Far be it from me to dance on a man's grave...
>> Wednesday
but this man single-handedly ruined the Blackhawks.
Pictured at right is a shot of the Blackhawks the last time they won the Stanley Cup in 1961. (Not pictured, John F. Kennedy being sworn in, and construction of the Berlin Wall starting.) For the better part of the last half century, Bill Wirtz ruled the Hawks like a mafia don.
When ESPN the Magazine rated the Blackhawks as the "Worst Franchise in Sports" a few years back, they might as well have written what should be in Wirtz's obituary, if not on his headstone.
"Over the past decade, no club has bled its fans of their dollars and their hope as gruesomely as the Blackhawks. (Tellingly, [Former Hawks legends Bobby] Hull and [Stan] Mikita are so embittered by the organization's cheapness, they will have nothing to do with the franchise.) Wirtz' sorry record includes no Stanley Cups since 1961, tickets that average $50 a pop, and an insane business model that attempts to reward fan avidity (i.e., fannies in the seats) over broad popularity by blacking out home games from local TV. "
Fuck it. I'm busting my Hawks jersey out to celebrate. Ding Dong the Wirtz is dead.
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3 comments:
Although you hate to celebrate anyone's death, this is the guy that gave a direct and personal "F You" to Mikita, Chelios and, shit, even Roenick and Amonte.
I haven't followed the Hawks since I was in like 7th grade, so admittedly I know little about the team now. Is the team just going to slip back into a new Wirtz' hands or is there some sort of established line of succession?
Presumably, the family will take over the Hawks at least in the short term. There will probably be a moment of silence at the first Hawks game this year, followed by roaring applause.
Whether or not the new ownership will be a huge change, it will be change, and that's something that outside of moving to the UC in the mid-90s, this franchise hasn't had in a long time. With the NHL kind of on the decline, it would seem to be a time to sell to some new owner to try and turn things around.
Wirtz's death (while I'm sure is tragic for his family, friends, etc.) it is a "Let's throw a parade down Madison Street" day for the Blackhawks and any fan who knew him only in that respect. For the Hawks to ever have a chance at a Stanley Cup, "Dollar Bill" Wirtz had to go, one way or another. This is a first step.
PS: My Hawks jersey smells like Vinnie, Pat and my apartment senior year. Gross. Just goes to show you a) how Bill Wirtz has alienated the Hawks fanbase if that's how often I wear it and b) Just how powerful and persistent the stench of low rent and cheap beer can be.
PPS: On that note, Nate, there is a bar down here that serves Hamm's. I was stunned.
All day in Chicago, it's been "Bill Wirtz's legacy" as owner of the 'Hawks... His legacy is that everyone hates him! That's kinda hard to sugarcoat.
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