The Gary Bettman Appreciation Thread

[gpearson1968]

My avatar will convey my feelings to the man, regardless of this CBA. I think Bettman has been way too pro-owner, rather than be a true commissioner that this league really needs.

Cheers,
gpearson1968

 

[transplant99]

I think Bettman has been way too pro-owner,

LOL!!

you do understand who he collects his paycheque from correct?

And who hired him to begin with?


yikes.

 

[djhn579]

Thats great that your team was saved. I'm really happy for you. But, you're looking at it from a narrow perspective; clearly happy that he saved your team, but not what he has done to the game. He IS the commissioner...and despite the fact that he does not have 100% of the say...he has enough to assume full responsibility for the state of the league. Look at what Paul Tagliabue has done for the NFL. He has elevated the league to a new high, surpassing baseball in populariy due to intelligent decisions and promoting the product correctly. Bettman has to assume responsibility...it comes with the title of commissionor. The NHL is light years away from where it should be. I"m not comparing the NFL and the NHL, because clearly the NFL is going to be more popular in the US. However, over the past 5-8 years I've seen a number of friends and acquaintances turn away from the NHL due to a product that is less than spectacular and a FA system that hasn't kept players on their teams long enough. The ease at which star players are traded is disturbing as well. There should be an institution in this CBA that makes it harder to trade franchise players.

How can you say that he has enough say in how the league is run to assume full responsibility for the state of the game? Were you at all the meetings? Do you know how many times he urged the owners to do something, but they decide to do something else? We know the last CBA was approved because some owners made a deal behind Bettman's back, so it's probably safe to assume this has happened on other decisions as well.

 

[mackdogs*]

Thats great that your team was saved. I'm really happy for you. But, you're looking at it from a narrow perspective; clearly happy that he saved your team, but not what he has done to the game. He IS the commissioner...and despite the fact that he does not have 100% of the say...he has enough to assume full responsibility for the state of the league. Look at what Paul Tagliabue has done for the NFL. He has elevated the league to a new high, surpassing baseball in populariy due to intelligent decisions and promoting the product correctly. Bettman has to assume responsibility...it comes with the title of commissionor. The NHL is light years away from where it should be. I"m not comparing the NFL and the NHL, because clearly the NFL is going to be more popular in the US. However, over the past 5-8 years I've seen a number of friends and acquaintances turn away from the NHL due to a product that is less than spectacular and a FA system that hasn't kept players on their teams long enough. The ease at which star players are traded is disturbing as well. There should be an institution in this CBA that makes it harder to trade franchise players.

Thanks for the sentiment, I am unbelievably happy and I hope a lot of people are today. I think you need to give Gary a chance now, as he has cleared a huge hurdle IMO in spreading out the balance of power and hopefully giving all teams a fighting chance.

I don't know enough about football to comment much on the rest of your post, I find the game brutal and unwatchable. Stop and go sports like this bore me to tears but I have to ask if part of the reason the NFL is so successful is because it has the most even of all playing fields among sports?

Now that Gary has that give him a chance to get his sport back to where both of us think it should be. I expect bigger and better things from GB and don't see disappointment coming any time soon.

 

[GSC2k2*]

Anyone with a law background could have done this. The Owners finally got unified and didnt crack.

You have no idea what you are talking about. You never do, no matter how many times you post consecutively.

In commenting on "law backgrounds", you may want to keep your finger off the "respond" button until you get a clue what you are talking about. You have no idea what it takes to do this.

 

[GSC2k2*]

Oh please, Atlanta and Nashville have better teams than Columbus and Columbus has no problems with attendance. Anyway, the point is that the league has too many teams. I will agree that the financial aspect of the NHL (the CBA) had to change so that huge hockey markets (but very shallowed pocket teams) like Edmonton, Calgary, and Minnesota could compete. And Gary did a great job securing a deal for that purpose, he's a great lawyer. But I'm talking about issues with the actual on ice product. Yes, the director of officiating should be making sure that obstruction is enforced, but because of the collective whining of GM's, he has not. Bettman has refused to enforce rules that have created OBVIOUS problems with the on-ice product. And yes, he was very much responsible for the instigator rule which has removed accountability from the game. Bettman is NOT a hockey man and should NOT keep his job.

Blame Colin Campbell.

Oh, wait, he is a "hockey man" (whatever the **** that is). Just like the 30 GM's and 30 coaches who are the ones who actually dictate how the players play the game. Oh, and you might want to blame the 750 "hockey men" who actually play the game and wrap their sticks around the bodies of their fellow "hockey men" and ride them down the ice again and again.

"Hockey man" my a**.

Nex time you might want to actually do some of your own thinking rather than spouting cliches that you have heard on TV and sports talk radio.

 

[NJDevils#4]

Thanks for the sentiment, I am unbelievably happy and I hope a lot of people are today. I think you need to give Gary a chance now, as he has cleared a huge hurdle IMO in spreading out the balance of power and hopefully giving all teams a fighting chance.

