Is Bettman ok?

[AvroArrow]

And the economical growth of the NHL.

At the cost of the integrity of the sport

 

[traffic cone]

At the cost of the integrity of the sport

Care to explain further?

 

[Reddawg]

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.

Residual anger from the lockouts...lots of people (me included) were angry with him specifically over the loss of an entire season of hockey and most of another. Even though it was misplaced (as he’s just acting on behalf of the owners...no differently than the players union acts on behalf of the players), that’s the overall reason.

For me, I’m over it at this point. The most recent CBA sailed through, it looks like the NHL will go back to the Olympics, the state of hockey is as good as its ever been and Gary Bettman has my respect. He does a good job as commissioner and I agree the traditional booing has run its course and should stop. Regardless of his health issues, if accurate. He’s doing a good job.

 

[Voight]

Certainly hope not. I would be okay with Bill Daly.

I wouldn't. Basically Bettmans lackey, I'd prefer someone from outside the league office. MLB appointed Selig's number 2 as his replacement and it hasn't gone great.

Hopefully they hire someone from the hockey world this time and not the basketball world.

Agreed on what Bettman has done for the sport. I think we shouldn't boo him anymore but instead, the next time fans see him (at the draft, trophy presentations, etc.) we should chant his name.

GAR-Y, GAR-Y, GAR-Y!!

Would be awesome for him, he's gettng up there in age, almost 70, to have people go from booing him to praising him, it would feel so good for him and for us.

Finally, we have found Bettmans HFB burner account.

I think Gary's reputation is in a sweet spot right now, far enough away from the painful memory of losing a season and a half of hockey. Even longer from his years long denial of clutch and grab hockey, which finally got remedied in the first lockout. Plus the league just pulled off a major feat in the playoff bubble.

And it's probably several years until his reputation (rightfully) takes a hit for being a long time CTE denier and his actions, or inactions rather, in addressing concussions in the game and their lasting impact on players.

Without the pandemic, a 3rd lockout was looking likely. 4th if you include 1994, which wasn't entirely his fault as he was new but he still played a part in it. I don't get all the praise for the bubble format either, I mean NBA + MLB have also shown that it works. Its not hard to have 0 tests when you lock people down and force them to stay in a defined area.

I appreciate the fun of booing Gary and blaming him for the lockouts and whatnot, but the fact remains that hes done more for the NHL than arguably anyone else in its history. He is a class act, and I wish him the best.

I'd argue Clarence Campbell did more.

We can't honestly put the blame on Bettman for the NHL players not showing up on the 2018 Olympics. The ideas is that the league is put on hold for two weeks. No games happening which means no gate revenue is generating for the league in that time frame. On top of that, the NHL has to be the ones to pay for players' insurance and can't promote the fact that their players are going to be in the Olympics. Was the IOC (who has a reputation for being a greedy entity themselves) willing to compensate the league to make it worth the NHL's while? If not, then it's the correct business move (that favors the league) to make from Bettman's perspective.

It's the sucky move from the fans' view, but if there is no major incentive for the NHL to send their players to the Olympics, they are not going to do it for that year.

I think the issue is he tried to replace the Olympics with an absolute joke of a tournament. & while the NHL is ultimately a business, he should also be trying to grow the game (Olympics in Asia is a great opportunity)

 

[AvroArrow]

Care to explain further?

Bettman openly saying in his emails that he's "willing to do whatever it takes to grow the game. Even if it means having officials call a few bad games per year to make sure Canadian teams don't make the playoffs, so that the American market can grow" All of those emails were a disgrace.

Everything with the Bruins organization, from Collin Campbell (mainly 2011) to Jeremy Jacobs and DOPS.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Bettman openly saying in his emails that he's "willing to do whatever it takes to grow the game. Even if it means having officials call a few bad games per year to make sure Canadian teams don't make the playoffs, so that the American market can grow" All of those emails were a disgrace.

Everything with the Bruins organization, from Collin Campbell (mainly 2011) to Jeremy Jacobs and DOPS.

Can you source this for me? I’d like to read these.

 

[Oilers Propagandist]

Bettman openly saying in his emails that he's "willing to do whatever it takes to grow the game. Even if it means having officials call a few bad games per year to make sure Canadian teams don't make the playoffs, so that the American market can grow" All of those emails were a disgrace.

Everything with the Bruins organization, from Collin Campbell (mainly 2011) to Jeremy Jacobs and DOPS.

Don’t buy it.

 

[Damisoph]

Bettman openly saying in his emails that he's "willing to do whatever it takes to grow the game. Even if it means having officials call a few bad games per year to make sure Canadian teams don't make the playoffs, so that the American market can grow" All of those emails were a disgrace.

