Dale Tallon Gives Memorial for Bill Wirtz Blackhawks

[bhawksaddict]

The only thing Bill Wirtz did right in his life was have one smart ass kid.

[southsidesoxside]

THANK GOD FOR ROCKY

[southsidesoxside]

BILL WIRTZ SUCKS AND HE WAS NOT RESPECTED BY CHICAGO'S WORKING CLASS STFU DALE TALLON, ITS TOO BAD DOLLAR BILL DIDN'T DIE SOONER.

[IDF1987]

The new History will be Made commercial. It has Toews lifting the Cup and then has this question in text on the screen. "What if Dollar Bill didn't die?"

[IDF1987]

I long for the day when we can boo at Mike McCaskey's moment of silence. Thank you Rocky Wirtz though for not being an idiot like your father. Thank you for bringing back Pat Foley. Thank you for putting the Hawks on TV, and thank you for bringing us the Cup.

[sugarbear522]

How many fans think Bill Wirtz is in hell??

[Blackhawks4Life88]

It's amazing what we're capable of when Wirtz dies.......

[creepingdeth1981]

Fuck you bill wirtz!

[happyhourkid]

@xxgohawks08  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA­HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

[IDF1987]

You know we are going to give Mike McCaskey the same when he dies. Any true Bears fan who has felt frustration will happily boo his moment of silence just as the Hawks fans did.

[fluffynoses]

@IDF1987 i'm with you bud. i hate the mccaskeys with a passion.

[evanw2192]

@IDF1987 Yeah Mccaskey is such a pos he fired ditka over ditka giving him swirlies when Mccaskey was a ball boy in the 60s.

[Anthony903]

@deathbysporks ROFL!!

[thecolourblue100]

I'm not from Chicago and I never really knew about the Blackhawks back then, I think growing up I only knew about the team because it was an Original six team, and even then I would forget about them. Then one day while I was visiting my cousin in Chicago he had an extra ticket to the home opener so I went. I was so confused at what was going on why everyone was booing some dead guy; I became interested, started following the hawks team, and now I'm a huge fan, all because of Bill's death.weird.

[gobears1987]

The Hawks won and it was thanks to the death of Dollar Bill!!!

[rdldr1]

Rot in peace Bill Wirtz. 

[gobears1987]

@rdldr1 You mean rot in hell.

[awritersheart]

I don't care how controversial an owner he was; people shouldn't disrespect the dead like that.

[fluffynoses]

@awritersheart you don't know the kind of fucker bill wirtz was

[awritersheart]

@fluffynoses I still have to stand by my original statement

[fluffynoses]

@awritersheart i respect that. at least you're not one of those jackass wings' fans who are spoiled by their success and criticize hawks' fans for booing bill wirtz as though acting like that was worse than being a suicide bomber

[Hockeytown0001]

@fluffynoses Jackass Wings fans? Until your bandwagon fan base stops chanting "Detroit sucks" at games, even when Chicago isn't even playing Detroit, you have no room to call members of another fan base "jackass".

[fluffynoses]

@Hockeytown0001 lol man up moron. you're getting your panties in a bunch b/c fans from ANOTHER TEAM AND ANOTHER CITY just happened to hate Detroit and all their sports teams.

[Hockeytown0001]

@fluffynoses Whatever makes you feel better.

[southsidesoxside]

@Hockeytown0001 bandwagon? u mean like red wings fans? yeah thats the team everyone bandwagons, before 2010 we won nothing since 1961 and u got the nerve to call us bandwagon fans, im a chicago supporter full force, ive been a hawks fan my whole life and aint no bandwagoner dumbass dumptoilet faggot get the fuck lost and detroit does suck wtf u gonna do about it? cry? is that what i see? do u have tears running down your face because you live in denial that detroit fucking sucks?

[Hockeytown0001]

@southsidesoxside Yea you're right. 4 Cups in the last 11 years and 10 consecutive years of 100 points or more....that's sure awful.

[southsidesoxside]

@Hockeytown0001 my point exactly you win 4 cups and the bandwagon fills up, don't be calling us bandwagoners when the red wings are the ones with the bandwagon fans, when did i say any of that was awful? has nothing to do with detroit being a dump.

[gobears1987]

@awritersheart He shouldn't have disrespected the fans then. He disrespected us in life so we disrespect him in death.

[69AfroThunda69]

@awritersheart It's just death, respecting someone just because they cease to exist is pompous and stupid. And that bastard caused us years of pain.

