Bill Wirtz Makes Me Feel Like An Ass
Two days ago, in a blog post about Patrick "Gretzky" Kane's loose lips, I made a reference to the Blackhawks as "undeniably the worst-run and least-promising franchise" in the entire NHL.
Today, Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz died of cancer.
Now I feel like an ass.
It's not that I'm wrong, the Blackhawks really ARE the worst-run, least-promising franchise in the entire NHL. And it's also true that Wirtz was a really terrible hockey owner, a guy that tried to run a sports team like a Wal-Mart---spend nothing on the people that work there and desperately cling to the bottom line. It works for discount superstores, but not for NHL franchises. Wirtz destroyed what once was a great and glorious tradition in Chicago.
But Wirtz wasn't just a hockey owner, he was also a really generous philanthropist. While he wrung the Blackhawks free of talent and fans with his spendthrift ways, he instead spent money doing what really matters---helping other people.
So rest in peace, Dollar Bill. Let's hope your charity work continues on in your absence, and let's hope the Blackhawks someday recover from your presence.
And let's hope Patrick Kane learns to keep his mouth shut.
