Vonn to Guest on "Law and Order"

Looks like Lindsay Vonn has turned her Vancouver success into a golden opportunity in Hollywood. She is set to appear in the season finale of “Law and Order” which will air in May.

Blackhawks' Best Plan of Attack? Just Win

It seems everyone is picking on the Blackhawks this week, or at least playing like they have a huge target on their backs. Not only did Jay Leno have fun at their expense in his opening monologue Tuesday night, but twice in the past week, opponents have knocked out Hawks players with brutal hits.

Defenseman Brian Campbell suffered a broken collarbone Sunday after the Caps’ superstar Alex Ovechkin shoved him into the boards. Campbell will be out the rest of the season, and Ovechkin got a game misconduct and two-game suspension.

Wednesday night in Anaheim, the Ducks’ James Wisniewski charged into Brent Seabrook, who fell to the ice apparently unconscious. Seabrook left the game and hasn’t played since. Wisniewski served a two-minute charging penalty and an eight-game suspension for hitting Seabrook, who didn’t have possession of the puck at the time.

Now the players are vowing to fight back, but within the rules, so they say. While it’s important for the Hawks to remain tough and stand tall in the face of these aggressive hits, it’s not necessary to form a goon squad. Hockey is a tough enough sport without having to resort to overly aggressive retaliation tactics that serve no purpose other than to detract the team from its ultimate goal -- winning the Stanley Cup. Besides, they’d only be stooping to the same low levels as Wisniewski and Ovechkin.

As last night's 3-0 shutout of the L.A. Kings proves, the best revenge is to simply win. Hit opponents where it hurts most – on the scoreboard. Make a statement if you have to, but don’t sink to the opponents’ level of stupidity and nonsense.

Ironically, the hits on Seabrook and Campbell may be the very thing the Hawks need to snap out of the post-Olympic doldrums. Since the Olympics, the Hawks are 4-4-1, and they have not played well as a team during that time. Nothing brings a team together more quickly and more tightly than adversity, and these incidents may serve as a reminder to play with the same level of intensity and purpose as they have since the season started and do the things that got them this far – puck possession and strong defense. If they focus on playing their best hockey, the goaltending issues may resolve themselves, and players like Wisniewski and Ovechkin may finally get off their backs.

Blackhawks Appear on Leno

The Blackhawks continue to be in the national spotlight. Last night, during their West Coast road trip, they made a “cameo” appearance on Jay Leno, and Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook showed off their hardware from the Olympics.

Wonder what would happen if the Hawks actually won something, like the Stanley Cup?

NCAA Tournament Expansion OK, But Not to 96

As the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament gets set to begin tomorrow, there is still a lot of discussion about expanding the tournament field to 96 teams. While I like the current set up of 65 teams, I can see the potential for expansion. But to 96 teams? I don’t think so.

For one, with 96 teams, the tournament would stretch out f-o-r-e-v-e-r. There’s only so much college basketball a person can watch. An expanded field of 96 teams could also dilute the level of competition because the field would include too many teams that are not the same caliber as the top-level teams with better records.

But what about expanding the tournament to 72 teams? I’m talking about only seven additional teams over the current 65-team field. In the 72-team field, I envision each bracket with 18 teams. The bottom four seeds in each bracket would face off to determine who advances. The higher-seeded winner would face the number two seed while the lower-seeded winner would face the number one seed. Tournament play would begin on Tuesday night (sorry NIT), thus giving the sport added national exposure.

Giving the top teams in each bracket a bye in the first round is nothing new to college basketball. Some of the larger conferences, including the Big 10, Big 12 and the ACC, already do this in their conference tournaments. This should be an easy adjustment to make for the NCAA.

The expanded tournament also might increase the number of at-large bids, thus increasing the chances for mid-majors to be included in the field. It might also eliminate the debate about which bubble teams make it in to the tournament. While some argue that the weak bubble field this year (there were only three) makes the case for keeping the tournament set up just as it is, in most years, there are anywhere from four to eight bubble teams. With an expanded field, those four to eight bubble teams won’t be left behind.

No post-season playoff scenario is ever perfect. The current NCAA tournament is as close as we’ll ever get. But the tournament’s growing popularity and the rising competitiveness of the mid-major teams may force the NCAA’s hand. Expansion may be inevitable, whether we like it or not.

Blackhawks Bask in National Spotlight

Nice piece in USA Today from last week about the resurgence of the Chicago Blackhawks. Apparently, the popularity of this team has reached far beyond Chicago’s city limits.

If people didn’t notice this team during their surprising playoff run last season, they are bound to notice them this year. No longer playing in obscurity, the Hawks are now among the NHL's best teams. They are the hottest ticket in Chi-town these days, and they are featured on NBC’s game of the week two weeks in a row (last Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings and this coming Sunday against the Washington Capitals). And while they carry the city’s hopes for a Stanley Cup on their young shoulders, they seem undaunted by the task ahead of them. I think that bodes well for the collective psyche of this team heading into the final few weeks of the season.

Now if they can only get their defense and goaltending back on track…..

Are Hawks’ Goaltending, Defensive Miscues Cause for Concern?

I’m noticing a disturbing trend with the Blackhawks lately. With 17 games remaining in the regular season, goaltending – once considered one of the team’s strong points – is now a growing concern. Christophal Huet has allowed too many easy shots, including four in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings that put the game away. Backup Antii Niemi hasn’t fared m much better. One wonders if the Hawks missed an opportunity to trade for another goalie at the trading deadline last Thursday.

The lack of movement by the Hawks tells me one of two things: either they were unable to make a deal at the trade deadline, or they are satisfied with the talent they have.

The players will be the first to tell you that they aren’t doing their part to support the goalies. Defensive lapses, especially in their own end, and sloppy puck handling have given their opponents more scoring opportunities than would seem fit. That accounts for the numerous breakaways the goalies have had to face over the past few games. It may be that teams are making adjustments to the Hawks style of play. If so, then the Hawks must counter and step up their own game. Let's all hope that this is simply a rough patch in their season rather than a harbinger of things to come.

Don’t Believe the Rumors; Sox’ Beckham Staying Put

Spring training has barely started, and already rumors are swirling that the White Sox may be working on a deal to send Gordon Beckham to San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez, according to MLB.com.

Don’t believe a word of it. Gordon Beckham isn’t going anywhere. He’s too valuable to the Sox both now and in the future. And as we all know, you don’t mortgage the future for a short-term solution, even if the deal involves a talented player like Gonzalez.

The Sox are in a bit of a transition. As older players depart, the Sox will need to rebuild the team around younger players like Beckham. He will be the glue that keeps this team together for years to come, just as the Sox built this team around Paul Konerko earlier this decade.

As much as I would love to see Adrian Gonzalez play for the South Siders, GM Kenny Williams will have to find a way to make this deal without Beckham in the mix.