Jimmy D on Detroit Sports radio

[speeds]

He's higher than Ken Holland, but more behind the scenes type stuff, not player personnel etc.

More on the financial business end then?

 

[me2]

NOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

Thinks 2/3rds of the teams had trouble, not the wings

he was prepared for the current situation.

Doesn't know when we'll see hockey again, this year, next year. Hopes next year to be a full year.

Thinks all 30 teams will survive under a cap/cost certainty "without a doubt" but won't otherwise.

Feels the salary spiral is putting the weaker financial teams "out of the ballpark".

[Interviewer thinks the Super-teams are the only reason some weaker teams sell out is when the super teams come to town. LOL I'm sure they'd do just as well if they were more competitive].

Thinks the disparity between the rich and poor is too great a gap to be maintained and needs to be fixed.

Thinks the players should be concerned about losing a years salary in a short career.

Thinks the cap works in the NFL.

Thinks the cap in the NBA is not working that well.

Thinks the NHL needs a cap or at least some linkage.

Thinks the wings won't be able to "gloat" at the trading deadline and grab lots of $5m players.

Wings will go back to the old system of keeping and developing draft picks (liek the 80s and before) rather than trading them for big salaries and stars.

[Interviwer is trying REALLY hard to him to bag the small markets and blame them for everything. Seems to want the Wings to keeping spending big dollars and buying cups. JD is not buying into it at all and is keeping up the NHL line].

JD sounds almost apologetic about spending so much more than the lesser teams. Rather than buy into the inteviewers pro-big market he's done a good job looking at the other side.

JD compared Nashville salary to Wings salary, suggested it was too unbalanced. Inteviewer suggested salaries were not unfair because Flames made the finals, JD responded by suggesting that the Wings should learn from the Flames and build rather than keep buying under a cap [common sense].

JD, Holland and Illitch felt bad about charging so much for ticket prices. Decided to stop increasing them 3 years ago because they were so high.

Wings (and him) wanted the cap put in back in the 95 deal.

Thinks the owners shouldn't have caved in 95 and would have been better cancelling the season. Then we wouldn't be in the same situation we are now. Sounds committed to a cap or bust.

95 deal was supposed to have a committee with the players to discuss a cap. Committee never eventuated.

From 99 the league tried multiple times to get the union to come to the table so that teams like the Avs and Wings didn't have to get to the 3rd round to break even.

Agents where "pushed" to extract as much money as possible.

Agents/NHLPA did a wonderful jobs extracting money from the teams, even though they knew it was killing some teams. Teams had to play it through to the end of the contract and roll with the financial blows until the CBA ended.

Thinks history may end up showing that the NHL will end up being a financially solid 30 team league with a cap. Thinks history will show the did the right thing by pro sports.


Doesn't believe it'll be catastrophic to cancel the system. Thinks the NHL will bounce back with a cap.

Called the player the product. Said the player product should get 55%.

Hockey was struggling before the lockout, lost the national TV contract, feels their will be some damage out of the lockout. BUT with a cap and cost certainty the sport will bounce back and be a success everywhere.
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[Interviews wants big market teams to outspend little markets]
JD thinks they may eventually consider some means of extra flexibility built in to a CBA to spend a little more than the cap, somehow. Wasn't comfortable with the "luxury tax" term to describe it, kept calling it "flexibility".

EDIT: lots of typos I was typing as I listening.

 

[Boomhower]

Thanks for the recap me2, that sounds more like what he'd been saying in other interviews. Detroit has always been pro cap, dating back 10 years.

 

[shadoz19]

[Interviwer is trying REALLY hard to him to bag the small markets and blame them for everything. Seems to want the Wings to keeping spending big dollars and buying cups. JD is not buying into it at all and is keeping up the NHL line].

I think you should listen to the interview again.

 

[me2]

I think you should listen to the interview again.

I did. Twice. Why don't you type out the bits from the interview you think I got wrong.

 

[Brewleaguer]

Not entirely surprised. He's always been a little off the beaten path on the owner's stance.

Not to mention he also works for the Red Wings, one of the biggest perpetrators of outrageous salaries.

Hey you get the guys who can bring you the cup, that’s what it's all about, isn't it?
Illitch doesn't care so much for profits but the true trophy.

 

[Brewleaguer]

Jimmy D has no authority in Detroit.He has not had authority since the late 1980's

Jimmy D was the main cog in the Wing wheel to get the team to were it has been for the past 10 years. He has a lot of pull in the Wings Org

 

[me2]

I think you should listen to the interview again.

