What is transpiring in front of us is hard for many to comprehend. As someone who is a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I could not fathom this run to be as incredible as it was, but it has now suddenly seemingly come to a screeching halt. Sad part is, I am ready for it.

Back in 2007, my fandom was waning. It did not seem like the franchise was serious about winning. Though, however, my interest in hockey was beginning to become apathetic until my hometown team, the Washington Capitals, reignited it. That being said, I saw myself following the Capitals more than the Blackhawks during this time. Then the 2009 playoffs happened. I knew the Blackhawks were young and talented, but I never expected them to be as good as they showed in that playoff run where they went as far as the Western Conference Finals facing off against their nemesis the Detroit Red Wings (though they lost). That was the beginning of something great and bigger than I think even the franchise had anticipated.

The next season, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup ending their 49 year Cup drought. The next two seasons ended in the first round, but in 2013, arguably the best squad in the run, the team set NHL records during the regular season and went on an incredible run to win their second Stanley Cup in the past four years. They made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 (losing on a fluky overtime goal against the Los Angeles Kings), but then came back in 2015 to win the Stanley Cup for the third time thus nabbing the honor of being a dynasty. The Blackhawks lost a tough seven game series in 2016 to the St. Louis Blues, but where I thought the end was coming to a close was in last year’s playoffs where they got swept by the Nashville Predators. It didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like the team had the same energy or chemistry anymore. While they were awesome to watch in the regular season, it just felt like the end was nigh. Then came this season. When the team got off to a strong start by defeating the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins 10-1, there was a sense of optimism for this season.

Where we stand now, the Blackhawks will not make the playoffs. While there is still a chance for them get in, there was a recent statistic where it said they are 10 points out of the last playoff spot with 27 games to go (now 26). Essentially, it’s virtually impossible for them to make it. It also hurts that they are in arguably in the strongest division in the sport. It has been a struggle to watch them this season. What hurts them the most is their goalie Corey Crawford being injured as he is one of the best in the league. But they are also both inexperienced and getting old in their core. Is this the end of the dynasty? I think it is and it was quite a ride. If you look upon what the Blackhawks had accomplished, it was remarkable.

It took until 2010 for me to understand the importance of winning in sports as every year I wanted to see them win and would finally understood what it meant for how gut wrenching it was to see them lose. Yes, it is worse for teams that are not used to winning or have disappointed every year as watching the Capitals choke year in and year out is just unbearable, but not seeing the ‘Hawks win sucks as well. It’s different as winning championships becomes contagious and it makes you want to win more and more.

However, with how much the squad has been this year, this shouldn’t be a cause to be sad, it should be a cause of celebration as they have accomplished so much more than imagined. Instead of just being contenders, they actually won multiple Stanley Cups and it never got old. While I think they have some young talent that could help lead this team back to the playoffs like Alex DeBrincat, this dynasty is over.

So the same day a whole bunch of us post our endorsement’s for USSF President, a developing story that may shake everything about the election. Six candidates held a meeting about combining forces after a report came out saying the favorite Kathy Carter and Carlos Cordeiro are the two front runners and it was likely to be two candidate race at this point. Paul Caliguri, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, Hope Solo, Mike Winograd, and Eric Wynalda. All six of them want reform and combining forces would do that. This was their drafted statement:

“We, the undersigned share similar visions for change. We believe a vote for any one of us is a vote for real change. If you believe in change, real change, please vote for a real change candidate. On this we are united, and stand together for the good of the game.”

There were sources according to an ESPN article that Wynalda had a hard time in agreeing to it, but ultimately decided to join forces. And Caliguri announced that he actually had not joined forces, but there is a report that refutes that claim. If they were to garner more than 50 percent of the votes in the election, the “Gang of Six” become the winners, but they must receive more than 50 percent and that is the key if they want the reform that is needed. And the USSF is in desperate need for reform and it seems like this is their only hope. Is that even allowed to happen? I don’t know, but I feel like they cannot do something like that.

So, lets hypothetically say they win the election. While, for me personally, reform is great as these six candidates all have good ideas, how will all the logistics work? Who would be the main “president”? How will they come to a compromise of what of their ideas they will implement? Theres a lot more other questions, but it’s complicated. And honestly, I don’t know how they will hash things out if they win. Will it work? I believe it could if they could work out everything, but I am not optimistic that they will. They want what’s best for the program, but they might complicate things more than it should be.

*The link to the report from ESPN.

