Gary Bettman's contract

[garnetpalmetto]

It always amuses me that people think of the old division names as some kind of time-less tradition from the dawn of hockey, and changing them as if it was some kind of travesty.

Those division names were only used for less than 20 years out of the hundred year history of the NHL. For some reason, people have no sense of perspective about this. They're not part of the "roots of the game."

Seriously - between this and people complaining about the change back to dark jerseys at home, you'd think some people's definition of the "roots of the game" starts in the early 1970s.

 

[Fugu]

It always amuses me that people think of the old division names as some kind of time-less tradition from the dawn of hockey, and changing them as if it was some kind of travesty.

Those division names were only used for less than 20 years out of the hundred year history of the NHL. For some reason, people have no sense of perspective about this. They're not part of the "roots of the game."

I never liked those names either, tbh. Probably because those too were someone's gimmick.

 

[straka91*]

Bettman is not the problem, its those clowns that own the teams, the disciplinary office, and the fools who keep changing the rules to a game that wasnt that broken to begin with.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Bettman is not the problem, its those clowns that own the teams, the disciplinary office, and the fools who keep changing the rules to a game that wasnt that broken to begin with.

You mean the active players, GMs (who are mostly former players), and owners who make up the Competition Committee?

 

[straka91*]

You mean the active players, GMs (who are mostly former players), and owners who make up the Competition Committee?

Yep. My point is with or with out Bettman, its going to be the same.

 

[Crazy_Ike]

Bettman is not the problem, its those clowns that own the teams, the disciplinary office, and the fools who keep changing the rules to a game that wasnt that broken to begin with.

Actually the game probably WAS broken before 2004 (on ice). I don't know about you, but dead puck era hockey was friggin bad. Unentertaining.

It's important to look at potential improvements from time to time. Want an example of a game that is stagnating itself into irrelevance? Men's tennis. Oh sure the paydays are still high because it's a traditional sport and old habits die hard. But the game itself, played on some of its typical surfaces, is just crap on a stick. Ace rules. The court is simply too small for today's technology and athleticism.

 

[KevFu]

I think Bettman is, by far, the best commissioner of the 4 major sports, so please exclude me in 'everyone'.

You could have someone like Selig, who quite possibly broke the law in the whole maneuver to get the Expos out of Montreal, Stern who has presided over the decline of the NBA into irrevelancy except for a few large markets, or Goodell who can't stop himself from destroying the golden goose.

That doesn't even touch on someone like Sepp Blatter....

Stern conspired with his friend, allowing him to purchase Seattle -- a team with 40 years of tradition -- knowing damned well the guy's only intention was to hijack the team and move to Oklahoma City.

Could you imagine this board if Bettman did something even remotely close to that? One of his FRIENDS, taking one of the most northern teams and moving them to the middle of no where?

or have someone who has cancels the ****ing season like that ******* bettman.

The NFL and MLB have both had work stoppages. The MLB owners killed the World Series. The NFL has played multiple seasons using replacement players while the REAL NFL guys were on strike or locked out.

while he has succeeded in growing league revenues and improving the market exposure of the game in the US, he also has a couple of big misses.

The Phoenix fiasco looks bad on Gary. You can't blame Bettman for the failure of the Phoenix franchise, that you have to put on Steve Ellman and Jerry Moyes .... If this bond issue flops Bettman should resign.

But all of the successes could easily be erased if the league ends up owning the Coyotes for much longer.

Bravo on listing his credits with the issues, but I don't see the logical connection between Phoenix's situation and Bettman's job security. Every ounce of "fault" on the PHX situation goes back to Moyes and his illegal declaration of bankruptcy.

His contract should be a percentage of the PROFIT teams in the Southern US turn each year. Take the combined profits of Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, both Florida teams and Carolina, say, and give him a percentage.....with any cumulative loss requiring a public flogging, against his own monies and with any cumulative period of two success loss years requiring him to resign but first apologize to each hockey fan on a (paid by himself) live television program that is called "I lied, it was all about my ego".....

That's just silly. Bettman placed four teams in the league: Atlanta, Nashville, Columbus and Minnesota. Just TWO southern teams. If it was all about his ego as he carries out his master plan of robbing hockey from the north and moving it to the south (sarcasm), why would have have sought local ownership for every single franchise that has been sold during his tenure, only accepting relocations reluctantly when funds never emerged for new arenas?

OK, agree to disagree. I think a lot of the southern NHL base is indeed his experiment as if there was anywhere as much effort to maintain a franchise in, for example, Winnipeg has he has put into keeping it in Phoenix, never would have seen the move of either Winnipeg or Quebec City. The Nashville Predators (1998), Atlanta Thrashers (1999), Minnesota Wild (2000) and Columbus Blue Jackets (2000) completed the NHL's last expansion period with 1/2 of this being to the south. In addition, four franchises have relocated during Bettman's tenure: The Minnesota North Stars to Dallas (1993), the Quebec Nordiques to Denver (1995), the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix (1996) and the Hartford Whalers to North Carolina (1997). Arguably three and certainly two went from north to southern states. Led by Bettman, the league has focused expansion and relocation efforts on the American South.

Others might agree with me. You don't. The internet is proven again!

