Is someone else leaving the north side?

[RedIvyCub]

Stay tuned...you will soon be hearing of another defection from the Cubs front office. No, not Hendry but an executive is flying the coop very soon!!!

[jersey cubs fan]

Yay, the more the merrier.

 

Although I assume it'll be somebody like Crane Kenney going to greener pastures.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Fitzsimmons?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'd love to speculate, but I really don't care.

[jersey cubs fan]

Fitzsimmons?

 

He already left once the Trib went private.

[CubinNY]

Fitzsimmons?

I think he's already gone.

 

Gary Hughes?

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Ronnie Woo Woo?

[jersey cubs fan]

I'd love to speculate, but I really don't care.

 

If it's an executive, whose affiliation with the Cubs was due to Tribune ownership, I don't care. If it's somebody who matters in the baseball operations side, I do.

[JeffH]

Oneri.

[jersey cubs fan]

Oneri.

 

As the VP of minor league personel (or something like that), I think he qualifies as an executive. And I'd say that would be meaningfuly. Not necessarily bad either.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'd love to speculate, but I really don't care.

 

If it's an executive, whose affiliation with the Cubs was due to Tribune ownership, I don't care. If it's somebody who matters in the baseball operations side, I do.

I don't care either way and probably won't until they can get a crew in place that can field a 90+ win team sometime before my kids start having kids.

[RedIvyCub]

I won't leave you in suspense now that there is a press release.

 

Blunk Named Senior VP, Business Operations Chicago Blackhawks Press Release Jan 3, 2008, 1:15 PM EST The Chicago Blackhawks today announced that Jay Blunk, a 22-year sports marketing veteran, will join the team to direct the team’s business operations. Mr. Blunk will be the team’s senior vice president of business operations, a newly created position.

 

Blunk joins the Blackhawks after directing many of the Chicago Cubs’ successful marketing strategies and is viewed by many in the industry as an energetic sports marketing innovator. During his tenure with the Cubs, he held several marketing and sales, branding, promotions and advertising positions.

 

As Senior Vice President of Business Operations he will oversee the team’s marketing operation as well as media, tickets, broadcast and community relations. Mr. Blunk’s appointment is effective Sunday, January 6. He will report directly to Chicago Blackhawks’ team president John McDonough.

 

“Bringing an exceptional talent like Jay on board represents another step towards restoring the Blackhawks and its brand to its rightful place among sports’ most treasured franchises,” said McDonough. “There is no question in my mind that Jay has the right credentials, the credibility and the leadership to help us build on the progress we’ve made in a short time. He will join a great team of professionals who have contributed to our growth. We are thrilled to have him with us.”

 

“I am eager to get started. I look forward to a new challenge and have seen Chicago’s passion for this team, its players and the direction it is headed” said Blunk, a native of Bloomington, Illinois. “The 22 years I spent with the Chicago Cubs has been very rewarding. It was a privilege to be a part of one of America’s most storied franchises. I am proud of the professional achievements that I accomplished there and look forward to bringing much of that experience to the Blackhawks. Our team is playing great hockey, is committed to winning and is working every day to strengthen and expand its fan base.”

 

Mr. Blunk has spent is entire career with the Chicago Cubs, joining the team as an intern after graduating from Illinois State University in 1986. Most recently, Blunk was the team’s senior vice president of marketing and broadcasting. He and his wife, Marci, have three children and live in the northern suburbs.

 

Mr. Blunk’s appointment comes on the heels of several recent moves made by team chairman W. Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz to generate more excitement among Chicago sports fans about a talented group of young and veteran players. Shortly after assuming the role of chairman, Mr. Wirtz moved swiftly to place eleven home games on television and to appoint Mr. McDonough as the team’s new president.

[Burtonbell]

Goodbye Jay Blunk!

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-080103hawks-blunk,1,2595239.story?coll=cs-cubs-headlines

[RedIvyCub]

Goodbye Jay Blunk!

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-080103hawks-blunk,1,2595239.story?coll=cs-cubs-headlines

 

Be afraid, Hawks fans, be very afraid. Nice for the puppetmaster to have his puppet again...

[CUBZ99]

Stay tuned...you will soon be hearing of another defection from the Cubs front office. No, not Hendry but an executive is flying the coop very soon!!!

 

Looks like the Cubs are going to have to hire some new marketing guys. Any big trades on the horizon?

[UMFan83]

OK, I didn't mind when they took McDonough, but now this is starting to irk me.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Stay tuned...you will soon be hearing of another defection from the Cubs front office. No, not Hendry but an executive is flying the coop very soon!!!

 

Looks like the Cubs are going to have to hire some new marketing guys.

Who is charge of scalping the tickets now?

[Jon]

Interesting. Blunk did a good job with the Cubs.

[nilodnayr]

So I'm assuming Blunk reported directly to McDonough for the majority of the latter part of his career with the Cubs. RedIvy is that a fair assumption? Man, the Hawks are maing waves.

 

As part of the Hawks Alumni Association, I'm going to a dinner/meeting next week that McDonough is going to be the speaker at. I'll post in social if he has anything interesting to say.

[TruffleShuffle]

if the blackhawks are gonna raid the cubs execs, the least they could do is also take jim hendry too

[BigbadB]

if the blackhawks are gonna raid the cubs execs, the least they could do is also take jim hendry too

 

He'd likely do less damage in the NHL, too.

 

Drafting, signing and trading for guys he knows nothing about might be better than knowing what he's getting and making deals to get them anyway. :wink:

[RedIvyCub]

Stay tuned...you will soon be hearing of another defection from the Cubs front office. No, not Hendry but an executive is flying the coop very soon!!!

 

Looks like the Cubs are going to have to hire some new marketing guys. Any big trades on the horizon?

 

Not that I am aware of. Hendry keeps things close to the vest and then runs and tells the media before anyone in the office even knows about it or a press conference.

[RedIvyCub]

So I'm assuming Blunk reported directly to McDonough for the majority of the latter part of his career with the Cubs. RedIvy is that a fair assumption? Man, the Hawks are making waves.

 

As part of the Hawks Alumni Association, I'm going to a dinner/meeting next week that McDonough is going to be the speaker at. I'll post in social if he has anything interesting to say.

 

That he did. Didn't make a move without talking to McD. He reported to McD for his entire Cubs career. Not understanding making Blunk head of Business Operations as he has been a marketing type his entire career. Now Hawks have two guys who know little about the business side of running a franchise. Pretty scary stuff.

 

He won't have anything interesting to say as it will all be in marketing speak. Just watch your back on that event and not a word of what I have told you here to McD.

 

Not sure if any of you saw how he pretty much dissed Woody, Prior and Cubs fans in a quote mid last month at an autograph signing the Hawks had downtown.

[salukifudd]

OK, I didn't mind when they took McDonough, but now this is starting to irk me.

 

Why is it irking you? With the impending sale of the Cubs, front office jobs seem instable right now. I would rather take a new position where I'm wanted than get fired and look for a job elsewhere.

[cubs121]

if the blackhawks are gonna raid the cubs execs, the least they could do is also take jim hendry too

 

He'd likely do less damage in the NHL, too.

 

Drafting, signing and trading for guys he knows nothing about might be better than knowing what he's getting and making deals to get them anyway. :wink:

lol agreed!!!