With Sunil Gulati choosing not to run for re-election, US Soccer is in need of new leadership. The US Soccer Federation (USSF) will convene tomorrow to hold an election and choose a new president, who will hopefully lift the US out of the malaise it finds itself in. During the last two years, both the Men’s and Women’s teams have underperformed (though the women’s underperformance is more flukish than the men’s). This culminated in a shocking loss to Trinidad and Tobago that will keep the US Men from competing in the World Cup this summer. The most pressing question for any endorsement is what USSF should prioritize, especially considering the different interests at play.

In my opinion, USSF should focus on building a Men’s National Team that can compete on the world stage. The Women’s National Team is consistently one of top teams in the world, and probably does not need much in the way of short term change. The Women’s National Team does have some issues that the next USSF president will have to deal with (namely equal pay), but the Women’s Team lacks the kind of systemic issues that require long term planning and vision. The success of the Men’s National Team will also boost the popularity of soccer in the United States. We Americans cheer for winners in practically every sport, and a competitive Men’s team would help make a lot of the other platform planks more realistic. Just as having real stars has boosted the women’s game, making a player like Christian Pulisic a household name would do wonders for the sport domestically. This would involve significant improvement in player development, player scouting, and (most importantly) coaching.

Realistically, there are two candidates with a strong chance of winning the election: Kathy Carter and Carlos Cordeiro. Kyle Martino, Eric Wynalda, and Steve Gans also have realistic odds, though their chances are lower that Carter and Cordeiro. I choose to endorse Carter. Carter’s independent commission for player development, if well executed, should help improve US youth players’ technical skills and USSF’s scouting of talent. Carter should also help improve the professional aspect of the women’s game by helping shore up the NWSL. The only real knock against her is that she doesn’t have a stated position on the Women’s CBA. For these reasons, I think Kathy Carter is the best choice for USSF President.

The biggest question, since Sunil Gulati announced that he would not run for reelection as US Soccer Federation President, is: whose leadership sets up US Soccer with the best chance of success? The USWNT is in a good place at the moment. US youth soccer (men’s and women’s is in a good place). The MLS is growing. The NWSL is fledgling.

That leaves us with the one I, selfishly, care most about: the US men’s national team. Whose leadership ensures that what happened over the past year never happens again? Whose leadership gives US men’s soccer the greatest opportunity to grow and become a world class organization, while not completely devastating the resources and structures at hand?

Kathy Carter’s independent player development model is compelling, as well as her desire to beef up technical development of coaches and players. It’s something US men’s soccer has needed for a long time. Carlos Cordeiro also wants to create a new technical department, but is also committed to increasing commercial revenue. Kyle Martino desires equity and  transparency in US Soccer. Eric Wynalda is trying to drastically overhaul the function of MLS to align with a European club system.

Whose model gives US Soccer the ability to maintain success where it has been successful (women’s national team and youth soccer), and to make the necessary changes where improvements are needed?

America is already a world leader at women’s sports. Equity is still necessary where pay is concerned, but that also requires a commitment to have the same revenue intake (or a system of equitable distribution) from sponsorships and television rights for both the men’s and women’s national teams. What is easier to solve: equal pay or the structural problems that hold back American men’s soccer from other world powers? I think it is easier to solve equal pay. We need a US Soccer president who can address equal pay, then turn toward why the USMNT is lagging behind smaller population nations, such as, Serbia and South Korea in international football. Geoff Cameron was utterly truthful when he noted in his Players Tribune article that the culture of mediocrity and complacency in US Soccer needs to end. Which potential leaders are best equipped to address the pressing issues, and still motivated by success at all levels of the game?

Kathy Carter and Eric Wynalda are the best equipped to handle these issues. At the very least, they seem to understand that they are the highest priority issues, considering the 130 million dollar budget surplus that US Soccer is currently operating with (thus the organization should not be focusing its attention on commercial rights issues, as Mr. Cordeiro would have).

Then the question becomes: does US Men’s soccer, in its entirety need a fundamental overhaul? I do not believe so, because the system is financially sound, and has produced some good players. Player development does need to be addressed, especially at the 18-23 age range. If Kathy Carter is true to her word, and can pursue an overhaul of player development, then she has my theoretical vote.

