Analysis of Gary Bettman's Stanza as Comissioner

[two out of three*]

Ok.. I'm too young to give my analysis on Mr. Bettman. I don't know what he has done wrong, or what he has done to benefit the game. But from the time that I have been paying close attention to the Business of the game (which has been really the last two years) it seems to me that he's trying hard to get in the good graces of the fans, and trying hard to do whats best for the league (even though he isnt a hockey guy.)

My question to everybody is:

1) What has Bettman done wrong/done right for the game? (If theres to long of a list to what hes done wrong *i know that is coming from the pro-PA guys* just post the main points)

2) Is Gary worthy of being comissioner after the lockout?

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[EventHorizon]

Ok.. I'm too young to give my analysis on Mr. Bettman. I don't know what he has done wrong, or what he has done to benefit the game. But from the time that I have been paying close attention to the Business of the game (which has been really the last two years) it seems to me that he's trying hard to get in the good graces of the fans, and trying hard to do whats best for the league (even though he isnt a hockey guy.)

My question to everybody is:

1) What has Bettman done wrong/done right for the game? (If theres to long of a list to what hes done wrong *i know that is coming from the pro-PA guys* just post the main points)

2) Is Gary worthy of being comissioner after the lockout?

As far as I'm concerned, all you need to know at this point is that Gary Bettman presided over the cancellation of an entire season due to labor strife. Something that has not happened in any other sport. Any poor decisions he has made before pale in comparison to this one fact, which will be his legacy. No leader should have let it get to this point.

 

[me2]

As far as I'm concerned, all you need to know at this point is that Gary Bettman presided over the cancellation of an entire season due to labor strife. Something that has not happened in any other sport. Any poor decisions he has made before pale in comparison to this one fact, which will be his legacy. No leader should have let it get to this point.

yeah he should have caved back in September.

 

[EventHorizon]

yeah he should have caved back in September.

I don't think he should have caved. I don't think anybody should have caved. I think these two boneheads (Goodenow & Bettman) should have been working on this at least 2 years ago. Had they done that, they could have gotten it resolved before it ever got to this point. And now as far as I'm concerned, they should both be banished to a desert island far away from a hockey rink so that we can get 2 real leaders who actually care about the game of hockey and the fans to negotiate a new CBA. Negotiate, there's an interesting word.

 

[futurcorerock]

Bettman has done one thing wrong: He has not mended the wounds cut by Alan Eagleson. When he took the helm after Ziegler departed, his FIRST priority as a commisioner is that he shouldved acted in behalf of the NHL, not the owners, in making sure that there were no hard divisions between players and owners.

Keep in mind, this was at a time when the allegations first arose that Alan Eagleson had misappropriated funds from the players' association for use by his law office partners and himself. As well, it was exposed that he had an almost "too" friendly relationship with the Blackhawks organization. All the while, he was the NHLPA's representative and the agent of many NHL stars.

Needless to say, 1992 and 1994 were about redemption. They were about NHLers finally getting things that they wanted. Free agency, guaranteed contracts, arbitration.

While this went on, there was a scabbed over trust issue involved with the NHL and the PA. From my opinion, i dont think the NHL approached marketing in the right way, but maybe it was because of the divisions that lay between owner and player. Ofcourse, it's not all owners or players to blame, as two former players have become owners in their own right.

From 1994 on, it seems the owners stuffed down the defeat at the bargaining table and just let it go, using expansion fees to fuel the appetite of the players.

I think if Bettman wants to go down as a great commisioner, he's going to have to come out of this lockout as a healer. He's going to have to play reconstruction with the league and bridge the gap between players and owners, stop the bad blood, and market his players accordingly. There's money to be made from all of this. If player X can make millions from the promotion of endorsements, that puts more butts in the seats, which the owner can benefit from in terms of revenue.

I think if Gary can do this, he's more than worthy of being commish... question is, can he?

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Ok.. I'm too young to give my analysis on Mr. Bettman. I don't know what he has done wrong, or what he has done to benefit the game. But from the time that I have been paying close attention to the Business of the game (which has been really the last two years) it seems to me that he's trying hard to get in the good graces of the fans, and trying hard to do whats best for the league (even though he isnt a hockey guy.)

My question to everybody is:

1) What has Bettman done wrong/done right for the game? (If theres to long of a list to what hes done wrong *i know that is coming from the pro-PA guys* just post the main points)

2) Is Gary worthy of being comissioner after the lockout?

He's just acting on order from the owners, so this isn't all his fault.

When he was originall hired, his two big goals were:

#1. Salary Cap - like the one he helped create in the NBA.

#2. Big National TV deal. His plan was to expansion into the US, which would create additional TV markets, which would entice the netowrks into giving the NHL a significant TV contract.


What has happened: With the NHL popularity at it's zenith and the NBA on its way down without Michael Jordan, the NHL shut down for half a season. This took away any momentum the NHL had. Even while sitting out half a season the league, which seemingly won the CBA, could not control itself, and spending went through the roof.

