McDonough talks Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs

When John McDonough was asked to speak to a group of local business leaders Wednesday at the Westin Hotel in Itasca, it only made sense that the session be moderated by Daily Herald columnist Barry Rozner.

Why?

Well, because the two met almost 30 years ago with Barry covering the Cubs and John working for the team, and Barry had no problem asking McDonough, president and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, questions like this:

"You've had this great run with the Hawks, but what did it feel like to see (the Cubs) win and not be there? I mean, was it like seeing your ex-girlfriend marry the future king of England?"

As the room was erupting in laughter, McDonough shot back: "You're such a wordsmith."

Before we get to McDonough's answer, it should be noted that Rozner lauded the former president of the Cubs and called him "the hardest-working person I've met in business, sports - anywhere."

Among those attending the sold-out luncheon hosted by GOA Regional Business Association were employees from AT&T, Porte Brown Accountants & Advisors, Daily Herald Media Group, Novatoo Audio Visual and Chicago Sign Designs.

They all sat at rapt attention during the 35-minute Q&A and were especially interested to hear McDonough's answer on the Cubs winning the World Series.

"It was great pride," McDonough said. "And to see that generations and generations and generations of fans were finally rewarded was a great feeling for me. …

"I'm in my office with (Blackhawks executive vice president) Jay Blunk and we're watching the Cubs parade. It was very, very, very emotional because so many things just washed over me because we came close twice (1984 and 2003)."

McDonough left the Cubs in November 2007 when Rocky Wirtz tagged him to put the Blackhawks back on the sports map. To say Wirtz targeted the right man might be the understatement of the century.

Said Rozner: "If you had been inside those offices or in that building six months before John McDonough took over, you would not have believed that it would have been the same place that it is today.

"It's impossible. I mean it couldn't be done. That, to me, is the most remarkable thing that you've done - is to build an organization from scratch that was 50 years behind the times."

McDonough did it by completely changing the culture of a franchise that was called the worst in pro sports by ESPN in 2006. When he was hired, McDonough said the Hawks didn't have a receptionist or even a director of human resources.

"I asked to speak to the person that ran the business operation and the intern who was walking me around now had a tear in her eye when she knew that I wasn't really happy," McDonough said. "She said, 'Well, we do have somebody that runs the business operation, but he's on vacation.'

"Kind of the same time that I'm getting this answer, I'm looking out the window and I'm seeing Rocky Wirtz's Cadillac just tearing out of the parking lot.

"I realized at that point that, 'OK. This is really going to be an enormous undertaking from Day One.' "

McDonough's goal at that point was to find young, enthusiastic, go-getters who would work as hard as he does.

"I am a firm believer that hiring is the most important executive skill that there is," McDonough said. "I wanted to hire 200 hungry, humble, junkyard dogs that recognized that they were going to be part of something special.

"Basically I was going to hire 200 walk-ons."

Of course, as the 63-year-old Notre Dame High School product noted, none of this would have happened if the Hawks didn't win. But it started with an owner who had a vision - one McDonough said is the best of any team sport in the country.

"Everything is first class, and that was the vision," McDonough said. "There has not been one time in nine years where he has deviated.

"He's a gregarious, scintillating personality, a really positive, warm guy that everybody in our organization wants to win for. So to me, Rocky's as good as it gets."