The Breakaway
The Inside Story of the Wirtz Family Business and the Chicago Blackhawks
by Bryan Smith
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Pub Date Oct 01 2018 | Archive Date Jul 31 2018
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Description
When Rocky Wirtz took over the Wirtz Corporation in 2007, including management of the Chicago Blackhawks, the fiercely beloved hockey team had fallen to a humiliating nadir. As chronic losers playing to a deserted stadium, they were worse than bad—they were irrelevant. ESPN named the franchise the worst in all of sports. Rocky's resurrection of the team's fortunes was—publicly, at least—a feel-good tale of shrewd acumen. Behind the scenes, however, it would trigger a father, son, and brother-against-brother drama of Shakespearean proportions. The Breakaway reveals that untold story.
Arthur Wirtz founded the family's business empire during the Depression. From roots in real estate, "King Arthur" soon expanded into liquor and banking, running his operations with an iron hand and a devotion to profit that earned him the nickname Baron of the Bottom Line. His son Bill further expanded the conglomerate, taking the helm of the Blackhawks in 1966. "Dollar Bill" Wirtz demanded unflinching adherence to Arthur's traditions and was notorious for an equally fierce temperament.
Yet when Rocky took the reins of the business after Bill's death, it was an organization out of step with the times and financially adrift. The Hawks weren't only failing on the ice—the parlous state of the team's finances imperiled every facet of the Wirtz empire. To save the team and the company, Rocky launched a radical turnaround campaign. Yet his modest proposal to televise the Hawks' home games provoked fierce opposition from Wirtz family insiders, who considered any deviation from Arthur and Bill's doctrines to be heresy.
Rocky's break with the edicts of his grandfather and father led to a reversal for the ages—three Stanley Cup championships in six years, a feat Fortune magazine called "the greatest turnaround in sports business history." But this resurrection came at a price, a fracturing of Rocky's relationships with his brother and other siblings. In riveting prose that recounts a story spanning three generations, The Breakaway reveals an insider's view of a brilliant but difficult Chicago business and sports dynasty and the inspiring story of perseverance and courage in the face of intense family pressures.
Advance Praise
“The Breakaway is much more than a sports book rushed into publication following a team’s championship, which we’ve seen repeatedly in Chicago. This one has good content on a variety of fronts, with a very readable blend of history, business, and entertainment. Author Bryan Smith gives readers a great peek into the privately-held Wirtz Corporation.” –Mike Conklin, contributing writer for The Chicago Tribune and author of Goal Fever!
"It doesn't matter if you are a Chicago Blackhawks fan, a hockey fan or just enjoy stories of family dynasties and incredible business turnarounds, The Breakaway is a must-read. He paints a picture of the Wirtz family members, with all their trials, tribulations, faults and fame, that sucks you in the moment you start reading. I ended the book wanting to meet every one of them... and it made me an even bigger fan of the storied Chicago Blackhawks." –Dean Plunkett, Managing Editor, The Hockey Writers
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780810138889 |
| PRICE | $27.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 216 |
Featured Reviews
Lance S, Reviewer
It seems hard to believe now, but not long before the Chicago Blackhawks put together an impressive run of three Stanley Cup championships in six years, the franchise was dreadful both on and off the ice. In 2007, the team missed the playoffs for the ninth time in ten seasons and also lost thirty million dollars that season. It was also the year that second generation owner Bill Wirtz died and when his son Rocky (short for Rockwell, his middle name) had a ceremony before the opening game of the 2007-08 season, Bill was booed loudly by the fans in attendance.
Given that backdrop, it is easy to see that Rocky turned the franchise around very quickly and that is the basis of this excellent book by Bryan Smith, a senior writer for Chicago and Men’s Health magazines. Not only are Bill and Rocky portrayed in the book, but the man who started the Wirtz enterprise, Arthur, is covered as well. The reader will learn much about the Wirtz men, their business acumen and their management of one of the “Original Six” NHL franchises.
While a very fair and balanced account, this book does not paint a pretty picture of the Wirtz family. Their idiosyncrasies and refusal to change long-held traditions are explored in depth and how some of them led to the dire straits the Blackhawks found themselves in. One of the most famous examples of this was the long-standing Wirtz policy of refusing to televise home Blackhawk games, fearing it would keep fans away from the arena. When Rocky ended the long-standing policy in his first year of running the team, the cheers were as loud as any that came when the team won the Stanley Cup.
This is not to say everything written and said about Arthur and Bill Wirtz was negative. Indeed, Arthur oversaw a team that had superstars such as Bobby Hull, Pierre Pilote and Stan Mikita. Their Stanley Cup championship in 1961 was thought to be the first of several for the team, but their misfortunes came soon thereafter. When Bobby Hull left the Blackhawks to sign with the Winnipeg Jets of the new World Hockey Association in 1972, it was the low point for Arthur’s tenure. Bill Wirtz took over upon Arthur’s death in 1983 and because of his fierce loyalty to his father, he refused to change much. This led to the decline of the franchise and also led to some very negative press.
Rocky’s tenure was marked not only by the rapid rise of the franchise, but also some interesting family dynamics with his siblings. The story of his brother Peter is very interesting reading as is some of the smaller changes made as well as the bigger ones. One very interesting tale is when Rocky moved into Arthur’s old office after Bill refused to use it or remove anything from it, treating it like a shrine. Rocky decided that it was time for the office to be changed and utilized, a symbol of his plans for the Blackhawks.
This is an excellent book for readers who are Blackhawks fans, who enjoy reading about sports management or who want to learn more about the Wirtz family.
I wish to thank Northwestern University Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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