Fans Helpless to Stop Bad Ownership
Random thoughts while wondering what ever happened to Harry Chappas:
Show Me The Money Dept.: Most teams would be grateful to have two playoff years in a row and would reward their coach, even overpay him if they wanted to keep him. Unfortunately, the Halas family has not received that memo yet and if they don't, their coach will walk and Bear fans will enjoy the next Dave Wannstedt on the sidelines and the plunge back to mediocrity.
The best thing the Bears could do is split the difference with Lovie Smith and offer $4.5 million plus a lucrative bonus package. However, the Bears seem to have no intention to blink at this point.
The happy spot for the Bears is they are not Chicago's most poorly managed sports team. Not even close.
The Chicago Blackhawks are an "original six" team, which means they were a charter member of the NHL, similar to the Bears being a founder of the NFL. Unfortunately, since the early 1950's, the Hawks have been owned by the Wirtz family who makes the Halas family seem like crazy spenders.
Bill Wirtz, the team's owner has been a big part of all of the work stoppages in the sport's history and has repeatedly quashed any decent contracts for players. The team has been putrid for several years and has not been in the playoffs since the early part of this decade. The ticket prices are outrageous and the arena is half full. The team has employed Bob Pulford for almost 30 years only to have the team plummet during that time (in fact, it is my belief that Pulford has compromising pictures of Wirtz with farm animals he uses for job security.)
The Blackhawks regularly get thrashed in attendance and in interest by the minor league team that plays in the suburbs. Rather than remove their heads from their backsides and enter the 21st century, the Blackhawks continue conducting business as usual and losing market share, respect and fan base.
It has gotten to the point where the Blackhawks have become irrelevant in Chicago. One of the top players in the league, Martin Havlat, could stand on an "El" platform waiting for a train and no one would notice. You think a Cub, Sox, Bear or Bull could pull that off? Of course not. But Havlat often does because few in Chicago cares about the Blackhawks.
It hasn't always been this way. In the early 70's, the Hawks were loaded with great players like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito. But the birth of the WHA sent several Hawk players to find their just rewards in the rebel league (including Hull, who signed with Winnipeg for the then unheard of sum of $1 million) and the franchise, save for 1992, has drifted ever since.
When the Hawks played at the old Chicago Stadium, you couldn't hear yourself think. And if you wanted tickets, you'd have to know somebody. Now, all you have to do is walk up and if you can afford it, you can sit where ever you want. The only thing that will save this franchise is if Bill Wirtz sells it to someone like Mark Cuban who can get people excited about hockey in Chicago again. Until that point, the Hawks will continue in stealth mode, a footnote on the landscape, competing for newspaper ink with the local outdoor soccer team and the arena football team. How far the mighty have fallen.
Even White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who for years fought the notion of actually paying players and respecting his customers, finally woke up one day and wanted to win a championship worse than he wanted to profit. And in 2005, his White Sox shocked the world. But for the Wirtz family, winning a Stanley Cup isn't reality or a priority. And while they hire and fire coaches and GMs and Bob Pulford and his magic set of pictures stays on watch, the sun sets on a franchise that at one time, was bigger than the Bulls. But, as my daughter says about most of my recollections of the 70's "that's ancient history."
Roll On Dept.: The White Sox intersquad game turns out just like you thought: The hitters were impressive and the pitchers were not. Add to that an ankle injury to projected fifth starter Gavin Floyd and you may have a snapshot of the 2007 White Sox.
This does not bode well in a division with Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland.
Fan The Flames Dept.: Hockey fans possess a brand of loyalty and ownership in their team no other type of fan possesses. Yet more people won't embrace the sport. Thanks, Gary.
Bracket Buster Dept.: Looks like the road to the final four just took a detour for Wisconsin.
Not So Mighty Quinn Dept.: Is it just me or is Brady Quinn turning into Nancy Kerrigan? He needs to have a quality phone conversation with former Cal and current Green bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers on how draft day need far out weighs draft day projections. Rodgers, projected as high as first in the 2005 draft, slipped to the 24th slot and was rescued by the Packers only because GM Ted Thompson thought Brett Farve might retire and wanted to be ready.
Most likely Quinn will wind up going ninth to the Dolphins.
Hooray For Hollywood Dept.: Look, Ma. It's another lame sports movie. If you can't fill a theater with a story about recovering from a horrific accident, what chance does the tale of a bunch of potato farmers beating Oklahoma have?
And, the fact that Bob Stoops is 1-3 in BCS games since the Sooners won their championship should tell you this ain't exactly "Hoosiers".
Old Blood Dept.: Is it just me or is Florida-Ohio State turning into Red Sox-Yankees?
Crash Cart Dept.: Did you see during the California 500 on Sunday the crash involving David Reutimann in the Domino's 00 car? He was rear ended by Greg Biffle and sent screaming into the wall.
