Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It

by SamFels on Jul 17, 2009 2:57 PM CDT

There's no point in running a blog if you can't occasionally act like a cartoon villain. Any regular of this site who's attending the Convention, I implore you to ask some tough questions of McD that the press seemingly refuses to ask. We want to know if he's getting involved in hockey decisions, what exactly went on with Tallon, and does he work like the rest of us and have blood flowing through his veins, or is he just some sort of automaton? Sure, you won't get a straight answer, but I'd like to know that scumbag had to squirm a little.

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Beware...

They will probably set some ground rules if McD is going to do any Q&A, and you’ll probably get bounced from the Convention.

This is happy-talk time, and everyone will be on full alert.

HOCKEENIGHT.COM...home of FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS and the HOCKEENIGHT PUCKCAST!!!

by Forklift14 on Jul 17, 2009 3:04 PM CDT reply actions

Well fine

If anyone asks a tough question and gets bounced, I will buy them a beer.

www.secondcityhockey.com

by SamFels on Jul 17, 2009 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Don't taze me,

bro.

by julesmoose on Jul 17, 2009 7:23 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Mmmmm beer.... Maybe we can get a couple drinks into him and get the real story...

by Tiocfaidh ar La on Jul 17, 2009 5:28 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

Mcdouche

Was booed roundly at the opening ceremony according to our seatmates. No q&a though

by Tiocfaidh ar La on Jul 17, 2009 9:01 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

Yes he was.

I was surprised that the Bowmans weren’t the recipients of some booing as well.

That ball hit deep! Way back! You can put it on the boooaaaard...YES!

Long drive into deep right center field! This ball is OUTTA HEEERRRREE!
R.I.P. Harry Kalas 4-13-09

by HappyHuman on Jul 17, 2009 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions

They didn't get booed

but there wasn’t anybody clapping for them around me.

by russellguldin on Jul 18, 2009 5:26 AM CDT up reply actions

I disagree

There was a much quieter pattering of boos towards Stan, but it was so insignificant next to the rain of boos McDonough heard that people barely noticed.

What is funny, is in the old-timer panel with Wittenberg,Koroll, Jarrett, Angotti, and Ab Mcdonald at the very end Ab mentioned that Tallon joked with him that he should buy a home here since he visits Chicago enough.

Even though Dale wasn’t on the program or in any of the panels you could tell he was on the mind of a lot of people and his name got brought up quite a bit.

by cubby23 on Jul 19, 2009 5:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Perusing the convention brochure

and lil bowman is listed as GM. Wonder when these were actually printed… With only a few days I wonder if some first editions were trashed to make this ‘right’

by Tiocfaidh ar La on Jul 17, 2009 9:40 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

For business conventions, programs and schedules are usually not printed up until 3-5 days prior due to the “fluid” nature of business.

by russellguldin on Jul 18, 2009 5:27 AM CDT up reply actions

McDonough

He took the air out of the room, and I think it was planned or staged because Wiedeman had each panelist in McDonough’s panel (“the resurgence”) give an opening statement.

Gee, I wonder what will the first panelist, McDonough say in his opening statement…(I’m not sure how to change the font color but that statement would’ve been in blue or some other color if I knew how).

Both the Sun-times and Trib in the Sunday editions covered what he said. He gave his reasoning for the move, and as president he has that power whether some fans like it or not. He mentioned that if he were in the fans shoes he too would feel the same emotions about Dale being fired. Fair enough, him and Tallon didn’t mesh (Tallon’s too laid back and not a nose to the grindstone fella like he views Stan Bowman, that’s fine.)

To be honest there aren’t any tough questions re: Tallon that need to be asked at this point, it won’t bring Tallon back for those that want Tallon still as GM, and it won’t mean McDonough will face any repurcussions because the man that hired him (Rocky) seems quite pleased with how McDonough is running things. I think there’s enough evidence to suggest either McDonough wasn’t being completely honest when he said he doesn’t get involved in personnel decisions, or he was being honest and just didn’t buy into how Tallon managed the team.

by cubby23 on Jul 19, 2009 4:57 PM CDT reply actions

yeah but...

The guy who was 2nd to the podium in that session with Blunk, Rocky, and McD asked (to paraphrase) What did Tallon do to get fired?

McD essentially dodged it and stuck to his prepared statement that sometimes unpopular decisions have to be made and the goal was to win the stanley cup.

by hoorock89 on Jul 19, 2009 9:32 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm not sure what more anyone needs to hear about this?

For those that still want Tallon there won’t be any answer that justified the move or it’s timing. Think about it. You could bring up the litany of bad moves: Aucoin, Barnaby, Moen being traded, Curtis Brown, etc…and then try to balance the missed playoff seasons post lockout against 1 playoff season and 2 consecutive seasons and it still won’t seem as sufficient explanation for some.

Bottom line if the team president decides he can’t trust or doesn’t like the way the team GM is operating and makes the move to put someone he feels he works better with, how will that satiate the fans as an explanation? It won’t but it makes sense from his standpoint.

I don’t feel he dodged the question, he was just mindful that if he listed the litany of things that could be brought up against keeping Tallon it would reflect negatively on him. Consider that he just finished taking the air out of the room in that opening statement. If this team wins the Cup do you really think it’ll matter that Tallon got his job title changed? Of course, everyone realizes that if they fail to meet expectations it’s McDonough who becomes the target for angry fans, and I’m sure he knows that. What troubles me more is that the unproven Stan Bowman got the gig when in reality there were probably a dozen more qualified candidates including the recently departed Rick Dudley.

by cubby23 on Jul 20, 2009 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Dudley knew it was coming

Dudley said he took a lateral move to Atlanta!cause he saw McD getting into player moves,argueing with Tallon etc.. and knew when Dale went so was he. Blackhawks Confidentiel 7-16?

by idiot man on Jul 20, 2009 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm not primarily concerned with Dale's well-being

I agree that lil Bowman was not the best available candidate for the job. Neither was Tallon when he was chosen, and I think he did ok. He’s also been a class guy about this whole deal.

Let me be clear about why I’m disappointed with the whole situation. My fear is (rightly after the last few decades, no?) that performance can be ignored to get ‘my guy.’ the job. Wee Bowman is his guy, probably because he sees things like McD does.

I wanted to get to the mike and let them know that platitudes like ‘we want the cup’ and ’we’re accessible to you, the fan – and we listen’ are good cliches. What’s really important is that we TRUST they will do their best for the Indianhead, and the fans. I may not agree, but I really need to understand about these moves. The tap dancing around the straight story does not inspire my trust.

We’ll see if that improves based on his and wee stan’s actions.

by Tiocfaidh ar La on Jul 20, 2009 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions

I actually got a chance to meet McD today. For a guy who probably spent a great deal of time stressing to the players to be all smiles and friendly and put on a good show for the fans, the guy was a huge sourpuss. For all the talk about how hockey players “get it” he almost didn’t seem to. If it was too much for him to stand around and smile and be polite, he probably shouldn’t have come. The whole thing was his idea, so I figured he’d be a better sport about it.

http://accordingtwomey.blogspot.com

by hawksfan21 on Jul 19, 2009 7:46 PM CDT reply actions