Lord Stanley now lives in Chicago!

What a year it's been, and what a way for the Blackhawks to clinch their first Stanley Cup since 1961.

A squeaker by Patrick Kane past Philly goalie Michael Leighton 4:10 into sudden death overtime that was at first reviewed was the difference maker.

Game 6 was the battle everyone expected, with the Flyers taking advantage of the home crowd and some of the craziest fans in sports to keep it close. But the Hawks proved to be too much for them.

It was a heck of a time getting to this point.

Just two years, hockey in Chicago was almost nonexistent.

The Hawks were mired in a decade-long slump, 15 years away from its last finals appearance (a 4-0 sweep at the hands of Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992) and having only made the playoffs once (2002) since 1997. Attendance was down, and much of the blame was placed on longtime owner Bill Wirtz, who refused to show home games on television (to preserve the product for the "season reservation" holders, he said) and managed to chase away any talent and respect the Original Six franchise had.

In September 2007, he passed away after a brief bout with cancer, and his son Rocky took over the reins.

Rocky Wirtz immediately began to make changes. He struck a deal with Comcast SportsNet Chicago to begin showing home games, and broadened the deal later to include WGN-TV. He coaxed back Blackhawk legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, who had not been on good terms with Bill Wirtz, as "ambassadors" for the team. He also hired away John McDonough from the Cubs to be the team's new president, and brought back popular announcer Pat Foley, who had been fired two years earlier by Bill Wirtz.

The 2008-09 season proved to be the first step back. The Hawks squeaked into the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and weren't expected to go far, but they got by the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks before falling in five games to archrival Detroit.

This year, the Hawks came in as contenders, and they played like it all season, finishing second with 112 points behind the top seed San Jose Sharks. The first playoff round against Nashville at first was tough, but the Hawks got through before taking on Vancouver again. They stayed out west, and took the first two games in San Jose before finishing off the sweep at the United Center.

Then there was the final against Philadelphia, who were this year's Cinderella team. Qualifying for the playoffs as the East's seventh seed on the last day of the season, they knocked off New Jersey and came back from 3-0 down against Boston to crack into the conference finals against the Montreal Candadiens, themselves an eighth seed and playing over their pay grade. They knocked off Les Canadiens, and set up for a battle against the Blackhawks, who were the heavy favorites.

The Hawks proved to be up to the challenge, taking a high-scoring Game 1 6-5 last Saturday in Chicago before taking Game 2, 2-1, to take a 2-0 lead to Philadelphia. The Flyers, however, refused to die, winning Game 3 in overtime and dropping a mistake-filled Game 4 to bring the series at 2-2 back to Chicago Sunday night.

Game 5 proved to be the turnaround, as the Hawks behind Dustin Byfuglien's two goals and two assists and coach Joel Quenneville's line change to neutralize the Flyers' Chris Pronger and win 7-4.

But last night, Game 6, was a potential heart stopper, as the Hawks and Flyers went back and forth. But it was the Hawks and Patrick Kane who proved to have what it took, and the Stanley Cup comes back to Chicago for the first time in 49 years.

The Tribune reports that the victory parade in downtown Chicago will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, with the rally at 11:30 a.m. at Michigan Avenue and East Wacker Drive. As Quenneville told NBC after the game, "The party's going to be unbelievable."

So true.

Could this be the night?

Tonight the Blackhawks will take on the Flyers in Games 6 of the Stanley Cup Final (Why did the NHL change the name of the final series to this? They do realize there is more than one final game, right?)

One of the big questions the Hawks will face, along with how the Flyers' Chris Pronger will react to the Chicago Tribune's poster that put him in a skirt, is who they will face in the Philly net. Michael Leighton typically has been the starting goalie, but was pulled for Brian Boucher in both Games 1 and 5 after getting lit up in both games, including three goals on 13 shots in the final eight minutes of the first period Sunday night. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette hasn't said as much, but appears to be leaning toward Leighton for Games 6.

The other big question is can the Hawks actually win in Philadelphia. So far this year, they are 0 for 3 at the Wachovia Center, including their lone regular season appearance in March as well as Games 3 and 4. Plus, it promises to be as hostile environment as it ever has, if not more.

The Hawks will have to rely on what got them here, including the offense that was spurred by Joel Quenneville's line change just before Game 5 that led to Dustin Byfuglien's big two goal, two assist performance Sunday night. In addition, Niemi will have to be on "good Antti" in keeping the Flyers. Plus, captain Jonathan Toews will have to step up.

