The Milwaukee Post

July 5, 2013 • Milwaukee Post • 11 A strong owner makes all the difference in sports Blackhawks are a perfect example of what happens when dedicated ownership takes a once floundering franchise and makes into one of the best in sports Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for their second Stanley Cup championship in the past four years. The Blackhawks are the best team in the National Hockey league for a number of reasons. One of the major reasons is that Bill Wirtz is no longer the owner of the team. Wirtz was owner and team president of the Blackhawks for 41 years before his death in 2007. Under his leadership, the Blackhawks had the second longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history and the longest in team history. They had not won a title since 1961. In 2004, ESPN declared the Blackhawks as the worst franchise in sports. His son, Rocky, took over the team prior to the 2007-08 season. The Blackhawks have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse as quickly as any team in the history of major professional sports. After one title in 41 years under Bill Wirtz, the Blackhawks have won two titles in just six seasons under his son, Rocky. It's clear that the problem for the Blackhawks in the 41 years under the elder Wirtz was not the specific players or draft choices or coaches or general managers. The problem was Wirtz. He may have been a great man and a great leader, and I might be missing some of his greatness. He was also a terrible owner. The Blackhawks had no chance of success with Bill Wirtz as owner. I mention the Blackhawks to emphasize the importance of good ownership in professional sports. I have stated before that the Milwaukee Bucks will not be successful as long as Sen. Herb Kohl is the owner of the team. He is the Bill Wirtz of the NBA. Just like Wirtz, Kohl is great at many things. It's clear that he loves Milwaukee. There would be no NBA basketball in Milwaukee if not for the immense civic pride of Sen. Herb Kohl. He deserves all the credit for keeping the NBA in Milwaukee. On the other hand, he is the reason the team has struggled for the majority of the seasons since he took ownerhip in 1985. It doesn't matter who's coaching the team. It doesn't matter what players are selected in the draft. It doesn't matter "HOMER" on SPORTS who's the general manager. The names have changed, but results have been the same. It seems harsh. I'm sure that Sen. Kohl thinks I'm wrong. I suspect the same is true of many of those in the Bucks organization and many of their loyal fans. Study the Blackhawks and it will become much clearer. *** As further evidence of the importance of good ownership, watch the L.A. Lakers very closely in the next few years. The glory years are over because Jerry Buss is no longer the owner of the team. He passed away earlier this year. He bought the team in 1979, and the Lakers won 10 NBA championships under his ownership. The Lakers were not special because they were located in Los Angeles. They were special because they were under the control of a great owner. His son is now running the team and they are already a bigger mess than at any time during Jerry Buss's tenure. The Lakers passed on Phil Jackson, hired the wrong coach, and struggled terribly with a talented roster. STEVE "The HOMER" TRUE In addition, it appears that Dwight Howard is going to say no to more money from the Lakers and take less money from another team. If Jerry Buss was still running the Lakers, Dwight Howard would still be playing for the Lakers and playing much better than he did last season. It's over for the L.A. Lakers. *** The race for the perfect golf tee is over. Call Ironwood Golf Course and ask about the Martini tee. It's the first unbreakable tee that doesn't break and is also perfect because it's easy to put the ball on this tee. (Steve "The Homer" True, host of "Homer and Thunder Show," heard from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays on 540 ESPN, can be reached at homer@espnmilwaukee.com) Area native living in the fast lane Jimmy Fennig enjoys successful career as crew chief in NASCAR By DANIEL MIKE Conley News Service MUSKEGO – Jimmy Fennig has not been in an auto race since the 1970s. But he's been involved in the sport for quite some time, and he's still going strong as the crew chief for Carl Edwards. "When I was a kid, my dad always took me to races," said Fennig, a Muskego native. "I wasn't really cut out to be a race car driver, which is how I got in the pits." Fennig joined the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1984 for DiGard Racing and worked for Mark Martin in the American Speed Association in 1986 and 1987, helping Martin win the '87 ASA title. Fennig returned to Winston Cup competition as the crew chief for Bobby Allison in 1987, and Allison won two races during their two seasons together – including the 1988 Daytona 500. Fennig then was paired with Wisconsin native Dick Trickle, who won the 1989 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award. (Trickle died this year.) Fennig worked with Stavola Brothers Racing through 1996 before joining Roush Racing to become Martin's crew chief. Fennig worked with Martin through 2001 before he was Submitted photo Muskego native Jimmy Fennig is the crew chief for Carl Edwards. moved to crew chief for Kurt Busch in 2002. Busch won the Nextel Cup title in 2004, and Fennig was selected the Sporting News Crew Chief of the Year. Fennig took over as crew chief for Edwards this season, and they won their second race together at Phoenix International Raceway. "It's been a lot of hard work," Fennig said. Fennig and Edwards were paired in November, and Fennig immediately let Edwards know his intentions. "(Fennig) made it very clear when we talked about him doing this. He said, 'I am here to win. That's it,'" Edwards told The Sporting News in February. "He said, 'We're not here to be famous or be on TV or do interviews. He said we are here to win races. That's the only reason I'm doing this.' "I told him, 'I cannot be with you enough on it.'" Edwards is second in the Sprint Cup points standings, but he was 15th last season, prompting the switch in crew chiefs. He did not win a Sprint Cup race last year and began this year with a 69-race winless streak. "(Fennig) has a very good perspective – it's that we are going to work hard, we're going to do the job and we're going to reap the benefits of that," Edwards told The Sporting News. "That's not something he yells at people about ... it's just expected and that's the feeling I get from him." Fennig has seen considerable changes in the sport since working for Al Schill at Hales Corners Speedway. "It's more of a business now than a sport," Fennig said. "It's more business than it is racing. "We have the engineers who develop new simulations, and a lot is done through the engineers. It's a lot more engineering-driven now than it was years ago." Contact Daniel Mike dmike@conleynet.com

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