[Franchizz555]

@awritersheart

Why should anyone respect a person simply because they died? By this logic we should respect Hitler. Now before anyone jumps the fence, no I am not comparing the two. I am merely stating respect should be earned through your actions when alive. Wirtz was the epitome of greed, refusing to even televise logic games because it might upset season ticket holders. Never was an issue elsewhere though. Wirtz was an asshole and can rot in his grave. As a Hawks fan now I spit on it.

[chitowncards1]

wirtz does not get nearly enough credit. he and tallon assembled 90% of this years team. rocky and mcdonough could not have walked into a better situation. talk about taking credit from someone elses work

[fluffynoses]

@chitowncards1 i would agree with you but you clearly don't know the kind of man bill wirtz was. i guarantee you that he would have traded toews, kane, niemi, sharp, seabrook, keith, all of them by now and signed some dumbass like alexei yashin to headline the team

[yojimbo81]

I lived in Chicagoland for a decade from '98-'08. As a Redwings fan I went to a few games and was embarassed for Hawks fans as there were more Redwings fans in the house. That's how hated Wirtz was. People wouldn't go to games despite being diehard Hawks fans. When Wirtz died I've never seen people more happy. Seriously. The man was a jerk. Possibly the worst owner in North American sports.

[RockoSDMF]

Wirtz was the American Harrold Ballard. He absolutely destroyed the Blackhawks franchise. Thankfully Rocky fell a lot further away from the tree.

[fixumesslaxemess]

no class..he was a good person

[dknights411]

@fixumesslaxemess

That is most likely true, but the problem here is that he screwed the Chicago Blackhawks over a thousand-fold as a sports owner. Despite being an original 6 team and the holders of some of the proudest hockey traditions, the Blackhawks of the late 90s - early 2000s were a flat out laughing stock.

[mperry2879]

Because of Wirtz's team policies regarding the overall disrespect towards the fans and the players, I stopped being a Hawks fan. It seemed pointless to root for a team that had absolutely no ambition and respect so I became an Avalanche fan. The Avs were competive every year through the mid 90's to the early 2000s. While I am not just going to give up on them yet and immediately change my allegences to the Hawks again, it is nice to see they are headed in the right direction again

[southparkfan2717]

A got an old newspaper from 1970. There is an add that say's the hawks playoff games will be show in a theater, tickets are $4. Can you believe it, that douche wouldn't even televise the playoffs.

[gobears1987]

I don't blame the fans for booing Dollar Bill even after he died.

[beefcakes42]

Rocky definatly saved the blackhawks from extinction

[rjst09]

Poor Dale, listen to the booing! Dollar Bill squeeked when he walked.

[Sacto1654]

Bill Wirtz was so old-fashioned and stubborn in his beliefs that he came very close to driving the Chicago Blackhawks out of existence. Now that his policies are gone, the Blackhawks are actually a GREAT team again--proof that Chicago is still a great hockey town, but it was ruined by Bill Wirtz's bad policies.

[08WSChamps]

im not firmiliar with this whole story of bill wirtz and the barton organ. i just happen to come across it when looking up old organ hockey songs, im not from the chicago area so im not totally sure whats going on here. from what ive seen the beautiful organ from chicago stadium was dismantiled and caught fire in storage. many of you chicago fans r extrememly pissd @ "Dollar Bill" for not installing it in united center. he must have been awfully greedy. can some1 explain me the story?

[southparkfan2717]

We hated him because he was a retard. He believed it was wrong to televise home games, saying it was unfair to season ticket holders. As a result, the Hawks never got the attention they deserved from the media, which kept intreats from potential new fans, which kept attendance down, which made the team suck. And there's a bunch of other shit he did to to make the team suck.

There should have been know tribute. I was able to become a Hawks fan all because of his death.

[LordBeer3000]

Wasnt even just what he did to the Hawks. I hated him for the 'Wirtz Law' that secured his liqueur distribution and let him raise prices without fear of retribution. He screwed everyone in IL, not just Blackhawks fans.

[VolumedMusicMan]

The whole scene with Tallon giving a speach to boos was awkward, yet convincing that something had to be done to reverse the fortunes of this storied franchise. Now the winning trend is full gear.

[pjasko27]

hahahaa i was at this game it was the home opener 3 years ago... it was so fun booing his ass

[sugarbear522]

I can sum up this memorial service in four words: No Love Fo Dolla Bill!!! All these fans sound like those WBC sayin that Bill Wirtz has gone to hell.