The Stanley Cup will be in the Wachovia Center tonight, tucked away somewhere in the bowels of the arena. Can this be the night the Blackhawks hoist it for the first time since 1961?

We shall see.

Hawks one win away from ending a long drought

Amazing what a change in scenery can do for a team, especially when that scenery is Home Sweet Chicago. 

The Blackhawks pulled themselves out of whatever funk they were in Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia with a solid 7-4 win over the Flyers in Game 5 Sunday night at the United Center. Dustin Byfuglien was the big star, netting two goals and two assists in the big win.

This win leaves the Hawks one win away from their first Stanley Cup since 1961. To put this in perspective, think about what it was like between then and now:

In 1961, John F. Kennedy was President, the first Catholic ever elected to the office. In 2010, Barack Obama is President, the first black man ever elected to the office.

In 1961, the NHL consisted of only six teams, concentrated primarily in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States (Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York Rangers). In 2010, there are 30 teams, including only six teams in the motherland of hockey, Canada, and teams in places that might see ice outdoors in a rare ice age (see Phoenix, Los Angeles, Anaheim, (Miami) Florida, and Tampa Bay, not to mention other nontraditional hockey towns like Dallas and (Raleigh, North) Carolina).

In 1961, the communist Soviet Union loomed large over American politics, including the Bay of Pigs fiasco in Cuba. In 2010, the U.S.S.R. is no more, having dissolved in 1991 into 15 republics, with Russia a largely democratic country (depending on who you talk to – we won’t argue that point here).

In 1961, the top movie of the year was the musical “West Side Story.” In 2010, the best picture Oscar went to “The Hurt Locker,” which told the story of an Army bomb squad in the Iraq War.

In 1961, Blackhawks goalie Glenn Hall made about $180 a game, working at a fast-food joint during the summer to make ends meet, according to the Edmonton Journal. In 2010, Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning made $10 million this season.

Finally, it had only been 53 years since the Cubs last won the World Series in 1961. By 2010, the streak had extended to 102 years and counting.

Speaking of the Cubs, they currently own the longest title drought in American team sports, with the last title coming in 1908. In the NFL, it is the now Arizona Cardinals, who last won the title as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947. In the NBA, it is the now Sacramento Kings, who last won the title as the Rochester Royals in 1951. And next in line for longest championship drought in the NHL if the Blackhawks manage to clinch the title are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who last won in 1964.

Game six and quite possibly the clincher for the Blackhawks comes on Wednesday night from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The game and hopefully the victory celebration will be on NBC.

The World Cup's coming to a galaxy near you...

Adidas has this great spot leading to the start of the World Cup later this week:

Bulls get their man

The Bulls have their man.

No, I'm not talking about LeBron James. The Bulls and other teams can start pursuing King James and other free agents after July 1.

I'm talking about their new head coach, Tom Thibodeau, most recently an assistant with the Boston Celtics, apparently has agreed to be the Bulls' new head man.

One knock on this is that after the debacle that was Vinny Del Negro's tenure in Chicago, the Bulls would go after someone with head coaching experience. Thibodeau's only head coaching experience was in 1984 at Division III Salem (Mass.) State University, according to the Chicago Tribune. The rest of the time, after four years as an assistant at Harvard, has been as assistants in the NBA, including stops in Minnesota, San Antonio, Philadelphia, New York and Houston.

However, he does have coaching experience, like 25-plus years worth. This is unlike Del Negro, who came in with zero coaching experience, just some time in the Phoenix Suns' front office after retiring as a player. Plus, according to the Tribune, he comes highly regarded by his players.

He is expected to formally accept the job after the NBA finals are over At this point, the Celtics are down 1-0 to the Lakers, with Game 2 tomorrow night.

Other notes:

-- The Blackhawks sure stunk it up last night in Game 4 in Philadelphia, losing 5-3 to the Flyers to bring the series tied at 2-2 to the United Center tomorrow night. While Patrick Sharp finally scored, Antti Niemi got left out to dry in the first period as the Flyers put in three quick goals for the biggest lead in the series. Hopefully, they can come out out of this two-game tailspin (longest of the playoffs for the Hawks) back home in Chicago.
-- Carlos Zambrano returned to the Cubs' starting rotation in Houston last night, and had pretty much the same result as he did opening day in Atlanta. He got rocked in the first inning as the Cubs lost 3-1. While he did settle down and made it to the fifth inning, he was unable to do anything to lift the Cubs out of their doldrums. But then again, as good of a hitter he is, he can't do all of the hitting, too, leading to rumors the Northsiders could trade guys like Derrek Lee, a rumor he has denied.
-- Trades could be a-coming for the White Sox, too, if they don't start picking things up, manager Ozzie Guillen says. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski and pitchers J.J. Putz and Bobby Jenks have been mentioned as possible trade bait.

