Bill Wirtz
Encyclopedia
William Wadsworth "Dollar Bill" Wirtz (October 5, 1929 – September 26, 2007) was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corporation. He was best known as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks
of the National Hockey League
, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings. Wirtz also served as the Blackhawks' team president for over four decades.
He was born in Detroit
and attended Brown University
.
; Wirtz Realty, a large real estate owner in Chicago
; and Judge & Dolph Ltd., a major liquor distributor selling over 33 percent of all liquor in Illinois. Wirtz Corp. also has interests in banking and insurance, and co-owned the United Center
with Jerry Reinsdorf
. Crain's Chicago Business in 2004 estimated the company's 2003 revenues as US$1.3 billion. Overall, it is estimated that Bill Wirtz's personal holdings (including stock in several companies, including Alberto-Culver
and Firstar Bank) were worth about US$3 to $4 billion.
during the 1970s. Wirtz had a lifelong love for hockey, and his team, the Chicago Blackhawks.
, a pay-per-view
service that operated in conjunction with Chicago's local SportsChannel outfit, which cost $
29.95 per month and broadcast Blackhawks home games.
Wirtz was also blamed for allowing Bobby Hull
to leave the Blackhawks and the NHL for the World Hockey Association
(although his father, Arthur Wirtz
, was actually responsible for that decision). Wirtz was further blamed for the loss of both Dominik Hašek
and Ed Belfour
, for trading Denis Savard
in 1990, for the trade of Chris Chelios
to Detroit (in actuality, Chelios had asked to be traded and gave approval to then-General Manager Bob Murray when told Detroit was the most interested team), for the trading of Jeremy Roenick
, and for the 1967 trade of Phil Esposito
. Wirtz was also blamed for the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup
drought, which was the second longest in NHL history and the longest in team history. Under the ownership of Wirtz, the Chicago Blackhawks were named by ESPN
in 2004 as the worst franchise in sports. Wirtz was also given the nickname "Dollar Bill" by Chicago Tribune
columnist Bob Verdi as a sarcastic reference to his frugality in compensating his players. In 2002, ESPN ranked Wirtz as the third greediest owner in all of sports.
in 1977 and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1985. He was considered by many (including former Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon
, retired hockey star Stan Mikita
, and former Blackhawk Martin Lapointe
) to be a generous and fiercely loyal man. He was also famous for his philanthropy. In 1993, he established Blackhawk Charities which has donated millions of dollars to the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, among other groups.
Wirtz also served on the Olympic Committees for both the 1980
and 1984 Winter Olympics
.
, ("The Wirtz Law"). The bill was passed after more than $700,000 was contributed to politicians by liquor distruibutors according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. According to the Chicago Reader
.
During a tribute and moment of silence for him during the Blackhawks home opener on October 8, 2007, the Chicago crowd displayed their displeasure with Wirtz's operation of the organization by booing the proceedings.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, who are part of Wirtz Corp's holdings. Wirtz also served as the Blackhawks' team president for over four decades.
He was born in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and attended Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
.
Wealth
Wirtz (via his stake in Wirtz Corp) was most notable as owner of the Chicago BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
; Wirtz Realty, a large real estate owner in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; and Judge & Dolph Ltd., a major liquor distributor selling over 33 percent of all liquor in Illinois. Wirtz Corp. also has interests in banking and insurance, and co-owned the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
with Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
. Crain's Chicago Business in 2004 estimated the company's 2003 revenues as US$1.3 billion. Overall, it is estimated that Bill Wirtz's personal holdings (including stock in several companies, including Alberto-Culver
Alberto-Culver
Alberto-Culver is an American corporation with international sales whose principal business is manufacturing hair and skin beauty care products under such brands as Alberto VO5, Andrew Collinge, St. Ives , TRESemmé, FDS, Consort, and Nexxus. It is a manufacturer in the multicultural beauty care...
and Firstar Bank) were worth about US$3 to $4 billion.
Blackhawks ownership
Bill Wirtz was the team president of the Blackhawks for 41 years and served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the NHL for 18, helping to merge the NHL and the World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
during the 1970s. Wirtz had a lifelong love for hockey, and his team, the Chicago Blackhawks.
