Rocky Wirtz
It’s bad form to rip on the deceased, but let’s just say the passing of Bill Wirtz in fall of 2007 brought more tears of joy than cries of sorrow to Hawks fans’ eyes. The man was disliked, to say the least, and the team’s Stanley Cup drought has for some time seemed the direct result of his unfortunate frugality. (There’s a reason Sports Illustrated named this the worst franchise in sports history.) Bill’s son Rocky took over as chairman, and a new age dawned—the future suddenly became brighter, bright like a television set, maybe even one broadcasting a Hawks home game.

Best of Chicago 2008

Rocky Wirtz’s balls

Not only did he reject his old man’s adamant refusal to put the Hawks on TV and make efforts to mend the broken relationship with legend Bobby Hull, he canned coach Denis Savard after only four games of the 2008-2009 campaign as soon as he realized he didn’t like where the team was headed.

Audience choice:
Televised games

Audience comments: “Ice girls”; “They would have never let Bobby Hull leave. I used to watch every game on TV, listen to every game on the radio. They broke my heart. They let my hero get away. I never came back”; “Young, cute players.”

Best of Chicago 2008