Hawks make run to Lord Stanley's Cup

Since the last time this column has been published, we have seen the transformation of the Chicago Blackhawks from also-rans in the NHL to at least championship contenders made almost complete.

The Flyers so far have provided all of the competition the Hawks can handle, fighting to a 6-5 Chicago win in Game 1 last Saturday and a 2-1 Hawks win Monday night before finally claiming a 4-3 win in overtime in Game 3 Wednesday. They have scrapped, beaten and taken advantage of some generous calls by the officials to stay in contention in this series to the highly favored Blackhawks.

So what do the Hawks do for Game 4 in tough Philadelphia and bring it back to the United Center for a possible clincher Sunday night in front of the home fans?

First, goaltender Antti Niemi needs to get his groove back. Niemi was simply awesome during the conference finals against San Jose, allowing no more than two goals in any one game against the top-seeded Sharks as the Blackhawks swept the series. He lost it in Game 1 against the Flyers, but fortunately was backed up by a charging Hawks offense. He got it back in Game 2, only allowing one goal on 33 shots in the Hawks' win, only to lose it at the crucial time on some badly timed goals allowed Wednesday in Philly. He will need to do much better if the Hawks are to lengthen their lead in the series and not suffer the same fate the Bruins did surrendering a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semis against these same Flyers.

Second, the top line of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp will need to step it up. Toews has been pretty quiet during the finals, mainly because of the defense of Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger. Fortunately, guys like Kris Versteeg and Dustin Byfuglien have covered him in getting some key goals at the right times. Toews is due, especially if Pronger does something stupid and either spends too much time in the penalty box or simply gets thrown out of the game.

Finally, the Hawks could get a boost if Andrew Ladd comes back into the lineup. Ladd's been gone since getting hurt in Game 4 of the conference finals.

Either way, Game 4 is a must-win for the Hawks. Lose it, and they're feeling the pressure as the series is tied up going back to Chicago. Win it, and Sunday could be the greatest day for hockey in Chicago in a long time.

Fight night with the UFC

On Saturday night, I took in UFC 101, live on pay-per-view from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Now, as a sports fan, I will admit I don’t know a whole lot about mixed martial arts. However, thanks to my friend Robert, owner of BuyMMACards.com, we will get close to a blow by blow account, with this viewing brought to you unofficially by Miller Lite, because the host house had a ton of it on hand.

9:08 p.m. CDT: The first fight is ready to kick off between Kurt Pellegrino and Josh Neer. This fight is of local significance because Josh Neer, from Des Moines, Iowa, is being sponsored by BuyMMACards.com (seen on his shirt). This could be the fight of the night, I’m told.

9:13 p.m.: Pellegrino takes Neer down with a near body slam, but the Des Moines native continues scrapping to get off his back. Neer also is already cut, only a minute into the fight. The “Let’s Go, Kurt” chant starts ringing from the near-New Jersey crowd.

9:15 p.m.: Pellegrino does a near pile driver on Neer, but Neer is still going strong. When did this dissolve into WWE?

9:16 p.m.: Neer tries a triangle when he can lock a leg over his opponent’s neck. Pellegrino slips out, however.

9:18 p.m.: Round one ends. Pellgrino has dominated for most of the round, remaining on top. Judges’ scoring coming soon.

9:19 p.m.: Round two begins. Neer tries a couple of punches, but misses. A boxing match breaks out in the city of Brotherly Love.

9:22 p.m.: The fight remains on the ground, with Pellgrino staying on top of Neer. Neer complained of a head butt a minute ago, but no go. Neer keeps looking up, but the “fight” drags on.

9:23 p.m.: Another triangle try by Neer, but no go again. Pellegrino goes for a mount, but then moves into a lock on Neer.

9:24 p.m.: Round two ends, and Neer is bloodier than ever. This hasn’t looked good for our midwestern guy, with the first two rounds likely going to Pellegrino.

9:26 p.m.: Neer is not being himself, says Robert, as he timidly approaches Pellegrino at the start of Round Three. Pellegrino promptly takes him down on the floor.

9:28 p.m.: Fans seem to be getting restless as the fight drags on on the ground, as it has all fight long. A minute and a half left, and Neer is going to need a miracle to win this one, or a knockout.

