WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – BLACKHAWKS REBUILD

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

THE CRAZINESS IN SPORTS CONTINUES. IT’S NOT GETTING BETTER!

ON TUESDAY IT WAS LEARNED THAT CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS GM STAN BOWMAN SENT A LETTER TO SEASON TICKET HOLDERS STATING THAT THEY’RE HEADED INTO A REBUILD.

THAT TRIGGERED ALL KINDS OF ALARM BELLS IN THE WINDY CITY BECAUSE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, THE TERM “REBUILD” BECAME A SWEAR WORD IN SPORTS.

I’LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE.

BUT VETERAN BLACKHAWK PLAYERS WERE REPORTEDLY MIFFED WITH BOWMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENT, AND EVEN CAPTAIN JOHNATHAN TOEWS SAID THIS ALL COMES AS NEWS TO HIM.

LOOK … I’M PRO PLAYER AND SUPPORT PLAYER RIGHTS AS MUCH OR MORE THAN ANYONE. HOWEVER THE INMATES CAN’T RUN THE ASYLUM.

SECONDLY, IT’S NOT LIKE WHAT CHICAGO’S DONE THE PAST DECADE HAS BEEN A FAILED EXPERIMENT AND THEY’RE GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. THEY’VE WON THREE STANLEY CUPS AND THAT COMES AFTER THE LONGEST DROUGHT IN NHL HISTORY, GOING BACK TO THEIR LAST CUP IN 1961.

COMBINED, TOEWS, PATRICK KANE AND DUNCAN KEITH HAVE MADE INTO THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WON THREE RINGS.

AS FOR THE TERM “REBUILD” BEING A SWEAR, I THINK THIS HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE WHERE FANS AND MEDIA TOOK IT TO MEAN “GIVING UP”. I THINK TOEWS IS TAKING IT THAT WAY TOO. AND OWNERS FEAR THAT’LL CAUSE FANS TO STOP BUYING TICKETS, JERSEYS OR WATCHING ON TV.

EITHER WAY, IT HAS BECOME TABOO SO I APPLAUD BOWMAN FOR HAVING THE HONESTY TO STAND UP AND SAY IT.

AND IF TOEWS HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT, I’M SURE HE’S ALWAYS WELCOME TO LEAVE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.