You think Bill Wirtz is in hell?

[southparkfan2717]

The only problem I have with Rocky is the fact that he believes in that bull shit of cutting down on organ music to appeal to the younger fans. Fuck, I'm young and I want to hear the traditional organ music. Its the same shit now at the Sox games. No disrespect to Rocky though, god bless him for everything else.

[packerhawk24]

Actually they were doing that shit before Dollar Bill croaked, ever since around the time of the lockout. I went to a game in November '05 and there was almost NO organ to be heard. Rocky actually brought Pellico back somewhat.

[southparkfan2717]

Well that's a relief. I don't want to hate Rocky at all.

[C33Four]

Lolol I was there for that. A great time for change with the Hawks.

[southparkfan2717]

I used to only be a football and baseball guy, I never watched hockey because it was never on, and I never heard a lot about the Hawks, but last year I became a Hawks fan, and its all thanks to Dollar Bill being dead.

[Wildfan00988]

Also, he was the Biggest supporter of Gary Fuckface Bettman. NHL Killers.

[jaicha1]

Hahaha! booed in death! only a real asshole

[PatsSoxCeltsHawks]

The wicked witch is dead

[alexf5]

Really, there should have been no "ceremony" in the first place, as there was nothing to commemorate other than Dollar Bill's financially shortsighted team management, and his running out of town players like Bobby Hull, Doug Wilson, Jeremy Roenick, Ed Belfour, and/or any other player who sought a competitive salary.

Having this "ceremony" was a slap in the face to all true Blackhawks fans who had to live thru the WW Wirtz years.

Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[martinsmartians]

I have mixed feelings about this . . . Although I absolutely despised Dollar Bill, he was still a human being. The ol' bastard wasn't Bin Ladin or Hitler, just a fan-hating miser. I wanted him OUT of the Blackhawks not dead. I don't know if I would've booed and I'm not sure how I feel about fans booing.

[ShadesEvanston]

I'm right next to you, martins.... It's very sad that it took the death of a human, and the sheer perseverence of a son to reverse ALL the father's actions, for a franchise to reestablish itself. Sad, but completely true nonetheless. And I don't know how to feel about it. Because I hated the old man and wanted him to pay. But, I hate myself for thinking those thoughts of a dead guy.

[mjn76]

I agree, martin. I found William Wirtz to be a greedy, insensitive and hopelessly out of touch owner, but booing him in death was classless.

[Wildfan00988]

Your right sfael8732!

[sfael8732]

Bill Wirtz didn't respect Chicago, why should Chicago respect Bill Wirtz

[Wildfan00988]

GIVE HIM RESPECT! UH NO, because you have to earn respect, you don't recieve respect, and Bill Wirtz never should have respect for what he did! THANK YOU ROCKY!

[sportboy6]

It's a shame that a death has to happen to make the Blackhawks relevant to the Chicago Sports scene again. For several years this franchise had become a joke. All the empty seats at the UC speak volumes about the apathy of Chicago hockey fans. Most went to watch the Wolves of the AHL who were far more entertaining and were winning too.

[jeff021690]

the fact is, its not that the fans ever stopped liking the hawks, it was just too hard to follow them. They never got any attention in the newspaper because they werent winning games, they werent ever on espn or sportscenter because hockey is never covered for more then 5 minutes, and it obviously was impossible to follow them on tv...its hard to expect people to pay money to see a team play when they get no coverage, local or national...either way the hawks are back GO HAWKS!

[rob32909]

Stay classy, Chicago.

[Wildfan00988]

SCROUGE, why should this guy be in the hall of fame, he is in right now, but, he did make hockey, even for us Wild Fans a joke, I'm sure Steinber would spend every buck he had if he owned the Hawks, Thanks for ruining hearts of Chicago, Hockey Fans, and The World. MR. GRINCH

[crawdaddy1819]

absolutely....he really fucked the hawks up...kinda funny how ppl boo him!

[Wildfan00988]

One again, my OOPS, lie, I mean like!

[Wildfan00988]

Did Tallon say he loved to watch the Hawks in the playoffs? More like watching and starring at his money all day! So for all of you guys who will be future owners of sports franchise, don't be a mother fucker lie William Bitch Wirtz was!

[Wildfan00988]

I messed up on home when I said "hmoe". OOPS!

MY BAD!