I don't know enough about football to comment much on the rest of your post, I find the game brutal and unwatchable. Stop and go sports like this bore me to tears but I have to ask if part of the reason the NFL is so successful is because it has the most even of all playing fields among sports?

Now that Gary has that give him a chance to get his sport back to where both of us think it should be. I expect bigger and better things from GB and don't see disappointment coming any time soon.

Fair enough. He does deserve a chance now...but 6 years from now, when this CBA is up, and we do not see some results...he must be let go. No more excuses.

 

[bluebleeder38]

Originally Posted by gscarpenter2002
You have no idea what you are talking about. You never do, no matter how many times you post consecutively.
In commenting on "law backgrounds", you may want to keep your finger off the "respond" button until you get a clue what you are talking about. You have no idea what it takes to do this.

You are not necessarily wrong, but try to show why you disagree instead of saying just "you have no idea what you're talking about," blah blah blah. Anyone can do that.

 

[GSC2k2*]

Some posters are just so comprehensively wrongheaded and deluded that only a comprehensive rejection of their posting will do.

In short, I do know what it takes. Lots of lawyers would be unable to do what Bettman has done. I seriously doubt Goodenow could. Otherwise he would have been able to battle to a draw, as any semi-competent counsel would have been able to do in this negotiation.

 

[joepeps]

He has done a good to great job overall.

Too bad in the process he lost Quebec, Winnipeg, Hartford... almost lost Buffalo and Pittsburg.

ahah you beat me too it........

yeah weeee he saved Edmonton and Calgary.. but lost other Canadian teams and Us Teams...

 

[bluebleeder38]

Originally Posted by gscarpenter2002
Some posters are just so comprehensively wrongheaded and deluded that only a comprehensive rejection of their posting will do.
In short, I do know what it takes. Lots of lawyers would be unable to do what Bettman has done. I seriously doubt Goodenow could. Otherwise he would have been able to battle to a draw, as any semi-competent counsel would have been able to do in this negotiation.

It just gets a little frustrating when people lash out at each other about stuff...nothing personal at all man...I actually agree with you that Bettman deserves credit here, for keeping the owners united with guys like Jacobs and Wirtz involved. Sorry if my post read like a personal attack on you, not intended that way.

 

[GSC2k2*]

It just gets a little frustrating when people lash out at each other about stuff...nothing personal at all man...I actually agree with you that Bettman deserves credit here, for keeping the owners united with guys like Jacobs and Wirtz involved. Sorry if my post read like a personal attack on you, not intended that way.

Not taken that way at all ...

 

[Habsaku]

with no national TV contract Bettman has taken the sport from big 4 team sport to Arena Football/wnba/x-games level, which it was not in 1992. twice as many people watched the game in 1994 than in 2004, all on bettman's watch. Glad he won the labor deal, now go away and let someone else try to bring back the game.

my sentiments exactly

 

[JayPSU]

Blame Colin Campbell.

Oh, wait, he is a "hockey man" (whatever the **** that is). Just like the 30 GM's and 30 coaches who are the ones who actually dictate how the players play the game. Oh, and you might want to blame the 750 "hockey men" who actually play the game and wrap their sticks around the bodies of their fellow "hockey men" and ride them down the ice again and again.

"Hockey man" my a**.

Nex time you might want to actually do some of your own thinking rather than spouting cliches that you have heard on TV and sports talk radio.

Last I checked, Bettman was the commish. Oh, but since he is a god around here, it must be someone elses fault below him. The buck stops anywhere but with the man in charge, I see.

 

[GSC2k2*]

Last I checked, Bettman was the commish. Oh, but since he is a god around here, it must be someone elses fault below him. The buck stops anywhere but with the man in charge, I see.

A most impressive avoidance of the points made in my post.

 

[Crazy_Ike]

Bettman is more of a "hockey man" than most the posters here criticising him. He also understands the game better.

I wonder how many of them will be whining about "too many penalties" and other contrarian stances when the game gets going, proving once again that all they have is a "magic wand" theory of how to fix the games?

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Agree or disagree me if you want, but this is why I personally do not like Gary Bettman. Aside from this CBA, he is the man in charge, so when things don't go well, you blame the main man. Its just like blaming the president/prime minister for all the crappy stuff that goes on, the blame has to go somewhere, and for the NHL it goes to Bettman. I don't like how Bettman handles himself one bit in how he talks to media, players, and the fans. To me he seems like a very arrogant and smug jerk, and he has the most condescending tone of any commissioner I have ever heard. Maybe im the only one who notices it, or maybe some people notice it and like it, I dunno but I find it rather annoying.

That being said I would have to say he has been very very wishy washy as a commish as far as his rule changes and suggestions go. The canadian assistance plan and trying to make sure Canadian teams stay in Canada was a valiant effort, of course this is after the depature of Winnipeg and Quebec. His ideas of expansion I didn't like one bit trying to go into unchartered territories. I know there are fans of these teams I speak of and im sure you're great fans, im just saying overall they should have waited until the popularity grew before expanding there. Overall as a commish I would have to give his grade a C- before the CBA, and a C after the new CBA.

