I'm just utterly shocked they were chosen...

 

Page 2

 

WORST FRANCHISE: BLACKHAWKS

By George Johnson

Special to Page 2

 

 

From bad to Wirtz.

 

"Sad?" says one who has watched this once-proud franchise fall into disrepair, the tragic victim of neglect and poor planning. "It's not sad. It used to be sad. Nobody cares enough to be sad anymore."

 

Other NHL franchises are poorly run. But for consistently gruesome seasons, the Chicago Blackhawks are a tough act to follow.

 

Yes, the Original Six Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Glenn Hall, Pierre Pilote, Keith Magnusson, Iron Mike, Eddie the Eagle, Denis Savard, Doug Wilson, Chris Chelios.

 

The same.

 

Blackhawks: Past Five Years

Year Record Points

2006 24-42-13 61

2004 20-43-11-8 59

2003 30-33-13-6 79

2002 41-27-13-1 96

2001 29-40-8-5 71

Last winning season: '01-'02

Last playoff season: '01-'02

 

Bad drafting. Bad hires. Bad trades. Archaic thinking. Stagnation. And Bob Pulford, doing a pretty fair impersonation of a Madame Tussaud waxwork taken out of the showroom to make room for a newer model, still out on display, overseeing another disasterous season. (Ol' Pully, by the way, has been installed as either coach or co-coach on FIVE separate occasions. Hmmm, notice a pattern developing here?)

 

There's no truth whatsoever to the slanderous rumor that the Hawks have, in fact, suspended operations. It only seems that way. The biggest paper in town, the Tribune, doesn't send a beat writer on the road anymore. The electronic media has forgotten they exist.

 

The season-ticket base is around 5,000. That's a rough estimation. Not even Indiana Jones could unearth the actual number.

 

Watching the Hawks organization now is sort of like seeing Mae West, sagging badly and caked with more mascara than Tammy Faye Bakker, oogling all the beefcake late in her life. From a different time, a bygone sensibility. And sort of creepy. The Wirtz family still won't show games on home TV (which, by the way, now comes in color, not black-and-white), apparently fearful of alienating a fan base that has by now deserted them.

 

Funny, all the exposure hasn't seemed to hurt the Cubs' attendance any.

 

These guys come armed with an aim more wayward than Dick Cheney's. One playoff appearance in 10 years. One Stanley Cup in 45. One honest-to-gosh .500 season in eight. The last time they actually won a playoff round, their current coach was playing for the opposition Calgary Flames. That'd be 1996.

 

The last time they actually selected a player in the entry draft lottery who made an indelible impact on the franchise was Jeremy Roenick. That'd be 1988.

 

Last summer, they actually went out and spent money. But who knew that goalie Nikolai Khabibulin (four years, $27 million) would stink the joint out for six weeks, or that Adrian Aucoin (four years, $16 million) would be hurt all the time.

 

Chicago's a helluva hockey town. But, well, you've got to give them something resembling hockey.

 

Used to be, at the old Stadium, by that moment of epiphany when Wayne Messmer reached "o'er the la-and of the free …" in his justly famous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, the 20,000-strong would set up such a mind-mulching din that the whole damn foundation would shake. Even the hairs on the back of the necks of the poodle-sized rats scurrying around the basement would stand at attention. The fans' reaction to the anthem in Chicago was legitimately one of the keepsake moments in all of sports.

 

There aren't enough interested people in the new joint to form an a cappella group.

 

That may, as the man said, have gone beyond the point of being sad.

 

Worse, though, it's pathetic.

Haha lol, the blackhawks are a team would have never known.

When you hire people and Bob 1965 Pulford is still pulling strings EVERY day with 1967 Dollar Bill no wonder people do not care. The 1960's are OVER Hawks brass.

Why do i get the feeling if they ever get a new owner, the blackhawks will be real popular again, like immediate sales increases.

They forgot to mention the season that the Wolves outdrew the 'Hawks.