The best part. He walked away from it because not only has NASCAR developed safer technology, they embrace it and mandate people use it. Makes you think Dale Sr. could still be alive if they would have enforced this stuff in 2001 like they could have.
Moving On Dept.: Usually I'm a traditionalist and if a game, called the Cotton Bowl is not actually play there, I get a little miffed. But having been to the Cotton Bowl and seeing what kind of neighborhood it was in and seeing how run down the place was (and this was 1995) I'm okay with it. In fact, I encourage it.
Here Comes the Judge Dept.: It looks like Judge Larry may get to be a TV star after all. I think what they ought to do is put him together with former Eagles/Rams/Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and call the show "The Town Criers."
You Da Bomb Dept.: That wacky Dick Cheney makes friends wherever he goes.
Forked Tongue Dept.: For a guy concerned about global warming, Al Gore seems to be part of the problem not part of the solution. I wonder if it's too late to recall his Oscar.
Short Tempered Dept.: There's yet another group upset about how they are addressed. First, the homosexual lobby makes life uncomfortable for Isiah Washington and Tim Hardaway and teaches us macho, straight guys that messing with Nancy will not be tolerated.
Now, the little people of the world do not want to be called "midgets." They are dwarfs. To them, midget is an insulting word and shouldn't be used.
Can someone prepare a chart of all this and distribute it so everyone knows what's in and out of bounds? It's getting to the point where just communicating with another human being without fear of retribution or a lawsuit is getting damned near impossible.
Wrap It Up Dept.: Apparently Saran Wrap is not just for wrapping sandwiches and leftovers anymore.
Stuck Up Dept.: A recent study shows that college students are far more self-centered then they used to be. What made them that way? Parents who hugged them instead of kicked them in the butt.
People now in their forties were raised by a generation who believed in discipline, spanking and getting in our grills. My generation (well, not me) believe in coddling our children, of praising them and never, ever whacking them in the head when they misbehave. We want to be their bud and hang with them, not be their parent and direct them. Now we've raised a generation of kids who think their waste products don't give off an odor. We must be so proud.
If you have kids, the best thing you can do is be tough on them. They will thank you for it later.
Ringing Endorsement Dept.: Senator John Warner of Virginia has come out as a backer of John McCain. This is the same guy that was once married to Elizabeth Taylor, so you seriously wonder how good he is at picking horses.
Jenny Craig It's Not Dept.: Police officers everywhere will now be able to get their fiber while at work.
Show Me The Money Dept.: Most teams would be grateful to have two playoff years in a row and would reward their coach, even overpay him if they wanted to keep him. Unfortunately, the Halas family has not received that memo yet and if they don't, their coach will walk and Bear fans will enjoy the next Dave Wannstedt on the sidelines and the plunge back to mediocrity.
The best thing the Bears could do is split the difference with Lovie Smith and offer $4.5 million plus a lucrative bonus package. However, the Bears seem to have no intention to blink at this point.
The happy spot for the Bears is they are not Chicago's most poorly managed sports team. Not even close.
The Chicago Blackhawks are an "original six" team, which means they were a charter member of the NHL, similar to the Bears being a founder of the NFL. Unfortunately, since the early 1950's, the Hawks have been owned by the Wirtz family who makes the Halas family seem like crazy spenders.
Bill Wirtz, the team's owner has been a big part of all of the work stoppages in the sport's history and has repeatedly quashed any decent contracts for players. The team has been putrid for several years and has not been in the playoffs since the early part of this decade. The ticket prices are outrageous and the arena is half full. The team has employed Bob Pulford for almost 30 years only to have the team plummet during that time (in fact, it is my belief that Pulford has compromising pictures of Wirtz with farm animals he uses for job security.)
The Blackhawks regularly get thrashed in attendance and in interest by the minor league team that plays in the suburbs. Rather than remove their heads from their backsides and enter the 21st century, the Blackhawks continue conducting business as usual and losing market share, respect and fan base.
It has gotten to the point where the Blackhawks have become irrelevant in Chicago. One of the top players in the league, Martin Havlat, could stand on an "El" platform waiting for a train and no one would notice. You think a Cub, Sox, Bear or Bull could pull that off? Of course not. But Havlat often does because few in Chicago cares about the Blackhawks.
It hasn't always been this way. In the early 70's, the Hawks were loaded with great players like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito. But the birth of the WHA sent several Hawk players to find their just rewards in the rebel league (including Hull, who signed with Winnipeg for the then unheard of sum of $1 million) and the franchise, save for 1992, has drifted ever since.
