Chief of the Forty Eight turns Four-Oh

Happy birthday, Chad!!  Our favorite crew chief has hit the ol' milestone - the Big Four-Oh, everybody! Not bad, 5 championships before you hit 40. I hope the post-40 years treat him just as well! Sounds like it's going well so far, if the prank he pulled on Rutledge Wood on Trackside today is any indicator (Carl Edwards knows a guy in Decatur...har har...I miss that ad). Rutledge thought he was going to get Chad at his motorhome like he gets everybody else, but just as "you can't BS a BS-er" (my dad's favorite saying), you can't prank a prankster. The look on Rutledge's face when Chad comes out of the motorhome is priceless! I'll try to find the video, but I don't want to spoil for anybody who recorded it right now, so I'm gonna leave you hanging about what happened, sorry.

It just writes itself...

Well, not quite, but with Jimmie on Twitter, I don't even have to do the work anymore. In fact, I'm just gonna post a link because I don't want to steal Jimmie's picture (suuuure, that's the reason...not because I'm lazy or anything!).

Chad Knaus IS...Goldmember!

I love that this has 1,933 views, but only one person has commented on it (and it was NOT me!). There's not much you can really say to that, is there? ...Well, actually, I can think of one thing: if Chad is Goldmember, does that make Jimmie Beyonce? >:D

Edit: We have a development in the plot, everybody!

"Parties over, Chad found Chad"

("Parties" being JJ's spelling, not mine.)

You gotta know when to hold 'em

Just when you think I'm a goner, here I am, back for more! I can't say I'll consistently update again, but every once in a while I feel the need to pop off about something or other, so I probably won't be able to let this completely die out.

Anyway...all year long, I haven't been able to believe what I've been hearing.  To put it simply, I guess there's been a lot of speculation that Jimmie and Chad's relationship is on the rocks (wow...and they wonder why NASCAR appeals to women...you can't get this kind of bromance drama in chick flicks, let me tell you). One article I read wondered if they might split at the end of the year if things don't go swimmingly.


Can I just say that I'm glad Rick Hendrick is smarter than the media?  I don't care if they do end up having an awful year (which I don't think they will); you don't just dismantle a team for having a bad year when they've won the championship 5 TIMES BEFORE THAT. IN A ROW. For example: while some of Junior Nation might not agree with me, I think Mr. Hendrick has handled the 88 team's situation quite gracefully. He's had patience and waited to see how the team would mesh, and when he hasn't got the results he wanted, he's made a change. The key word here is PATIENCE. You can't make a long-term decision based on a short period of time. You need a good sampling of races in order to see a pattern. The 48 has quite a pattern. Are you going to mess with that based on one (possibly) less than stellar season? Or are you going to look at the 5 other years and make a decision based on that? That's what I thought.

That said, I know they've been snippier than usual this year, but honestly, I'd be a little weirded out if they weren't. There's no way you can be that close to anyone, no matter what kind of relationship it is, and not get sick of each other at some point. I have three friends who I've known since 3rd grade, and trust me, there have been multiple times where we all didn't want to see each other's faces for a while. What do you do then? You take a break, you re-focus, you re-group. You have some milk and cookies, if need be. It's happened before.  And you know what? That makes me even more confident that they can work it out...this ain't their first rodeo, and they know how to deal with that kind of stress. These guys are nothing if not professional, and I don't think a bit of high school-style smack talk is going to break them.

In another fear-mongering move, the media has also been throwing this ominous prediction around: "This can't last forever." You're right. It can't. As much as I'd like them to just keep reeling in those Cups until they retire, I know it's more likely that they won't (but, of course, who would've guessed they'd win 4 more in 2006?). If the time does come when a change seems necessary (and I repeat, that is not now), I trust Mr. Hendrick to make the right move. There's no point thinking about "what ifs." You just go on the information you have and hope for the best. I hope the near future gives Mr. Hendrick all kinds of information that persuades him to keep them together until one or both retire, but like I said, I don't think that's a decision anybody, especially the media, needs to think about at any point during this season.

Drive for Five is DONE!!

Well, NASCAR fans, you wanted excitement - you got it! The 48 team will win it any way you want it. Repeat, you say? Easy. Never-been-done-before threepeat? Oh, we're just getting warmed up. You want it old-school? Sure, we can pull out another Cup under the old championship format. More down-to-the-wire action? Oh. Hell. Yeah.

