This article is about a recently deceased person. Some information, such as the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change rapidly as more facts become known.

William W. ("Dollar Bill") Wirtz (October 5, 1929 – September 26, 2007), born in Detroit, Michigan, was the chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of the family-owned Wirtz Corp. Image File history File links Gnome_globe_current_event. ... // The following is a list of notable deaths in 2007. ... The official portrait of W. Willard Wirtz hangs in the Department of Labor W. Willard Wirtz (born March 14, 1912) was a U.S. administrator. ... is the 278th day of the year (279th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... “Detroit” redirects here. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ...

Wealth

Wirtz Corp. is most notable as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks; Wirtz Realty, a large real estate owner in Chicago; and Judge & Dolph Ltd., a major liquor distributor selling over 33% of all liquor in Illinois. It also has interests in banking and insurance. Wirtz also co-owns the United Center with Jerry Reinsdorf. Crain's Chicago Business in 2004 estimated the company's 2003 revenues as US$1.3 billion. Overall, it is estimated that Wirtz's holdings (including stock in several companies, including Alberto-Culver and Firstar Bank) are worth about US$3 to 4 billion. The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in the Near West Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. ... Jerry Reinsdorf (born February 25, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York) is the owner of Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls. ... Alberto-Culver (NYSE: ACV) is an international corporation whose principal business is manufacturing hair and skin beauty care products under such brands as Alberto VO5, St. ... U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) is a financial services holding company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

Blackhawks Ownership

Wirtz has a reputation for stubbornness and frugality. He is vilified by Blackhawks fans for forbidding Blackhawks home games to be shown on TV and for allowing Bobby Hull to leave the Blackhawks. Wirtz is also blamed for the loss of both Dominik Hasek and Ed Belfour, the sacrilegious trade of Chris Chelios to Detroit (In actuality, Chelios asked to be traded and gave approval to then-General Manager Bob Murray when told Detroit was the most interested team), the lopsided trade of Jeremy Roenick and lastly the 1967 trade of a young Phil Esposito. Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita are so embittered by Wirtz's cheapness that they will have nothing to do with the franchise. Wirtz is also blamed for the Blackhawks Stanley Cup drought, which is the longest in the NHL and the longest in team history.^[1] Robert Marvin Bobby Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. ... Dominik Hašek (born January 29, 1965 in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)), also known by his nickname The Dominator, is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Edward John The Eagle Belfour (born April 21, 1965 in Carman, Manitoba, Canada) is an NHL goaltender who, as of July 1st, is a free agent. ... Chris Chelios (born Christos Kostas Tselios January 25, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Greek American defenceman for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL, earning many awards during his long career. ... Jeremy Shaffer Roenick (born January 17, 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Philip Anthony Esposito, OC (born February 20, 1942 in Sault Ste. ... Robert Marvin Bobby Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. ... Stanislav Stan Mikita (born May 20, 1940) was a Slovak-Canadian professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best center of the 1960s. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ... This is a list of current NHL franchise post-season and Stanley Cup droughts. ...

Under the ownership of Wirtz, the Chicago Blackhawks were named by ESPN as the worst franchise in sports.^[2] ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ...

ESPN has ranked Wirtz as the 3rd greediest owner in all of sports.

Wirtz was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. He has five children and seven grandchildren. The United States Hockey Hall of Fame, located at 801 Hat Trick Avenue in Eveleth, Minnesota, serves to honor those individuals who have contributed to the sport of hockey in the United States. ... This article is about the year. ...

Wirtz was given the nickname "Dollar Bill" by Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Verdi as a sarcastic reference to his frugality in compensating his players. // The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ...

The "Wirtz Law"

According to the Chicago Reader, in 1999 the Illinois legislature passed The Wine and Spirits Fair Dealing Act, colloquially known as the "Wirtz Law". The bill was passed after over $700,000 was contributed to politicians by liquor distruibutors according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. According to the Reader: The Chicago Reader is an alternative newsweekly in Chicago, Illinois. ...

The law was on the books for less than three years before a U.S. district court judge struck it down on the grounds that it violated the commerce clause of the Constitution. Newspaper editorials at the time often called the Wirtz Law a corrupt document, and it has since become a case study for campaign finance reform. But what has gone largely unnoted is that it only applied the same strictures to wineries and distilleries that already apply to breweries.^[3]

Death

Wirtz passed away at Evanston Hospital on September 26, 2007 at age 77, after a brief battle with cancer. Overall, he served as the Blackhawk's team president for over four decades. [2]

See also

• List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame

National Hockey League This is a list of all the members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• Profile from team's official website.
• A comprehensive summation of the frustration felt by Chicago Blackhawks fans