Author Archives: ellenchlumecky

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About ellenchlumecky

Currently a junior at Bowling Green State University pursuing a degree in Sport Management. Goal is to work for a public relations team in the NHL.

Chicago Bulls Lose Another Great: Jack Haley

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 20, 2015

The year of 2015 has been quite a sad time frame for the sports world and its fans. We have lost a numerous amount of beloved athletes, coaches, and businessmen this year. We lost Al Rosen, Minnie Minoso, Anthony Mason, Earl Lloyd, Jerome Kersey, Steve Montador, Jerry Tarkanian, and on March 16th, we lost former Chicago Bulls center Jack Haley. Jack Haley passed away at the age of 51. His family confirmed his death as one of a heart disease. He died on Monday at Los Alamitos Medical Center in Orange County.

Jack Haley played nine seasons in the NBA which included a special spot on the Chicago Bulls’ 1996 championship team. He played with the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, and Toni Kukoc. While he wasn’t obviously one of the most well-known players but he was treasured member of that team. Especially to former teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman who both sent out thoughtful tweets in memory of Haley. Pippen stated that he was a great guy who he had always stayed in touch with over the years. Rodman talked about how close he was to Haley’s family and kids and how he was truly like a brother to him.

While he played for the Bulls, he played for a myriad of other teams as well. He also played for the New Jersey Nets, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the San Antonio Spurs throughout his entire career. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds mostly as a reserve. He did sit out the whole 199-1993 season because of an injury. A graduate of UCLA, he helped the Bruins with the NIT championship in 1985. He was the 97th pick overall in 1987 after playing in Spain.

Even though his time was pretty short, the Chicago Bulls organization was saddened to hear of the passing of their former player. The Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson stated that, “Jack was always supportive and enthusiastic teammate and a valued member of the 1995-96 championship team that went 72-10. He always brought energy and enthusiasm to our organization and we send our condolences to Jack’s family.”

Haley’s death truly shows us the importance of his influence on the team. While he wasn’t the main scorer, the enforcer, or the stand out rookie; he was the kind of player who wanted the best for his teammates and the teams he played for, someone everyone needs on their team. Sometimes these people are thought of as an after thought but as we mourn his death today we celebrate his dedication and enthusiasm for basketball. We hope that players today can reach inside themselves and demonstrate his remarkable qualities as well.

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From BGSU to the NHL: Andrew Hammond

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 19, 2015

The Bowling Green State University hockey program is no stranger to exceptional alumni. We have the notable Dan Bylsma who is a former professional hockey player and the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two of their alumni, Rob Blake and Ken Morrow were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. George McPhee received the Hobey Baker Award when he was a hockey player here at Bowling Green. Gino Cavallini scored the winning overtime goal for the Falcons in the NCAA National Championship game. Most recently we gained an alumnus who is quickly making a name for himself on the Ottawa Senators. That rookie hockey player is Andrew Hammond.

Or one might know him as Hammy, Ham, Hammer, Hamsie, or the Hambone. More recently he might be referred to as “The Hamburglar” to his teammates and NHL and Ottawa Senators’ Twitter followers. You might know him as this because the National Post did a whole story on the development of his name and how he’s been having a breakout season as a rookie. Now like I said, the Bowling Green State University hockey program is no stranger to standout rookies and players who numerous accolades.

However, it’s especially exciting for someone who went to Bowling Green State University while he was playing, even if some of us only got to see him play when he was a senior. Besides the attention he’s been receiving on Twitter and his article in the National Post and one in Sports Illustrated, he’s having a great year for himself. Hammond’s current record in the goal right now is 9-0-1 including his win against the New York Islanders, only letting one goal in during the game. He is now only the third goaltender since 1928 to allow two or fewer goals in his first ten NHL starts, an incredible feat in and of itself.

Andrew Hammond has remained incredibly humble in all of his post-game interviews. His respectability not only on the ice but off the ice is another truly great feat for the Bowling Green State University hockey program. It makes me proud to go to a university that not only tries to raise tremendous athletes but athletes who go off and try to make respectable careers for themselves whether they continue to pursue their chosen sport or not. I wish Andrew Hammond luck in the rest of his hockey career and I know that he will continue to make his alma mater proud of his accomplishments.