[Wildfan00988]

God, I'm Wild/Blackhawks fan and Wirtz, all I have to say to him that your are a STUPID MOTHER FUCKER! The Wild puts every game on T.V. and fans still show up! So no, not televising every hmoe game doesn't ruin attendance, its your decisions that were a PIECE OF SHIT that ruined attendance, DUMB ASS!

[Spr463]

Did Dale Tallon say that Bill Wirtz's was respected by "Chicago's Working Class?"

I DON'T THINK SO.

Chicago's working class is defined as much a hard-working, blue collar core that you will meet on the busy streets.

Having mention that, they desired a winning product, not produced in around the last 12 years, afforable ticket prices, and yes let's not forget all games on television (away and home).

Now that Bill Wirtz has passed on, it's time to move forward with a new era.

THANK YOU ROCKY!

[bigbobbydahmer]

That's pretty harsh...getting booed by 20,000 people at your own memorial! Blackhawk fans rock!!!

[ChronoTriggerX]

Rocky says fu dad!

[metalrya]

That wasnt his funeral.

[Spr463]

It's a little hard to listen to what Dale Tallon is saying, considering everyone in the United Center was booing.

I don't wish death upon anyone, but you have to admit, it took the death of "Dollar Bill" to change everyting.

God Bless you Rocky, and thank you for the bright future.

[millerra]

Read "Career Misconduct" sometime.

With any luck, Bill Wirtz is rotting in hell right now. He was an awful, awful human being and deserves no respect, living or dead.

[scruffz]

I get why Hawks fans were pissed at Wirtz, but to boo a dead man? That's just classes. What if you went to a funeral for one of your loved ones, and someone can into the room and started talking shit about your dead family member?

[metalrya]

no, he destroyed the best team on earth.

[ShadowJoe107]

I'd like to thank 'Dollar' Bill Wirtz for teaching me the aesthetics of hate. I'm glad Rocky is almost nothing like his father.

[Will316316]

Crazy... Thank God the fans have something to cheer for now. Someone should have stepped in while he was alive, before it got to this...

[Shaydog00966]

Im so glad hes dead, what a Fucking Bitch that guy was. Here is the death of the shitty owner Bitch Wirtz.

[PYLrulz1984]

Then lets see your team be destroyed by a greedy owner that doesnt give two damns about what the fans think, and will squeeze every last cent out of anything he grabs his hands off of.

Owners like Bill Wurtz, Peter Angelos, etc. should be banned for even thinking of owning sports franchises, as they do no good to sports whatsoever. At least the son though has his head screwed on straight.

[PYLrulz1984]

My brother even agrees with what the fans were doing. He said that if Peter Angelos died tomorrow, and he went to a game honoring him, he would boo whenever the bs started.

[vargaha]

i'm a wings fan, and i'm glad the hawks have a decent owner now. more good teams in hockey is a good thing.

[cfler68]

lol dEAHBYSPORKS that is funniest thing Ive read in a long long time ppv LOL!!!!!

I salute the Hawks fans for not going to the games till oldtime fighting hocke returns,,,!

[trashers4cashers]

can you fucking blame them....there owner raises ticket prices...doesnt put games on tv and doesn't bother to add to the on ice product fuck thats a recipe for not wanting to go to the games

[Malic430]

seems like they had to invent nice things to say about him. "he loved the national anthem"? thats the best they could come up with?

[rockybalboa55]

he was pretty ridiculous and hockey is definatly coming back to the city. However, i will have to say that if you have experienced teh national anthem at a hawks game, you would understand what he's talking about. Ask any hawks fan.

[NOOK17]

I was at the game.....They should have had Savard do the speech. Although Tallon is well respected by the fans, nobody would have the heart to boo at any point when Savvy is speaking....

[wholefnshow1]

chicago fans should piss on the assholes grave. he STOLE money from hardworking people. the biggest asshole in sports.

[wholefnshow1]

wirtz nearly destroyed this team, he deserved to be booed. respect isn't given, it's earned. wirtz did dick all to 'earn' any kind of respect from the paying chicago fans.

