May 20, 200619 yr The Blackhawks, who have watched their popularity drop consistently in the last decade, withdrew their contract offer to broadcaster Pat Foley Friday, ending the 25-year relationship between the team and broadcaster. The Hawks did not make a formal announcement regarding Foley, instead sending out a press release at 7 p.m. Friday evening. The last paragraph of the release states, "Due to recent circumstances, the Blackhawks today have withdrawn their contract offer to Mr. Foley." "Those circumstances are personal between Pat and the Blackhawks," said Jim DeMaria, Executive Director of Communications for the Hawks. It wasn't lost on Foley that there was no acknowledgement by the Hawks of his 25 years with the team, especially after being in Los Angeles earlier in the season when the Kings gave a grand pre-game ceremony to their TV analyst, Jim Fox, marking his 25 years with the organization. What a bunch of gutless Pricks and do it on a friday Night , just like the Scrubs and contract extensions, they keep Pulford stupid ass around forever and treat Foley like s*** no wonder they are so far down the charts in Chicago............f*** THE WIRTZ'S :finger Edited May 20, 200619 yr by Soxfest
May 20, 200619 yr Maybe Foley can call games that actually have people watching and listening now. Unless he goes to OLN, where he'll still call games for the walls of the building. That wasn't a contract withdrawal, that was a release from Sports Purgitory. The Blackhawks would have to GAIN public interest just to be called irrelevant.
May 20, 200619 yr QUOTE(The Critic @ May 20, 2006 -> 06:51 AM) Maybe Foley can call games that actually have people watching and listening now. Unless he goes to OLN, where he'll still call games for the walls of the building. That wasn't a contract withdrawal, that was a release from Sports Purgitory. The Blackhawks would have to GAIN public interest just to be called irrelevant. There went the last and final reason to be interested in the Slackhawks. Its yet another sad day in a long line of sad days for the dozen or so of the die hard die hards who still bother to pay any attention to this s*** team.
May 20, 200619 yr If the NHL ever wants to get interest for hockey in the nations 3rd-largest market, they should give Chicago a 2nd franchise. I mean, WTF is w/ New York having 3??
May 20, 200619 yr QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ May 20, 2006 -> 11:49 AM) If the NHL ever wants to get interest for hockey in the nations 3rd-largest market, they should give Chicago a 2nd franchise. I mean, WTF is w/ New York having 3?? They need to give Chicago a FIRST real NHL franchise before they can give us a second. I only wish there was some "for the good of the game" rule they could enforce to make Wirthless sell the team.
May 21, 200619 yr QUOTE(DBAH0 @ May 20, 2006 -> 07:24 PM) Well you can hardly call it suprising. How old is Wirtz now anyways? He has a son, wont get much better.
May 21, 200619 yr QUOTE(Jimbo @ May 21, 2006 -> 05:30 PM) He has a son, wont get much better. I believe there was an article in the Tribune a while back where his son said he would do a lot things differently than his father IIRC.
May 21, 200619 yr QUOTE(DBAH0 @ May 21, 2006 -> 02:37 AM) I believe there was an article in the Tribune a while back where his son said he would do a lot things differently than his father IIRC. I'll believe it when I see it. His kids know how they got rich. I believe they're playing "good cop" right now and will revert to their Wirtzian heritage of s***ting on hockey fans after they shovel dirt onto Pops. I hope I'm wrong about the sons.
May 21, 200619 yr Wonderful. There are now officially zero reasons to pay any attention to the Hawks.
May 21, 200619 yr QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 21, 2006 -> 08:19 AM) Wonderful. There are now officially zero reasons to pay any attention to the Hawks. Blow up the franchise!!
May 21, 200619 yr QUOTE(The Critic @ May 21, 2006 -> 07:08 AM) I'll believe it when I see it. His kids know how they got rich. I believe they're playing "good cop" right now and will revert to their Wirtzian heritage of s***ting on hockey fans after they shovel dirt onto Pops. I hope I'm wrong about the sons. They got rich selling booze. The team is an afterthought to the old man. I honestly couldn't care less about hockey, but all you Hawks fans probably ought to give the kids a chance, if Bill doesn't sell first.
May 22, 200619 yr QUOTE(Mplssoxfan @ May 21, 2006 -> 06:58 PM) They got rich selling booze. The team is an afterthought to the old man. I honestly couldn't care less about hockey, but all you Hawks fans probably ought to give the kids a chance, if Bill doesn't sell first. Okay, then change that to "how they've gotten RICHER" or "how they've STAYED rich". As far as the team being an afterthought, I would definitely disagree. Their beer goes from the family-owned distributorship to the family-controlled concession stands and sells at an obscene profit. Why they'd risk that by alienating every hockey fan in Chicago is beyond me, but they seem bent on doing just that. I'll wait and see what they do once Billy Worst kicks the bucket, but I'm not expecting much to change.
May 22, 200619 yr I will tell you what. It wouldnt be that hard to make some money with an NHL franchise in chicago if operated correctly. You couldnt tell me that putting some games on comcast and WGN, signing some good young players, and making the games more fan friendly wouldnt bring in some fans.
May 22, 200619 yr I will tell you what. It wouldnt be that hard to make some money with an NHL franchise in chicago if operated correctly. You couldnt tell me that putting some games on comcast and WGN, signing some good young players, and making the games more fan friendly wouldnt bring in some fans. Excatly. Which is why you give Chicago a 2nd franchise, w/ a fan-friendly owner, who will actually spend the money and televise games regardless of whether they sell out or not
May 22, 200619 yr Pat Foley is a top three NHL announcer, and this is ridiculous to low ball a legend and the face of Blackhawk radio. I hold no grudges against his decision.
May 23, 200619 yr I don't have the words for how sad that is. I learned to love the Blackhawks when I was a kid, listening to Pat Foley on WBBM. I remember getting in trouble for not being asleep when "Bannerman, the save!" could be heard from my clock-radio well past bedtime. I always felt blessed to have such a great sportscaster, and Dale Tallon wasn't bad opposite Foley. And I remember that hot summer day in 1996, coming home from my internship and hearing the dire news that the Phoenix Coyotes had acquired the rights to Jeremy Roenick after months of lip service to the fans and the press that 'resigning Jeremy Roenick is our number one priority.' I still have the authentic home white #27 jersey I bought three months before that terrible day. And every so often when I put it on I think how sad it is that this once-glorious team has sunk so far into the depths of obscurity at the hands of one of the most vile men in professional sports.
May 26, 200619 yr Bobby Hull - He Gone! Jeremy Roenick - He Gone! Ed Belfour - He Gone! Chris Chelios - He Gone! Tony Amonte - He Gone! Pat Foley - He Gone! Fans - They Gone! Wirtz and Pulford - still going strong I used to love the Hawks. For a while I was getting tired trying to explain why I loved them. A few years ago, I gave up defending. Now, I have given up on them entirely. This past year I knew of Khababulin and that's it. And he sucked for the Hawks as well. What a shame when this once great and proud francise closes shop and goes out of business. F U Bill Wirtz.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.