Blind Gardien said:
He's probably in a lose-lose situation, right along with the players. Well, sure, if he gives in some of us will recognise his honourable sacrifice, but I don't suppose his union or the sporting world at large will be all that happy. We all heard the criticisms from outside the game when he offered the 24% rollback. He'll get lambasted if he accepts anything like the owners are asking for. And he'll similarly get lambasted if he lets the league blow itself up. Tough spot.
It hardly matters.
Eye's posts are all about ego and other ridiculous things.
He seems to think I'm a personal friend of the Goodenow family and that players, agents and PA employees read these boards and respond to his posts.
The real questions are these:
1) Will Gary Bettman be the first commissioner to ever preside over a full season lost to a labor stoppage?
The answer here, unfortunately, may be yes.
A good commissioner would have never let it get to this point. But Bettman didn't have the spine to start working when the last CBA expired.
2) The bigger question won't be answered for years perhaps: Did Bettman preside over the ruin of the NHL?
Blame the owners, players, agents, fans, tv execs. Blame whoever you want. But Bettman is the commissioner.