Chicago Blackhawks: Fred Hoiberg is employed, Joel Quenneville is not

In a shocking turn of events on Tuesday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks fired Joel Quenneville. Somehow, another Chicago coach is still employed.

Chicago sports are a funny thing. They can be fickle at times. One moment, the city is in an uproar. The next, everyone is filled with hope, where sunshine and rainbows abound. There is no in-between. The Chicago Blackhawks certainly caused fans some angst on Tuesday, and I’m guessing the general feeling among the city will err on the side of uproar.

The Blackhawks decided to fire 3-time Stanley Cup Champion head coach Joel Quenneville, and most fans are left with at least a feeling of uncertainty. Polling several fans on Twitter, I haven’t found a single one who is happy with the move — and rightfully so.

More from Da Windy City

• 3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks shootout loss to Nashville
• Chicago Cubs in the middle of chaos that is Shohei Ohtani’s free agency
• The Chicago Cubs are on a roller coaster of emotions chasing Shohei Ohtani
• Chicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidates
• Chicago White Sox News: Erick Fedde signs two-year deal

This is a man who is currently the second-winningest coach in NHL history. He helped bring the Blackhawks out of the dust and into the limelight. If you’re from the Midwest, you know that, as soon as the Blackhawks started winning, it was all of the sudden “cool” to be a Chicago fan.

I know Minnesota Wild fans who will secretly tell me they have a soft spot for the Blackhawks, and it’s all because of the franchise rising out of years of misery and finally putting together, not only one winning season, but what some would call a dynasty.

We all know it wasn’t Quenneville who made the countless personnel decisions over the last couple of years. He was put in a position to fail. The real man at fault is Stan Bowman, but more on that later, as we’ll have additional coverage of this story in the days to come.

The funny thing that I realized on Tuesday is, somehow, the Chicago Bulls are content with head coach Fred Hoiberg.

If you were forced to pick, a couple of months ago, which Chicago coach would be fired this year, between Quenneville and Hoiberg, who would you have chosen? I’d find it hard to believe you wouldn’t roll with Freddy.

Hoiberg is the same guy who decided it was just dandy to play Justin Holiday into the ground, as if he was the second coming of Jimmy Butler, or even Luol Deng. News flash: Holiday isn’t even close.

Hoiberg is the same guy who continues to start Cameron Payne — who shouldn’t even have a job in the NBA — over an emerging Ryan Arcidiacono this season. The two are on different planets in terms of what they do to facilitate an offense, yet Hoiberg doesn’t care.

Side note: I’m in complete agreement with the above tweet.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Hoiberg is out to coincidentally tank this season away, just like last year. And while I’m not opposed to a strong draft pick, I’d at least appreciate less lunacy while I’m watching these Bulls.

The point is simple. The world we’re living in is a weird one. It is a world where Joel Quenneville is now unemployed, while Fred Hoiberg seems way too comfortable. In Chicago, I think I speak for all of us when I say that this is absolutely unacceptable.