Would that Hull's headlines could have ended with his playing career. Black-and-white footage will always fail to capture it, but in Chicago and later Winnipeg after seeking WHA money commensurate with his fame, he was a phenomenon. Starting at a time when only two players had previously topped 50 goals, Hull reeled off five 50-goal seasons in eight years. He led the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup in 1961, won two MVPs, and led the league in goals seven times and points thrice. With his speed and his slapshot, the flamboyant Hull felt like he had stepped out of a time machine from a couple decades in the league's future. The Golden Jet looked the part of a celebrity, blond hair streaming as he left defenders in his wake. You can't choose how you'll be remembered after you go, but you can surely make it harder to decide than Hull did. Saying Hitler had some good ideas and beating the hell out of your wives will do that. But Hull, whose death at the age of 84 was announced this morning, certainly earned the ignominy. It should be impossible for an athlete as talented and successful as Bobby Hull to have his on-ice accomplishments overshadowed, to the point where they're not even the first thing that springs to mind after his death.
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