Opinion of Mike Ilitch as owner?

[Winger98]

Love the $5 pizzas. Quick, cheap, easy way of feeding everyone.

 

[jkutswings]

I tend to put Little Caesar's pizza in a category with fish sticks, hot dogs, and McDonald's happy meals:

Some food was awesome as a kid, but now that I'm aware of better options within a given genre, more often than not, I'll pass.

While Chicago-style deep dish is my favorite, there are plenty of great chain stores (Louie's, Buscemi's, Cottage Inn, even Pizza Hut) that I'd take over a Hot and Ready in a heartbeat.

On the creative (and much healthier) side, my wife makes a great Mediterranean pizza, and a restaurant where I went to college did spectacular versions of both a tostada pizza and a garlic chicken pizza, but that's not really fair to compare those to chain stores.

 

[Flowah]

Cottage Inn
Papa Romanos
Buddys

And I haven't lived in Michigan for a looooong time.

Cottage Inn sucks.

But Costco pizza dominates the price/value/taste categories. $10 for the biggest damn pizza you'll ever see, and tastes pretty damn good too.

 

[Retire91]

Cottage Inn sucks.

But Costco pizza dominates the price/value/taste categories. $10 for the biggest damn pizza you'll ever see, and tastes pretty damn good too.

LOL we should start a pizza thread so as not to derail on poor OP. Agreed on all counts, Cottage Inn is so overrated. I know a lot of people that rave about Costco pizza though I have not tried one.

This is a great moment. In 97 I think when they handed the cup to illich in the crowd. He really did whatever it took to build the best team.

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

Don't see how anyone could say he's a bad owner. Although I do think the Tigers have taken priority lately.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Love the $5 pizzas. Quick, cheap, easy way of feeding everyone.

Yup.

I'm in my 20s. I don't need a goddamn cuisine to enjoy a dinner.

Hot and Ready's GOAT.

Ilitch is fine as an owner, but who knows how much he actually does these days? The guy is a walking mummy at this point.

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

Yup.

I'm in my 20s. I don't need a goddamn cuisine to enjoy a dinner.

Hot and Ready's GOAT.

Ilitch is fine as an owner, but who knows how much he actually does these days? The guy is a walking mummy at this point.

This is true. I feel bad sometimes when they make him stand up for a presser or something media related. Seems like he can hardly speak.

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

To add to the pizza discussion: The Little Caesar's deep dish is better than anything you can get from places like Pizza Hut/Papa Johns. IMHO

 

[SpookyTsuki]

I love how this turned into a pizza debating thread

 

[RabidBadger]

Jolly Pumpkin brew-pub in midtown has one of the best pizzas i've had locally. Wood-fired, dawg!

In the lexicon of owners I would put Ilitch near the top. Look what Chicago had to endure when Bill Wirtz was around.

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

Jolly Pumpkin brew-pub in midtown has one of the best pizzas i've had locally. Wood-fired, dawg!

In the lexicon of owners I would put Ilitch near the top. Look what Chicago had to endure when Bill Wirtz was around.

Ever had Sgt. Pepperoni's located inside the Garden Bowl/Majestic/Magic Stick?

Probably my favorite "by the slice" pizza EVER.

 

[RabidBadger]

Ever had Sgt. Pepperoni's located inside the Garden Bowl/Majestic/Magic Stick?

Probably my favorite "by the slice" pizza EVER.

We hit up the Majestic complex almost every new year. Sgt. P's is the perfect ending to a night of libations and dirty Detroit rock and roll.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I don't see how any Red Wings fan can disapprove of Mike Ilitch

He took this franchise from a complete joke to one of the most successful franchises in professional sports over the last 20 years. Even with the Tigers he spent as much money as possible/needed to put that team in a situation to win a World Series, it just didn't pan out

 

[jkutswings]

Do you think he's a good owner for the Red Wings? Is baseball taking away from his ownership of the Red Wings?

Keep in mind that this was the original question.

I don't think anybody would question his overall body of work as an owner, but that's not what was asked. The debate should be about how he's doing RIGHT NOW, particularly with respect to owning multiple teams in the same market.

So to answer that, yes, I do believe that over the last few years, his desperate desire to win a World Series, in contrast to the multiple championships he has with the Wings, has contributed to less involvement in hockey. Making the playoffs has been automatic on the ice, and he's taken his foot off the pedal a bit, while doing absolutely everything he can, short of literally purchasing a World Series championship.

Now does that make him an awful owner? No. But I don't see any harm whatsoever in saying that he's not as involved as he used to be, and that the franchise has been at least slightly affected because of it.

 

[Actual Thought*]

Keep in mind that this was the original question.

I don't think anybody would question his overall body of work as an owner, but that's not what was asked. The debate should be about how he's doing RIGHT NOW, particularly with respect to owning multiple teams in the same market.

So to answer that, yes, I do believe that over the last few years, his desperate desire to win a World Series, in contrast to the multiple championships he has with the Wings, has contributed to less involvement in hockey. Making the playoffs has been automatic on the ice, and he's taken his foot off the pedal a bit, while doing absolutely everything he can, short of literally purchasing a World Series championship.

Now does that make him an awful owner? No. But I don't see any harm whatsoever in saying that he's not as involved as he used to be, and that the franchise has been at least slightly affected because of it.

I think most self made billionaires are capable of multitasking. The salary cap has been the biggest detriment to the Wings. Illitch has remained committed to spend to the cap. He has flown in to pitch FAs and he is building a new state of the art arena for the Wings. There is absolutely zero indication that ownership is less engaged or committed than at any time before. On the contrary there are far more resources being invested in the Wings than the Tigers. He is doing everything any reasonable fan could ask.

