Is Bettman ok?

[Rabid Ranger]

I can't believe he's been commissioner for almost 30 years. I guess he's doing something right......

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Please welcome to the stage your new Commissioner Pierre McGuire.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

 

[57special]

He's has his faults, but he's a genius compared to his predecessor. The booing started with NBA fans booing Stern in NYC, then spread to other sports. It's become a rite of passage for commissioners, and if you are not being booed it's almost more worrying than if you are.

 

[Star Ocean]

Old people get Health problems. News at 11.

 

[HansonBro]

I thought he shook less then most other times ive seen him

 

[Sol]

Damn poor guy. Never understood the dislike people have for him. Hope he gets better.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

The things I'll fault Bettman on are:

Screwing over Winnipeg and Quebec
Propping up a failed organization in the Coyotes with NHL money for what seems like forever
Encouraging/threatening cities to subsidize billionaires arenas
The numerous lockouts
Piss poor marketing

But at the end of the day I would never wish ill harm on him. I really do hope he's ok.

 

[Voight]

Agreed. I can understand in Canada with what he did to Winnipeg and Quebec. But Winnipeg’s mistake has been repaired so there’s just Quebec now. Why people in Chicago, dallas or st-louis would boo him, I don’t really understand.

Probably has to do with the 3 lockouts that happened under his leadership, including cancelling an entire season

The things I'll fault Bettman on are:

Screwing over Winnipeg and Quebec
Propping up a failed organization in the Coyotes with NHL money for what seems like forever
Encouraging/threatening cities to subsidize billionaires arenas
The numerous lockouts
Piss poor marketing

But at the end of the day I would never wish ill harm on him. I really do hope he's ok.

To be fair, thats pretty much what the other 3 commissioners do/have done.

 

[viper0220]

Look up his leaked emails and then let me know how you feel about him.

Everyone has dirty laundry. Since coming into the league, I think he has done a good job.

 

[agent082]

People get older...and generally not healthier... It's life

My brother died like this.

 

[MikeK]

I think he is just waiting for Seattle to come into NHL and negotiate the new US TV deal, than he will retire.

I never got why people boo him, he has done a great job, I like him.

I wouldn't say I like him but I absolutely agree that he's done a great job. I have no issues with Bettman whatsoever.

 

[MikeK]

Look up his leaked emails and then let me know how you feel about him.

Give me a break. Every single one of us has probably sent an email or text that would make us look pretty bad if it were seen from another set of eyes. Just like how most of us would get looks from others if they heard our private conversations that we all have in the privacy of our own homes. You can't judge somebody based on private emails. That's absurd. None of us are perfect and we all say things in private that wouldn't be considered appropriate.

 

[SwedishFire]

He's has his faults, but he's a genius compared to his predecessor. The booing started with NBA fans booing Stern in NYC, then spread to other sports. It's become a rite of passage for commissioners, and if you are not being booed it's almost more worrying than if you are.

I thought the booo come from Bettman giving a shit aobut Canadian cities, and the most hockeyinflued american area - Minnestoa- forced to give up their teams, and place hockey in.... diffrent exotic places instead.

Like ripping the heart of the hockeynation itself. Even as an Un-canadian I see it as a bit cruel.
The Quebeck relocation was even uneccesary. It could have been stopped with a cap structered plan But Bettman was so full in expanding the hockey over the whole USA (fine .. its good), but for the cost of those who love the sport.

And with the second chance for Bettman to reedeem himself, he just blow it. Didnt help QUebek, .. as he maybe should have... instead just waited for Seattle. Way to go...

 

[tellermine]

Parkinson.
No cure for that. Just horrible.

 

[ACC1224]

I wonder who the incumbent commissioner is going to be?

Brian Burke
Owners love him, everyone else hates him.
Seamless transition.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

He's been shaky for years...

 

[KidLine93]

I don't care for Bettman just because of the lockouts and the potential for another upcoming lockout. I just want hockey to be back every year. I dont wanna switch to watching Poker again if it locks out again

You do realize the players are at as much fault for the lockout as the owners are?

 

[FerrisRox]

I never got why people boo him, he has done a great job, I like him.

A huge percentage of the people that boo him don't have a clue what he does and often blame him for things he has zero control over. Bettman is routinely booed and hated for things his bosses do, not him.

So many fans seem to think the Commissioner is all powerful and don't have a clue that he reports to and does the bidding of the Board of Directors who employ him and its them, not Bettman that made the decisions. Bettman doesn't even have a vote let alone control over those things.

 

[Sam Spade]

Props to him that he keeps working. Just cause he may have something wrong his mind seems sharp so just because his body may be failing it's no reason for him to quit before it's time.

The NHL will be worse off when he finally retires.

 

[JackSlater]

He definitely has some tremors going on but he doesn't look that bad for 67. I don't think he's been a particularly good commissioner but you'd still wish him the best health-wise, not that we happen to know about any serious issues at the moment.

 

[CupHolders]

Wishing him the best, that it's not Parkinson's or another autoimmune issue.

In trying to find a positive... He's always had some form of tremors. Since it has been ongoing for so long, could just mean that it's non-essential tremors. Something that some people have without necessarily having a further underlying medical cause. Another thought... maybe side-effect to medications?

 

[Siludin]

All American hockey fans should bow down to Bettman and call him a god.
All of his good favour has been focused on American markets.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I don't wish ill health on anyone, but have a hard time finding a lot of sympathy for him given his repeated public denials of any link between head trauma and CTE and the league stance on the issue. If it is Parkinson's, there's some irony in how many of the symptoms overlap the post concussion trauma that NHL players endure.

 

[oilexport]

He needs to smoke more marijuana and less parros pole.

Ya, he sure defended parros and did not acknowledge the errors of that dept. It's a tough call to suspend or not and you cant please all fans as he stated, but parros needs support. Clearly some mistakes there.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

A huge percentage of the people that boo him don't have a clue what he does and often blame him for things he has zero control over. Bettman is routinely booed and hated for things his bosses do, not him.

So many fans seem to think the Commissioner is all powerful and don't have a clue that he reports to and does the bidding of the Board of Directors who employ him and its them, not Bettman that made the decisions. Bettman doesn't even have a vote let alone control over those things.

That's a pretty significant misrepresenation and misunderstanding of Bettman's role as commissioner.

Yes he is ultimately in the employ of the owners but you don't pay someone $10 million a year just to execute orders. He is responsible for the ultimate vision for the league and getting the owners on board, not the other way around.

"The Instigator" is a pretty good read on the topic and gives a much fuller picture of his role than what you've described.