Free Republic

Greg from Lemont is a Chicago Blackhawks fan who was honored with a chance to play "Shoot The Puck," an intermission hockey shot contest at United Center. He didn't fare well. His consolation prize? An interview with lovely Comcast SportsNet Chicago reporter Sarah Kustok. Greg decided to take full advantage of this opportunity to do what others had only dreamed of doing: Telling Sarah Kustok "I love you" at center ice of a Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild game on Thursday night. Here's our hero in action: For the video impaired, the Casanova of Chicago hockey was being congratulated by Kustok,...

Retired hockey enforcer Bob Probert, as adept with his fists as with a stick in a 16-season career with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, died Monday after suffering chest pains while boating with his family. He was 45. "Bob lost the fight of his life this afternoon," said Probert's father-in-law, Dan Parkinson, a police officer who performed CPR before Probert was rushed to Ontario's Windsor Regional Medical Center. Probert was on a boat in Lake St. Clair with his wife, children and in-laws when he "developed severe chest pains" Monday, family friend Rich Rogow told a Monday evening...

Fireworks erupted as Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews hoisted the Stanley Cup before a crush of flag-waving, fist-pumping fans pegged by the city at 2 million..... The city's Mayor's Office of Special Events and the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications estimated the crowd at the rally and along the parade at around 2 million. "I didn't know there were this many people in Chicago," Toews told the crowd.....

Go to link...

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced plans to manufacture Black Hawk helicopters in India and is eyeing defense deals worth $8 billion-$12 billion. A unit of United Technologies, the U.S. helicopter maker said it was in talks with a string of Indian companies to build Black Hawks. "We will bring the Black Hawk here with the option to improve the horse power ...," Sikorsky Vice President Steve Estill said, adding that the additional power was being introduced to operate the helicopter between 14,000 and 15,000 feet. "We will bring the concept here, we will team for the development program with local industry,...

For anyone who's a hockey fan esp. of the Blackhawks or Red Wings there are some excellent pictures up at bleedcubbieblue.com of the construction. Looks like they have a lot done already. And is it just me or does Wrigley look spooky? And I found these by accident. I need another Cubs site like I need a hole in my head. But this looks like a good one.

I'm blacked out (so how can I be typing ? ..[just thought I'd put that in before someone else did])Is anyone watching?There's no live thread.

Within two weeks, four choppers go down in Iraq. Shot down. By ene mies who previously couldn't hit the Goodyear Blimp. Attack helicopters and transport birds, military and contractor aircraft went down. Crews KIA (in one case, executed). Did the bad guys just get lucky? No. They have new weapons. And new training. And a new strategy. First, the strategy: In Iraq, helicopters serve as our taxis, moving personnel quickly and - until now - safely above the carnage on the ground. Attack helicopters provide quick-response fire support to the grunts, giving us a huge advantage. Limit our freedom to...

CHICAGO (CNS) -- The puns are obvious: "Who IS that masked man?" "'Stick' with me, kid." And, of course, "Hey, fella, you're on thin ice." But in this case, the "fella" would be Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki -- all dressed up in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform and ready to take to the ice at the United Center.Neither is it all for show. Bishop Paprocki, 53, has been involved with hockey for a long time -- as a fan and a player. He was profiled in the December issue of USA Hockey magazine, where he was pictured in his...

CAMP STANLEY, South Korea — Fifty-one years of Army aviation history ended here Friday with the last flight of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment Black Hawk helicopters leaving for a new home at K-16 in Seoul. Shortly before the flight of five helicopters, commander Lt. Col. Bob Quackenbush sat near the flight line clutching a notebook containing the 1954 photograph of the base showing a vintage H-21 helicopter in front of a barren hillside. The first U.S. Army helicopters moved to the base that year and aviation units had been there ever since, he said. Camp Stanley will maintain a...

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 1:44 a.m. ET KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) -- A protective windshield coating that improves visibility for NASCAR drivers is getting a new application on the windshields of U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters flying combat missions over Iraq. The clear plastic film, which race teams have been using for several years to keep flying debris from ruining drivers' view, was pioneered by Pro-Tint Inc., a 14-person company based in a small building in the heart of racing country. Pro-Tint pioneered tear-away windshield film for racing teams in the late 1990s. The multilayer product is now used by...

Ex-Hawk dies in car accident Former Blackhawks defenseman and coach Keith Magnuson was killed in an auto accident Monday in suburban Toronto, the team said. He was 56. Magnuson played for the Hawks from 1969 to 1980 and coached them for 1-1/2 seasons. He was riding with former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Rob Ramage, Hawks spokesman Jim DeMaria said. ''We're still investigating, but it looks like one car crossed over the center median,'' York Region Constable Steve Morrell told the Canadian Press. Magnuson was a member of the Hawks' 75th anniversary all-star team, selected in 2001. He coached the Hawks...

Ex-Blackhawk Magnuson killed Ex-Leaf captain Ramage hurt in three-car crash VAUGHAN, Ont. (CP) -- Former Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Keith Magnuson was killed in a three-car accident near Toronto on Monday, the NHL team announced. Ex-Toronto Maple Leafs captain Rob Ramage was also injured in the accident. Police had been waiting to notify next of kin before confirming the identity of either player but the Blackhawks put the news of his death on their website. Magnuson and Ramage were reportedly on their way back to Toronto from nearby Bolton, Ont., where they attended the funeral of former NHL player Keith McCreary,...

I just got an email from Jeff! He wanted me to copy part of it and send it to everyone. Here it is... "Me and my crew were on the PM "Eyes over Mosul" mission, we picked out infantry guys up at about 5:45pm, took off around 10 minutes till 6pm. I checked in with the infantry over the radio, told them that I had the Quick Reaction Infantry Soldiers on board and that we would be working the west side of the river over the city. I asked for a situation report, and they told me that not too...