http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com ... 419.columnMark Giangreco won't bother waiting for the official announcement.
"The second John McDonough became president of the Blackhawks, I knew Pat Foley would be back," the hockey maven and WLS-Ch. 7 sports anchor said. "He exemplifies what Chicago used to be and should be—a local, regular guy calling Blackhawks games and doing it in a way that excites everybody—players, fans and other media people."
Now that Foley has completed his second season with the Wolves, he's on the verge of being introduced—OK, re-introduced—as the Hawks' TV play-by-play man. The announcement is set tentatively for Monday.
"I'm sure fans would say [Cubs announcers] Len Kasper and Bob Brenly do a great job," said Comcast SportsNet general manager Jim Corno, whose network will broadcast a majority of Hawks games next season. "But if Harry Caray were for some reason able to come back, you'd have to bring him back, right?
"Pat Foley is a legend. He is one of those unique announcers—he has a level of excitement in his call that really communicates with the fans."
Foley's 25-year run with the Hawks ended in May 2006. He clashed with management, and observers say the Hawks' miserable play drained some enthusiasm from his calls and affected his work ethic.
"He was the face of that franchise during a dark, dark time," Giangreco said. "And the Hawks thought he was being too critical and too negative.
"Now he seems revitalized and the Hawks are experiencing this special renaissance. It's symmetry, the way it's supposed to be."
There should be an official announcement tomorrow.
