from Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune,

Chicago Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz is the rare owner of a Chicago sports team whose popularity has remained intact in spite of his team’s bout with mediocrity....

One reason for his quick acceptance in Chicago was the man he replaced, his father, Bill, happened to be one of the most disliked owners ever, nicknamed “Dollar Bill” for his frugal ways.

To his credit, Rocky immediately rejected the backward business model his father built, putting home games on TV and hiring marketing expert John McDonough away from the Cubs to run the organization.

But after McDonough was abruptly fired as Hawks president without reason Monday, we’ll soon find out whether Rocky’s Teflon image will also bite the dust. After all, McDonough made Wirtz, whether the Hawks chairman cares to admit it or not.

It was McDonough who transformed the Hawks from laughingstock to league power, who brought back iconic players Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito as team ambassadors and who rehired beloved broadcaster Pat Foley after the Hawks had let him go for being too honest about the team.

Before agreeing to become Hawks president, McDonough made it a condition that he would be allowed to rehire Foley.

more