Bobby Hull and His Twisted Legacy
Known as the “Golden Jet” for his striking blonde hair, lightning-fast skating, end-to-end rushes, and unmatched scoring ability, Bobby Hull was once seen as the National Hockey League’s (NHL) golden boy. His accomplishments and honors are instantly diminished, though, by his many societal misdemeanors ranging from domestic abuse allegations from two of his three wives to his offensive commentary regarding the Holocaust and the Black population within the United States.
With his connections to Chicago and his lengthy career as a Blackhawk from 1957 until 1972, Hull is a popular face for hockey fans throughout the state. A senior in high school and member of the Romans Hockey Club, Trent Glimp, said, “I don’t think that Bobby Hull deserves a huge ceremony about how great his career was, but I also don’t think he should now be criticized for the things he did away from hockey. He is dead, and his friends and family are grieving. Yes, he made comments which were and are wrong. Yes, he was abusive. Yes, he assaulted a cop. But that still doesn’t provide a reason, at least in my mind, to “speak ill of the dead.”
Founder of SportStatNetwork and NHL fan Lizzie Lucas said, “if the NHL were to recognize his accomplishments, they should also make a statement against his personal life to show others that just because someone is very good at their sport, doesn't mean the things he did were okay.”
Finding the equilibrium in creating the perfect celebration has created a whirlwind of problems for the NHL. On their website currently, Hull is praised by headlines ranging from “Bobby Hull honored by legendary goalies for intimidating shot, presence” to “Bobby Hull dies at 84, legendary Blackhawks goal-scorer, Cup champion.” In short, the NHL has limited their reporting on his personal life, mainly highlighting his successful hockey career.
Trent said, “it’s necessary to look at the time period [when reflecting on his career]. Bobby Hull played between 5 and 6 decades ago, so that’s why he wasn’t punished for what he did. If he played today and did the same things, I can guarantee he would be banned from the NHL.”
Other nationally recognized sports organizations such as Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League have put an emphasis on accountability in recent years. For example, if an athlete were to commit a crime, they almost always get removed from their team, if not banned from their sport’s league.
In connection to his lifelong hockey career, Trent mentioned that “The same thing happens in youth hockey. I know there are rules surrounding “out-of-hockey” issues in the rule books at every level: hockey team, league, state association, and national association.”
The perpetuation of sports fan culture could be correlated to Hull’s fame. As a dedicated fan, being blindsided by foul actions is not unheard of. As a society that supports sports culture, altering the standard to which we hold players accountable must take place so that Bobby Hull’s personal life does not become the norm.