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Patrick Kane’s Recovery Coming Along

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 16, 2015

I do not need to reiterate the struggle that Chicago sports have faced this year. The Bears have been going through a new structuring system with a new coach and new staffing decisions. The Bulls have been through some major injuries. Specifically the stars of the team, forcing other teammates to step up in a big way. The Blackhawks have been having a pretty good year. They were definitely headed for the playoffs. All seemed well for this one Chicago sports team.

Now, here’s where that Chicago curse hit home. Patrick Kane had a freak accident on the ice where a combination of a little shove and he seemed to trip on his skate and fall straight into the boards. While this may have seemed like any ordinary hit in hockey. Unfortunately, Patrick Kane ended up hitting the boards with his shoulder. Which resulted in him fracturing clavicle. I do not need to talk about how important one’s shoulder is to someone much less a hockey player.

Chicago Blackhawks fans cringed in horror when they realized that one of their star point scorers was going to be out for several weeks. Patrick Kane has been vital in the past two Stanley Cup championships and the past few playoff runs. The majority of the fans and Blackhawks’ analysts believe that his injury will be a negative impact on Chicago’s chances of winning another championship.

However, there is one person who is truly positive that his recovery from the fractured clavicle won’t count him out of the season completely. That person is number 88 himself. He’s hopeful because there is still some time left in the season. He truly is aiming to play in the playoffs, while he is not positive what his plans will be for playoffs. However, he personally is optimistic about the success of his team without him.

Kane underwent surgery on February 25th and was put on a twelve week time-table to return. He told ESPN he is still on that time-table as of this week. He has been going to rehabilitation training every day and actively working out his lower body. It seems as if he is doing every thing he can in his power to be back at 100%. You can tell that he hates being injured. He is one of those players that wants to be playing and wants to be trying to help his team in every way he can.

In recent years, Patrick Kane has endured criticisms and has made his fair share of mistakes. Most young hockey players are susceptible to this but he was under the spotlight because of his tremendous talent and rookie status. I believe this personal excerpt shows that he’s actively trying to change this unpopular opinion of him. He has matured as a player and wants to bring home another Stanley Cup for his team.

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Calling All Goalies: Florida Panthers Looking for Practice Goalie

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 10, 2015

On Thursday, March 5, the Florida Panthers announced that they will be holding open tryouts for any goalies or even fans to be hired as their practice goalie for one day. This whole experience is a contest proposed by the Panthers. The Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko is hopeful the contest expects a great turnout for such an amazing ultimate fan experience. Successful applicants will invited to a tryout on March 16th. Two finalists will then go head-to-head during an intermission of Florida’s game against Montreal on March 17th. The winner will then get a contract.

This is a dream come true for any aspiring goalie that never got the opportunity to make it to the big leagues or even a fan whose dream is to experience what it’s like to play in the NHL. So what inspired this somewhat unusual contest? If you weren’t watching the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs game, you might have some insight on what inspired the contest.

During the game, both Panthers’ goalies – Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya – suffered injuries. Not having another backup goalie, the goalie coach for the Panthers had to quickly suit up to serve as the backup. Robert Tallas last played against the New York Rangers in 2001.

In the first period, Luongo was injured by a shot from Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov. He stayed in a game till the end of the period. Then he was replaced by Al Montoya. Early on in the second, Montoya gets injured as well. This meant that the Panthers were without a healthy goalie.

It was believed that Derek MacKenzie and Scottie Upshall might dress as emergency goalies as they both went down the tunnel to the locker room while Montoya was struggling on the ice. Luongo was also seen in the tunnel in street clothes as they were trying to figure out who was going to be put in. However, the person who ended up suiting up was Tallas. Two years prior he was put in the same situation so it was not too unusual to ask of him.

At the end of the day, Montoya attempted to play through his injury until Luongo suited up again to finish the game. The team was trying to get Tallas cleared by the NHL to play in the game but during this process, they realized that Luongo would just have to finish off the game.

