What the post lockout commercial? Why is that such an issue?

So what if he has an out of control ego? As long as it doesn't affect hockey operations. And NO ONE here has indisputable facts citing that.

Rocky has the ultimate say. And if one day he decides to make a change, it'll happen and none of us will know until it happens.
- blackhawk24

Believe what you must.

When you had nothing, like Wirtz did in the fall of 2007, and you give TOO much power to a guy who had no where to go BUT up...well....what can you do?

The Wirtz's are very loyal to those who make them a TON of money...In many respects, McDonough is Rocky's Pulford. Always there, always mingling in things he shouldn't. Problem is, McDonough knows nothing about hockey and has an ego that has to be squeezed into the UC.

Like I said, I pray every night...the NFL comes and knocks on his door. Maybe the McCaskeys....

What the post lockout commercial? Why is that such an issue?

So what if he has an out of control ego? As long as it doesn't affect hockey operations. And NO ONE here has indisputable facts citing that.

Rocky has the ultimate say. And if one day he decides to make a change, it'll happen and none of us will know until it happens.
- blackhawk24

Or, if it's like what Ricketts did with Hendry, until several months later.

Yeah, he could help the Sox with marketing. But let me also say, the Sox have NEVER owned Chicago the way the Hawks did for 50-60- years. All McDonough had to do was tap back into that heritage: bringing Jet, Stosh, Foley back, putitng games on tv. Which he did and I give him full marks for that. Because he did it artfully and appropriately.

Marketing the Sox has NEVER been an easy job in Chicago. They had a real opportunity in the 90s and in 2005. But it also seems like Trader kenny is constantly sort of stealing from the organizaiton's prospects to jack the team (and ticket sales) up every few years. And he's a very good GM. It's just a tough brand to sell in a market really dominated by the , ahem, 'baseball' team from the North Side.
- John Jaeckel

McD could make the ChiSox into marketed a powerhouse. First, he'd have to convince - or get rid of - any of the self pity folks there. You know, the ones that constantly cry about the Cubs being more popular?

You mean to say the ChiSox do not have enough heritage to tap into? I know they do and I don't follow them much at all.

When did you ever hear of some one in the Cubs FO complain about something going on 9 miles south? Never. Why?" Cuz the Cubs FO focused on the Cubs. You even had a manager who would go out of his way to criticize the ballpark. And he was a true reflection of the culture there: "oh poor us, oh poor us". Really? Too bad. Don't female dog about what others have, go make yourself better. McD would do that. And he'd do it in less than 5 years.

Second, you have to disconnect your personal hatred of the Cubs with what McD did on the marketing side. He made a brand desirable. Just like the bandwagoners we see at the UC now...

If McD went to the SouthSide, you guys would be happier than a pig in sh!t. But of course it'd be WAY harder to get tickets are a few years.

Believe what you must.

When you had nothing, like Wirtz did in the fall of 2007, and you give TOO much power to a guy who had no where to go BUT up...well....what can you do?

The Wirtz's are very loyal to those who make them a TON of money...In many respects, McDonough is Rocky's Pulford. Always there, always mingling in things he shouldn't. Problem is, McDonough knows nothing about hockey and has an ego that has to be squeezed into the UC.

Like I said, I pray every night...the NFL comes and knocks on his door. Maybe the McCaskeys....
- SteveRain

You still can't get over the fact that it's McD's ego that helped make the 'Hawks a marketing powerhouse. And with that you'll still struggle with the notion that marketing CAN be a good thing.

You also have to realize that if Peter took over instead of Rocky, it would have been business as usual.

And if McD oversteps his bounds - which we don't know of for fact yet - Rocky had better straighten that out, whatever that entails.

He himself has said (paraphrasing): "I want them to come tome and explain their thought process (before the trigger is pulled on something). That's the extent of my involvement."

He is Team President. Therefore, once the "thought process is explained," It would seem he has at least some ability to either veto or bollocks the process if he disagrees.

That is not unusual, except a lot of teams have Presidents who are hockey guys. Or (like in Detroit) where the hockey guys are given almost complete latitude and respect to do their jobs.
- John Jaeckel

Thanks for the breakdown JJ...if that is McD's m/o...i like it. It's also completely logical that as team Prez, he'd have some input. Just hope the HOCKEY decisions are left in the hands of Bowman Sr. and his coterie.

As you know, no sports team can make money if only the committed, true fan shows up or watches on TV: they need the "mindless sheep" and the "idiots parading around the UC in t shirt jerseys" to buy the tickets and eat the concession food and jack the TV ratings and shop at the hockey stores.

