You will never win a Cup with a bad owner...The story of the Chicago Blackhawks

[periferal]

While most of us agree that wang is a horrible owner, I don't think all of us realize that we are NEVER GOING TO COMPETE FOR THE STANLEY CUP AS LONG AS HE OWNS THE TEAM.

Sure..We like to discuss off-seasons of who we might sign or trade for, but we really are just treading water. 13 years into wang's ownership (and half of that rebuilding), and we are essentially where we were in 2001.

Inept is inept and getting wang to make competent moves that will make us a winner is like asking him to dunk a basketball...He is PHYSICALLY incapable of it.

That said...Having anyone else run the team, maybe even someone's son, might bring about the necessary change to lead you to a championship. That is why Barroway might not be our savior, but we must take a chance on someone...ANYONE...New as owner.

My friends...If you read one article this summer, please make it this one...


http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2008/The-Breakaway/

Click to read more...

 

[MJF]

Great read. Thanks for posting the link. There were many similarities in Arthur and Bill Wirtz's tenures as owners of the Blackhawks that you can apply to the current Islanders regime.

 

[Isles5513]

Interesting read. Thanks for finding this, and reassuring that Wang's penny pinching ways WILL NOT win us anything.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

He treated some very good players like crap. His close personal ties to Alan Eagleson and the scandal that broke the NHL (Eagleson went to jail for backstabbing the players) should have set off alarm bells for the league, but Zeigler was in on things as well. There's three dirty guys if ever there were dirty guys, just absolute villians who deserve to be loathed.

Chuck would probably get along marvelously with them though.

 

[periferal]

Great read. Thanks for posting the link. There were many similarities in Arthur and Bill Wirtz's tenures as owners of the Blackhawks that you can apply to the current Islanders regime.

Literally my point. I already knew much of the Blackhawks story, but I read that article and said a few times, "Right! That's exactly where the Islanders are now..."

I mean can you imagine, in 2014, that the Chicago Blackhawks just 10 years ago were booing their owners, alienating former stars, and drawing only around 10,000 fans/game? It seems unfathomable, but again proves the point that OWNERSHIP IS EVERYTHING.

 

[nyisles]

I mean can you imagine, in 2014, that the Chicago Blackhawks just 10 years ago were booing their owners, alienating former stars, and drawing only around 10,000 fans/game?

10k was a good night back then, there were plenty of games where they were lucky to pack 5 or 6000 actual fans into that huge arena.

Most people try not to speak ill of the dead, but anyone who was paying attention knew that Bill Wirtz's death was the best thing that could happen to Chicago. The man made Wang seem like a spendthrift, and thought nothing of alienating his entire fanbase as long as he believed he would save a few bucks. Then Dollar Bill died, liberating this once-great franchise from his coin purse, and almost overnight they became the toast of the NHL.

Chicago went from trailing even our Islanders some years in average attendance (yes, you read that right) to leading the league in attendance every single year since 2008, one short year after the team's culture change began. Between the surge in local fan interest, endless sellouts, and multiple deep playoff runs, that organization has to be rolling in money now. I'm not sure how Dollar Bill made his fortune, but at least in this game, his son is far-and-away a smarter businessman.

 

[CupHolders]

Sadly, the Isles have NEVER had good ownership. In Pickett they had "good enough." Other than that it has literally been anyone of or several of: underfunded, criminal, neglectful or pitiful.

I don't think any Isle fan wishes to keep Wang... simply everyone views this possible period of transition as a small window of opportunity (Because the next owner will keep the Isles a minimum of 5-10 years at least... that's Tavares' prime) to get a good owner.

Yes, I want Wang out at any cost because he is proven loser. Yes, I will take my chances with anyone else too. But, I am leery that Barroway & Partners may be a retread of the "gang of four."

With that said, the Isles and their revenue stream does make sense for an owner with minimal capital. Barclays, Cable, Revenue sharing etc. seem to ensure the Isles will be able to cover organizational costs with minimal risk.