It’s unfortunate that a hectic and panic-inducing event had to occur for the Panthers, especially since they ended up losing 3-2 in spite of the situation. In the end, they got a great promotional deal out of the event. So I guess it’s about looking at the glass half full, right?

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Joakim Noah’s Dedication to the Bulls

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 10, 2015

Chicago sports’ teams seem to have a curse upon them. Whether they can’t catch a break with untalented players, a team that can’t get their acts together, or they’re plagued by injuries. The last time the Chicago Cubs won a World Series was in 1908. The Chicago White Sox haven’t won a World Series in 2005. While the Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup in 2013, they have the second longest Stanley Cup championship drought which lasted 47 seasons. While the Chicago Bulls had the Michael Jordan era, they are not without their slumps or faults.

The Chicago Bulls are remaining at a stand still. Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol are still under medical watch as they try to heal to make sure they’re at 100%. Just when it seemed like events couldn’t get any worse, the thought that Joakim Noah might be leaving soon to go play for France at the European Championship in September.

Thankfully for the Chicago Bulls, they will be able to hang on to Joakim Noah for a little bit longer. The Chicago Bulls center and fill in leader is unlikely to play for France in September for the European Championship. In addition to the teams’ serious of downfalls, Noah is also still recovering after his surgery on his left knee in the off-season. You could say that his season has been a little bit more than rough.

Noah told the L’Equipe newspaper that he was planning on focusing on his NBA career. He has made it clear the Noah’s first priority is building up his career with the Chicago Bulls. While he has stated before, “the French team is a great experience, but it has been my priority.” The France technical director Patrick Beesley also made it clear that if he decides not to play Euro Basket, he would be selected for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics either.

I think it’s quite noble of Noah to skip out on this opportunity to finish out his season with the Chicago Bulls. He clearly wants to show them what he can give and part of what he is clearly indicating that he can give, is his time. Noah is averaging 7.9 points and 10.1 rebounds this season. He comes in every day knowing that his team is down a couple of great players but the glimmer from his eye isn’t gone yet. He has stepped up this season and I look forward to seeing all he’s got to give.

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Another One Bites the Dust in Chicago

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 3, 2015

Earlier this week, All-Star Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls had meniscectomy to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. On Saturday morning, February 28th, Rose was back at the Chicago Bulls’ training facility beginning his rehab process. However, we all know that once things seem good, they usually take a turn for the worst.  While Derrick Rose is going through rehab, Jimmy Butler is now scheduled to have surgery on his left elbow and Taj Gibson is now wearing a walking boot.

Jimmy Butler left Sunday’s 96-86 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after hyper extending his left elbow. He left and did not return to the game. He’s now scheduled to have an MRI on Monday, March 2nd. Taj Gibson missed Sunday’s game after spraining his left ankle in Friday night’s win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gibson is now wearing a walking boot. It’s not unusual because he’s missed a substantial amount of time this season because of the same ankle injury.

In addition to the injuries, Pau Gasol is currently under the weather. While he did play through the illness on Sunday, he’s still not 100%. He was a trooper by playing through an illness otherwise. It just seems as if the Chicago Bulls cannot seem to catch a break this past week. Three injuries and an illness, someone on the Bulls must have ticked off the basketball gods to receive this kind of karma.

Many Bulls fans and basketball fans alike have made their doubt known about Derrick Rose. Many fans are quick to say that the season’s done and Rose should just retire at this point. It doesn’t help that in addition to Rose, some of their best players are out as well. It doesn’t make the future look all that bright for the Bulls. To think they had a great chance with Rose, Butler, Noah, Mirotic, Gasol, and Gibson, now slowly being taken away from them by these injuries.

Joakim Noah seems to remain disheartened but certainly hopeful though. After their loss, he stated, Nobody feels sorry for us, we just go to hope he’s all right and come ready to work.” When your top players are out, I would be equally as discouraged as Noah. The Bulls need to know who their main line of offense is with Gibson and Butler’s uncertainty.

I believe that Joakim Noah needs to assert his leadership even more than before. The other players really look up to him and he has the skills to back it up. He’s there best hope for a true leader right now to lead the team to a successful victory.

