Full Court Press

Occasionally I would send letters into the local papers blasting the way Mr. Wirtz ran his hockey team and his TV policy. His passing doesn't change that. I realize he was very charitable in a lot of ways. Iknow a lot of his old players professed a great liking for him. Its just that he was always a couple of steps behind the rest of the teams when it came to running a hockey team. His policies probably worked 30-40 years ago, but he couldn't change. If you look at the rest of the teams in the city who televise all their games and seem to make a good profit, why couldn't he see that?

The Wirtz family has hurt the people of Chicago for decades, be it through anticompetitive behavior in liquor licensing, unfair landlord practices, or total mismanagement of a pro sports franchise. One could say that Wirtz was only hurting himself by not reaping local TV revenues and all that they provide, but he was plenty rich already. He's lucky his dad set him up with all of those family ventures, because he definitely would have failed on his own as a result of his stubborness and short-sightedness. I don't wish cancer on anyone, but this city will be much, much better off without Dollar Bill Wirtz.

I hope for the best for the Wirtz family in their time of need and understanding.

But, if I were to say nice things about Bill Wirtz, I would be a hyprocrite. He owned, manipulated, and controlled a lot of real estate, businesses, politcians, fans, employees, and was a very unpopular influence in may people's lives.

Bill Wirtz is comparable to Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life' and the west side of the Chicago should have been dubbed Wirtzville.

My only question is will the wake and funeral be on free tv or 'pay-per-view'?

In the end in won't matter...there are still a bunch of Wirtz A$$-clowns running the team...

Condolences to the Wirtz family. Cancer is a terrible illness, sorry for your loss.

With that said let's hope some good will come from death. Let's hope that someone is ready to take over who realizes we miss our Chicago Blackhawks! Give us something to be proud of again!

I have only the fondest of memories of Bill Wirtz. I worked for him and the Chicago Blackhawks for 17 years as team photograper. Photography in the arenas throughout the NHL was marginal at best. I went to Bill Wirtz, through the usual channels of course with the idea of installing radio controlled strobe lights throughout the Chicago Stadium. I explained that this would give us the best action photographs ever produced. He didn't hesitate to approve providing the players would get some of the action shots at no charge to them. I agreed, the installation was complete and the Chicago Stadium became the model for action lighting throughout the league. Denis Sevard, Tony Esposito, Doug Wilson and many others hopefully still have a photographic record of their careers with the Blackhawks becuase of Mr. Wirtz's support. Soon all the media would wait until their teams played the Blackhawks so they could get the best photography. Yes many things can be said good and bad about most everyone. I for one will always remember Bill Wirtz as a terrific guy and he will be missed.

Sol - I have no doubt he treated you and other employees respectfully.
Unfortunately he treated the fans like dog crap for years.

Butch Brzeski | September 26, 2007 10:13 AM - you get points for referencing "Its a Wonderful Life", my favorite Christmas movie! I am cracking up! But I love your candor even during this difficult time for the Wirtz family. You kept it real!

I don't know anything about hockey - except that Hawks fan could not stand this guy! He is always on the most hated owner list/web-poll and almost always wins.

Having met him on a morning at a Chicagoland Country Club a few years ago. I have my own opinions about the man. 1. He was a drunk. It's upsetting that a deat h from a disease like cancer has sparked so much, "I am happy he's gone." semiments but he is a person who one by one killed Blackhawk hockey. For every Savard there was 5 Ty Jones. For every Roenick there been 5 Matt Keith's. The reasons for this is simple. We often honor a man for Loyalty but Dollar Bill was too Loyal. Guys like Bob Pulford & Michael Dumas are just as much a reason for the current condition of the Blackhawks. However, it always starts at the top.

I never wish Cancer on anyone especially someone that I had direct contact with even only briefly. I think Jeremy Roenick said it best this off season. "I'd sign with the Hawks, put the #27 back on, score nnumber 500. Wirtz always wanted me to work for cheap." Hopefully guys like Paddy Kane & Jonathan Toews can make us forget about all the bad things he did to the fans & let the family morn a Husband, Father, Granddad.

Good Riddence. Your legacy is ruining hockey in Chicago.

The lack of posts regarding the passing of this man speaks volumes. Let's hope the "new' regime can "Bring back the Roar".
Here's to the sunny slopes of long ago....Let's go Hawks!!!!