Criticism
As owner of the Blackhawks, Wirtz had a reputation for stubbornness and frugality, and for that he earned the nickname "Dollar Bill" Wirtz. He was vilified by Blackhawks fans for forbidding Blackhawks home games to be shown on TV unless they were picked up by national broadcasters, which only happened when the Blackhawks made the playoffs. As he explained it, he felt that broadcasting regular home games was unfair to season-ticket holders. For a short time during the 1992 and 1993 seasons, Wirtz introduced HawkvisionHawkvision
Hawkvision was a short-lived subscription TV service founded by Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz. The service broadcast Chicago Blackhawks games...
, a pay-per-view
Pay TV
Pay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...
service that operated in conjunction with Chicago's local SportsChannel outfit, which cost $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
29.95 per month and broadcast Blackhawks home games.
Wirtz was also blamed for allowing Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
to leave the Blackhawks and the NHL for the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(although his father, Arthur Wirtz
Arthur Wirtz
Arthur Michael Wirtz was a powerful figure in sports and arena operation. He was the owner of Chicago Stadium, the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago, the Chicago Black Hawks, and the Chicago Bulls...
, was actually responsible for that decision). Wirtz was further blamed for the loss of both Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
and Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
, for trading Denis Savard
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
in 1990, for the trade of Chris Chelios
Chris Chelios
Christos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
to Detroit (in actuality, Chelios had asked to be traded and gave approval to then-General Manager Bob Murray when told Detroit was the most interested team), for the trading of Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
, and for the 1967 trade of Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
. Wirtz was also blamed for the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
drought, which was the second longest in NHL history and the longest in team history. Under the ownership of Wirtz, the Chicago Blackhawks were named by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2004 as the worst franchise in sports. Wirtz was also given the nickname "Dollar Bill" by Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
columnist Bob Verdi as a sarcastic reference to his frugality in compensating his players. In 2002, ESPN ranked Wirtz as the third greediest owner in all of sports.
Positive attributes
In spite of his vocal critics, Wirtz was inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1977 and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 1985. He was considered by many (including former Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon
Dale Tallon
Dale Tallon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current General Manager for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
, retired hockey star Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita
Stanislav "Stan" Mikita , is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played his entire career.-Early life:Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovak Republic...
, and former Blackhawk Martin Lapointe
Martin Lapointe
Martin Lapointe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.-Playing career:...
) to be a generous and fiercely loyal man. He was also famous for his philanthropy. In 1993, he established Blackhawk Charities which has donated millions of dollars to the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, among other groups.
Wirtz also served on the Olympic Committees for both the 1980
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
and 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
.
"The Wirtz Law"
According to the Chicago Reader, in 1999 the Illinois State Legislature passed the Wine and Spirits Fair Dealing ActWine and Spirits Fair Dealing Act
The Wine and Spirits Fair Dealing Act, also known as the Wirtz Law was an infamous Illinois state law passed in 1999 that prevented distillers and wineries from changing distributors without "just cause"...
, ("The Wirtz Law"). The bill was passed after more than $700,000 was contributed to politicians by liquor distruibutors according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. According to the Chicago Reader
The law was on the books for less than three years before a U.S. district court judge struck it down on the grounds that it violated the commerce clause of the Constitution. Newspaper editorials at the time often called the Wirtz Law a corrupt document, and it has since become a case study for campaign finance reformCampaign finance reformCampaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns....
. But what has gone largely unnoted is that it only applied the same strictures to wineries and distilleries that already apply to breweries.
Death
Wirtz died at Evanston Hospital on September 26, 2007, following a brief battle with cancer. His son Peter Wirtz was initially named the new owner of the Blackhawks on September 27, 2007; Peter Wirtz passed the responsibility to his brother RockyRocky Wirtz
William Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz is the principal owner and chairman of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He is also president of the Blackhawks' parent company, Wirtz Corporation, a diversified conglomerate headquartered in Chicago....
.
During a tribute and moment of silence for him during the Blackhawks home opener on October 8, 2007, the Chicago crowd displayed their displeasure with Wirtz's operation of the organization by booing the proceedings.