Fathers and Sons - A Sports Business Saga - Page 2

The young talent the 'Hawks had been gathering over the last few years were just starting to emerge as well, but no one would have known without an actual marketing campaign and the ability to see these young men excel. For example, a few Chicagoans Saturday morning might recognize Dustin Byfuglien, the 6'5" behemoth with the natural hat trick, because Friday night's home game was on local cable.

Rocky Wirtz has been championed for these moves and others, including stealing the president of the Chicago Cubs (John McDonough) during the Cubs' long transition into new ownership. Still, he's only taken the first few obvious steps that any minor-league hockey team in town would take.

His future prowess as a businessman and sports team owner are still to be determined as he works to win over the eight-year-olds in 2007 that will become the base of the returning Chicago Blackhawks fans. Capturing the next ten years' worth of eight-year-olds will finally allow the team to recover from the damage done by dear old Dad.

Another scion is setting up his team's fan base for the same object lesson today in New York City. James Dolan, genetic and financial donation recipient from Charles Dolan, has proven himself generally unworthy of both gifts as the head of MSG's languishing teams (Knicks, Rangers, Liberty). James Dolan has quite a different old school business problem that you won't see in too many sporting enterprises anymore.

James Dolan (whom you might know more fondly as leader of the band JD and the Straight Shot or, if you're a Knicks fan, as mortal and finite) believes you must spend money to make money. Actually, it's not clear he's aware of the last part; this may be coincidence. He's got the first part down, though, as he's tossed extraordinary contracts to front office and player personnel without allowing them to be any hindrance to firing them.

The Rangers have been an expensive joke for his entire reign, showing modest success recently in what may be the NHL equivalent of a dead cat bounce. The Knicks won't be out of salary cap hell until 2010, assuming fiscal responsibility from this moment forward. The Liberty...well, it's possible he doesn't know he's in charge of the Liberty.

Article Author: Tuffy

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