Mattie T’s Tribute to Bill Wirtz (1929-2007)

Wirtz was the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks for 41 years & witnessed an amazing streak which saw his team make the playoffs 30 times in a 31 year stretch from 1966-1997.

But even with the feat, Wirtz faced constant criticism from the national media.

ESPN the Magazine did a nationwide survey of 121 professional sports teams from the NBA, NFL, MLB & NHL and dubbed the Blackhawks as the Worst Franchise in Sports.

They also ranked Wirtz as the worst owner in sports.

Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka said in a 2006 interview on ESPN Radio that he “was not really fond of the ownership of the Blackhawks.”

Ditka also added that ” “[Wirtz] destroyed it. I watched him dismantle a great franchise.”

Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article back in January of 2004 in which he claims that Wirtz “raised prices & lowered the quality.”

Jay Marrioti ended his 2004 Chicago Sun-Times article with this:

“The minute Dollar Bill goes down, the lights go out on hockey in Chicago. And we’ll all be put out of our misery. ”

Wirtz was 77.

Before i sign off, gotta do a quick Bears update:

 

It’s now official! 9 year veteran Brian Griese will replace a struggling Rex Grossman at quarterback & will start on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

Sunday will be Griese’s 1st NFL start since October of 2005 when he completed 12 of 16 passes for 120 yards & a touchdown against Miami (as a member of Tampa Bay) before leaving the game with a sprained left knee.

Griese is 3-1 as a starter against Detroit for his career.

Until then,

Mattie T

Sports Writer for BMS Radio Chicago

www.BMSRadio.com

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