RealGM

We live in a town that grows ivy on outfield walls, installs showers to cool down sweaty fans and moved an NFL championship game indoors because of bitterly frigid weather. So what I'm proposing here is not odd. Did you see that hockey game Tuesday, the one played outdoors at a Buffalo football stadium, the one romanticizing the face-chapped, teeth-chattering joys of Northerness?

That should be us next year, going 60,000 strong at Soldier Field.

Or, if we're seeking the ultimate in charm and attention, why not Wrigley Field? That's where the new president of the Blackhawks previously worked -- and where the temporary Cubs owner, cash-grabbing Sam Zell, is angling for any way to make a quick buck and gladly would sell ice to the Eskimos.

With perfect timing, the renaissance of the Hawks now is accompanied by a novel way of celebrating the puck life in a cold-weather clime. The NHL, usually armed with the creative wisdom of Barney Rubble, pulled off a rare marketing success in staging its first regular-season, American-based outdoor event. It was a TV ratings hit, attracting the most viewers for a non-playoff game in a dozen seasons.