 

[periferal]

Most people try not to speak ill of the dead, but anyone who was paying attention knew that Bill Wirtz's death was the best thing that could happen to Chicago. The man made Wang seem like a spendthrift, and thought nothing of alienating his entire fanbase as long as he believed he would save a few bucks. Then Dollar Bill died, liberating this once-great franchise from his coin purse, and almost overnight they became the toast of the NHL.

You sir...Are dead on (pun intended).

Because I know somewhere deep in my subconscious that it's not healthy to hate anyone or wish for their death, I'm doing my best to just root for wang to sell and never have to hear about him again.

 

[MJF]

10k was a good night back then, there were plenty of games where they were lucky to pack 5 or 6000 actual fans into that huge arena.

Most people try not to speak ill of the dead, but anyone who was paying attention knew that Bill Wirtz's death was the best thing that could happen to Chicago. The man made Wang seem like a spendthrift, and thought nothing of alienating his entire fanbase as long as he believed he would save a few bucks. Then Dollar Bill died, liberating this once-great franchise from his coin purse, and almost overnight they became the toast of the NHL.

Chicago went from trailing even our Islanders some years in average attendance (yes, you read that right) to leading the league in attendance every single year since 2008, one short year after the team's culture change began. Between the surge in local fan interest, endless sellouts, and multiple deep playoff runs, that organization has to be rolling in money now. I'm not sure how Dollar Bill made his fortune, but at least in this game, his son is far-and-away a smarter businessman.

I think there is a difference between Wang and Arthur & Bill Wirtz. Bill Wirtz was locked into an old-school mentality on how to run a franchise. Charles Wang sometimes spent money. Its just that Wang spent money on the Isles foolishly. Usually in the name of getting a better value on a players LOONNGG term contract. Then when it became apparent to him that there was no way he could make money on the Isles given the constraints of the Coliseum, he stopped spending money altogether and in essence became a slumlord.

 

[blitzkriegs]

I think there is a difference between Wang and Arthur & Bill Wirtz. Bill Wirtz was locked into an old-school mentality on how to run a franchise. Charles Wang sometimes spent money. Its just that Wang spent money on the Isles foolishly. Usually in the name of getting a better value on a players LOONNGG term contract. Then when it became apparent to him that there was no way he could make money on the Isles given the constraints of the Coliseum, he stopped spending money altogether and in essence became a slumlord.

Wirtz ran his franchise like his other businesses. So does Wang. Both, to their detriment. It's not until someone else realized how detrimental it was on the franchise to run it that way. Rocky admits the team was hemoraging cash. His method? Invest in it, change the culture, and win. Wang? Spend to get his real estate, cut costs, lose. One's a winner, the other always a loser.

During that time, no one wanted to play in Chicago - even with a new arena, original six team, and in a major market. Why? 1,000,000 percent because of the owner and culture. Sound familiar?

 

[A Pointed Stick]

I think there is a difference between Wang and Arthur & Bill Wirtz. Bill Wirtz was locked into an old-school mentality on how to run a franchise. Charles Wang sometimes spent money. Its just that Wang spent money on the Isles foolishly. Usually in the name of getting a better value on a players LOONNGG term contract. Then when it became apparent to him that there was no way he could make money on the Isles given the constraints of the Coliseum, he stopped spending money altogether and in essence became a slumlord.

You could argue that this approach is worse. Wirtz at least had a plan. It was by choice he was a hard ass miser who starved the team for money. My first guess would be so he could always use it as a massive write off for his other successful businesses. Wang on the other hand leapt from CA before it went down in flames, lost big on the bust-land deal, lost big on the team when he was spending money because he was inept, then when the real reason he bought the team died he goes into such a miserly tight wad mode that the team suffers from it. Everything he has done since day one, despite the masquerade that he cares, was done from the position that he doesn't really care.

The only people who don't realize that or will admit it are the folks who prefer to run away from reality. Remember his ultimate quote, something about wishing he never bought the team in the first place.

His feelings could not have been better explained than right there.