William Wirtz, owner and President of the Chicago Blackhawks, has passed away after battling cancer.
Wirtz became team President of the Blackhawks in 1966 and since then had been a key figure in the NHL. He served as Chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors nearly two decades, and was influential in helping to merge the NHL and WHA. Wirtz's legacy was set when in 1976 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Since the Wirtz family took over the Blackhawks in 1954, they have only managed to win one Stanley Cup, in 1961. Although Wirtz family haven't managed to deliver many Cup successes, William Wirtz was able to deliver the fans a new arena.
Wirtz has been criticized over the years by the fans, for blacking out home games on television and for failing to spend the necessary money, to deliver the players to build a winning team.
Wirtz was a very hands on President and often had too much say in the direction of the team on the ice, undermining his General Managers. Wirtz's vision for the team was very old fashioned and lead to a decline in the success of the team since it moved into their new arena 12 years ago.
With Wirtz's passing, maybe now the Blackhawks front office will get an overhaul and we will see a successful and modern management team put in place.
Wirtz failed to realize that to attract fans to the games you have to premote your product as much as you can and this can't be done by blacking out your team's home games. A modernizing President is exactly what this team needs, one that allows the General Manager to do his job without interference.
My condolences go to the Wirtz family, but if the right moves are made, the Blackhawks future could be bright again and that will be the best tribute anyone could pay to William Wirtz. He may have been out of touch with today's game, but his legacy will live on.
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4 comments:
wirtz did not black out home games he made them pay perview. he squeezed every nickel he could from the team without improving the on ice product much. hawks fans can only hope the new direction for the team will be better and that the team will be run a lot better than years past.
away from the ice and as an owner wirtz did do a number of things in the community and he deserves the recognition for that.
I lived near Chicago for almost 4 years, games are blacked out at home. Special occasions occur, like Sidney Crosby coming to town or the Wings coming in, but both FOX Sports Net and Comcast Sports Chicago did not show home games unless conditions as specified above occurred.
We are all taught to respect the dead. Despite what our true feelings might be about someone who recently died, we were always encouraged to say something nice or don't say anything at all.
Privately, from those who have met him, Wirtz was nothing but a gentleman. He was as loyal of a friend as one could have. His family meant everything to him. His employees had nothing but praise for the man.
This is also the same man that seemed to do everything in his power to ruin the Chicago Blackhawks. He single handedly put hockey on life-support in Chicago. And that people, seemed to trump all today.
As Oz states, maybe now the Blackhawks front office will get an overhaul and we will see a successful and modern management team put in place.
Here's hoping for locally televised games, better players, and a winning team by 2010.
With the Bears, Bulls, Chisox, and Cubs getting 90% of the city's sports fan base... good luck 'Hawks.
BTW... has anyone seen blackrob?
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