I could do the usual thing of recapping what a great yet stressful year it's been and how exciting the Chase was, but what I really want to do, on this the day of the 48's fifth championship, is to gloat. Specifically, I would like to extend my index finger (INDEX finger...I'm not that mean...or related to Kyle Busch) and jump up and down in a non-orderly fashion yelling, "WHERE'S YOUR DRIVE FOR FIVE NOW?!?!" all in the general direction of one Jeff Gordon. So if you'll excuse me.

...Ahhh, much better. Yessir, if there was one thing that REALLY kept me on the edge of my seat all year and had me hoping to gosh that Jimmie would win the championship, it was incentive of beating Jeff Gordon to the Drive for Five and rubbing the fact that we did it all in a row right in his face. I've never been a Gordon fan, but I really caught the bug earlier in the year when Jimmie and Jeff were having a bit of a back-and-forth, and ever since then it's been my deepest, darkest hope that Jimmie would give him the ultimate touché at the end of the year. Well, mission accomplished.  Thank you, boys. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.

Girly moment: did you see Chad on the stage after the race holding Jimmie's daughter? Was that cute or what?! I have to admit I was watching that more than the Cup proceedings at that moment. I'm so glad Genevieve got to be there for one of Jimmie's wins, too!

Now that we're on a warmer and fuzzier track, thanks for another fun year of racing, guys. I honestly don't know what I used to do before this (and hockey). Congratulations on the championship, and thanks especially for winning at Las Vegas this spring while I was there to see it. Just know that I'll remember these years just as long as you boys do, and I've enjoyed the heck out of being a part of history. Here's to five more years (at least) just like these!

Hit the Road, Jack(man)

:cue creepy horror music...wait, is that redundant?:  I know I haven't updated in eons, but you KNOW I couldn't just sit here and zip my lip about the pit crew change.

Predictably, I'm going to defend Chad's decision. Yes, I think he did the right thing. The crew hasn't been up to snuff all year, and they've had plenty of chances to pick it up, but they haven't. I think that's the main reason I support this: it wasn't just an off-day for them; it was the final straw in a whole hay bale of screw-ups that broke the camel's back.

I also like that they're making changes now instead of waiting until the season's over just so they wouldn't hurt anybody's feelings. If improvement is not an option at this point, and you've got a championship on the line, you need to do what you have to do to ensure a win. It's not like they're taking a risk - the 24 crew has (obviously) been working together all year and have proven themselves to be fast. Now, if Chad had decided to just switch a few of the 48 crew guys out for some new ones at this point in the season, you bet I'd be questioning the heck out of that move, but here you've got a whole crew of guys who are used to working together on a daily basis. No prob. Does it look desperate? Maybe a little. But hey, if they've got a weakness, and it's this late in the season, I'd rather they try something drastic to fix it than just sit back and watch the championship slip away.

Now, as for this "win and lose as a group" stuff... I think there are two qualities that set Hendrick apart from the rest: their relaxed, positive attitude and the frank, business-like environment at the shop and the track. I am a firm believer in the power of working in a positive atmosphere; nobody benefits from added stress. If I had the choice between working at Penske or Hendrick, I know which one I'd choose, and it wouldn't be just because HMS has won more Cups recently.

Moreover, I think what enables them to maintain a relaxed, team-player atmosphere is that second quality, professionalism. Hendrick's goal is to win, and if a team member isn't contributing to that goal, they can expect to be replaced. It's nothing personal; it's just how things have to be in order to get the job done, and everybody knows that. This is all to say that if you're going to win and lose as a team, first you have to be a team. If you're not able to go the extra mile and pick yourself up when you know you haven't been doing your absolute best, there's just no room for you on the team. If you're doing your best, then yes, you win and lose as a team, but if there are improvements to be made and you can't come through with them, then you're not really functioning as a team to start with, in my opinion.

Do I feel bad for the 48 guys? Yeah. That's gotta suck to know you and your entire crew just got replaced by someone else's, and it must especially sting for the members of the crew who have been there long enough to have 4 Cup trophies sitting on their mantles and who know they're giving 100%, but they've also got to know that it was the right thing to do at the time to ensure Jimmie a good finish and possibly a championship.