What happened in October against Trinidad and Tobago cannot happen again. It was a sporting embarrassment, similar to what happened to Germany at Euro 2000. We need a careful examination of what went wrong and why. Germany moved to an overhaul of men’s soccer, at national and club level. That project worked successfully, culminating in Germany winning the 2014 World Cup. I am of the opinion that the changes proposed by Kathy Carter address many of the problems of US men’s soccer (although not all), while leaving in place what functions well.

On the 10th of February in Toronto (which is ironic) the election for the United States Soccer Federation president will be held. The current president, Sunil Gulati, has been at the helm since 2006 and decided to not seek reelection after men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. While the women’s and younger sides for the men have looked good, there needed to be a change and Gulati knew he was not going to be a part of that process and if he didn’t then he should not have been regardless. Gulati has done a good job as this program really has risen in the past decade, but it wasn’t good enough as evidenced this past November. Changes are needed and Gulati was resistant to that. If something like that happens and you say that nothing needs to change, then your time is finished if you want more progress because the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results. However, Gulati decided to not run again which means fresh blood will be in power.

That being said, some of the candidates seem to represent the establishment rather than the change needed. Regardless of what it looks like, they all have one thing in common and that is they all want what is best for the program. But wanting best doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the best. While this article is purely opinionated based, the changes that one of these candidates suggests is what is absolutely needed for the program to grow. Soccer is on the rise in this country and it’s getting to the point where everyone is taking it more and more serious. Soccer, while will never be the top dog in terms of sports here in the United States, could at least become incredibly popular.

Before going into details of all the candidates, here is the list of the people are going up for election:

Paul Caliguri

Kathy Carter

Carlos Cordeiro

Steve Gans

Kyle Martino

Hope Solo

Michael Winograd

Eric Wynalda

That is eight candidates who will run for president of the USSF. Now there are three candidates that have realistically no chance at winning and that’s Michael Winograd (who does have some good ideas), Hope Solo (the former star goalkeeper for the women’s side), and Paul Caliguri (a former player on the men’s side). That leaves Kathy Carter, Carlos Cordeiro, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, and Eric Wynalda as the most realistic candidates here.

The favorite here is Carter. According to an ESPN article, this is what she wants to do for the program:

“She wants to bring more diversity to executive-level positions within the USSF and create a technical department to manage on-field aspects, including the hiring of coaches. She wants to go “all-in” on the women’s game and stabilize the NWSL. Perhaps most controversially, Carter wants to form an independent commission, headed by sports executive Casey Wasserman, to examine every aspect of player development.”

Cordeiro is the next favorite here, but many feel like he represents the establishment as he is the understudy of Gulati. From the same ESPN article, this is what he wants:

“Cordeiro wants to engage in a considerable restructuring of the USSF, which starts with making the office of president more a chairperson of the board role, with the incumbent working more collaboratively with the board of directors. Cordeiro wants to create a new technical department to oversee all on-field aspects, including the hiring of coaches. He wants to appoint an independent USSF board member to oversee the awarding of future commercial rights contracts. And Cordeiro seeks to make the game more affordable for players and coaches by increasing scholarships and grants.”

Martino is an outsider that has strong support. I actually like his approach a lot, but he is not my first choice. However, he has a strong chance of winning. This is what he wants according to ESPN:

“Martino’s platform consists of three planks. The first involves making the USSF more transparent, while making the presidency a paid position. He is also emphasizing equality, which includes making the game more accessible for kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as better treatment of the women’s national team. The third is titled ‘Progress’ and includes clarifying the youth player path, creating an environment for more collaboration among the various youth soccer stakeholders, as well as a gradual path towards implementing a system of promotion/relegation at the pro level.”

Gans has the least chance of winning from all five of these candidates. From the same ESPN article, this is what Gans wants:

“While Gans is among the proponents for improved corporate governance, a separate search committee for the next men’s national team coach, and equality and greater support for the women’s game, much of his platform’s focus is on revamping the youth system. He is proposing that the development academy be re-evaluated and wants to use part of U.S. Soccer’s $130 million surplus to make the game more affordable. He wants to solve what he calls “the counterproductive competition” among various youth sanctioning bodies. Gans is also keen to give the state associations at both the youth and adult levels more say in how they are run.”

Which leads me to the final candidate, Eric Wynalda. Wynalda wants this for the program according to ESPN:

“Wynalda is the champion of the anti-establishment wing, advocating for — among other things — a path to promotion and relegation, moving MLS to a winter calendar, renegotiating the CBA for the U.S. women’s national team, and securing a media rights deal similar to that proposed by MP & Silva back in September. He wants to use an endowment fund to make the game more affordable for coaches and players, as well as educate parents new to the game. And Wynalda wants the relationship with SUM to be ‘thoroughly vetted and reviewed’ to make sure that the USSF is maximizing its take from commercial rights deals.”

