RTB: My 2 cents on the Tallon demotion.

Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level.

As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and because of that he is ultimately responsible for how the organization performs on and off the ice.

The Tallon thing was tough because he has done such a good job building the team and he is so popular with the fans. Presidents must ultimately make tough decisions, even unpopular ones for the good of the team.

The whole thing with the Hawks' RFAs not getting their qualifying offers on time ultimately falls on Tallon. Whether or not he personally did or didn't mail them doesn't matter. At the time he was the general manager and it was his duty to ensure that the RFAs were qualified on time. It didn't happen and he is ultimately responsible.

This blunder cost the Hawks money, and cap space and it embarrassed the organization. Since it was Tallon's department that was at fault, he took the fall.

Don't get me wrong, RTB loves Tallon and thinks his re-assignment might have been a bit harsh, but thats business. His demotion makes RTB think of the time Mr. Lumberg moved Milton down to the basement, for those who know the movie Office Space. It sucks, but Tallon fucked up and needs to be held accountable. I don't like it any more than the next guy, but that is what it is. This whole thing should never have happened.

Fittingly, the Hawks promoted Bowman who's known as capologist, which is just what the Hawks are going to need going forward. Next year we will need to re-sign Kane, Toews and Keith and we are hard against the cap.

I just hope Stan is The Man to get it done.

Thats my 2 coppers.