In fact, I’m fucking delighted.
Why?
Because nothing but good things for the team and fans Wirtz abused over decades of mismanagement since he shuffled off the coil: the Hawks have enjoyed an upswing in performance, dead wood (e.g. Bob Pulford) has been cleared from the front office, and new owner Rocky Wirtz (son of Bill) is finally—finally—in negotiations to begin airing Hawks home games on local television – something the old man stubbornly resisted for ages under the justification that doing so would harm ticket sales.
Granted, some might say Rocky’s recent TV feelers are a no-brainer, business-wise. Yet for Hawks fans who suffered so long under his father’s dunderheaded reign as owner, the move is a great—and badly needed—step towards bringing fans (old and new) back to the team.
Last month, I wrote that I feared it would take Rocky Wirtz years to revive the Blackhawks organization after his father sent it to rest beside the Titanic. But at Rocky’s current rate of progress, the team is rising faster than I could have hoped – which leads to the obvious (and vulgar) question of why the hell Bill Wirtz couldn’t have died years ago?
All his death has done is make Hawk fans gleeful, and turn his ex-team’s future into something bright and hopeful.
To me, that outcome is nothing but positive.
Let’s toast the reaper…
PS: The Hawks’ first televised home game is slated for Nov 11 versus Detroit (and guess who has a ticket? To quote Chris Mathews: Ha!)
Sometimes Mr. Death is awfully good to have around
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