The 2 worst franchises play in the same town, pretty sad (although one is the Cubs, so who gives a f*** about them). And your right Jimbo, if this team got new ownership and FO people and just got somewhat good, people would show up. A lot would. This is a sleeping giant of a hockey town, and people just want somebody who cares to support. Hell just look at how well the freaking Wolves draw, even this year when for the first time in their history (going back to 1995) they didn't make the playoffs. At least they were competitive this year, and are every year.

The 2 worst franchises play in the same town, pretty sad (although one is the Cubs, so who gives a f*** about them).  And your right Jimbo, if this team got new ownership and FO people and just got somewhat good, people would show up.  A lot would.  This is a sleeping giant of a hockey town, and people just want somebody who cares to support.  Hell just look at how well the freaking Wolves draw, even this year when for the first time in their history (going back to 1995) they didn't make the playoffs.  At least they were competitive this year, and are every year.

Correct sir.

Maybe if Wirtz showed home games on TV, he'd sellout more, and not only when the Red Wings come.

Maybe if Wirtz showed home games on TV, he'd sellout more, and not only when the Red Wings come.

No! Don't you get it! Seeing the blackhawks at the UC is an exclusive privilege to season ticket holders! If they showed games on TV, no one would come to the games!

   

 

word.

Dollar Bill Worst. The worst owner in sports.

Dollar Bill Worst. The worst owner in sports.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The NHL should consider a second franchise in Chicago. Maybe that'll get some interest in hockey in the nation's 3rd-largest market

Bettman was just here and stated how great the team was run. This team is doing the opposite of the Sox. Not getting the kids into it. No TV! No nothing! What a F'n joke. They built this team like it was 3 years age,I wonder if they even knew about the rule changes.

       

The NHL should consider a second franchise in Chicago. Maybe that'll get some interest in hockey in the nation's 3rd-largest market

No way. I imagine they'd force Whirtz out before they'd bring in a second team.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 19, 2006 -> 01:11 PM)

       

The NHL should consider a second franchise in Chicago. Maybe that'll get some interest in hockey in the nation's 3rd-largest market

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you kidding me? Hockey is dead in this town, and the NHL should be looking at contraction, not relocation or expansion.

I never thought I would say it, but they need to contract the Blackhawks badly.

I never thought I would say it, but they need to contract the Blackhawks badly.

Give me a f***ing break. Contract an original 6 team? You must want the whole NHL to contract.

 

LMAO.

Are you kidding me?  Hockey is dead in this town, and the NHL should be looking at contraction, not relocation or expansion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, but if you put a new team w/ an owner who is more open to the fans, then you might get more interest. I have no interest in hockey, b/c it's never on TV.

The Hawks don't need to contract, that's silly and they are an ORIGINAL SIX TEAM!! Just get a new owner and a decent team in the UC and people will show up. So many people think hockey is dead in this town and it's just stupid, the Wolves show that hockey isn't dead. Just get a damn team on the West side and the people will come. But right now, the team sucks, half the games aren't on TV, and tickets are expensive for a s*** team.....that is a bad formula.

Is Wirtz just not interested in selling at all? Because I think if you're someone looking for a professional sports franchise, that could actially give you a pretty good return on your investment, the Blackhawks could be a fairly good option.

 

Because you know Chicago is a sleeping giant in terms of fan support etc.

Here's an idea: Bettman should've given us the #1 pick so we could draft Sidney Crosby. Then again, knowing Wirtz, he might not have selected him and would surely let him go when FA came.

Edited April 20, 200619 yr by Cuck the Fubs

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Apr 20, 2006 -> 08:25 AM)

I agree, but if you put a new team w/ an owner who is more open to the fans, then you might get more interest. I have no interest in hockey, b/c it's never on TV.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have zero interest in hockey as well, but the fact is the MLS draws better than the NHL. Chicago should get a second soccer team before a second NHL team.