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Kevin Stallings Has Some Nerve Talking About Sportsmanship

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By Ellen Chlumecky

March 2, 2015

There have been some great coaches in the history of sports. Coaches like Mike Ditka, Herb Brooks, Pat Riley, Pat Summit, and Vince Lombardi, made history by being dedicated, courageous, and obviously very tough. I’m sure that one of them has given their share of screaming matches with their players; however they probably weren’t broadcasted on television. I don’t think Kevin Stallings will be making the top 10 coaches of all-time list in the near future. This incident might be the reason why:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12390679&ex_cid=sportscenterTW

As you can very clearly hear in the video, Stallings says to Wade Baldwin, “I’ll kill you.” The reasoning behind his screaming was because he heard that Baldwin was clapping in Tennessee players’ faces after the final buzzer sounded. After Stallings heard of this poor sportsmanship, Stallings confronted Baldwin during postgame handshakes and demanded that he apologize. Baldwin appeared to ignore the Vanderbilt coach. This resulted in Stallings’ outburst.

While Stallings apologized for his comments in a release by the university, does it really make it acceptable? While he did mention that it was his haste to resolve the situation the spurred the inappropriate reaction, it doesn’t exactly make it acceptable. While everyone has their flaws, a statement of that nature should never be uttered by a coach to one of their athletes or one of their students.

Stallings said that Baldwin has “got some things to learn, some growing up to do if he’s going to play in this program.” Isn’t that a little ironic? It seems as if Stallings might want to join Baldwin in that little “growing up” process he’s supposed to be participating in. While he’s apologized to the student, you never know what Baldwin is thinking either. While he tweeted that he wasn’t offended or took not offense, do we know for sure if he’s nervous or scared about what Stallings said to him?

At the end of the day, the coach is someone who is supposed to be a role model and someone the athletes are not supposed to be scared of to come to with problems or concerns. Most of the time, they’re their first line of contact whenever something is happening in their life. Would you feel safe reporting to a coach that has once threatened to harm you? It’s hard to understand why someone would feel so comfortable screaming such obscenities on the court in front of fans, families, other fellow athletes, and students. There is a fine line between being tough and being cruel. While I understand what Baldwin did was immature and selfish, hold in your anger till you can calm down and rationally talk to your players.

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Does the Crime Fit the Punishment?

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By Ellen Chlumecky

February 23, 2015

Star player for the Dallas Stars, Tyler Seguin was hit on February 13th. The results for the Tyler Seguin hit came out on Monday, February 16th. Dmitry Kulikov is suspended for four games and in accordance with that will forfeit more than $93,000 in salary. While on the other hand, Seguin has a lower-body injury and could miss up to three to six weeks. Seems fair, right? It does not exactly add up in my mind, but maybe that’s just a personal opinion.

While I know it’s completely unrealistic to award Kulikov a three to six-week suspension, it also doesn’t seem fair taking into the account the brutality of the hit. A knee injury is a very detrimental to a hockey player’s game. Their knees help them skate fast, use the force from them to hit other players, and are needed for the general premise of practicing and improving themselves on the ice. They’re pretty important if that wasn’t already obvious.

The Miami Herald seemed to describe the incident as an “accident.” They stated the “Kulikov appeared to mis-time his hip check and took out Seguin at the knees with his upper body. They did point out that Seguin did not see Kulikov coming. I just find it difficult to believe that you can make that kind of hit on someone without an intention of hurting them seriously.

Patrick Burke, an NHL player-safety director, said, “It’s illegal to throw a body check below the knees. Kulikov delivered a dangerous hit that is excessively low leaving the opposing player no way to defend or brace for the contact.” I completely agree with him. A hockey player cannot brace themselves when a player comes at their knees especially when they don’t see the player coming. Which is why I’m personally surprised that there wasn’t a bigger penalty given to Kulikov when he could’ve very well done permanent damage to Seguin.

I am not the biggest fan of Tyler Seguin. I am not oblivious either, though. He is a talented and tough hockey player. The Dallas Stars losing him for three to six weeks is a huge detriment to their game. Yes, they have Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, Antoine Roussel, John Lingberg, Erik Cole, but at the end of the day Tyler Seguin helps pull that dynamic together. While Jamie Benn will probably try to take the lead while Seguin is out, it’s going to be a huge setback for the Dallas Stars.

