I have no Blackhawks jersey, but I really like Chicago's Champions. From Rock Wirtz to the hoary old man Brad Richards ( a year younger than Marion Hossa) the Blackhawks Tribe is comprised of nice people. Like Duncan Keith and his pal Cammy.
John McDonough, the architect of this sports dynasty and General Manager, visited Leo High School earlier in the school year. Leo High School students tend to be Arfican American young gents and not given to wearing Hawks Jerseys. It seems that African Americans are not huge hockey fans, but the do seem to like basketball, or so really smart people like Spike Lee and Rachel Maddow would lead us to believe.
I am a bit of cynic.
John McDonough was impressed by the insightful and sharp questions the Leo student body posed to him at the assembly more than few months back. In fact two Leo juniors pressed, Mr. McDonough after the students were dismissed.
Mr. McDonough invited both young men and their families to join him in his Blackhawks Skybox for one of the games in the early part of the season.
He did not need to do that.
That is what constitutes a good guy. Doing something thoughtful and nice for people who do make any impact on one's life, whatsoever, just because one can do that. It did not cost John McDonough anything. Not nickle one.
Now two Leo seniors are loud and proud Blackhawks fans, who closely follow the Hawks and the game of hockey.
That is how Championships are made;not by loud, obnoxious, in-your-your-face mega-millionaire mesomorphs, but by good guys who never forget that they share the same oxygen as everyone else.