EDIT

That said, its kind of strange that the hard cap is such a hard sell because as the Red wings know if you didn't have the super teams like the Red wings, Avs, TO, Philly, some of these teams ... What is wrong with having some super teams because these ..low.. payroll teams like Nashville and Columbus... if you didn't have these super teams like the redwings that were so great base d based on payoll, they wouldn't sell out these building if you were just run of the mill teams.
.
JD responds that there are too many teams that can't compete because there is too great a gap. Then talks about players losing money. Says the cap works in the NFL, there needs to be something tied to revenues. That is what the big fight is about.
.
It is about that, but it does seem Jimmy.... that we're in a unique perspective here Jimmy..you do.. we're in Detroit where the red wings...you know...had the huge payroll, one of the top two or so, you know the fans loved it, you won championships, and in one breath you have to say for the good of the game we need scale back but in the other breath what I think you are saying is the Redwings as we know it are going away, we are not going to see gaudy, glitzy teams again anymore. Is that what you are saying?
.
JD responds by suggesting it means they'll do a better drafting and developing.
.

Now but..do you think..in a different was that Detroit is a much bigger hockey market than say Atlanta or Nashville, I wondering why..say..do things have to be even if you have a bigger more passionate fan base. Are we,sort of, admitting that these small market teams are running or leading the big market teams around by the nose...so to speak?

JD doesn't agree.
...
...
JD talks about holding firm and establishing a cap in 94-95.

but you wouldn't have had three cups


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No offense to the interviewer but he sounds like a Wings fans (he has season tickets) who likes being able to throw $78m at a cup run. Its in his tone as well as his words, he likes being a fan of 'super-team'. Fair enough, I might feel the same way if I'd gotten use to supporting a big spender. Maybe my criticism came across as too harsh, it wasn't meant to be, but he was clearly asking a few leading questions and JD didn't take the bait.

 

[shadoz19]

No offense to the interviewer but he sounds like a Wings fans (he has season tickets) who likes being able to throw $78m at a cup run. Its in his tone as well as his words, he likes being a fan of 'super-team'. Fair enough, I might feel the same way if I'd gotten use to supporting a big spender. Maybe my criticism came across as too harsh, it wasn't meant to be, but he was clearly asking a few leading questions and JD didn't take the bait.

Wojo is understandable though. Its tough when you have had a team that has been at or near the top for a long period of time. I didn't think he was blaming the small market teams. When he said Super-teams are one of the the main reasons the weaker teams sell out, if you followed the Detroit Tigers then you understand that one.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

JD seemed to be pointing a finger directly toward Ken Holland. How the team has to get back drafting and developing talent. And not trading away draft picks or expensive players.

 

[me2]

JD seemed to be pointing a finger directly toward Ken Holland. How the team has to get back drafting and developing talent. And not trading away draft picks or expensive players.

I got more of a "times change" type vibe, not a condemnation of the current system or Holland who was just playing by the current rules. His point was a cap needs careful prospect management not big spending. I didn't think it was finger pointing just the realisation that they'll shift back to the old Wings system (not the system of Old Wings :lol ).

JD impressed me, softly spoken and considerate type of guy. He was prepared to look at the health of the whole league and consider the little guys even if it did damage his own teams chances (and genuinely mean it). He seems like a good sort of man to have in a big hockey organisation. Very unhawkish.

 

[PecaFan]

Thanks for the summary. Seems like a perfectly normal interview to me (cap needed, linkage, costs too high, too much disparity), and nothing like what was characterised early in this thread.

Not that that's surprising at all.

 

[ScottyBowman]

Jimmy D has no authority in Detroit.He has not had authority since the late 1980's

Yeah right. The guy still runs the team. He was the one that pissed off Bowman in 2002 by cutting Brent Gilchrist.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

I got more of a "times change" type vibe, not a condemnation of the current system or Holland who was just playing by the current rules. His point was a cap needs careful prospect management not big spending. I didn't think it was finger pointing just the realisation that they'll shift back to the old Wings system (not the system of Old Wings :lol ).

JD impressed me, softly spoken and considerate type of guy. He was prepared to look at the health of the whole league and consider the little guys even if it did damage his own teams chances (and genuinely mean it). He seems like a good sort of man to have in a big hockey organisation. Very unhawkish.

Heck i wish JD was still runnning the Wings. He, Murray and Bowman built teams from the ground up. They weren't afraid to shake up the roster by trading some popular players. All Holland does is sign the biggest name FA on the market. Players who dont fit the need of the team. He's a fanasty GM more than anything. Jim Nills who is the Asst GM reminds me a lot of JD. I can only pray one day soon he is allowed to take over the team.

 

[eye]

Actually Jimmy D is a part of one organization who doesn't really back Bettmans very much at all.

Actually I would say based on all the interviews I have heard Jimmy D, Holland and Illetch that they have fully supported Bettman 100%. Even the Red Wings were tired of having to make it to the 3rd round of the playoffs just to break even.

Bettman and the owners almost have what they sought out to get. Should get it done today, at least in principle.