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Last weekend the Chicago Blackhawks feted fans with a convention at the Hilton Chicago Hotel, hoping to stir up buzz before they hit the ice, open up training camp and launch into the season — that is, if the season opens without a hitch.

It was only eight years ago that the National Hockey League lost a full season to a labor dispute; now, after the NFL and NBA’s own labor issues last year, it seems it’s the NHL’s turn once again. The current contract expires on September 15th. “We’re concerned about reaching a fair deal — that’s our number one goal,” Blackhawk captain Jonathan Towes said of the contract negotiations. “It’s up to the league whenever we get it done.”

The players haven’t expressed concerns about a possible work stoppage, though; nor has Coach Quenneville or General Manager Stan Bowman. The NHL players are represented by Donald Fehr, and if that rings a bell, it might be because he played that same role for Major League Baseball players’ union. Fehr has been quoted saying a strike would be a “last resort.”

But for fans, labor issues were not of concern at the convention.

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Here are some tips for fans making their first trek down I-57 to Olivet Nazarene University:

• Check the Bears website before you travel to the camp. Sometimes weather -- or the team -- may cancel that day’s workouts.
   
• Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and lawn chairs. There is very little shade and it’s usually quite hot out.
   
•  Bring your camera; you will have up-close Bear sightings. (But don’t feed them!)
   
• There is a play area for young children. However, the practices may be rather boring for them and the weather can be pretty intense (in other words — they will be miserable).

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This has been a long time coming: After years — and years — of waiting, Ron Santo will finally be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame Sunday. Most fans younger than 40 never saw Santo play; they just remember him as the humorous, lovable color commentator in the radio booth. But the many fans who watched Santo play third base day in and day out know what a tough and clutch player he was on the field.

Sadly, Santo will not be there to get a slap on the back from his fellow Hall of Famers, enjoy warm embraces from family and friends or hear the roaring excitement from his countless fans; the Cubs third baseman lost his battle with bladder cancer on December 3, 2010 and will enter the hall posthumously.

It’s a shame. Without Ron there to give his speech the event will feel a bit sad. Hall of Famer Andre Dawson will be in attendance, but he, too, feels the event is bittersweet. “I feel a little sadness — it was a year or so too late,” said Dawson, who added that he is nonetheless “excited for [Santo’s] family.”

“I look forward to sharing that moment with them,” Dawson said.

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Which U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team is/was better: the 1992 “Dream Team” led by Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, or the 2012 team?

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant threw down the gauntlet last week when he argued that this year’s mix of NBA players on the Olympic team could beat the Dream Team, saying some members of the '92 team “were a lot older, kind of at the end of their careers."

"It'd be a tough one," Bryant added, "but I think we'd pull it out."

"I absolutely laughed," Jordan said of his response when he heard Bryant’s remarks. “There is no comparison. For him to compare those two teams is not one of the smarter things he could of done." Now players from both teams are using Twitter to stake their claim at greatness.

Frankly, I could not care less which team wins this fight.

Ever since the NBA signed on for the Olympics it’s been the Harlem Globetrotters — the NBA — versus the Washington Generals — the rest of the competing countries (minus the 2004 bronze-winning team). The U.S.

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Welcome back to Chicago, Ozzie Guillen! Welcome back to Wrigley Field—the ballpark that drives you crazy!

Your return is met with clear lines drawn… between your lovers and your haters. It would seem there is no in-between for baseball fans in Chicago.

On Tuesday, the Cubs host the Miami Marlins to start a three-game series. There are a few storylines, but none bigger than Guillen’s return (unless he went to the South Side).

The brightest and likely the most attention-getting star this series is Guillen—now the skipper of the Marlins. The Florida team has spent a ton of money in the free-agent market for Jose Reyes,  Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle, but they have not yet lived up to the payroll.

Early into his managing stint in Miami, Guillen found himself in hot water with his comments to Time magazine about Fidel Castro. He was suspended and has offered an apology to the state's large Cuban community for his statements.

Guillen’s time with the White Sox can be described as colorful and controversial—with a World Championship.  Although, you would also have to sprinkle in a few profanities to emphasis any point.

When Ozzie Guillen was first hired here in 2004, he came into the job without managing experience but had been coaching third base for the Marlins.

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When I look at White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, it is hard for me to fathom where this power pitcher gets his strength. This slight, lanky player clocks in at 6’6” and 180 lbs. “If I could gain weight I would,” said the 23-year-old Sox hurler. “My grandfather, my uncles and dad were all skinny.”

But the lefty All-Star has proven that he has the right stuff, with his 10 and 2 record with a 2.19 ERA. His fastball can come at an opposing hitter at 100 mph and Sale’s devastating slider is compared to former Cy Young winner Randy Johnson’s (Sale is under consideration for this year's award). Let’s take a closer look at the young pitcher, who this year moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation.

As a kid growing up in Lakeland, Fla., Sale played ball every day. He started playing catch with his father, Allen, as soon as he could walk. 

The 2010 top draft pick sailed through the minors with just 11 appearances and was brought up just months after he was drafted.

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He may be a man of few words, but Robin Ventura is a manager with fans in his clubhouse. The White Sox sit on top of the AL Central with a 49-38 mark, three games over the Cleveland Indians and 3½ over Detroit (which was supposed to run away with the division); the team credits Ventura with giving them a shot at the playoffs.

The All-Star break underway gives us an opportunity to take a closer look at Ventura: The unlikely choice for manager now has a real shot at American League Manager of the Year.

Ventura named manager: Really? Really!

“This opportunity came and [Ventura] jumped on it. Many opportunities don’t come your way; you have to take when it comes.” –First base coach Harold Baines

It was a surprise when White Sox General Manager Ken Williams tapped Ventura to take over for former manager Ozzie Guillen; Ventura had absolutely no managerial or coaching experience prior to this season.

But once the dust settled, those who knew Ventura as a player realized the choice could work. Radio broadcaster Darrin Jackson now praises the manager.

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