I love the smell of Jello in the morning

Well, whaddya think, boys and girls? Twofer at Bristol? I know we haven't been the hot ticket in town lately, and our Fearless* Points Leader posted another big dub yesterday in Hockeytown -- oops, Michigan, I mean (wrong blog...gah, is it October yet?) -- but Bristol is anybody's race, and the 48 team has already given Jobu the big bird (and I don't mean a live chicken) and done it themselves once already this year, so what's to stop us from repeating? (And yes, I did watch Major League on VS tonight...funny you should ask.) We're already the Mack Daddies of Repeats (With Capital Letters), so I think everybody knows to never say never to this team. Plus, we've got that new Hendrick engine package, and while it wasn't what 3/4 of HMS's drivers were looking for last week, Stewart seem to have his horsies galloping westward-ho, so maybe he'll give his old pals down the street a tip or two.

Anyway, here in Jimmie Johnsonland, we also like to play a sport they call football, and our team is the Chargers (who knew, right? Not half of San Diego, that's for sure...not to be negative or anything). Bolts fans, as they're often called, have a little saying they like to trot out every now and then, a quote taken from that paragon of 20th century culture, Metallica, and that saying is: "Ride the lightning," bitches. That's right, my homeboy Jimmie will be riding the lightning at Thunder Valley this weekend, so better get out of the storm if you don't wanna get wet!

*because he ain't smart enough to be skeered

12th at Michigan

The 48 finished 12th today...whew, I didn't jinx them! SPEED seems to think that's not good enough for the team, but hey, I'll take it, and apparently so will Jimmie. Not bad for a track that's been such a pest for them in past, I'd say. That's just one of them thangs, I guess...they've won a zillion times at Fontana, but they just don't seem to be able to roll sevens at Michigan even though the two tracks are so similar.

The 48 is now 5th in points...I guess I shouldn't necessarily say "now" since I'm not sure what spot they were in before this race, so they might have been in 5th before. I'd check, but for some reason I can't get to the standings page at NASCAR.com right now.

Random thought for the day: I hate saying "the 48" all the time. I'm trying to emphasize the fact that this is a team thing and not just about Jimmie, although I think I appreciate Jimmie's driving contributions way more than some people who seem to think it's all Chad and the car just drives itself, but saying "the 48 car" makes it sound like the car really IS driving itself. Maybe I'll start saying Jaus or Knohnson finished in X position, but that kinda leaves out the pit crew, and saying JoKnauMalIvesBarGutPurcLingSimWesBrowTeagBoydMilMichPlemClar all the time would be slightly impractical (and some would say silly, but that's not really a concern here since this whole blog is nothing but silly). Whatever, I'll just stick with 48.

Jimmah starting 2nd @ MI

JJ is starting 2nd next to Kasey Kahne for Sunday's race at Michigan (weren't we just there? answer: yeah). Niiiice! That's what I like about being a 48 fan...you get a few "challenging" races here and there to make it even sweeter when they start winning again (and to make me laugh when the press inevitably starts in with the "OMG is JJ losing his touch aaaahhhhh apocalypse!!!" stuff).

Of course, I suppose this will be one of the more challenging races now that I've gloated all over the place, but really, as long as Chad's calculator has a fresh battery, and Jimmie doesn't floor it the whole time, and they FINISH the race, I'd consider it a pretty successful day at Michigan. Yeah, you're never going to live that one down, sorry, guys. I'm not that creative a writer, so I WILL exercise my right to bring it up whenever I have a lack of material. Like right now.

Also, speaking of writing, I'm also not that smart a writer and would like to take back most of what I said until the new schedule comes out. I am completely confused about when everything's going to be, so I will make more informed comments (such as, "OH HOLY GOD why is THAT race THERE?!" etc.) once everything is set in stone. Sorry.

Schedule Changes

Thought I'd put in my 2 cents about next year's schedule changes since part of it affects me.

