Blackhawks Writer Uses Bobby Hull's Death to Address His Criminal Acts That May Have Been Forgotten

Via Scott Powers, The Athletic: But Hull's history of alleged domestic abuse, racism and antisemitism eventually prompted the Blackhawks to cut ties with him in 2021. Hull had been in the role of team «ambassador» since 2008, frequently attending games, doing voice-overs for video montages and schmoozing sponsors. But the social reckoning that swept the country in recent years came for Hull, too.

Two of Hull's former wives accused him of domestic abuse. In 1987, Hull pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer who tried to break up an argument between Hull and his then-wife, Deborah. Reports from the incident say Hull had a bruise on her head but refused treatment. In a 2002 ESPN «SportsCentury» documentary, his former wife Joanne said that Hull had beaten her during a trip to Hawaii.

«I took a real beating there,» she said. «(Bobby) just picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, threw me in the room, and just proceeded to knock the heck out of me. He took my shoe — with a steel heel — and proceeded to hit me in the head. I was covered with blood. And I can remember him holding me over the balcony and I thought this is the end, I'm going.»

Via Scott Powers, The Athletic: In 1997, Hull was quoted by the Russian newspaper The Moscow Times as saying Adolf Hitler «had some good ideas» and that he «just went a little bit too far.» The newspaper also quoted Hull as saying the Black population in the United States was growing too quickly. Hull refuted the quotes in a statement as «false and defamatory.»