If Ricketts can get what he wants from the city - I think what he is asking for is reasonable, especially since no public funds (except for the proposed federal tax break) will be expended - we'll have to see how it all plays out with the rooftop owners - he can make a fortune with Wrigley Field and the surrounding developments he would control.

The worst parts of his deal with the Tribune were (a) the very high price, which can be overcome, and (b) the sweetheart deals between WGN and the team, which end after this year, I think.
- StLBravesFan

Hey, those fans buy my tickets at 3 times cost, so I like them....Problem is, I don't want to get involved where the Hawks selling the "experience", McDonough's word not mine, and that takes front and center over the product and results on the ice/field. That same marketing campaign proved to the tribune company starting in 1998, that they didn't have to win....as long as they had beanie babies, and god knows what else to pimp.

As far as the Cubs go, we'll see. I have a TON of friends who are die hards, and you seem to be a knowledgeable Cub fan, and I feel for you guys. However, I told my buddy...if the Nationals, and Mariners make the World Series, they just fold the Cubs. That's EVERY team in baseball making the World Series since the Cubs last did....That's damn near mathematically impossible, and should send every legit fan running from that team.

McD could make the ChiSox into marketed a powerhouse. First, he'd have to convince - or get rid of - any of the self pity folks there. You know, the ones that constantly cry about the Cubs being more popular?

You mean to say the ChiSox do not have enough heritage to tap into? I know they do and I don't follow them much at all.

When did you ever hear of some one in the Cubs FO complain about something going on 9 miles south? Never. Why?" Cuz the Cubs FO focused on the Cubs. You even had a manager who would go out of his way to criticize the ballpark. And he was a true reflection of the culture there: "oh poor us, oh poor us". Really? Too bad. Don't female dog about what others have, go make yourself better. McD would do that. And he'd do it in less than 5 years.

Second, you have to disconnect your personal hatred of the Cubs with what McD did on the marketing side. He made a brand desirable. Just like the bandwagoners we see at the UC now...

If McD went to the SouthSide, you guys would be happier than a pig in sh!t. But of course it'd be WAY harder to get tickets are a few years.
- blackhawk24

His first moves should be FIRE KW who's still dining out on '05.
CUT the useless, nutless, batting practice GOD named Gavin Floyd.
CUT John Danks and his ridiculous contact.
CUT nutless Adam U TURN Dunn and his .105 hitting lump of crud self.

And start the REBUILD.

You still can't get over the fact that it's McD's ego that helped make the 'Hawks a marketing powerhouse. And with that you'll still struggle with the notion that marketing CAN be a good thing.

You also have to realize that if Peter took over instead of Rocky, it would have been business as usual.

And if McD oversteps his bounds - which we don't know of for fact yet - Rocky had better straighten that out, whatever that entails.
- blackhawk24

You're probably right on Peter, but we don't know that for sure. Nobody does. Nobody knew what Rocky would or wouldn't do...Only Peter knows that.

As far as McDonough....he deserves credit....does he deserve personalized commercials, and all the worshipping he gets? No. When you are at rock bottom, where can you go? That's where that team was at. Did he inherit 2 great young stars to market? Yep...

I'm glad the UC is full again...but I'm not going to pretend that it was strickly due to marketing....The late run in 2007-08 to make the playoffs had a LOT to do with that, and it built on from there.....

Winning IS the best marketing.

McD could make the ChiSox into marketed a powerhouse. First, he'd have to convince - or get rid of - any of the self pity folks there. You know, the ones that constantly cry about the Cubs being more popular?

You mean to say the ChiSox do not have enough heritage to tap into? I know they do and I don't follow them much at all.

When did you ever hear of some one in the Cubs FO complain about something going on 9 miles south? Never. Why?" Cuz the Cubs FO focused on the Cubs. You even had a manager who would go out of his way to criticize the ballpark. And he was a true reflection of the culture there: "oh poor us, oh poor us". Really? Too bad. Don't female dog about what others have, go make yourself better. McD would do that. And he'd do it in less than 5 years.

Second, you have to disconnect your personal hatred of the Cubs with what McD did on the marketing side. He made a brand desirable. Just like the bandwagoners we see at the UC now...

If McD went to the SouthSide, you guys would be happier than a pig in sh!t. But of course it'd be WAY harder to get tickets are a few years.
- blackhawk24

You vastly oversimplify. And I think you, in fact, need to disconnect some of your hatred of the Sox (the whole self-pity thing).

