The Chicago Blackhawks franchise continues to sink into the old tar pits of the dinosaur age. Once a dynasty not that long ago, the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups from 2010-15. It was a dynasty created after the old man died. Bill Wirtz had his hockey franchise playing in the dark ages. One of the worst franchises in sports. Bill’s son, Rocky Wirtz, took over and brought the Indian head back to life with a franchise makeover. Solid draft picks. Getting in touch again with the fan base. Most importantly, showing the new generation of fans that hockey was played in Chicago. Since hoisting that last Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks have been free falling. Some of the core of the dynasty is still playing and has not been traded away. The off the ice scandal. The wicked town hall meeting at which the owner had foot in the mouth disease. The latest in this soap opera that continues at the Mad House on Madison is the Seattle Kraken getting their tentacles on long time announcer, a home town guy, Eddie Olczyk. You’ve got to be Kraken me… an expansion team swooped in and gave our guy the money and the years to broadcast games in the state of Washington as the brass of the Blackhawks are scratching their behinds in disbelief.

In Chicago we love our sports announcers who paint the picture of the product every night and give us the insight on the state of the franchise. Eddie Olczyk was on our TV sets for 16 seasons which had three Stanley Cup winners. Last season, Eddie’s partner in crime, Pat Foley retired from the announcer booth and he was a Chicago fixture. Some say the Blackhawks forced Foley out of the booth, who was replaced by Chris Vosters. Foley once was fired by the Blackhawks when Bill Wirtz ran the show as his liquor distributor company was more important than the team on the ice. Rocky Wirtz would bring back Pat Foley after his father had passed away. Foley and Olczyk would form one of the best announcing duos in Chicago sports history. In bad seasons, which the Blackhawks better get used to, good announcers keep your fans watching more. Last few years have been miserable. Foley and Olczyk would make the pain ease off. When things were going great for the Blackhawks, those two were the guys that painted the picture that made you get off the edge of your seats to high five your friend with the excitement from calling the play by play.

The Blackhawks said they had a verbal agreement with Eddie Olczyk. Eddie’s people and the Blackhawks were in negotiations to hammer out an extension. Why did it take so long? Why would you have a hometown guy, a former player and one of your faces of your franchise, sit home and stew. Olczyk went to Brother Rice High School, the same school I did on the southside of Chicago. Olczyk is a guy from the South suburbs in the Chicago land area. Blackhawks drafted him in 1984. Olczyk played 16 years in the NHL with the first three seasons wearing the Indian head sweater. Olczyk’s second stint with the Blackhawks was the last two years of his playing career. Olczyk scored 77 goals while dishing out 122 assists playing in 322 games for the Blackhawks. In between the bookends of his Chicago hockey career, Olczyk would play in over 1,000 NHL games as he also suited up for the Maple Leafs, Jets, Kings, Penguins, Kings, and helped the Rangers win a cup in 1994.

In Chicago, we can still see Eddie Olczyk do National hockey broadcasts on TNT this upcoming season. We can also see Olczyk tell his opinion on what sweaty animal will win the Kentucky Derby as he does horse racing coverage on NBC. If we feel like it, we could just get the NHL package and watch Eddie Olczyk cover the Seattle Kraken games with John Forslund, a guy he teamed up with on NBC games. Blackhawks will be very bad for the next few seasons as we will watch the end of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews skating their games at the United Center in the Indian head sweater. Blackhawks seem like they either fly high and soar with eagles or hit rock bottom. Nothing seems ever to be in the middle. It always takes this franchise a very long time to get out of the bottom of the barrel where they are sinking past the fossils of the Ice age. It’s because they do stupid stuff like chase away things that are not broken like their TV coverage. I will not buy the Blackhawks saying “We thought we had an oral agreement in place.” The Blackhawks dropped the ball on something that should have taken five minutes to hammer out a deal. You watch Seattle. They are still an expansion team, but they are making solid moves to bring a guy like Eddie Olczyk to make their broadcasts stronger. Eventually Seattle Kraken will have the product on ice to win games. The Blackhawks, in the meantime, will still be trying to figure things out.