20 cents? Really?

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane was arrested on charges of felony robbery by the Buffalo police early Sunday morning. The former NHL rookie of the year and cousin James Kane got into an altercation with their cab driver and apparently physically assaulted the man taking back their money after paying him. ...

According to one of the police reports the Kanes' cab fare was $13.80 and when the driver did not have 20 cents for their change the cousins punched him in the face and took back their money. The Kanes were arrested and a torn five dollar bill was found on James Kane. The driver,  Michael DeGeorge, suffered injuries to his face and head and his glasses were broken.

This past Wednesday Patrick Kane spoke at a celebration of new funding to restore his local ice rink. His hometown mayor, Byron W. Brown called the NHL star a hometown hero. The 20-year-old and his Blackhawks team mates were the talk of Chicago this past season when they made a surprise run to the Western Conference finals where they fell to the Detroit Red Wings. Kane signed a three year contract in 2007 paying him $3.725 million a year (bonuses included) when the Blackhawks drafted him #1 overall. Apparently, Kane also needed the additional twenty cents the cabbie owed him. Kane has pleaded not guilty, but initial reports do not look good for the coverboy of the upcoming EA Sports' NHL 10.  The golden boy of Chicago and South Buffalo will certainly now have to face questions about his character and possible punishment from the NHL.

Has this changed your opinion of the Hawks' goal scorer? Comment below!

Sorry Dwight.

So yeah...nobody told us that part of the deal with having a website was that you have to know, write on it regularly. Admittedly, we've been about as productive as a GM plant the past few days. But in a nutsehell, here's what you missed:

The Lakers now lead 3-1 in the NBA finals after their second OT win in four games.

You gotta feel for the Magic. Homeboys can't finish. Both overtime losses shouldn't even have made it to OT as they blew leads late in both games AND choked in the waning seconds of regulation when they had opportunities to regain the lead and put the game away - twice. Kobe still complains too much and Howard can't hit a free throw to save his life. But how about D. Fisher?!?! OMAGOD!!!! Dude could be the next big shot Bob. His late in regulation 3 poiner, followed by a clutch 3 in overtime did more than anything else to twist the knife in Orlando's back. As much as I hate to admit it, I'll be very surprised if this series makes its way back to the City of the Angels. The Magic are simply outgunned.

Playmakers at 'Bama are in a whole heap of trouble for getting free textbooks.

My personal feelings about Nick Saban and the integrity of any program he's a part of aside - we're missing the point here. These guys weren't getting free clothes, or cars or hookers or blow - they were given free text books. You know - to learn? Like you do in college. Can't we just chalk this one up to "perks of being a student-athlete" and be happy they even wanted text books. I didn't play college sports. Learning was the whole reason I was there - and there were semesters where I didn't have a single text book. Also - let's cut the shit and call this what it is. These guys make millions of dollars for the school every year. We can pay their tuition, but not for their text books? They can take a free x-box from a bowl committee, but not from a booster? They can get free shoes from Nike, but not from an agent? Let's lighten up on the hypocrisy and stop forcing these kids to live in a "take this, not that" environment. Do you remember college? You were 19, poor as hell and far from home. You would have taken just about anything for free.

Getting off the Soapbox...

Game of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight at 8 on NBC for the 5 of you who care.

I'm predicting a close game, possibly an overtime or two, but barring a Marc-Andre Fleury miracle, Detroit's experience and depth will win out.

Apparently Ronaldo is playing for Madrid now.

I have no idea what any of this means, but Sean said it was important. I guess Real Madrid is going around being the Red Sox to ManU's Yankees - flexing their checkbook in an effort to be top dog - Ahhhh Capitalism.

Chicago baseball teams are disappointing.

I'm not sure what's acceptable down on 35th St. but here on the North Side, .500 ball isn't OK. The Cubbies trail The Brew Crew by 2.5 games while the ChiSox are a whopping 5.5 back of the Tigers.

Let's see, what else?

Meth in Nascar...no big shock there. Rednecks + Speed = Meth. Right?

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4245969

Vick cut by Falcons...Canada is in for a treat.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4253231

Manny says the wrong thing...Again.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4249022

Mickelson to play in next two PGA events before family vacation and begininning of wife's treatment. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Mickelson family.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4248964

We'll keep writing. You keep reading. Ready? Break!