 

[Retire91]

I don't think it really detracts from the Wings performance though even if his focus is a baseball championship. I don't know the financials but I have to beleive a successful tigers franchise brings in boatloads more cash for his enterprises.

If there was one fault over the last little while I would say it was not recognizing it was time to move on from Holland and put Yzerman in charge. Now Tampa is reaping the rewards while Detroit gets first round exit bad news bears meh veteran teams. But Holland is still a successful and great GM and the wings next championship is still a work in progress so if that is the only fault. With limited visibility as a fan he appears to be doing everything an owner can do to keep the wings a world class team.

I promise to try a little ceasers deep dish but I will keep my expectations in check

 

[jkutswings]

I think most self made billionaires are capable of multitasking. The salary cap has been the biggest detriment to the Wings. Illitch has remained committed to spend to the cap. He has flown in to pitch FAs and he is building a new state of the art arena for the Wings. There is absolutely zero indication that ownership is less engaged or committed than at any time before. On the contrary there are far more resources being invested in the Wings than the Tigers. He is doing everything any reasonable fan could ask.

The new arena will be nice - albeit both overdue and at taxpayers' expense - but unless I'm mis-remembering, haven't we seen multiple seasons with unused cap room?

I'm not saying the guy is even below average, but the front office as a whole, ownership included, has lost a bit of luster in my eyes, going from #1 with a bullet, to being good, but not great.

EDIT: As of last November, Forbes ranked the Wings as the 9th most valuable NHL franchise. Now obviously that isn't the only factor for good ownership, and when the new arena opens, that will help, but looking at the overall prestige of the franchise (success in the playoffs, free agent destination, quality of facilities, etc.), Detroit has unquestionably dipped of late. Now yes, you can't be #1 forever, but it's also ok to say that rebounding to top 5 status should be a goal.

 

[Winger98]

The new arena will be nice - albeit both overdue and at taxpayers' expense - but unless I'm mis-remembering, haven't we seen multiple seasons with unused cap room?

I'm not saying the guy is even below average, but the front office as a whole, ownership included, has lost a bit of luster in my eyes, going from #1 with a bullet, to being good, but not great.

Yes and no. I think only one year with a significant amount of cap room (~$6m), a couple of times around $3m, I think. It never seemed to be from a lack of trying, though.

 

[PuckDynasty]

I don't think Mr. I has the mental capacity to really run either team at this point.

Whether it's him, Mrs. I or Chris, one of them doesn't run every entity of Ilitch Holdings. I'm sure they have many, many people to run things. I find it kind of funny when people say he's too "busy" with the Tigers to do anything with the Red Wings

I think whichever I is in charge, they make more good choices than bad. But I do think they sometimes take the loyalty card to the nth degree. They tend to stay with the tried and true veterans long after they are productive and are more partial to the homegrown talent and are maybe a little too conservative when it comes to making big trades. As someone else mentioned about the new arena debacle doesn't put him in the best light

I don't think he's above criticism, but he/she/they do mostly good things.

On the pizza front, a $5 Little Caesars Large with pepperoni was the weekly delicacy in college. A nice break from the ramen.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I don't think Mr. I has the mental capacity to really run either team at this point.

Whether it's him, Mrs. I or Chris, one of them doesn't run every entity of Ilitch Holdings. I'm sure they have many, many people to run things. I find it kind of funny when people say he's too "busy" with the Tigers to do anything with the Red Wings

I think whichever I is in charge, they make more good choices than bad. But I do think they sometimes take the loyalty card to the nth degree. They tend to stay with the tried and true veterans long after they are productive and are more partial to the homegrown talent and are maybe a little too conservative when it comes to making big trades. As someone else mentioned about the new arena debacle doesn't put him in the best light

I don't think he's above criticism, but he/she/they do mostly good things.

On the pizza front, a $5 Little Caesars Large with pepperoni was the weekly delicacy in college. A nice break from the ramen.

Chris is at least in charge of the Wings these day. I know they ran something about it a couple years ago, that he became the voting member and runs the ownership angle. I assume they did something similar with the Tigers.

Not sure who our official board of governor voter is, some teams allow their GM or President to do the voting. Chris Ilitch would be in charge of Ownership votes though now.

 

[YostisHome]

Would have more cups if he realized how much of a fraud his GM is.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Would have more cups if he realized how much of a fraud his GM is.

What blows my mind is people actually believe this. Winning championships, even as the prohibitive favorite, is a crapshoot. In that crapshoot, the Wings won four Cups and lost a fifth because Maxime Talbot scored two goals. And lost several opportunities because they ran into Gigeure in a Conn Smythe year or Roloson in a Cinderella run.

Ken Holland isn't perfect but if you can see that he's done way more positive for this roster than negative, I don't know what to tell you

 

[Retire91]

What blows my mind is people actually believe this. Winning championships, even as the prohibitive favorite, is a crapshoot. In that crapshoot, the Wings won four Cups and lost a fifth because Maxime Talbot scored two goals. And lost several opportunities because they ran into Gigeure in a Conn Smythe year or Roloson in a Cinderella run.

Ken Holland isn't perfect but if you can see that he's done way more positive for this roster than negative, I don't know what to tell you

Those were all during years where he did an outstanding job as the GM. Their last championship has been followed up by season after season of headscratching signing, unexplainable roster management, and bad to horrible trades. Can't take away his past success but Ilitch did miss the boat on switching Holland out with Yzerman. That can't be argued with the last 4-5 seasons as a track record.