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Super “Star” Fallen: Tyler Seguin

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By Ellen Chlumecky

February 16, 2015

I have said it once and I will say it again, hockey players don’t understand how to hit people without permanently injuring other players. There is a difference between a clean hit and a cheap shot. Hockey players start to practice hitting other players as soon as they are out of squirts and pee wees. Hitting is a part of the game, there is no way to get rid of hitting in the game of hockey. There also seems to be no way of convincing bull-headed players to stop making these kinds of moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V46mXRsmkA

This cheap shot placed Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars on injured reserve on Friday night. On Saturday the 14th, Coach Lindy Ruff stated that Seguin had a knee injury and could miss two to four weeks. The Stars officially announced on Sunday, February 15th that Seguin has a lower-body injury and now could miss up to three to six weeks.

Seguin was hit by Dmitry Kulikov of the Florida Panthers and had to be helped off the ice. As you can see in the video, Kulikov went low and hit Seguin on his right knee right after he made a pass. Kulikov was ejected from the game. While it’s not official, it looks like Kulikov will be suspended indefinitely pending the hearing but could be suspended for more than five games.

Coach Ruff and players were irate with the whole situation. Teammate Vernon Fiddler described the play as “gutless.” Coach Ruff said it’s a play that “I don’t like” and, “It’s a dirty low play that the league doesn’t like, and I want to see the league deal with it.” I completely agree.

I don’t know how many times a player has to get injured the way Seguin currently is before players get it through their heads that they can’t keep making hits like this. Hitting is one of the entertainment factors for many fans of hockey. I would never say to remove hitting from the game. I would enjoy seeing players hitting people smarter than they currently are hitting fellow players.

The NHL Department of Player Safety needs to review these tapes further in-depth, consider the injury and the length of the time the injured player with be out. Then they need to assess the injury accordingly. Clipping is a type of hitting that could permanently end a player’s career. It is not something they should take lightly. Players need to be smarter about hitting or abstain from it if they can’t learn the correct way to do it.

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Chicago Stripped of Little League U.S. Championship

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By Ellen Chlumecky

February 12, 2015

My hope in sports always drops a little when a team is suspended or stripped of a title because of the actions of a coach. Especially when the players might not have any idea of the wrong doing. This may or may not have been the case for the Jackie Robinson West team.

The Little League Baseball organization has stripped the U.S. championship title from Jackie Robinson West. They also suspended their coach and team manager for violating a rule that prohibited the use of players who live outside the geographic area that the team represents. The team must vacate wins from the 2014 Little League Baseball International Tournament. In addition, Illinois District 4 administrator has been removed from his position.

The Little League Baseball organization found out that the team used a falsified boundary map. The team officials met with neighboring Little League districts in Illinois to claim players to make the perfect team and obviously they succeeded.

The Little League International president/CEO Stephen D. Keener stated that it was only fair to make this decision. He made it clear that the league had to maintain the integrity of the program. While he felt he made the right decision at the end of the day, he stated that he did feel sympathy for the players on the team. He reiterated multiple times that it was a “heartbreaking decision,” considering the circumstances of the situation surrounding the team.

The Jackie Robinson West team were true underdogs and they worked their butts off to achieve this high honor. They showed true athleticism and great sportsmanship off the field. While I understand that an organization is not sound unless they follow the rules, it truly upsets me that they had to take the title away from these innocent kids.

Being from Chicago, if you saw the hype that this team brought to the city, you would defend these hardworking kids to no end. They worked hard just to have their title stripped from them for a decision that they had no control over. Keener even said that as far as he knew the players had no knowledge of what was going on.

So the bottom line question is: do the kids deserve the title or do you think this is just a part of life they need to learn about? My opinion is they deserve the title, no questions asked. They showed the world that they had what it takes to win the title. It’s not fair that their coach wrongfully cheated and they’re being punished for it. I understand that organizations need to follow rules, but to what extent in that it’s affecting young players.

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