Hats off to Bears’ Gould, Blackhawks’ Sharp

December 28, 2013 @ admin → No Comments

Weekend wondering: The Chicago Bears — who play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Soldier Field to determine the winner of the NFC North and which team goes to the postseason and which team goes home — made news Friday with the announcement they had signed kicker Robbie Gould to a four-year contract extension. Because an announcement like that couldn’t wait till next week. Really?

The Blackhawks Ice Crew caps off an evening that featured Patrick Sharp’s hat trick.

* So much for the Bears having declared they were disinclined to signing players to contract extensions during the season. Unless management believes the season already is over. Well, the signing does provide something other than the Bears-Packers game for fans to focus on. At least for a little while. Something says thinking about next season may have greater appeal than facing the Packers with Aaron Rodgers back at quarterback.

* Speaking of distractions that happened Friday for Bears fans/media/etc., receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Matt Forte were selected to Pro Bowl. Meaning everyone can be outraged about the omission of Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery. Oh, the humanity! Or not. Something says an NFC receiver will drop out of the contest and Jeffery will be added to the roster. OK?

Did someone say hat chick? Oh, hat trick. Well, in that case, never mind this photograph of model Bar Refaeli for Passionata Lingerie.

* Of course, what would have been an even greater injustice in terms of Pro Bowl Bears would have been to have someone named to the NFC defense. Occasionally a bad defense will have a player or two who has played incredibly well. Well, that’s not exactly the case with the Bears. Although Bears fans are hoping a season of poor performance somehow will evaporate and a decent defense will show up Sunday against the Packers.

* Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrated his birthday by posting a hat trick (scoring three goals) in a 7-2 victory against the visiting Colorado Avalanche. Which means some fans at the United Center threw down hats/caps onto the ice in celebration. Which means the Ice Crew — the lovely ladies who help clean up the ice — had to pick up all the objects that landed on to the ice. Which means they subsequently posed for a photo — probably photos — wearing a few of the caps. In case you were wondering why there is a picture of the Ice Crew in a variety of caps accompanying today’s effort. Not that there needs to be a reason to run a photo of any or all Ice Crew members, of course.

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