More Anti-Bettman trash

[Jarqui]

I really hope this whole post is sarcasm

If you think you know more than any writer on Forbes when it comes to business, then this is the funniest post in the history of message boards.

Thats all that needs to be said for this "post"

I know enough to realize that any writer as this one who comes out with the statements he did a couple of months ago about the finances of the NHL without looking at the books is on very shaky ground.

Further, his argument just two months ago was how financially great it has been to own an NHL franchise. He accomplished that be reporting several teams worth 38% more than what people were willing to pay for them recently. His valuation numbers are vague smoke without the books. His track record on his NHL valuation numbers prior to sale stinks badly.

Now, at a very tough moment for the NHL, he's decided to downgrade their value to suit his article today hoping we'll forget what he said just two months ago.

I don't need to be a writer at Forbes to recognize when one is being irresponsible or very loose with fiddling the facts to suit his opinion and sell magazines.

 

[Hasbro]

I noticed the PA's talking point yesterday was about how the NHL didn't want to negotiate. If that were the case why not take the 42.5 and make a liar out of Bettman?

 

[SENSible1*]

I really hope this whole post is sarcasm

If you think you know more than any writer on Forbes when it comes to business, then this is the funniest post in the history of message boards.

Thats all that needs to be said for this "post"

Muddie thinks he's being smart.

PS How seriously can one take a writer in a BUSINESS magazine that suggests handing over the reins of a 2+B dollar industry to Wayne Gretzky?

If the NHL is ever to recover from the debacle created by Bettman, it must put in place a commissioner with hockey in his blood and tremendous integrity. Someone who the fans can identify with and trust. It needs someone who has enough guts to eliminate some teams in order to make the NHL stronger. Wayne Gretzky, anyone?

The author obviously put his brain in park and simply choose to vent his frustration after being called out by the NHL for filing an error riddled analysis of the leagues finances without ever having taken a look at the books.

 

[Other Dave]

Thanks Muddie! You da man!

 

[TheBudsForever]

Get Real ....

Both Goodenow and Bettman are to blame along with the players and the owners. Both of them have gone great lengths to spear head the rampant destruction of the NHL over the past decade.

Goodenow and Bettman were the point men in this circus. Both of them are egomaniacs and guess what, it has been the main roadblock all along. Grandstanding and brinkmanship is what these 2 clowns have been about all along. Bettman's release of the letter sent to Goodenow as the League's final offer was a classic example. Just when there was some 1th hour momentum, Bettman has to paint Goodenow into a corner instead of continuing private negotiations. Of course, Goodenow felt obliged to respond in kind.

2 swelled head Ivy League lawyers who wanted to play my equipment is bigger than your equipment right down to the bitter end. Neither of them is worthy of and defence at all. In fact, as far as I'm concerned they should both be fired.

Hockey will survive in Canadian markets when it comes back. However, you can bet that there will be trouble bringing back fans in soft U.S. markets. I can only hope that a number of team go bankrupt. That way, both owners and players will get penalized for allowing Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb to handle the negotiations. Further, with less teams, we'll all get to watch better hockey as few players will be needed from the same sized talent base.

On another note, a rival league is as possible as it ever could be right now. Think about it, some billionaire spear heading a move to set up 1 teams in the NHL's best markets .... with about 2/3 of the NHL players without a contract, it wouldn't be too hard to scoop up the talent you needed to field good talent teams and really screw the NHL at the same time. A rival League could walk away with about half of the free agents out there right now under longer term contracts with a reasonable payroll of say ... $42.5 million. Alot of players will jump aboard certainty re contract in a new League as opposed to uncertainty of a season next year....

 

[AJ1982]

Wrong perhaps, certainly not racist.
Unless you are overly sensitive politcally correct person, and if you were I imagine you could say that label is racist too!
and that's not directed to anyone here in particular!

Subjective and prejudice might be better terms for it.

 

[Hasbro]

Subjective and prejudice might be better terms for it.

Xenophobic

 

[mackdogs*]

Xenophobic

Maybe a (Don) Cherryism?

 

[ATLANTARANGER*]

I've always said

Interesting quote in the article

"To meet the growing demand for players, team rosters were often filled with European skaters with only a fraction of the passion for the game that the Canadian players have. The NHL product lost some of its appeal to its rank and file. "

give 10 - 12 western canadian boys and I'm ready to go to war. I don't think it is racist. European players have alternatives. They are not as involved in the hockey mania like north american are.
Forbes is absolutely right about the NHL being a niche sport and what Bettman did. I live in the south. Why? The same reason you see all those canadian license plates heading though Georgia in the cold weather. People in the warmer climates of the US have many more things to do with their time. They get use to doing things outdoors.

Bettman is the typical CEO who wants to grow sales, increase the stock price and cash in his stock options and hit the door before it hits him. Look at any scandal that has hit wall street in the past 5 years and change the company name to NHL and you have the story. Too many people are just fans and don't truly look at the business side to see what has gone down.

Oh and by the way, I know that you have worked hard to get to where you are, but as owner, I need to increase my ROE, so I would like to cut your salary by 24% and limit your future salary because I mismanaged things while you were working hard. That sounds go to you, right. I thought so. Thanks for understanding, chump! Opps, sorry I meant champ, you're a real champ!

 

[Hunter74]

The biggest negative created by expansion is the overall talent decreased. A by product of this is coaches getting smart and figuring out how to break the rules to make these lesser talented players effective at the NHL level. To couple the problem the actual eleite talent in the league is usually clustered up on just a quarter of the league as that quarter of the league are the big spenders and priced out most teams for teh eleite talent.

These problems are easily correctable IMO.

1. Drop a cap on the league so that its a level competitive playing field which should in effect help spread out the elite talent.

2. Inforce all obstruction type rules at a zero tolerance level. This will make the Clark Wilms (no offense Clark love ya) less effective at stopping the more gifted players in the league. This will hopefully slowly increase the offensive production in the league and make the on ice product much more entertaining. Its a shame when small skill guys like kariya and St Louis have a difficult time showing off there supior skill b/c a guys who is only in the league b/c he his great at hooking,holding and obstruction just obstruct him illegally which completely makes Kariya's and St Louis's supior skill set moot as they cant do anything if you are holding on to him.

I dont exactly beleive in this expansion thinned out the talent pool so much that the NHL can no longer compete well. it is somewhat true as there are less talented players per team but you would think with more less talented players in the NHL now that the talented guys should be skateing circles around the players who shouldn't be here. But since the coaches got smart and told the less talented players to cheat without consequence the less talented guy can defend against a player his suppior. Just my take on the thinned out talent pool in the NHL.