gave it the old college try Tuesday night, no doubt about that. He made 43 saves, valiantly trying to withstand the fury, unrelenting attack and irresistible force unleashed by a Blackhawk team that appears to be taking matters into their own hands. If the Blues are the number one team in hockey, (deservedly so I might add), I’m a little more optimistic about our playoff chances. Actually, I’ve had the Hawks penciled in all the way to the Cup Finals for some time now.

The 65 minute beat down over a lethargic, uninspired, out worked and undermanned Blues squad does wonders to bolster my confidence. Think about it – the team noted by several St. Louis Game Time posters as being too thin, just defeated Lunquist, narrowly lost to Quick in a shootout and made Halak stand on his head for most of the game Tuesday night. Does that sound like a team that’s hanging on by a thread? Read more »

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Lindbloom: Love keeps no record of wrongs

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

“I’ll never watch the Hawks again”

By Rich Lindbloom 

“What do you get when you fall in love?
A guy with a pin to burst your bubble
That’s what you get for all your trouble
I’ll never fall in love again” - Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Have you thrown in the towel on the Hawks this season? Had enough of third period meltdowns, awful rebounds and uninspired play from the core? Are Frolik and Bickell driving you up a wall? Have you found yourself asking, “Why did Stalberg do that?” Are you fed up with a defense that couldn’t clean their plate, let alone a crease? Do you lie awake in bed at night wondering, “Why can’t I quit you?” In short, what do we actually get ‘for all our trouble?’ Hell, at least my wife gets flowers on occasion. Read more »

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Lindbloom: Let’s Do This Thing

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

Elmore James got nothing on me

“Well, I’m going down,
Down, down, down, down, down
I’m going down
Down, down, down, down, down
I’ve got my head out the window
And my big feet on the ground.” – Jeff Beck

By Rich Lindbloom

For those of you who’ve never heard Jeff Beck’s classic song “Going Down,” you-tube it. I guarantee, momentarily at least, the sun will shine in your back door. Initially the “bass” player for the Jimmy Page led Yardbirds, Beck’s inimitable guitar work soon became readily recognizable over the air waves. It always amazes me how many different sounds various guitar players coax out of their instruments. “Going down,” actually escaped from the cobwebs when the Hawks plunged in the standings during the 9 game losing streak. After a false summit, that had many gleefully hopping back on the band wagon, we once again appear to be heading in the wrong direction. Read more »

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Lindbloom: Partee!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

Partee!

By Rich Lindbloom 

When I was working as a foreman back in the 70’s a worker named Gus came up to me and said, “Rich, the Stones gone disco.”  I had no idea what he was talking about and had him repeat what he was saying about three times. Finally I said “Gus, there is no way on God’s green earth the Stones would play a disco song. None, zippo.” Sure enough, a few days later the song “Miss You,” had flooded the air waves. Not exactly “Gimme Shelter, but actually the song was pretty catchy. It had a groove that had the potential to make a crackah think he could dance.

Out of all the genre’s of music that have emerged over the decades, Disco had to be my least favorite. It was a time of leisure suits, chest hair, ostentatious medallions, big hair, The Bee Gee’s and John Travolta. I recall talking about disco one day with my boss who would spin records on the side. This guy would scour garage sales for old Jazz albums and I really respected his musical taste. When I began mocking the Village People, in particular the song YMCA, he said something that I’ll never forget. Read more »

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Lindbloom: Smoke on the frozen water

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| 1 Comment

You’re Lazy, You Just Stay in Bed

“When you’re drowning, you don’t clutch no straw,
When you’re drowning, you don’t clutch no straw.
You don’t want to live,
Don’t want to cry no more.” – Deep Purple

Back in 1972, my late friend Jack Carlson and I went to a concert at the International Amphitheatre in South Chicago. It was right after Deep Purple had released a great album called “Machine Head.” Deep Purple, at the time, had the reputation of being the loudest rock band in the business. Paradoxically, John Sebastian opened up for British rockers. Let’s just say the type of crowds the two bands might draw were divergent. This memory seems to come to the forefront of my thoughts every time we play the Mustard Men from Nashville. Read more »

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