-Wild Bill

*yawn*

So I was all set to write a great piece on the Stanley Cup Playoffs - told Sean and Will I would, sat down to write it - twice. I love hockey. Always have. Grew up playing hockey, loving the Hawks, liking the Rangers and fucking hating the Wings. I've been watching the playoffs, I follow hockey more than most, which is to say I've watched it - ever. But for some reason, each time I sat down at my little mac book, Red Bull by my side, cigarette in hand, earbuds in - ready to write - nothing! Not a damn thing. Not a single moving or inspirational thought regarding Lord Stanley's cup. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not exactly a man of few words - give me a topic, I'll riff on it, bitch about it, add my own 8 bucks (for those scoring at home, that's like 2 cents times 400). John Lennon said, "I'm an artist. You give me a tuba, I'll get somethin' out of it." That's sort of how I am about sharing my opinion (of course everyone loves John's music and nobody really gives a shit what I have to say, but that doesn't stop me from tellin' them.) But I sit down to write about hockey and boom - nothing! ...

Is this because I'm a shitty writer? Of course not! It's because the geniuses running the NHL have sucked all the fun out of hockey. Gary Bettman has taken hockey's fun deep into the woods and shot it dead. I've never heard of a league being so mismanaged (USFL) or so unappreciative of its fans (XFL). The sport went through a damaging lockout a few years back that almost drove one of the oldest and most storied leagues in the country right out of existence. And what does Bettman do? Does he promote the shit out of his league? Does he curb the over expansion that caused the problems in the first place? Does he crawl back to ESPN, the players and the fans hat in hand? Nope. He throws his league on deep cable (people forget that when the NHL first moved to VS. it was still the Outdoor Life Network) and scrawls "Thank You Fans" behind the net for one season. Your welcome Gary. All is forgiven. Ticket prices so high Richard Branson had to mortgage his house to get into the lower deck? Hockey in the desert? In the Carolinas? A Cup winner from fucking Florida? Bill Wertz? Sure. We forgive you. Glad hockey's back. Fuck off!!

It took baseball, America's pastime nearly 5 years to recover from its strike - and that process was greatly aided by the summer of '98 (McGuire/Sosa, record breaking Yankees) - but Bettman just thought we'd come back, no questions asked. He thought we'd search our digital cable on screen guides to figure out what the hell channel VS. was on, thought we'd conform to his bullshit scheduling to make room for Conan. For Conan?!? I love Conan, but it's the Goddamn Stanley Cup Finals Gary, sac up here.

There's some great young talent in this league no one's ever heard of. There's old timers still banging around the league that the sport's target audience grew up idolizing. The league is poised for a renaissance and Bettman won't let it happen. Gary should take a lesson from Rocky Wertz. You want your fan base back? Don't tell us. Show us. Improve your product! Put your games on somewhere I can find them! Make me feel like you need me, not the other way around. You want proof I don't need the NHL? There should be analysis here, but there isn't. I should be highlighting great story lines within the series, but I'm not. Until you make the fans feel appreciated, give us a reason to care, make us believe you care if we care - you get nothing! You lose! Good day sir!

There's a damn good chance this embarrassment of a season will end tonight as the Sovie - I mean Redwings hoist their second Cup in as many years. And when it does, Mr. Bettman, I suggest you think long and hard about what you owe your fans and where you want your league to go. Once you realize that you're nothing without us, do something to win us back. Until you do, you'll hear nothing from me.

And as always...DE - TROIT SUCKS!

-Wild Bill

Saturday

4:05 PM Sox Vs. Indians (FOX)
7:10 PM Cubs Vs. Reds (WGN)
7:30 PM NASCAR Nationwide Series at Nashville pres. by Pennzoil (ESPN 2)
8:00 PM Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Redwings Vs. Penguins (NBC)
11:00 PM Beer League (Comedy Central)

Sunday

1:10 PM Cubs Vs. Reds (WGN)
2:00 PM NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono (TNT)
2:05 PM Sox Vs. Indians (CSN)
8:00 PM NBA Finals Game 2 Lakers Vs. Magic (ABC)
-Wild Bill