 

[ResidentAlien*]

I give Gary credit for sticking to the plan, and although he irritates me with his smugness, I do beleive that he does love the game, however...
I think the players also deserve a pat on the back.
There has been a few of them that have made royal a$$es of themselves with their comments and predictions, but after the ice shavings have settled you have to agree that they put they're collective stupidty and arrogance behind them for the good of the game. Ya ya..they need the money, sure they couldnt outlast the owners, and of course they misread the resolve of the owners. But, they were also smart enough to know when they were beat. When to call it a day. When to put it all behind them, swallow their pride and suck it up for the good of the game.
IF push came to shove and they decided to be even more stupid and wait it out another year ..would the owners have gave in ...for the good of the game?
Probably not.

Flame away.
Call me an inferior intellectual, please I cant wait.

 

[ResidentAlien*]

Blame Colin Campbell.

Oh, wait, he is a "hockey man" (whatever the **** that is). Just like the 30 GM's and 30 coaches who are the ones who actually dictate how the players play the game. Oh, and you might want to blame the 750 "hockey men" who actually play the game and wrap their sticks around the bodies of their fellow "hockey men" and ride them down the ice again and again.

"Hockey man" my a**.

Nex time you might want to actually do some of your own thinking rather than spouting cliches that you have heard on TV and sports talk radio.

Not trying to start **** here, but, let s say there is such a thing as a "hockey man"
If it's not the coaches, the GMS or even the players,,,,who is it then?
The Lawyers?
Must be.
Arent you a lawyer?

 

[GSC2k2*]

Not trying to start **** here, but, let s say there is such a thing as a "hockey man"
If it's not the coaches, the GMS or even the players,,,,who is it then?
The Lawyers?
Must be.
Arent you a lawyer?

I am, but I sure couldn't be a hockey man. I am disqualified, apparently.

All sarcasm aside, I constantly hear this old canard about "hockey men". Too many people on this board (and elsewhere, for that matter) post the **** that they hear on TV or in the papers. The idea of Bettman being a "basketball guy" after working in the NBA for all of 3 years is a typical one.

My main point is for nitwits who throw around those terms and grand suggestions to put a "hockey man" in there might want to try out the process of conscious thought once in a while instead of regurgitating what Don Cherry, bob McKenzie or some other talking heads blurts out on the TV or what "Jeff from Woodbridge" might say on sports talk radio.

If they did, they might realize it is a ridiculous notion. Good thing that when Jack Welch was running General Electric, he was not overthrown in order to get an "appliances man" in there. Good thing Paul Tagliabue has not yet been discovered to not be a "football guy".

By the way, even as a lowly ******* lawyer, I would be willing to bet I have more ice time than about 95% of posters here. I know tons of lawyers who are elite level athletes, one of whom was an olympic gold medalist. There are lots of lawyers who might arguably be "hockey men", "football men", "baseball men", or anything else - again, whatever the hell those phrases mean (I am guessing at this point).

 

[zeppelin97]

Its so very convenient to give Bettman credit for the successes but then turn around and blame (or ignore) his failures on the owners/board of governors.

You can't have it both ways. Bettman should be accepting all of the successes (new CBA, increased revenue) and all the failures (poor TV audience, poor on ice product, inability to enforce obstruction rule, inability to change or 'evolve' the game to make it more appealing). Hell, it was players who had to step up and push for changes. Totally unconventional in team sports.

Bottom line is Bettman is the leader of the NHL so he should be taking all the credit and all the heat. He's still making $6M per season and i'm not sure why he isn't taking a pay cut as well. I would instantly gain a little respect for Bettman if he took a financial cut like the 'evil selfish players'.

Bettman is to be loved and the players to be hated? WTF is going on with fans today?

 

[NHLFanSince2020]

I see Gary Bettman as a genuinely concerned leader.

Every time he came out at some NHL event in some NHL rink to a chorus of boos, I wonder what the hell the booing was about.

He never let it get to him and just did his duty.

When he had to cancel the season, I perceived his speech as genuine and from his heart, in stark contrast to his peer from the PA.

I don't really care what anyone else thinks about Gary Bettman. I see him as a guy who seems to really care about the job he does and the league that he leads, and it may have taken him a while to get his feet wet in the NHL, but I think he has the ambition and drive to take the league into an area that it has never been before.

Flame away.

 

[Randy May]

So you mean guys like Ed Hospodar, Daryl Stanley and Paul Guay were good enough for those 80s Flyers teams, but not Radovan Somik?

LOL!!!!!!!!!

 

[ryz]

Thanks Mr. Bettman, from all of Calgary, for keeping our team in town and for giving us a chance to compete every year!

 

[SENSible1*]

Well Done Gary!!!