One wrong Hawks need to make right
The good news is that many people who know the parties involved believe Pat Foley is returning to the Blackhawks next year.
Let's hope so.
But let's also remember that his current partner with the Wolves, Billy Gardner, also was once his partner with the Hawks and is perhaps the greatest living example of someone who had his life disrupted by the evil cabal, since disbanded after the death of Bill Wirtz.
If you're unfamiliar with the story, Gardner was an established broadcaster with Carolina, which was on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup, when the Hawks called and urged him to sell his house and move back to Chicago.
He finally agreed and replaced Dale Tallon, who had gone from the broadcast booth to the front office.
Four years later, Tallon decided he couldn't work for GM Mike Smith, so Tallon pal Peter Wirtz sent Gardner home, Tallon returned to the booth, and Gardner hasn't seen the NHL since.
Only a couple of years later, Wirtz handed Tallon his current position as GM, and everyone forgot that Gardner had his head handed to him.
The Hawks of the present, only because of Rocky Wirtz's bold ownership, are erasing the mistakes of the past, offering apologies and making amends.
They won't be able to fix everything or right every wrong, but if they can somehow find a way to get Bill Gardner back to the NHL, it might be their most benevolent act yet.
Vanity fair
The Hawks' constant trashing of Dustin Byfuglien lately is a transparent prelude to moving the kid back to forward.
Of course, if they hadn't messed with him already, wasting valuable learning time, maybe Byfuglien wouldn't be minus-8 and second-guessing himself on defense right now.
Meanwhile, you don't hear a veteran like Andrei Zyuzin blasted for his minus-10, but that's Blackhawks politics for you, and an abject lesson in handing over the car keys without first insisting on driver's education.
Spin city
Injuries are a fact in every NHL city, not an excuse. The Hawks have had more than their share, to be sure, but experienced leadership prods a team to overcome injuries, not use them as a crutch.
Hollow gesture?
Major League Baseball and the NFL both reported more than $6 billion in revenue, and, yet, with doping the biggest topic of conversation among sports fans these days, the leagues announced they would each contribute a mere $3 million to help create a drug-fighting team with the USOC.
The partnership will fund grants for research aimed at detection, among other things, and while a fine idea, $100 million -- loose pocket change to them -- would have made a real statement about genuine commitment to cleaning up their sports.
What they tried to buy with a token gesture was some positive press.
The line
Updated odds on winning the American League pennant:
The White Sox are 15-1 and currently trail the Red Sox (2-1), Yanks (3-1), Tigers (4-1), Angels (5-1) and Indians (6-1).
The Mariners, Jays and Twins also are 15-1, as the books wait to see where Johan Santana goes. They're followed by the Athletics (20-1), Rangers (50-1), Orioles (50-1), Royals (100-1) and Rays (100-1).
The line II
No surprise here as the Cubs (4-1) are the early favorites to capture the National League flag, edging out the Mets (5-1), Phillies (5-1), Dodgers (7-1), Padres (7-1) and Rockies (9-1), some of which will change if the Mets wind up with Santana.
Surprisingly, the Diamondbacks are a thin 11-1, along with the Brewers, Cards and Braves, and followed by the Reds (17-1), Astros (25-1), Giants (40-1), Marlins (75-1), Pirates (75-1) and Nats (75-1).
At worst, Arizona ought to be grouped with L.A. and San Diego, and at best somewhere near the Cubs.
Make me laugh
Some of David Letterman's Top Ten Things Goose Gossage Can Say Now That He's Been Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame:
"My real name is Goose Gossagestein.''
"In 1979, I recorded the novelty single 'Disco Goose.' "
"Now maybe my neighbor will shut up about his bowling trophies.''
"To psych myself up for a game, I'd listen to the soundtrack of 'My Fair Lady.' "
Best headline
From San Diego's win over Tennessee: "Charger fans brave the weather."
It was 55 degrees and raining.
East Coast pious
Sportspickle.com, on why Chuck Knoblauch should be in the Hall of Fame: "Once played for the Yankees, so that automatically makes him better than everyone else.''
Just tackling
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: "The NFL fined game official James Quirk a week's pay for aggressively grabbing Packers linebacker Nick Barnett and yanking him to the ground during a game. Quirk has since been signed as a free safety by the Dolphins."
And finally …
ESPN.com's Bill Simmons: "Remember the old Seinfeld joke about how Rodney Dangerfield wore every routine he ever did on his face? I think (Phil) Jackson's body is wearing every game he ever coached. Suddenly it seems like he's 75 years old and his arms have been turned backward.''
brozner@dailyherald.com