9:30 p.m.” Neer shows life for the first time all fight, and gets on top of Pellegrino for a second. The opportunity is wasted and Pellegrino has the carry against the fence as Neer pounds away as the round ends. “Neer is disgusted,” says commentator Joe Rogan. He should be.

9:32 p.m.: All judges score the fight 30-27 in favor of Pellegrino. Good riddance.

9:33 p.m.: The second fight features Ricardo Almeida and Kendall Grove.

9:36 p.m.: One thing with the MMA fighters you gotta admire is the ink work on them. Grove has the Virgin Mary on his back. Neer has his own name tattooed on his lower back.

9:38 p.m.: Former UFC light heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz is shown. He worked with Grove on the Ultimate Fighter reality show on Spike.

9:40 p.m.: Grove tries a muay thai move, throwing a knee at Almeida’s head. But they soon separate. Grove tries a kick, but Almeida catches the leg and takes him into the fence.

9:41 p.m.: Almeida grabs a leg, but can’t get a good grip to take him down.

9:42 p.m.: Grove takes Almeida to the floor, but soon finds himself on his back.

9:43 p.m.: Almeida throws a couple of knees to Grove’s ribs, but to no avail. He then slams him to the ground, but Grove’s still alive at the end of round one. Rogan says round should go to Almeida because of the takedowns. I would agree. It’s always more impressive, though, when you see a tall guy like Grove (he’s six feet six) go down.

9:44 p.m.: Current UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre is shown on the scoreboard screen, receiving a big cheer from the sold-out crowd.

9:45 p.m.: Almeida takes Grove to the ground 15 seconds. He’s going for the submission now.

9:46 p.m.: Grove turns it around, getting an arm bar and almost finishing Almeida off. He escapes and returns to pounding and wrestling Grove on the ground.

9:47 p.m.: Grove gets a body triangle around Almeida, starting to squeeze the air out of him. Almeida gets out but is definitely winded.

9:49 p.m.: Almeida goes for the mount, but misses as he continues pounding. Grove somehow manages to get up and now has both fighters standing on the fence, throwing a nice uppercut at Almeida’s chin.

9:50 p.m.: Almeida takes Grove to the ground, but Grove gets an elbow in as round two ends.

9:52 p.m.: Grove’s conditioning is starting to pay off. Almeida is dragging as Grove takes him to the ground. Grove does a hammer fist but gets up.

9:55 p.m.: Thirty seconds left and Grove is on the ground, but quickly gets up. He’s looking for the big finish. Almeida pushes him to the post, but Grove throws down a couple of elbows and punches to finish the fight off. Now waiting for the judges’ scoring. Almeida is looking like the favorite because he controlled much of the fight with several good takedowns.

9:57 p.m.: Almeida wins a unanimous decision 30-27. We thought Grove might have won the second round, but who’s to say?

9:58 p.m.: The third fight is Johny Hendricks and Amir Sadollah. Hendricks is a two-time NCAA wrestling champion and is currently undefeated in the UFC. Sadollah, a national muay thai champion, is dancing around a lot as he makes his way to the ring. Hope his conditioning is up to snuff, or he’s toast before he even gets there.

10:03 p.m.: Hendricks goes for the kill 32 seconds in as he gets in several good left uppercuts and starts pounding him on the floor. The ref steps in and ends it perhaps a little early, Rogan says. The ref says Sadollah couldn’t defend himself “intelligently” as the crowd boos (Sadollah is out of Brooklyn, N.Y.).

10:17 p.m.: Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley in the third fight of the night.

10:31 p.m.: The crowd starts cheering as Nelson is on top of Riley, but they’re not for them. Apparently a fight broke out in the crowd, getting everyone’s attention. Sadly, that might have been more exciting than the fight we’re watching now.

10:33 p.m.: Rogan says if Nelson wins the fight, he will “burn his headset and run naked through the crowd.” Riley is the favorite in his eyes.

10:35 p.m.: By unanimous decision 30-27, Aaron Riley is declared the winner. “No surprise,” says the commentator.

10:40 p.m. The first of the two main events of the night, Forrest Griffin versus current middleweight Anderson Silva in a non-title match at light heavyweight, coming up.

10:50 p.m.: The crowd is heavily Forrest Griffin, shouting, “Let’s go, Forrest.” Griffin goes for a couple of kicks, but misses. He’s known for landing the most leg kicks, Rogan says.

10:51 p.m.: Silva throws the right hand and knocks Griffin off balance. The American finds his way back to his feet quickly.

