Changes just beginning for Hawks

The first meeting with Rocky Wirtz took place only 11 days ago, but the first ideas were in John McDonough's head at least 11 years ago.

It didn't mean he was cheating on his spouse -- the Cubs -- but he was looking at the very attractive sweater walking by and lusting in his heart for a chance to make a play.

McDonough often called the Blackhawks "the sleeping giant'' long before his one-hour meeting with Wirtz turned into five at Champps in Schaumburg on Nov. 10.

(That meeting, by the way, is the reason why the Cubs delayed sending out their letter to season-ticket holders announcing big price increases. Usually, the team president signs it.)

In any case, for years McDonough salivated at the thought of turning an epic disaster into an Academy Award winner.

With that in mind, here is just a small portion of what's coming in the very near future as the new president moves the Hawks off the obit page and into the limelight:

• A conversation about how fast they can bring back Pat Foley, whom McDonough adores and knows well.

Overall, the current broadcast so lacks honesty, credibility and personality that it's uncomfortable to watch.

• A conversation about how fast they can bring back Wayne Messmer. Remember when you ran through traffic, risking your life, just to get in the old building by 7:35? Been a long time since anyone risked anything to get to a Hawks game.

• McDonough loves Channel 9. It makes him think of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Lloyd Pettit, not to mention Ernie Banks and Jack Brickhouse. He understands the value of all TV, and especially free TV, be it any of the locals.

• We hear four or five more home games on TV, beyond what has been announced, will soon be added to the schedule for March and April. Think Detroit, Anaheim and San Jose, among others.

• Innovative ways to market the game to kids.

The brightest idea to come from the Hawks in recent years was the effort to change the names of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Why? Was this supposed to make them sound older? Cooler?

Suddenly calling them "Johnny Toews'' and "Pat Kane'' a few games into the broadcast season sounded contrived at best and bizarre at worst.

McDonough's got a few better ideas than that, and before you know it he will have every kid under the age of 13 wearing the crest around town.

• Start times will change next year.

Too late to do anything about this season, but next year look for 7 p.m. weekday games and many more early afternoon starts on the weekends. You can't take a youngster to a weekday home game and get them home at midnight.

• In every aspect of reorganizing the organization, think kids, kids and more kids. They'll be stealing ideas like crazy from the Wolves, and that's OK, because no one does it better than the Wolves and there's plenty of room for both teams in this town.

They'll also be trying anything and everything, so sign up for your chance to win a Zamboni ride now.

• Ticket prices have to be made affordable, especially until the product improves and demand goes up.

Last year, the Hawks couldn't give away tickets -- literally. They tried. Couldn't give them away. No joke. Really.

• Webkinz for everyone. Imagine a red, white and black Hawk. The man who brought Beanie Babies to baseball will think big and outside the owner's box.

• Win or go home.

The reason Rocky Wirtz made it clear Tuesday that Dale Tallon is in charge of hockey operations and separate from everyone else is to make it clear that this is Tallon's ballgame.

If he doesn't win, he and everyone under him will have plenty of time to go play golf.

McDonough also paid lip service to those running the hockey side Tuesday. It's a smart move.

Like when Tony Soprano told Ralphie that he's a captain now and captains are responsible for their own decisions, the days of blaming others are over. It's crystal clear who's making the hockey decisions.

If they do well, good for them. They'll have jobs. If they don't win, they'll have time to work on their short game.

• Rocky already has improved the Hawks' relationships with corporate sponsors, but look for McDonough to reach out to all his friends in the corporate world, and don't be shocked if he brings in his right-hand man from the last 15 years, Jay Blunk, who runs the Cubs' marketing department.

Hawks jerseys will begin to show up in stores that haven't carried them since Len Frig was a child.

• Tallon still doesn't grasp that a European flavor doesn't fly in a blue-collar town that wants to see physical players run opposing teams out of its own building.

The kids are great, and he deserves credit for drafting them, but what is the Hawks' identity? You can't answer that because the Hawks don't have one.

Last season, Tallon traded a fan favorite in Karl Stewart, a fourth-line grinder who hit everything in sight, for a Rick Dudley Russian named Nikita Alexeev, who had zero PIM in 15 games and was gone shortly thereafter.

A minor deal, but a major point.

Any time the Hawks have been great in the last 40 years, they've had great goaltending, huge stars and guys who would punish anyone who got near their stars.

Right now, with apologies to the kids, who have only been here two months, the Hawks can't say they have any of that. If they get the proper coaching and veteran influence, at least the kids have a chance to fill the star void.

• Rocky has made sure the kids' faces are everywhere, but they still could walk down Michigan Avenue and not a single person would know them.

McDonough will change that, and fast. Hockey players are the nicest and most approachable of all pro athletes, and McDonough will make sure people discover that as well.

• Yes, the fan convention is on its way.

Coming soon to a hotel near you, all the players who wouldn't go near Bill Wirtz or Bob Pulford.

Soon, in one place you'll get to see Stan Mikita, Doug Wilson, Al Secord, Kenny Wharram, Steve Larmer, Bobby Hull, Dennis Hull, Chico Maki, Tony Esposito, Phil Esposito, Tom Lysiak, Denis Savard, Jerry Korab, Pit Martin and, yes, Ivan Boldirev, one more time.

• Repair relationships.

All the people who've been spit on by the Hawks the last 25 years should get an apology, like Foley, Messmer, Bill Gardner, Chris Chelios, Bobby Hull, Trent Yawney, Ed Belfour, Eddie Johnston, Bob Murray and Jeremy Roenick, to name just a few of dozens and dozens.

The days of the Hawks being known as unprofessional, irresponsible and incompetent don't end just because someone says so.

Mistakes have been made, and they need to be fixed.

And finally …

First, Rocky Wirtz brought respectability, then he eliminated difficulty, and now he has hired credibility in John McDonough.

As McDonough said to all Hawks fans, "It's time to come back.''

He's right.