Expansion and relocation:

Hartford --> Carolina .. didn't have an arena ready, played 90 minutes away for 2 years (not positive on number of years)
Winnipeg --> Phoenix ... didn't have an NHL suitable arena for the first 8 years in Phoenix
Quebec --> Colorado ... big success, team was already great when moved in, big time owner

Ottawa
Tampa
Florida
San Jose
Anaheim
Nashville
Atlanta
Minnesota
Columbus



The NHL now has no real TV contract in the US. ESPN only will show games on ESPN2, and the NBC deal is for no guaranteed money.

Entire 2004-05 season cancelled, first in North American pro-sports history.

His positives: Greatly increased national sponsorships. Getting NHL players to participate in the Olympics.

IMO he is not the person to lead the NHL after the lockout ends. If he gets the owners a sweetheart deal, they should give him a great golden parachute, and escort him out the door.

The comissioneer needs to be someone the players respect, first and foremost. Someone that knows and understands the players and the game. The best name I've heard mentioned by far would be Lou Lamarillo.

 

[NJD Jester]

The comissioneer needs to be someone the players respect, first and foremost. Someone that knows and understands the players and the game. The best name I've heard mentioned by far would be Lou Lamarillo.

Well, I guess we can forget that AHL goalie rule then, eh?

 

[TonySCV]

What has happened: With the NHL popularity at it's zenith and the NBA on its way down without Michael Jordan, the NHL shut down for half a season. This took away any momentum the NHL had. Even while sitting out half a season the league, which seemingly won the CBA, could not control itself, and spending went through the roof.

Expansion and relocation:

Hartford --> Carolina .. didn't have an arena ready, played 90 minutes away for 2 years (not positive on number of years)
Winnipeg --> Phoenix ... didn't have an NHL suitable arena for the first 8 years in Phoenix
Quebec --> Colorado ... big success, team was already great when moved in, big time owner

Ottawa
Tampa
Florida
San Jose
Anaheim
Nashville
Atlanta
Minnesota
Columbus

Let me just make this point mentioned on another board:

Winter, 1991 - TB awarded NHL franchise
Winter, 1991 - Ottawa awarded NHL franchise
Winter, 1992 - Anaheim awarded NHL franchise
Winter, 1992 - Florida awarded NHL franchise

2/1/93 - Bettman takes over as Commissioner

We need to remember that not all of the expansion is Gary's doing - and contraction means fewer jobs for the players as well. I would argue that the expansion teams added under Bettman - Minnesota, San Jose, Nashville and Columbus (Atlanta being the exception) were good moves. All four of those teams are regularly selling out their games. Atlanta really the only one that hasn't seemed to pan out yet.

If teams sell out, they should be successful, and that's why I believe we can have a "new" NHL with 30 healthy teams if the right economic system is in place. Contraction may be a necessary evil after all this is said and done, but contraction also means fewer jobs for players as well.

- T

 

[Behn Wilson]

I believe Bettman has handled himself admirably throughout the strike.

But his tenure as commissioner will go down as a complete and utter failure.
He didnt understand the game and its fan base and he tried to follow the NBAs model which flat out failed.

With him at the helm the league got greedy. They sacrificed the long term viability for the short term influx of the franchise fees. He overexpanded and diluted the talent base. About half the teams cant skate and play a boring defensive minded trap fest that makes attending many nights a snoozefest.

And the game thrives on physical contact. Widening the rinks removed some of that. He tried to copy the Euro game which is more finesse which doesnt cut it here, we like the grit element. And we hadded too many Euros who play the soft brand where before we were generally only adding Euros with the upper end talent.

The game is a shell of what it used to be.

 

[kdb209]

Let me just make this point mentioned on another board:

Winter, 1991 - TB awarded NHL franchise
Winter, 1991 - Ottawa awarded NHL franchise
Winter, 1992 - Anaheim awarded NHL franchise
Winter, 1992 - Florida awarded NHL franchise

2/1/93 - Bettman takes over as Commissioner

We need to remember that not all of the expansion is Gary's doing - and contraction means fewer jobs for the players as well. I would argue that the expansion teams added under Bettman - Minnesota, San Jose, Nashville and Columbus (Atlanta being the exception) were good moves. All four of those teams are regularly selling out their games. Atlanta really the only one that hasn't seemed to pan out yet.

If teams sell out, they should be successful, and that's why I believe we can have a "new" NHL with 30 healthy teams if the right economic system is in place. Contraction may be a necessary evil after all this is said and done, but contraction also means fewer jobs for players as well.

- T

San Jose was not added under Bettman - It was the first of the latest round of expansion, before Ottawa & Tampa, before Anaheim & Florida, ie before Bettman.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

Two labor stoppages, one full season canceled, soon to be more games lost due to labor stoppage than any other league. TV ratings in the toilet, no big TV deal like he promised, quality of the game has diminished under his leadership. IMO He deserves his job as much as Bush deserved to be re-elected.