10:52 p.m.: Silva’s attack knocks Griffin to the ground off balance, but Griffin is back on his feet. Griffin counters with a couple of kicks. Silva works an uppercut, then keeps dropping his hands before taking Griffin to the ground.

10:53 p.m.: Silva stands back and offers to help Griffin up. He’s getting cocky very quickly here. Silva drops his hands and lets Griffin throw a couple of punches before taking Griffin out with a right jab to the cheek as he is backpedaling. The ref calls Griffin out at 3:20 of the first round and Griffin sprints for the locker room. Rogan calls this one of the “most embarrassing knockouts” he has ever seen.
(Editor's note: Sports Illustrated.com is reporting that Griffin suffered a dislocated jaw as well as what is hopefully a temporary loss of hearing in one ear sometime during the fight, hence his quick exit after it was over.)

10:54 p.m,: Silva, up a weight class to light heavyweight, looked awesome tonight. Question of the night: Could Georges St. Pierre take on Anderson Silva? Discussion starts now as we wait for the other main event of B.J. Penn versus Kenny Florian.

10:59 p.m.: Start the movie pimping now, as the stars of the upcoming movie, “Gamer,” are interviewed.

11:09 p.m.: It’s time for the other main event: B.J. Penn versus Kenny Florian at 155 pounds.

11:17 p.m.: I noticed that the current champion B.J. Penn’s logo of “Penn State of Mind” has the same font as Penn State University. I’m waiting for the copyright infringement lawsuit to kick in sooner than later.

11:18 p.m.: Penn strikes first by catching the leg of Florian, and pins him against the fence. Penn throws an elbow as the fighters separate. The crowd shouts, “B.J.”

11:20 p.m.: Penn keeps Florian pinned against the fence, throwing several knees to Florian’s midsection. Florian scraps his way out and breaks free.

11:21 p.m.: Rogan is noticing Penn is looking tired already with about 45 seconds left in the first round and wonders if Penn’s new conditioning regime is working against him.

11:22 p.m.: Penn lands a good punch as the first round ends. Rogan says he is breathing heavily, but not too bad.

11:23 p.m.: The fighters size each other and they swap blows before Florian pins Penn against the fence. Florian throws a couple of left uppercuts to Penn’s face, but the champ is still going.

11:26 p.m.: Florian goes for a takedown, but Pen keeps fighting him off. It could be wearing Penn down, and could work in Florian’s favor in the later rounds.

11:27 p.m.: Penn lands a left hook, but Florian stands his ground. Florian counters with a couple of kicks to Penn’s left knee, trying to wear him down.

11:28 p.m.: The second round ends. Penn landed a couple of good punches, but Florian is still standing and looking fresh.

11:30 p.m.: The third round begins and this is where Penn must prove he is still the man, since he tends to wear down late in fights.

11:32 p.m.: Florian keeps Penn pinned against the fence, and Penn tries punching his way out. The fighters separate and return to full standing.

11:33 p.m.: The fighters are dancing in the middle of the ring before Florian goes for the tackle and pins Penn to the fence. Penn lands a good knee and right hand and breaks free, temporarily tying Florian up before he gets away.

11:34 p.m.: Florian keeps up his same strategy pinning Penn against the fence before the champ throws a couple of good punches to get away.

11:35 p.m. The third round ends as Florian tries to land a roundhouse kick. Penn looks like he took the third round with the last 30 seconds of punches he landed.

11:36 p.m.: Round four, and could it be desperation time for Florian? Florian attacks and almost gets caught with a Penn punch. The continued pinning of Penn against the fence might wear Penn down.

11:37 p.m.: Penn takes down Florian to the floor with a jiu-jitsu move. He keeps up the pressure with several short elbows to Florian’s head.

11:38 p.m.: Penn goes for the pass, with Florian keeping himself alive by grabbing Penn’s ankle. Penn lands more short elbows to Florian’s cheek, wearing him down.

11:39 p.m.: Penn is now going for the choke after landing several punches. He is starting to get the upper hand. So much for the conditioning concerns.

11:40 p.m.: Penn gets his chokehold set up, and Florian is out as he taps out. B.J. Penn wins and keeps his title!

11:41 p.m.: UFC chairman Dana White wraps the title belt around Penn’s waist as ring announcer Bruce Buffer announces the win.

11:42 p.m.: “This is my dream!” Penn says.

That’s all from Iowa City (via Philadelphia on pay-per-view). Thanks for reading.