While I'm really bummed that Fontana is losing a date, I understand. The track doesn't sell out, and Southern California isn't known for being the biggest NASCAR market around. However, I really hate that we're losing the Chase race. I know, I know, Chicago has the second-largest media market in the series, so we can't compete, but here's why it sucks:

• October was the perfect time of year for a race at Fontana. Not too hot, not too cold. I can't tell you how perfect the weather was last year.
• The spring races at Fontana and Las Vegas are too close together. If anyone else is like me, they would like to go to both, but they have to pick one or the other because it's too much money to spend all at once. I understand they're probably going to move Fontana a little later and make Phoenix the second race (which I'll get to in a minute), but if it's any earlier than April, it's not going to work. May would be perfect, or June. Don't even THINK about putting it back in August though - that'd be one way to be absolutely certain nobody shows up. I refuse to sizzle like a miserable piece of bacon on a hot skillet.
• I'm just mad at Chicago, okay? They won the Stanley Cup this year, somebody with an Illinois license plate cut me off today, and now this. It's a good thing Chad is from Illinois; otherwise I'd be REALLY grouchy. :thinks happy Chad thoughts: Okay, I feel better now. :)

One thing I do like, though, is that they're moving Phoenix into Fontana's former slot as the second race of the season. There's still too much of a chance of rain in Fontana in February, if you ask me, and Phoenix is already too darn hot in April, so this is a perfect switch. I just hope that they actually do SWITCH the dates instead of jumbling things around so that Fontana comes earlier than April; otherwise, like I said, it's too close to Las Vegas. I mean, I suppose everybody in Arizona is going to be bummed that Phoenix is so close to Vegas now, but Southern California has a much bigger pool of people who might want to go to a second NASCAR race, so I think we win that battle. I wish they could be spread out so all of us could go to all three races around here, but seeing as how Florida and the Southwest are the only places that aren't under piles of snow in February, a couple of them have to be back-to-back out of necessity.

Also, I think it'd be super awesome if Las Vegas was the last race of the year...it would segue so nicely into Champion's Week! It's so not going to happen, especially since Ford pours a whole bunch of money into the Homestead race, but just for the record, I think it's a great idea! I'm sure everybody in Florida would disagree, and I know if it was here and they took it away, I'd be heartbroken, so I won't whine about this too much. Just sayin', I sure wouldn't mind if the season ender was in Vegas.

...And a word on Pocono

Just really, really glad Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch are okay. Elliott scared the absolute insides out of me. I never really understood the overwhelming importance of the HANS device until today...if a car hits something with enough force to yank the engine out of the car, ugh, I don't even want to think about what that's doing to your body. Yeah, let's not go there... Hugs for everybody!

I was hoping Tony would win since he got the pole and needs a win and all, but for once I'm okay with a Roush driver winning because I want Jack Roush to feel better as soon as possible, and if that doesn't make him feel good, I don't know what will. I'm so glad he's basically okay, too. What a week.

A load of BS by any other name will smell just as bad

Can I just say how completely torqued off I am that Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman got fined for "talking smack" about NASCAR?

Now, I understand that there is a need to straighten up and fly right when it comes to your sponsors; they're paying you to represent their company. But when a GOVERNING BODY, which is supposed to be for the benefit of the sport, suppresses freedom of speech, all that says to me is Soviet Russia.

NASCAR apparently thinks that drivers sharing their honest opinions about the governing body is detrimental to the sport. To me, this is denigrating and condescending to the fans. Do they think we're so stupid that we don't realize when a screw-up has occurred, and that if they shut up the drivers and the press, we'll just suddenly get amnesia about said screw-up and think everything is hunky dory? How very insulting to our intelligence.

Also, I'm not sure what they're afraid of if the drivers DO say something negative about NASCAR. If so-and-so says, "NASCAR sucks and here's why!" on national TV, do they think we're going to say, "Yeah, he's right, I'm going to stop watching NASCAR from this moment on"? Uh hur hur, maybe if we didn't pass 3rd grade. However, if we did, we're probably going to say, you know what, he's right, there's a problem, now let's see how we can fix it. And we'll all call up Chocolate or Moody or whoever on XM (hehe, I listen to that channel wayyy too much) or write in our blogs or even send some mail off to Brian France c/o NASCAR with all of our ideas on how to fix the screw-up. We like NASCAR, capisce? We appreciate drivers' honesty on what's wrong with it because they're our voice and because we, the drivers and the fans, all want to see it improve! Call a spade a spade, for frack's sake, and let's move on!