When the Hawks played at the old Chicago Stadium, you couldn't hear yourself think. And if you wanted tickets, you'd have to know somebody. Now, all you have to do is walk up and if you can afford it, you can sit where ever you want. The only thing that will save this franchise is if Bill Wirtz sells it to someone like Mark Cuban who can get people excited about hockey in Chicago again. Until that point, the Hawks will continue in stealth mode, a footnote on the landscape, competing for newspaper ink with the local outdoor soccer team and the arena football team. How far the mighty have fallen.
Even White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who for years fought the notion of actually paying players and respecting his customers, finally woke up one day and wanted to win a championship worse than he wanted to profit. And in 2005, his White Sox shocked the world. But for the Wirtz family, winning a Stanley Cup isn't reality or a priority. And while they hire and fire coaches and GMs and Bob Pulford and his magic set of pictures stays on watch, the sun sets on a franchise that at one time, was bigger than the Bulls. But, as my daughter says about most of my recollections of the 70's "that's ancient history."
Roll On Dept.: The White Sox intersquad game turns out just like you thought: The hitters were impressive and the pitchers were not. Add to that an ankle injury to projected fifth starter Gavin Floyd and you may have a snapshot of the 2007 White Sox.
This does not bode well in a division with Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland.
Fan The Flames Dept.: Hockey fans possess a brand of loyalty and ownership in their team no other type of fan possesses. Yet more people won't embrace the sport. Thanks, Gary.
Bracket Buster Dept.: Looks like the road to the final four just took a detour for Wisconsin.
Not So Mighty Quinn Dept.: Is it just me or is Brady Quinn turning into Nancy Kerrigan? He needs to have a quality phone conversation with former Cal and current Green bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers on how draft day need far out weighs draft day projections. Rodgers, projected as high as first in the 2005 draft, slipped to the 24th slot and was rescued by the Packers only because GM Ted Thompson thought Brett Farve might retire and wanted to be ready.
Most likely Quinn will wind up going ninth to the Dolphins.
Hooray For Hollywood Dept.: Look, Ma. It's another lame sports movie. If you can't fill a theater with a story about recovering from a horrific accident, what chance does the tale of a bunch of potato farmers beating Oklahoma have?
And, the fact that Bob Stoops is 1-3 in BCS games since the Sooners won their championship should tell you this ain't exactly "Hoosiers".
Old Blood Dept.: Is it just me or is Florida-Ohio State turning into Red Sox-Yankees?
Crash Cart Dept.: Did you see during the California 500 on Sunday the crash involving David Reutimann in the Domino's 00 car? He was rear ended by Greg Biffle and sent screaming into the wall.
The best part. He walked away from it because not only has NASCAR developed safer technology, they embrace it and mandate people use it. Makes you think Dale Sr. could still be alive if they would have enforced this stuff in 2001 like they could have.
Moving On Dept.: Usually I'm a traditionalist and if a game, called the Cotton Bowl is not actually play there, I get a little miffed. But having been to the Cotton Bowl and seeing what kind of neighborhood it was in and seeing how run down the place was (and this was 1995) I'm okay with it. In fact, I encourage it.
Here Comes the Judge Dept.: It looks like Judge Larry may get to be a TV star after all. I think what they ought to do is put him together with former Eagles/Rams/Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and call the show "The Town Criers."
You Da Bomb Dept.: That wacky Dick Cheney makes friends wherever he goes.
Forked Tongue Dept.: For a guy concerned about global warming, Al Gore seems to be part of the problem not part of the solution. I wonder if it's too late to recall his Oscar.
Short Tempered Dept.: There's yet another group upset about how they are addressed. First, the homosexual lobby makes life uncomfortable for Isiah Washington and Tim Hardaway and teaches us macho, straight guys that messing with Nancy will not be tolerated.
Now, the little people of the world do not want to be called "midgets." They are dwarfs. To them, midget is an insulting word and shouldn't be used.
Can someone prepare a chart of all this and distribute it so everyone knows what's in and out of bounds? It's getting to the point where just communicating with another human being without fear of retribution or a lawsuit is getting damned near impossible.
Wrap It Up Dept.: Apparently Saran Wrap is not just for wrapping sandwiches and leftovers anymore.
Stuck Up Dept.: A recent study shows that college students are far more self-centered then they used to be. What made them that way? Parents who hugged them instead of kicked them in the butt.
People now in their forties were raised by a generation who believed in discipline, spanking and getting in our grills. My generation (well, not me) believe in coddling our children, of praising them and never, ever whacking them in the head when they misbehave. We want to be their bud and hang with them, not be their parent and direct them. Now we've raised a generation of kids who think their waste products don't give off an odor. We must be so proud.
If you have kids, the best thing you can do is be tough on them. They will thank you for it later.
Ringing Endorsement Dept.: Senator John Warner of Virginia has come out as a backer of John McCain. This is the same guy that was once married to Elizabeth Taylor, so you seriously wonder how good he is at picking horses.
Jenny Craig It's Not Dept.: Police officers everywhere will now be able to get their fiber while at work.
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