Goodbye, Dale Tallon

I would have been blindsided by this Dale Tallon business if not for a quick talk with a friend's dad a few days ago. He basically warned me this was about to happen, so I really wasn't all that surprised when the news broke that Tallon had been fired. It's strange, but then again so is everything the 'Hawks do, even now that they're good.

John McDonough - who's last name I have the hardest time spelling - probably couldn't have been happier when Tallon was late with his mail to Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg. It worked out exactly how the Prez wanted it to, it would seem: the 'Hawks lost nothing (not even that much cash. Said owner Rocky Wirtz: "It costs us some money on the front end but we'd be paying this money eventually,"), but they could have, and that's all McDonough needed to convince the public that firing Tallon was necessary.

If you follow the 'Hawks closely - and anyone who reads this site knows I, uh, don't - the writing has been on the wall for a while. Scotty Bowman's kid is McDonough's guy, and, just as we saw with the head coach situation last season, McDonough eventually has his way.

What's really strange: both with Savard and Tallon were fired from their high profile, high responsibility jobs and given other jobs in the organization where they (probably) don't really do anything. Basically, Wirtz and McDonough are paying these guys not to talk smack. Tallon and Savard are beloved by the fans, sure, but imagine if the Bears had made Ditka an adviser after they fired him. Would never have happened in a million years. Which begs the question....who does this? Um, the Knicks. And I can't think of anyone else.


It's just kind of weird, right? I still can't get over the fact that they fired Savard after four games. How is this even remotely acceptable ever? The answer: when it's Vinny Del Negro.

Also, don't forget about the bizarre Martin Havlat situation that's currently going on, which has Havlat tweeting up a storm about how the 'Hawks betrayed him and how THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT. Again: weird.

Because my hockey knowledge is subpar, it's time to kick it to our SB Nation overlords at Second City Hockey. Of course, all SB Nation blogs aren't created equal, but I'm proud to say that SCH is another must read (to go along with SSS and BaB). They won my heart forever when they nicknamed Kane and Toews 'Daydream Nation' (19 + 88, get it?). And they know lots about hockey. And they are not pleased with this firing one bit. This whole post is a must read. Here's a bit:

This is still the guy who brought Patrick Sharp here for Matt Ellison.  Who brought Martin Havlat here for Mark Bell.  Who brought Kris Versteeg here for Brandon Bochenski.  Who drafted Toews, Kane, Barker, Bolland, Hjalmarsson, Seabrook, Keith, and everyone else who's going to take the ice in October.  Is he Ken Holland?  No, he is not.  But he certainly has earned the right to see this through, and the Hawks took that away.

Ah yes, Ken Holland. (I have no idea who that is.)

So yeah, see ya later, Dale Tallon. His dismissal probably won't prove to be the worst thing in the world (at least we hope not) but, if nothing else, it's another curious move for a franchise that has made a couple of them since becoming relevant again.