My other big beef is the complete inconsistency and unfairness with which NASCAR handled this particular situation with Ryan and Denny. I specifically remember Carl Edwards, after one of his episodes at Dega (probably the Brad run-in), saying something like, they'll keep going along until somebody gets hurt and then they'll finally change something. Now why didn't he get fined for making comments detrimental to the sport in that case? And I'm SURE Tony Stewart has mouthed off before, and sometimes he gets in trouble, and sometimes he doesn't. I don't like that at all. I always thought NASCAR did a little better than most other sports about having fair and consistent rules, and then stuff like this comes out of nowhere and makes them look like the damn NHL (you know I love hockey, but Gary Bettman can shove it). Some people are already sure NASCAR plays favorites with drivers, and picking on two drivers out of all of them to fine does not help their image whatsoever.

In a nutshell, this inconsistency in rule enforcement, coupled with the total bass-ackwardsness of trying to control their image by suppressing the drivers' thoughts, is doing WAY more damage to the sport than Ryan Newman saying, "Hey, these restrictor plate races have some problems" EVER could.

Chad on Race Hub Tonight!!

The one and only Chad Knaus will be on SPEED's NASCAR Race Hub tonight at 7 pm ET.

Will write more later...was out of town.

Why JJ hasn't picked a name yet

Wondering why JJ and Chandra haven't come to a decision on what to name their baby daughter? Well, I think I might know what happened: seeing as JJ implicitly trusts Chad in all things, he certainly must have asked his 4-time champ crew chief for some suggestions on what to name her, knowing that, much like his creative solutions at work, he'd come up with something besides the usual choices like Ashley or Emily (I like those names myself, but you smell what I'm cooking...I mean, hell, my name's Jessica - doesn't get much more common than that in the '80s). What he didn't count on was how much Chad's passion for his work would influence his suggestions...

Chad's list of baby names:

- Micheline
- Valvolina
- Chevelle
- Mercedes
- Pennzoilita
- Daytona
- Charlotte

So, after JJ read the list, one of two things must've happened: either he realized that the names weren't exactly what he was looking for, or else he thought they were great but Chandra nixed them. Either way, at that point they must have reached a bit of an impasse when it became clear that Chad, despite his uncanny prowess at the track, was not going to help them in this field. Hence, they still need a few days to think about it! Sounds logical, right?

You know, in all seriousness, after writing that list, I actually think it would be kind of cool if they named her Charlotte. I think it's a good, normal-sounding name by itself, and it also happens to be a track that Jimmie's really good at, so it would have extra significance without scarring the kid for life (unlike Daytona, for example). But Pennzoilita's my real favorite, though, lol.

New Hampshire Photos

I only gave it a quick look, but I didn't see any Daytona pics, so I guess I'll get up-to-date on last week's pics, at least. And sorry for the lack of race recap this week...I was in the middle of writing it on Monday when I got on Twitter and found out that former Red Wing and general hockey legend Bob Probert had passed away, and I didn't really feel like writing anymore after that. It wasn't really shaping up to be anything exciting, anyway. It's a lot harder to think of flowery language when your guy gets wrecked with 12 laps to go...but it's a lot easier to think of colorful language, on the other hand. Anyway, the pics:

Ya know, I can't say that's my favorite pic of either one of them. JJ looks like he's entered into an oddball sunglasses contest versus Kyle Busch, and my dear Chadly has Graham Chapman-meets-hat-hair. Nothing personal, boys, you're still studs, but I just couldn't let this one go. The first pic, for instance, is much more indicative of your inherent charm. Even if you do look slightly tense there, heh. And, of course, Johnson still needs to lose the shades, but bonus points for the pose. Okay, catty fangirl will try to get some sleep now...you know it's late when you bring up a thesaurus and then type the word "thesaurus" into it, ha.

Congrats, JJ!

Congratulations to Jimmie and Chandra, who welcomed their daughter into the world today! July 7th...I like that date. They say 7's a lucky number, and it's 7/7, so there you go! I hope all three of them have a wonderful first day at home!

2 in a Row!!!

Wait, where am I?  Which race is this?  Suddenly I'm getting a funny feeling...like...like deja vu!  Oh, of course!  It's because the 48 team won last weekend AND this weekend!  So not only is it deja vu because they won last weekend, but it's deja vu for the last time the 48 won back-to-back races at Fontana and Las Vegas (which I was there for).  I could get used to this!  On the other hand, this one will always stick out in my mind because it's always a good day when my two favorite drivers pass Kurt Busch for 1st and 2nd place.