Except for the fact that Bettman (a) did not begat this master plan of "growing the game in the south" and relocating. It was John Zeigler and the 21 owners in 1989 who decided to expand the game to the south:
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/10/s...bs.html?scp=2&sq=Zeigler NHL expansion&st=cse

Norm Green was hell bent on moving the North Stars long before Bettman took office. His talks with Phoenix fell through in December of 1992. And then he turned to Dallas. It came to the surface than the Stars were Dallas bound some two weeks after Bettman took office after months of negotation prior to Bettman's ascension. (And if Bettman had anything to do with Dallas, he'd probably have lobbied for Phoenix since he was friends with Colangelo).

The NHL's southern plot was based on REVENUE GROWTH, and letting teams move means an opportunity cost of expansion fees. In the four cases of 1990s relocation, the single, solitary issue in each was an arena. The owners wanted a new arena, the city either (a) wouldn't build one [QUE, WIN] or (b) the owner wanted out anyway [HAR, MIN]. Neither has anything to do with Bettman's desires. It's tough to find a new owner to absorb losses when a new facility is NOT an option. This is why Quebec and Winnipeg left. This is why PIT and NYI haven't moved (Pitt built an arena, the Islanders lease prevents them from moving).

Led by Bettman, the league has restored hockey to markets that previously had teams (ATL, MIN) or had been teased with getting one only to see those plans fall through (NAS, CBJ). All four cases are better signs for Winnipeg and Quebec than they are indicators of a "Southern Vision."

If there WAS some kind of GRANDIOSE PLAN from Bettman for Southern expansion, it would not have gone down like it had.
#4 market Dallas would be an expansion team generating large fees, not a relocation; #12 market Phoneix would be a would be an expansion team generating large fees, not a relocation; #6 market Houston would get a team over #32 Columbus; #27 market Orlando or #28 San Antonio or #30 Las Vegas would have teams over #38 Nashville and #49 Raleigh.

Carolina, Dallas, Colorado and Phoenix were the actions of owners who needed buildings. Not the NHL or Gary Bettman.
Atlanta (Flames), Minnesota (North Stars), Columbus (Whalers) and Nashville (Devils) were awarded teams because they had an NHL team and lost it, or ALMOST had an NHL team and didn't get it.

And doesn't that bodes well in the future for Quebec and Winnipeg?

It always amuses me that people think of the old division names as some kind of time-less tradition from the dawn of hockey, and changing them as if it was some kind of travesty.

Those division names were only used for less than 20 years out of the hundred year history of the NHL. For some reason, people have no sense of perspective about this. They're not part of the "roots of the game."

Not only that, but the idea that Bettman had them changed for some kind of "marketing" principle or because "southern American fans needed the geographical reference to know where Vancouver is" is so mind-numbingly ridiculous [Mod: deleted]
The people in Raliegh know that Tampa, Washington, Florida and Atlanta are in the Southwest. And they know MON, OTT, BOS, BUF, TOR are in the Northeast. And VAN, EDM, CAL, COL, MIN are (for the most-part) in the Northwest.

The names were changed because the OWNERS wanted three divisions for more local TV start times. Options were: (a) controversial process to name the two divisions after some one or (b) bag the names and go generic.

 

[kdb209]

The NFL has played multiple seasons using replacement players while the REAL NFL guys were on strike or locked out.

Replacement players were only used by the NFL once - for three weeks during the 1987 NFL Strike.

 

[LadyStanley]

Getting back to the original theme of thread....


http://www.whl.ca/article/whl-commissioner-signs-new-five-year-deal

WHL commissioner signs 5 year extension (currently in 11th year with league).


Seems like most hockey league commissioners are long tenured, which one assumes should mean consistency.

 

[Crazy_Ike]

Seems like most hockey league commissioners are long tenured, which one assumes should mean consistency.

Perhaps, but next year Bettman will be 60, and he has already made a ton of money and more or less cemented his legacy as the best commissioner or president the league has ever had and one of the best in pro sports. I could see him signing one more extension if he feels something is left undone (IMO he REALLY wants to get teams back in QC and Winnipeg before he leaves) but otherwise, like Alexander the Great, he really has "no more worlds to conquer" and might want to settle down and retire.

 

[bacon25]

I understand that Bettman did a lot of good things for the game of hockey but the fact that he is doing nothing to help Winnipeg and Quebec get a team is a little suspect. I mean Balsille was arrogant in wanting a team but TSNE and QC have been nothing but humble servants at Bettmans table. Now that QC has confirmed that an arena will be build it is time for Bettman to throw QC and Winnipeg a bone. Until he does this he will be looked at as the bad guy in many hockey fans eyes. Regardless of his power in relocating teams and expanding teams, he is paid to be the face of the NHL and until he stops cashing in his checks he will be the villian.

As for those saying that Bettman is not responsible for the Coyotes situation, you are right, but he is responsible for the outcome. As the NHL does OWN the coyotes right now, Bettman could have given the COG/Hulsizer a FIRM deadline to get the team sold. Bettman has been more than patient about this to the ire of Winnipeg hockey fans.

 

[LadyStanley]

I find it hard to fault Bettman for "doing nothing" WRT two Canadian cities wanting NHL teams, when:

a) there have been no teams available for relocation

b) there are no plans for expansion

c) legal documents revealed his statement that returning Phoenix franchise to Winnipeg might be a good idea.

d) we have no idea the number of calls, emails, letters, meetings have gone on between NHL and interested parties in QC, 'Peg. Bettman and Daly have stated they meet annually with DOZENS of interested potential owners. Just because there's no public announcement, does not mean they have not happened.