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Any Chicago Blackhawks fans here?

Pearls&StonesPearls&Stones Posts: 585
edited November 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
I'm not a Hawks fan, I like the Pens, but I have a question for any true Blackhawks fans here. I noticed the Blackhawks are averaging over 20,000 per game this year--a 67% increase over 2006-2007. Was the passing of Bill Wirtz all it took?

Not to drag the name of a dead man through the mud, but was his passing all Hawks fans needed to return to the team?


As a fan of another storied franchise that has seen bad ownership drag it down to depths once unimaginable (the Pittsburgh Pirates), I sympathize with what Blackhawks fans have had to go through the past few years.
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Comments

  • IwasBit10IwasBit10 Posts: 646
    Like you said, hate to drag a dead man's name through the mud, but sadly much of the blame is owed to him. He was extremely cheap, dismantled a tremendous team in the 90s by trading some of the franchise's all-time greats and refused to televise home games to name of few of his faults. Rocky Wirtz, Bill's son, has done a great job in bringing interest back to the city through clever marketing of the team, televising all games and, most importantly, bringing in great young talent and making key FA signings. Before the Jordan era, and even during his early years, the Hawks owned this city. And fans are getting excited, hoping to bring it back.
    He floated back down 'cause he wanted to share, his key to the locks on the chains he saw everywhere.
  • orig_long redorig_long red Posts: 2,029
    Bill Wirtz was the doucheiest sports owner of all time. I never say "good" when someone dies ... but when he passed, I smiled for Hawks fans.

    i'm an islanders fan, btw.
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  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    The second best jersey in hockey behind the BOSTON BRUINS of course.

    Peace
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    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

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  • shareshare Posts: 551
    Not entirely sure about it having to do with the passing of that crusty
    old miser more than it has to do with the fact the Hawks have a
    terrific team this year.
    Very young and very talented.
    we're all sentient snowflakes
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  • Indifference71Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,864
    Unfortunately, all it took for the Hawks to return to prominence in Chicago was Bill Wirtz dying. Just look at everything that has happened since he passed away. Home games are back on TV, the United Center has been 20,000 plus for every home game so far and the place is rocking. Hockey is actually being talked about on sportsradio which hasn't happened in ages around here. It's sad to say, but as soon as he died, things turned around immediately.
  • xavier mcdanielxavier mcdaniel Somewhere in NYC Posts: 9,311
    that's part of it, his passing allowed someone else to run the show and that person obviously cares more about the on-ice product than bill wirtz did.. it's good to see the blackhawks doing decently again as they're a historic team in the league.
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  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,300
    Bill Wirtz is the worst thing that ever happened to any professional sport.
  • petrocspetrocs Posts: 4,342
    are the blackhawks still a team? :D
    Shows:
    9/24/96 MD. 9/28/96 Randalls. 8/28-29/98 Camden. 9/8/98 NJ. 9/18/98 MD. 9/1-2/00 Camden. 9/4/00 MD. 4/28/03 Philly. 7/5-6/03 Camden. 9/30/05 AC.
    10/3/05 Philly. 5/27-28/06 Camden. 6/23/06 Pitt. 6/19-20/08 Camden. 6/24/08 MSG. 8/7/08 EV Newark, NJ. 6/11-12/09 EV Philly, PA. 10/27-28-30-31/09 Philly, PA., 5/15/10 Hartford,5/17/10 Boston, 5/18/10 Newark, 5/20-21/10 MSG
  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,300
    petrocs wrote:
    are the blackhawks still a team? :D

    Hey now, they are a lot better than they have been. Lots of young talent.
  • petrocspetrocs Posts: 4,342
    mca47 wrote:
    Hey now, they are a lot better than they have been. Lots of young talent.


    Yeah ...didnt the Flyers unload some of their young talent on Chicago?
    Shows:
    9/24/96 MD. 9/28/96 Randalls. 8/28-29/98 Camden. 9/8/98 NJ. 9/18/98 MD. 9/1-2/00 Camden. 9/4/00 MD. 4/28/03 Philly. 7/5-6/03 Camden. 9/30/05 AC.
    10/3/05 Philly. 5/27-28/06 Camden. 6/23/06 Pitt. 6/19-20/08 Camden. 6/24/08 MSG. 8/7/08 EV Newark, NJ. 6/11-12/09 EV Philly, PA. 10/27-28-30-31/09 Philly, PA., 5/15/10 Hartford,5/17/10 Boston, 5/18/10 Newark, 5/20-21/10 MSG
  • pretextpretext Posts: 1,294
    petrocs wrote:
    Yeah ...didnt the Flyers unload some of their young talent on Chicago?

    After Hitch gave up on Sharp. Not sure I'd call Ben Eager much of a "talent" at this point. And Jim Vandermeer has since moved on.

    There's a lot attention, rightfully so, on the Hawks up front. But they may have the best young D corps in the league with Keith, Seabrook and Barker. Those guys are homegrown, and then add in Brian Campbell in the off-season. The whole team could be tighter in their own end, but damn they are fun to watch. One of my go-to teams on the Center Ice package - that is, when the FLYERS aren't playing.

    And yeah, I do buy in to the idea that this team turned around when Dollar Bill bit the farm. I think they were on tv in Chicago within the month.
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