STBFI (Soon To Be Fired Index)

 After today's Bears game, I thought it might be prudent to provide this content sooner rather than later. Anytime one of the 5 Major Chicago sports teams hires a new (non-interim)  head coach or manager I do a process in my head.  In this process, I rank the 5 coaches/ managers including the most recently hire one from 1 to 5 based on which one I feel will lose their job next,   I call this the Soon to be Fired Index or STBFI for short.  When The White Sox hired Will Venable to be their manager on Halloween this year I started putting together the next iteration of the index.  It proved difficult after Mister Obvious at one, but I did my best. 

1. Matt Eberflus Chicago Bears - six straight losses says it all.  I don't think he's going to make it to the Team Holiday party.

2. Luke Richardson Chicago Blackhawks—Richardson has fluctuated between 2nd and 5th on the list in my head since Venable's hiring. My understanding is that the front office is fine with him finishing his contract. However, I don't think anyone in the organization is thrilled that expansion Utah is 3 points ahead of the underperforming Blackhawks as of this writing.

3. Billy Donovan Chicago Bulls - Many feel that Donovan's days are numbered as the Bulls head coach but their current winning percentage of .400  is 5-7 games ahead of full-season win projections.  If the Bulls' almost total lack of defense continues that percentage will go down and cries for Donovan's dismissal will continue at an increasing rate.

4. Will Venable  Chicago White Sox - Generally, the last person hired is usually the last person on this list.  That is good conventional wisdom.  I have reason to hope that given time Venable may be able to help the White Sox navigate past the historically bad season they just experienced.  It seems to me that White Sox management will give him a long leash especially if the team shows any signs of continual (even if it's slow) improvement.  However, if Venable looks like Pedro Grifol reincarnated the aforementioned leash could get mighty short mighty quick. 

5. Craig Counsell Chicago Cubs - 83-79 was not good enough for the Cubs in 2023 so David Ross was fired and Counsell was pilfered from Milwaukee.  In 2024 m the first season with Counsell at the helm, the Cubs achieved the very same 83-79.  Not good enough? Yes.  Bad enough to get Counsell on the hot seat? No, I don't think so.  Counsell should be around for a while. 

The next time one of these 5 men is fired, retires or stops leading their team for any reason, I will post a quick update as to where on the STBFI the former skipper was situated.  I won't post the next STBFI until a full-time replacement is hired.  

B is for Billy

Cubs Home run hitters from Aramis to Zimmerman

B is for Billy

Billy  Leo Williams (HOF)

Cubs, A's

Billy Williams made his d ebut with the Chicago Cubs on August 6, 1959 at the age of 21.  He was Rookie of the  year in 1961  and  a six time all star.  He played for the Cubs through the 1974 season He hit 392 of his 426  homers for the Cubs which is 3rd  all time.    He was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1986.

For More A to Z Blogging click here.  

Playoff Beard Day 7

Crazy Uncle Dave "Pretend" voics of the Black Hawks dispenses his Hawks Nuggets

Hawks Nugget1 :  On this day in 1972 Bobby Hull scored his 604th goal as a blackhawk

Hawks Nugget 2 :  Thanks to NHL tie breaking procedures the Hawks only need 1 point to stay out of the 1st wild card spot now held by the Nashville Predators.  The only way the Preds can overtake the Hawks for the 3rd spot in the central is if they win their remaining 3 games in regulation and the Hawks drop their last 4 in regulation.  The Hawks cannot overtake Dallas  (the best they could do is lose the tie breaker) for 1st in the Central but can still catch St. Louis for 2nd in the Central.

A is for Aramis

Cubs Home run hitters from Aramis to Zimmerman

It is time once again for the A to Z challenge.  Last year, I went from A to Z with White Sox Home run hitters.  This year, I turn my attention to my 2nd favorite ball club, The Chicago Cubs.

Everyday in April with the exception of Sundays, I will be featuring a different Cubs player.  
All homerun info is through the 2015 season.

A is for Aramis

Aramis Ramirez

Cubs, Pirates, Brewers

Aramis Ramirez came to the Cubs from the Pirates during the 2003 season and played for the Cubs through the 2011 season.  Ramirez has hit 239 of his so far 386 homers for the Cubs.  This is 6th all time for the Cubs.  

For More A to Z Blogging click here. 

Playoff Beard Day 6 

For those of you stopping in from a to z blogging you may not know that I am posting daily pics of my playoff  beard as well as a staus on the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks beat  the WInnipeg Jets 5-4 in OT this evening.  The Hawks have 4 games remaining.  The St.  Louis Blues remain their probable 1st round playoff match up.

playoff beard day 4

The Blackhawks are 0-1 since clinching the playoffs Sunday night.  They have 5 games remaining in the regular season.

Playoff beard day 3

Hawks give no reason to smile losing to wild 4-1
going 0-5 in season series

With 5 games left to play Hawks are only 4 points ahead of Predators for 3rd spot in Central.

Playoff beard day 2

3/28/2016

The Chicago Blackhawks clinched the playoffs yesterday, so this is officially the 2nd day of my playoff beard.  The Blackhawks would play the St. Louis Blues if the playoffs began today.

At this point I plan to shave my beard when 1 of the following 2 events transpire

A) The Black Hawks win 16 2016 playoff games and win their 4th Stanley Cup in 7 years.

OR

B) They lose 4 playoff games in the same playoff series.

So the end of my playoff beard posts will contain a countdown like this,

Beard goes in 16 Wins or 4 more losses to (team they are currently playing).

So if the Hawks do end up playing the Blues and end up taking the Blues to a game 7. 

The countdown the day before the game would read

Beard goes in 13 more playoff wins or 1 more loss to the Blues.

If the Blackhawks beat the Blues in game 7 the countdown would read

Beard goes in 12 more playoff wins or 4 more losses to Next opponent

I am sure I over explained the crud out of that.  But you probably get it.  

Playoff beard day 1

The Chicago Blackhawks qualified for the NHL playoffs this evening with a win over Vancouver.  This means that thus starts my playoff beard.  I shaved this morning prior to going to church for Easter Sunday.

I do not plan until shaving again until the Hawks are finished in the playoffs.  That means until they lose a playoff series or win 16 playoff games and repeat as NHL champs whichever

 comes first until then I'm on the road to beard city.

The Blackhawks beat the Canucks 3-2 to bring their record to 44-25-7.  This gave them 95 points so far for the season.  The Colorado Avalanche, who are currently the 9th place team in the Westertn Conference do not have enough points to overtake the Hawks even if they (the Avalanche) were to win their remains 7 games.  This means that the Blackhawks will compete in the playoffs.

The Hawks still have 6 regular season games remaining before the playoffs begin.  If the playoffs began today they would play the St. Louis Blues in the opening round.  They are 2-2 against the Blues this season with 1 regular season matchup against them in April remaining on the schedule.