Diary of a Chicago Sports Fan

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Playoffs loom for Hawks and Bulls, Migrating Seahawks, and Yadi, Yadi, Yadi

While Chicago's baseball teams have gotten most of the attention from Chicago sports fans recently, we'll take a quick look at the Blackhawks and Bulls. Playoff time is looming for both of those teams.

The Hawks loss to the Anaheim Ducks 4-0 Thursday night. The Hawks were missing Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjarlmarson, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews and Artem Anisimov so the result wasn't surprising. I suspect you'll see most, if not all of those guys back in action in the Hawks regular season finale against the Kings in LA on Saturday.

But who's counting?

As a Chicago sports fan, I've seen the Blackhawks, Cubs, Bulls and White Sox combine for 13 championships. I think the Hawks have a chance to make it 14. As they finish up the regular season, I'd like to see them play a crisp, injury free game in LA and go on from there.

The Blackhawks have a wealth of talent and depth, but that's no guarantee in the playoffs. Besides the sheer randomness and attrition of playoff hockey, one other thing concerns me about the Blackhawks. Their penalty killing has stunk all year.

The main ingredient?

The Bulls defeated the 76ers 102-90 Thursday night to strengthen their playoff chances. Jimmy Butler turned in a triple double with a line of 19-10-10. Nikola Mirotic was the Bulls leading scorer with 22 points Nikola went 6-8 from behind the arc. I've tried to find a reason for the Bulls inconsistent play and have nothing really solid. I have noticed when Mirotic hits 6 three pointers, they seem to win. That's doesn't seem like a sound recipe for sustained success.

Richard can check receivers, but not his tongue

The Seattle Seahawks and Richard Sherman are reportedly looking to part ways. Sherman has been increasingly vocal in criticizing coaches on the sideline. When I was a kid I remember seeing toys advertised with the following, “batteries sold separately”. If Sherman and his mouth could be sold separately, the asking price for Sherman would be considerably higher.

Point, counterpoint

Former Seahawk, Marshawn Lynch, is making it obvious he wants to play for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. If the Raiders are able to get Lynch, they really are raiders. Richard Sherman and Marshawn are an odd couple. One won't shut up and the other one won't talk. Anybody else think Russell Wilson's goal line interception in the 2015 Super Bowl played a role in the Sherman and Lynch situations?

Then maybe the pitcher is using a foreign substance

And finally, many of you have probably seen the play in the Cubs-Cardinals game where a third strike got stuck on Yadier Molina's chest protector. Yadi insists he didn't put a foreign substance on said protector. He must have a lot of personal magnetism.

More next time.