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Rozner: Blackhawks' Foley deserves hug, not trouble

The most famous voice in the history of Chicago sports was a man who always believed his primary responsibility was to the fans.

Not to the league, not to the team and never to management. For the love of Mike Vail and all that's holy, never to management.

He was the voice of the fan. He was Harry Caray.

Pat Foley has idolized Caray since the first moment he heard Caray's unique style, and maybe deep in his subconscious he was channeling Caray when he tore apart the league's insane policy of starting postseason games at 8:42 p.m. Central time.

Seriously, that's 18 minutes short of a West Coast start, albeit two time zones east of California.

It's an absurd policy that punishes fans, players, organizations and the league itself.

It is good for precisely no one except a TV network, and it defies the imagination to think it can benefit ratings when half your fan base is asleep in the third period.

So Foley spoke for the fans late Thursday night when he offered his opinion during the Blackhawks-Blues playoff game.

After praising the high quality of the series and the compelling theater, Foley said, "This is the third time in five games that a start time of 8:42 local was mandated. I can say with certainty (that) players cannot stand these late starts, coaches cannot stand them (and) most importantly the fans can't stand them.

"So as we approach midnight Eastern - again - on a work night, a school night, a simple question: an 8:42 puck drop … "

At that point, the national feed spiked Foley in an attempt to muzzle him, but locally we heard Foley say, "An 8:42 puck drop serves who?"

Everything Foley said was entirely true, and the question he asked entirely fair.

There's not a person who genuinely loves hockey who disagrees, and that includes all members of NHL teams. No one in their right mind would pretend to disagree with you, me or Foley, unless forced to by commissioner Gary Bettman.

That would explain Mike Milbury carrying Bettman's water in the postgame show when he ripped Foley.

While discussing the Game 6 start time of 7 p.m. Central time, Milbury said, "You know what? If that's too late for certain announcers, I think they should just let someone else call the game, and stay home and get a good night's rest, because 8 o'clock (Eastern) it is."

Milbury then went on to praise the network that employs him.

"We do that so we can get everybody involved, and (get) all these games on (TV)," Milbury said. "Lots of games and we do a good job showing them."

Hope there's some extra cash in Milbury's next check. He should get paid for shilling and embarrassing himself like that.

On the other hand, what would you expect from a guy who once jumped Jack O'Callahan 50 feet behind the play because the Hawks had a break going the other way? He admitted to sucker punching O'Callahan and starting the fight just to stop the play.

Now he has punched Foley in the back of the head to help his employer.

The odd part about this story is Foley's rant was so obviously correct and so universally agreed upon that the surprise is that it got any attention at all.

It's like screaming that the weather in Chicago is rotten in April, but sometimes we have to yell about it anyway to get it out of our system.

In this case, Foley was yelling for the silent majority that has no voice, but Bettman doesn't care about the fans any more than he does the players, saying Foley "didn't have his facts straight."

Oh, so fans enjoy 8:42 p.m. starts? Yes, and we love snow in April, Mr. Commissioner.

"He was off the mark," Bettman said. "Clubs are fine with start times, and you can ask the Blackhawks."

Sure, clubs are fine with it, and a franchise is going to speak against the commissioner, who only has the power to dole out big prizes like drafts and All-Star Games - which you can be sure the Hawks want next - and the power to suspend and affect postseason rosters.

Right, the Hawks love the late starts, and golfing in a blizzard is a real treat.

You can be certain Bettman will try to punish the Hawks broadcaster in some way, or force him to apologize, and it's really a brilliant fight for Bettman to pick.

On the one hand you have a Hall of Fame announcer who is beloved in his hometown, with whom everyone agrees on this issue.

On the other hand, you have a commissioner who is booed in every city he visits, whose greatest accomplishment is losing games to work stoppages more often than any commissioner of any sport ever.

The best part of this nonsensical story is that everyone, including Bettman, knows Foley is correct. Bettman can't possibly believe an 8:42 p.m. start is a positive for a sport desperate to grow the game.

So while Milbury cheers Bettman's fabulous new suit, it's left to Pat Foley to shout that the commissioner isn't wearing anything at all.

Everyone knows it, but no one will say it. Foley did. He did it for the fans.

Harry Caray would be proud of him.

brozner@dailyherald.com

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's "Hit and Run" show at WSCR 670-AM.

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