Got a little hairy at the end there between Kurt and Jimmie...Kurt tried to put the nudge & budge over on Jimmie after the restart, but in the end, Jimmie gave him the ol' Dale Earnhardt "pardon me...#$%hole" move and took the win.  As much as I rag on Kurt Busch, that was some damn nice racing from both of them.  Nobody got too into it and ruined the other's day; each pushed it just enough to give himself an advantage.  Loved it.

Hey, speaking of smooth moves, can I give a shout-out to Kyle Busch for looking like he meant to do a complete 360 degree turn and then getting back in the gas after Burton got into him?  My God that guy can drive!  Please somebody give him a decent car again next week...I love watching him get up on the wheel.

Michigan Photos

Actually, the title is misleading because I could only find one whole picture from Michigan, argh. It's a pretty cute one, though, at least...I love Pensive!Chad. Especially with the arm on the car...you can tell each and every car has a special place in his heart. ;)

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway, June 13, 2010

(Can I just say that this race and the Hershey's Milk and Milkshakes one at Dover have the most awesome sponsors? I've never tried either one, but I love the names.)

Well, as a consolation prize, here are a few pics of my favorite Michigander/Swede (hehe, you were afraid I was going to say Brad Keselowski for a second before I added "Swede," am I right?), Nicklas Lidstrom, who is the captain of my favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings. Nick had the honor of driving the pace car last weekend at the Michigan race, which is where the NASCAR connection comes in, in case you were wondering where I was going with this. I love it when my two favorite sports come together!

Nick with Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions

Driving the pace car

Love that smile...SO glad he re-signed for one more year!! A total class act.

WIN AT INFINEON!!!

Jimmie, Chad, and the 48 team just won their first road course race ever today, namely the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. Congratulations, guys! You can officially cross "Road Course Win" off your To Do list. Something tells me they won't be completely content unless they go for the double and get one at Watkins Glen, too, knowing how their minds work, hehe.

Well, I feel bad for Marcos Ambrose...I guess he knew the rule, so at least he wasn't caught completely unawares and didn't have it come as a nasty surprise, but it's kind of a bummer. I mean, I don't feel TOO bad since it played right into Jimmie's hands, but still, I think he deserved better than sixth. Oh well, that's racin'!

I just realized I haven't given a standings update all year, so now would be a good time to start: with their win today, the 48 moves up 4 spots into the No. 2 position in points. Harvick better be on the lookout! :Jaws music plays: We are getting closer and closer to Jimmeh Season with every race, after all.

Oh - Michigan pics are coming right up in a few minutes! Better late than never, eh?

6th at Michigan

Well, I'd say that was quite an improvement over last year's finish at Michigan! Not quite as exciting, but I much prefer the calm version, thank you very much. Didn't get to see the whole race...I kinda slept in after a, um, late night on Saturday, so I missed a lot. Therefore, I'm going to shut up and spare you all the usual hot air and just get the pics done NOW instead of putting it off, which I think will make everybody (if anybody still reads this) happy.

...Or not, since my favorite picture places haven't updated yet. Ok, pics are coming in the next couple of days, then; I promise.

Random B.S.

"...But wait," you say, "Shouldn't that be the title of every post here?" And the answer is yes. But that would be confusing. So.

• JJ wins the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway, and all without Chad there to tie his shoes for him. Good job, dude!
• JJ is on baby watch and has Aric Almirola lined up as an alternate driver for the next 5 races in case he needs to leave for the delivery. Chad says there's no way he'll let Jimmie miss the delivery: "You will be there. I don't care what it costs, what it takes, if we don't get points." (ESPN) Aww, see? Crew chiefs really do have feelings!
• This has almost nothing to do with NASCAR, but congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals! I have no idea if Chad is a hockey fan, but he is from Illinois, after all, so I thought I'd congratulate him on his home team winning, just in case. And he'd better appreciate it because this is the last time this Red Wings fan will ever say something nice about the Hawks. While we're at it, congrats to Jonathan Toews for getting the Conn Smythe trophy (that's the MVP award for you non-hockey peeps) because he's one of my favorite non-Wings players.