BLACKHAWKS AND CUBS: DUELING CHANNELS

Tommie Lee
Oct 8, 2015
3 min read

Wednesday night had to be amusing.

No, I didn’t misspell “amazing.” With the Cubs needing to win a Wild Card match up with Pittsburgh, arguably the hottest team in baseball right now, you would expect all eyes to be cast on the updates coming out of the Steel City.

There was that little matter of raising the banner at the United Center for the 2015 Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks, too. The team received a red carpet treatment as they made their way into the building to open the season against the New York Rangers team that they very nearly played for The Cup.

All over the United Center during the game, television sets are tuned to the Cubs game. Score updates are given to the cheering fans as Jake Arrieta throws his heart out all over the Pirates in the early innings. During the first intermission the game is put up on the big scoreboard over the ice.

At the first intermission of the Blackhawks opener, the Rangers were up 3-1 after yet another late-period goal given up by Chicago. And the Cubs were up 3-0 after a three-up-three-down performance from Arrieta.

Twitter is fascinating at this point of convergence. After a single period of play, many fans are acting like the season is already over because the Hawks are making the same mistakes they made last year (which worked out pretty well, as I recall, in the end.) And after only 3 innings of the first postseason game the Cubs are clearly on their way to the World Series, according to many of the same fans.

Back To The Future II was RIGHT!

Tick tick tick…

At the United Center, Artemi Panarin scores his first Blackhawks goal on a pass from Patrick Kane. During the first intermission, it seems as if the four goals scored and other game highlights are given a smattering of seconds in favor of a lengthy discussion of Patrick Kane’s woes.

Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, stud pitcher Jake Arrieta is hit by a pitch. Twitter begins moaning, calling for blood, making billy goat noises, and generally freaking out.

In South Bend, Indiana, the home of the Cubs’ Single-A affiliate has the Big Boy Cubs on the big screen, and the Blackhawks on the smaller ones.

Back to PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Bucs first baseman Sean Rodriguez vents his frustrations by beating the crap out of a water cooler. The water cooler sustains some impressive damage and is listed as day-to-day. While throwing his punches at it, Rodriguez looks like the frontman of a really weak heavy metal band. His hair is flying, his face twisted in intense focus and rage.

Meanwhile, at the United Center…the Blackhawks step onto the home ice for the third period trailing 3-2. Teuvo Teravainen had already added a goal on an assist from Demigod Marian Hossa.

Tempers flare in Pittsburgh as Cubs and Pirates begin exchanging loud words and doing a little pushing and shoving in the seventh after Arrieta was plunked.

Blackhawks fans in Chicago begin hoping for two quick goals to avoid an overtime in the season opener. Teuvo is turned away by Henrik Lundqvist on a great chance to score.

Tick tick tick…

Arrieta has 10 Ks before he even reaches 100 pitches. As he gets his 11th, he has just broken 100. Before anyone manages to take a breath, the Cubs are heading out to the field in the bottom of the 9th to defend their shutout lead.

The Rangers are chewing up the clock, still up 3-2 at the United Center. Towes scores with less than a minute to go, but it’s called back. The season begins with an expensive quick whistle and the referee hatred machine fires up already at the United Center. It shifts into a higher gear when Kane experiences the same thing.

Arrieta dots the Is and crosses the Ts on a gem of a performance, and the Cubs get ready for St. Louis. Of course it’s St. Louis. How could it not be St. Louis? The Cubs stud pitcher lives up to hype with double-digit strikouts, 9 full innings pitched, and no walks. He’s a monster.

The Blackhawks begin the season with a loss in what was a really great game against the Rangers, even if the result was disappointing. Referee hatred spills over on Twitter, as do calls for Arrieta to learn how to skate and shoot.

Chicago sports. They’re never boring.

Hockey is back.

Go Hawks!

– T