Wonder if his funeral will be televised? ooops

Mike North's ranting on Bill Wirtz after he passed away, assures himself of a spot in H-E-(double hockey sticks)

Indeed, perhaps now the Blackhawk organization can get into the 21st century regarding their marketing strategies and home game telecasts.

I think the saddest legacy was that Bill Wirtz could not change with the times, and that totally ruined a team in what is arguably the second most powerful city in terms of professional sports with the presence of the Bears, Cubs, White Sox and Bulls. We all hope that his son Peter will "see" the light to spend the money to bring in good players and sign a TV contract with either WGN or a local regional sports cable network so more fans can actually _see_ the Blackhawks for a change.

I was lucky enough to meet him numerous times and was a great man. I know a lot of your are not happy with what he did to the Blackhawks but get over it. He did a lot of good things for people and was a kind and generous man. For those of you who have said rude and hurtful things about man who just passed away, I feel sorry for you. I hope I never meet someone as shallow and cruel as you.

A few friends and I talked today about our odd melancholy feelings over his passing. All things about him considered, he has been the major constant over the entire time we were growing up hockey and Hawk fans. "Hawks" and "Wirtz" seem like synonyms. I still remember the startling, explosive boos when he was introduced at Denis Savard's number-raising ceremony, and the dejected look on his face. Another friend saw him months ago having ice cream with grandchildren in Wisconsin. I'm not an apologist for him for sure, but like us all, he had many sides. Jay Mariotti is on target with his disgust over the inane, inhumane statements of some of Chicago's media mouths.

With all due respect to the Wirtz family this man took a storied and proud team and turned it into the laughingstock of the N.H.L. He only cared about his family making money instead of doing all he could do to make the Hawks one of the elite teams in hockey.He was the epitome of corporate greed and couldn't care less what the fans thought of him.He treated Bobby Hull like dirt and will always be remembered as a callous self centered owner.Rest in peace Mr.Wirtz I hope your happy that your family has more money than they will ever need but it came at the cost of Chicago and the rest of the hockey world disliking you and your family name.Hopefully the Wirtz family will now sell this team to someone who both loves winning and also takes into account the feeling of the fans,if both are achieved the fans will once again fill the United Center.If not I and many others will continue to go to Wolves games and only think about the Hawks in past tense. Steve Medel,Tinley Park,IL

I have been following & supporting the Blackhawks since their last Stanley Cup back in '61. While Bill Wirtz will always be known as being extremely loyal & very generous to his employees & charities, he is mainly responsible for the problems of this organization. Wirtz was a very stubborn old-school man who must be held accountable for the many organizational moves (letting Bobby Hull leave; firing highly successful coach, Billy Reay, on Xmas Eve with a 'pink slip" at his front door; releasing or trading popular players such as Larmer, Chelios, Roenick, Belfour, & Amonte, etc; and finally disposing 25 year announcer Pat Foley;) that have sunk this team to its present position.

Home games on TV will bring new viewers to the NHL, The Blackhawks, and at the United Center, Bill.

Hopefully, after the William Wirtz mourning, Peter and Rocky Wirtz will be able to usher in a new era of Blackhawk hockey. The changes that I hope they address are as follows:

1) retire Bob Pulford and Jack Davison.
2) Hire a director of hockey operation to take over the jobs of Pulford and Davison like Mike Keeenan or even Brett Hull. Keep Dale Tallon and Dennis Savard.
3) Hire Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita as full time PR people.
4) Establish an affiliate relationship with the Chicago Wolves.
5) Reduce ticket prices by $5/seat.
6) Put as many homes games on Comcast this year as they can. Maybe even some on Channel 50 or Channel 26 (Chicago free tv). That would really be a novelty!

If his son's continue to not televise game's they should seriously consider selling the team to the Wolves- at least we know he care's about his team.

I met Bill and Rocky Wirtz in 1994 through their beverage distributorship, Judge & Dolph, in Chicago. Ken O'Farrell,a friend and former business associate, and I were sport fans with a keen interest in the 1940 and 1950's sport scene. Bill was one of the most unforgettable characters in the sport business and would spend time regaling us with stories of himself and former associates. He was always gracious but tough to deal with in business. He always showed himself to me as a smart and fair person with a generous side, which is the antithesis of what you would expect. Nevertheless, I value having known him.

Mr. Modrowski. Not going to post my memorial eh........probably best that you didn't. Even though many people feel the same way.
Perhaps a bit too crass. Although, I did wait a few days to let everyone grieve.