[HockeyPwnsBaseball]

Honestly, the booing is justifiable, even if it is morally wrong. Wirtz took the Blackhawks, maybe one of the best Original Six teams, and traded away future HOF'ers, wouldn't allow the fans to watch home games on TV, jacked up ticket prices, and ran the team into the ground. Four decades of his greedy ownership made the Blackhawks a joke. ESPN named him the third worst sports franchise owner of all time to boot

[HockeyPwnsBaseball]

I will say that I'm always sad when someone dies, and this is no different because he left a family behind, but I will never lose any sleep over this. The Blackhawks can now move forward and become the great franchise they were 40 years ago before Wirtz came in

[bigphil399]

It was tasteless I'll admit but man, his sons just got an eye opener right there. Clean up the Blackhawks and stop fucking with them. I mean if that doesnt open their eyes that the fans are fed up I dont know what will

[sachmet251]

The national anthem is always that raucous at Chicago Blackhawks games. It started back during the NHL all-star game in 1991 the first time we went into Iraq, when the cheering was for the troops that were watching at the moment, and it's never stopped.

[WHTSOX74]

sachet:The anthem cheering started in the 1982 playoffs against Vancouver.

[sainters7]

Haha so?? What is Gretzky, dead? I'm a Flames fan and I wouldnt pull a move like that, but I'm not shocked its happened. Youre tellin me if there was a statue of Lanny in front of the Dome it wouldnt get pissed on by some Oiler fans at some point? I'd get mad if I saw that, but I wouldnt see it de-facing a shrine or something, like its some massive big deal, its a statue of a hockey player.

[rgalis]

Just because he is dead doesn't mean he has earned respect.

Wirtz was an evil greedy man who single handedly destroyed the Blackhawks and alienated their fans. The Booing was just and expression of the fans frustration with what Wirtz did to them.

[mstews]

Wirtz is a piece of shit, he almost killed the Hawks.

[pdempse1]

Karma. Exactly. Not classless. Just karma.

Don't forget there were lots and lots of Red Wings fans there, who I know don't mind spoiling a moment.

But still, I'm glad he was a nice guy to his family. They should be happy they enjoyed his love. For me, I'm a Blackhawks fan and I can't think of one thing he did in the last 17 years that was a positive for my team. Boo.

[thor25]

No matter what you thought of the man, he was loathed by Chicago fans. He did nothing but alienate them and treat them with distane.

I'm not at all suprised at the fans reactions.

[JDSY19]

andrerik - Exactly how are Flames fans classless? When do they boo anybody but possibly the odd opposing team player? Thanks for coming out though.

Blackhawk fans who were booing during this should be ashamed of themselves, no matter how bad Wirtz ruined your team.

[andrerik]

how about the group of Flames fans who harrassed my 6 year old nephew until he cried? Yeah, thats classy. How about the numours beers I've had poured on me simply for wearing a jersey of the opposing team? Obviously not EVERY fan is like that and every city has their idiots, but Calgary seems to have more than most.  I'm not talking out of my ass. I'm giving you first hand experience.

[shootgoats]

i wouldnt come to toronto if I were you...

[eezzof]

Let me guess, you're a Canucks fan. Loser!

[eezzof]

The Loser comment was for Andrerik

[brokenhips]

Maybe because Wirtz couldn't field a competitive team and blacked out local TV???

[andrerik]

because i go to about 15 flames games a year and see what happens in that arena...thanks for coming out though.

[Scorponox]

Why would you say Flames fans are the least classy in the league?

...btw, are you a retard?

[skinnymilk]

because they are, i have been to calgary, I have seen it first hand

[andrerik]

wow...and I thought Flames fans were the least classy in the league. this is a new low hawk fans.

[agm1967]

Wirtz wasn't a man for the fan, but people shoud have been silent out of respect for his family. ROCKY, please get us a scorer, and put the damn home games on TV!!!! SCALP'EM HAWKS!!!!!

[mrkrl]

He ruined hockey in this town, cheated the fans, traded away their star players, refused to televise home games, ran this once great franchise into the ground then made it the least popular sport. Wirtz was an asshole! I hope they boo'd him at the funeral as well!!!

[mcilmoyledonny]

haha classic Blackhawk fans.

[cplmac2]

Great video thanks for posting it. Strange thing that karma.

[FNovaBklyn]

I was at the game. This shows what goes around does indeed come around.

[chitownxcubs]

I was a the game. Nobody Shouldve booed him. I didnt like him. I just didnt make a noise or anything. Just respect!

[wolveshky18]

I was there to. How bad ass of a game was that

[wolveshky18]

this was the best hawks game i ever went to.

but i thought it was bad wen everyone booed him

[Hawks9718]

I always hated.. HATED Wirtz.. However the booing was uncalled for and disrespectful. The man's dead and now the Hawks can move on. Those people should have bit their tounge.