Here are some facts, aside from your "self-pity"comment and other pretty much subjective characterizations.

The Cubs traditional fanbase comes from parts of the city that are more affluent—advertisers, media outlets (which is EXACTLY why the Cubs were on WGN and the Sox on Channels 32 and 44 for so many years) and sponsors have always therefore found the Cubs more attractive.

Further, the Sox have played for decades in a part of town that the suburban fan finds intimidating to get to, park in, walk around in. Again, much harder to market that.

Add to that the fact that the Cubs were owned by the city's single largest media enterprise for a number of years.

You hold on to that belief that the Great John McDonough is all that's needed to turn the Sox deal around—because he did so with the Cubs (which is inaccurate—again, he had a bit of a slam dunk there, marketing a team that draws fans like nobody's business, year after year, decade after decade, in spite of absolute mediocrity on the field).

The facts say otherwise.

McD could make the ChiSox into marketed a powerhouse. First, he'd have to convince - or get rid of - any of the self pity folks there. You know, the ones that constantly cry about the Cubs being more popular?

You mean to say the ChiSox do not have enough heritage to tap into? I know they do and I don't follow them much at all.

When did you ever hear of some one in the Cubs FO complain about something going on 9 miles south? Never. Why?" Cuz the Cubs FO focused on the Cubs. You even had a manager who would go out of his way to criticize the ballpark. And he was a true reflection of the culture there: "oh poor us, oh poor us". Really? Too bad. Don't female dog about what others have, go make yourself better. McD would do that. And he'd do it in less than 5 years.

Second, you have to disconnect your personal hatred of the Cubs with what McD did on the marketing side. He made a brand desirable. Just like the bandwagoners we see at the UC now...

If McD went to the SouthSide, you guys would be happier than a pig in sh!t. But of course it'd be WAY harder to get tickets are a few years.
- blackhawk24

95% agree. Just as many longstanding Hawk fans have a hard time accepting the fact that the team has new fans (aka Bandwaggoners), some (or many) current Sox fans would be less than welcoming of Sox bandwaggoners.

You vastly oversimplify. And I think you, in fact, need to disconnect some of your hatred of the Sox (the whole self-pity thing).

Here are some facts, aside from your "self-pity"comment and other pretty much subjective characterizations.

The Cubs traditional fanbase comes from parts of the city that are more affluent—advertisers, media outlets (which is EXACTLY why the Cubs were on WGN and the Sox on Channels 32 and 44 for so many years) and sponsors have always therefore found the Cubs more attractive.

Further, the Sox have played for decades in a part of town that the suburban fan finds intimidating to get to, park in, walk around in. Again, much harder to market that.

Add to that the fact that the Cubs were owned by the city's single largest media enterprise for a number of years.

You hold on to that belief that the Great John McDonough is all that's needed to turn the Sox deal around—because he did so with the Cubs (which is inaccurate—again, he had a bit of a slam dunk there, marketing a team that draws fans like nobody's business, year after year, decade after decade, in spite of absolute mediocrity on the field).

The facts say otherwise.
- John Jaeckel

McD two sports jobs remind me a bit of Phil Jackson. Phil had Jordan, then Kobe and Shaq; and his detractors can easily say "who couldn't win with them?" McD had a Cubs team with plenty of room to grow (in his case on the business side), and the Hawks were a total mess on the business and hockey sides when he arrived. If one wants to dislike him, there's an argument to support that position; if one wants to like him, there's an argument to support that as well.

Cubs fans are pathetic. Lets not sugar coat it. Ricketts is even more pathetic for buying a team, land locked in a horrible stadium deal, when he should look to move the team and sell that property.

Fact is, the Cubs need the mindless sheep to fill that hell hole until they actually rebuild. Problem is, Theo's greatest asset, being able to buy up to get more talent, was taken away...So lets see how that goes.

These are some idiots parading around the UC in t shirt jerseys, walking through aisles during play, and pretending they actually know or care about hockey. McDongough tapped that resource the same way he filled the hell hole in the late 90s to watch a roided out beast crank homers....

The true testament of McDonough will be IF/WHEN the Hawks hit a speed bump and miss the playoffs back to back years...then we'll see if all these transitional fans stick around....
- SteveRain

LOVE IT! Another crying Sox fan.. No one likes my team we get no respect!! Blah, Blah, Blah Don't be bitter SteveRain!!!!