I always save the best for last and because of that I give Wynalda my endorsement. He is a former player who knows exactly how progress should be made for this country. I will get into more of what Wynalda wants in a future, but honestly his view is absolutely what the program needs to succeed with. Major League Soccer absolutely needs promotion/relegation (a topic I will delve into deeper). The CBA is also a really big thing for me as equal pay is a top priority regardless of what the argument is. I do think there are a lot of good ideas that other candidates have that Wynalda should adopt if he was to become president, but he is the most clear and obvious choice to become president. He has my endorsement all the way.

*Here is a link to the ESPN article.

With the Football Hall of Fame voting coming up later this week, I thought would do my mock voting for whom I think should be enshrined at Canton. How the vote works is a lot different and a lot more confusing than how the Baseball Hall of Fame works. From the Football Hall of Fame website, this is how the voting works:

“In advance of the Hall of Fame Selection Meeting in February, the selectors are provided detailed biographies on each of the 18 finalists.  At the annual meeting on ‘Selection Saturday,’ each finalist is thoroughly discussed by the committee before a series of reduction votes are taken.  First, the senior candidate(s) and Contributor candidate(s) are discussed and voted on for election.  They must receive the same 80 percent affirmative vote as the Modern-Era candidates. Next, there is a vote that reduces the Modern-Era finalists list from 15 to 10.  Following that, a vote is taken to reduce the list from 10 to 5 names.  The five remaining candidates for Hall of Fame election are then voted on individually (yes or no) for membership.

In order to be elected a finalist must receive a minimum of 80% of the vote.  All ballots are collected and counted by the firm Deloitte & Touche.  No vote totals are announced – only the winners of the various reduction ballots are revealed to the selectors and the Hall’s representatives.”

Very, very long and tedious process as it looks like to me that it’s harder to make a decision. Here is a link to the finalists for this year so you know who is on it. So, with that being said, here are the five players who I think should be enshrined this year at Canton.

Note: I will not be including senior candidates and contributor candidates

Brian Urlacher-Linebacker

This man was one of the best linebackers I had ever watched play the game and arguably (key word there because there’s a debate with the two linebackers on this list) the best to play in the last two decades. He was feared by every quarterback and was just a force to be reckoned with. He helped the Chicago Bears have one of the best defenses in the mid-2000s.

Terrell Owens-Wide Receiver

While he might not be the best wide receiver on this list, he’s most certainly the most eccentric. Aside from his antics, he was a special talent. Had one of the best hands I ever saw, was fast, and scored touchdowns at a blistering pace. He might not get in his first go around, but in my opinion he’s a hall of famer.

Randy Moss-Wide Receiver

The greatest wide receiver I ever saw and quite possibly the best to ever play. Moss was super talented and had the best hands this sport probably has ever seen. Whenever anyone asked you who the best receiver they ever saw, Moss is certainly one that will come to people’s minds.

John Lynch-Safety

This one might be a little controversial, but he was a great safety. Read routes well and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He was also part of a dominant Buccaneers defense that won the Super Bowl.

Ray Lewis-Linebacker

Remember earlier when I said that Urlacher arguably was the best linebacker in the last two decades? That’s because many will say that this guy was better. And for good reason as he was another dominant linebacker that most quarterbacks feared. He might have been better in coverage than Urlacher too. He was also a member of that 2000s Baltimore Ravens team that was arguably the best defense to ever play.

Notable snubs:

Tony Boselli-Offensive Lineman

Talent wise he is a sure hall of famer, however injuries derailed what was certainly a hall of fame career. He is a huge debate.

Joe Jacoby-Offensive Lineman

He was part of the dominant offensive line of the Washington Redskins back in their glory days of the 1980s. It’s absolutely baffling he is not in yet, but there are more deserving guys this go around.

Isaac Bruce-Wide Receiver

He might actually make it into the hall this year instead of the ones I selected as he was a very productive receiver who played for a long time too. He was a member of the St. Louis Rams offense from the 1999 season that was dubbed The Greatest Show on Turf.

Brian Dawkins-Safety

Had a long career and was a very good player in Philadelphia. I watched him play when I was growing up and he was just a very smart player and was a great talent. He was tough to leave out of this.