Gary Bettman was "15 minutes away"
naughty
from presenting an offer from Jerry R. to Jerry M. & had the situation in hand. Alas, Jerry M. went
Rogue & wrought whats followed, a far worse deal not only for himself but so too for the COG & the taxpayers. In retrospect, it would've been far more prudent for Moyes to have bitten the bullet, far less costly for the COG, and far less embarrassing for the league to have followed Bettmans' lead back in April 2009 & quietly passed the keys' to Jerry & Michael Reinsdorf.
Watching him over the past few years, my attitude & opinions of the man have changed from negative to positive, much of it based on the way he's handled the situation in Phoenix. From a purely legal & business perspective, he's turned a pigs ear into a silk purse regardless of whether or not the team stays or goes this year or 5 years from now. With a rumored 5-9 additional franchises in way over their heads, that he's able to keep the lids on it all without it all going
kaboom is nothing short of
astounding. The Koules & Barrie thing, the messes in Florida, Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, LI & elsewhere he's juggling is worth every cent of the $7M+ he's being paid.... Ya he's argumentitive, weasely & less than candid, obtuse & arrogant, a control freak and an overachiever, single minded & focused, the very qualities one wants in a CEO, COB, President, Commissioner, and all traits common in most persons of success, merit, heft & weight. A sardonic wit, a decent guy who is in a position where he's damned if he does & damned if he dont.