Everything with the Bruins organization, from Collin Campbell (mainly 2011) to Jeremy Jacobs and DOPS.

Ya I'll need a link for this one

 

[Sol]

The amount of blame bettman gets for some of this stuff is unbelievable. Sports always go through changes, some good some bad. And if it didn't people would say he's not doing enough.

He's been a great commissioner.

 

[53or8]

At the cost of the integrity of the sport

The sport in fact most sport has lacked any integrity since it's inception.

 

[WeaponOfChoice]

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.

You, like the NHL, forgot about Hamilton.

 

[thestonedkoala]

This is not his decision. He represents the board of owners.

I hate this line of thinking; that's like saying that the President of the United States represents every American citizen and makes decision based off of their needs and wants. That doesn't always happen that way.

The way that Bettman has handled player safety has been poor, and the next commissioner is looking at a Goodell like scandal. It has been tragic the way they have handled concussions, player suicides and the overall health of players.

 

[SenzZen]

Bettman openly saying in his emails that he's "willing to do whatever it takes to grow the game. Even if it means having officials call a few bad games per year to make sure Canadian teams don't make the playoffs, so that the American market can grow" All of those emails were a disgrace.

Everything with the Bruins organization, from Collin Campbell (mainly 2011) to Jeremy Jacobs and DOPS.

I don't require a link for this. I used to have a severe hate-on for Bettman, but that was before I understood that he is obligated to maximize the profit of his corporation.

It's literally his job to take advantage of "die-hard" fans in an effort to make the game as palatable to fringe viewers as possible.

But I take comfort in the fact that a Maple Leafs Stanley Cup victory would do absolutely nothing to grow the game, and would likely turn some people away from the business.

 

[FormerLurker]

Bettman openly saying in his emails that he's "willing to do whatever it takes to grow the game. Even if it means having officials call a few bad games per year to make sure Canadian teams don't make the playoffs, so that the American market can grow" All of those emails were a disgrace.

Everything with the Bruins organization, from Collin Campbell (mainly 2011) to Jeremy Jacobs and DOPS.

You actually fell for that April Fool's joke?

Unsealed NHL e-mails reveal plan to keep Canadian teams out of playoffs in 2016

 

[AvroArrow]

You actually fell for that April Fool's joke?

Unsealed NHL e-mails reveal plan to keep Canadian teams out of playoffs in 2016

Oof.

The Globe and Mail has made league's unsealed emails searchable [MOD WARNING IN OP]

I saw it in the unsealed emails thread

 

[11Messier]

I hate this line of thinking; that's like saying that the President of the United States represents every American citizen and makes decision based off of their needs and wants. That doesn't always happen that way.

The way that Bettman has handled player safety has been poor, and the next commissioner is looking at a Goodell like scandal. It has been tragic the way they have handled concussions, player suicides and the overall health of players.

There is a big difference representing hundreds of millions of people for a mandated 4 year period to representing 31 bosses that can get you fired in a heart beat. The commissioners job is to listen and decipher what the majority of the owners want, come up with a plan to achieve those demands, get the owners approval of that plan and then follow through being a mouth piece for the owners. He has the ability to suggest to the owners that their idea is not a good one but ultimately the owners control what he does. You can hate him all you want but it doesn't change the fact that your hate should be guided towards the owners if you feel the decisions he has made during his time were wrong.

 

[thestonedkoala]

There is a big difference representing hundreds of millions of people for a mandated 4 year period to representing 31 bosses that can get you fired in a heart beat.

Being impeached can end that pretty quickly (and that's two years). How many commissioners have been fired?

The commissioners job is to listen and decipher what the majority of the owners want, come up with a plan to achieve those demands, get the owners approval of that plan and then follow through being a mouth piece for the owners. He has the ability to suggest to the owners that their idea is not a good one but ultimately the owners control what he does. You can hate him all you want but it doesn't change the fact that your hate should be guided towards the owners if you feel the decisions he has made during his time were wrong.

He has a LOT more power than you think. He isn't a mouth piece, he has a lot of influence in the development and product on the ice.

”6.1 Office of Commissioner, Election and Term of Office The League shall employ a Commissioner selected by the Board of Governors. The Commissioner shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the League and is charged with protecting the integrity of the game of professional hockey and preserving public confidence in the League. The Board of Governors shall determine the term of office and compensation of the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall be elected a majority of the Governors present and voting at a League meeting at which a quorum was present when it was convened.“[1]

In Section 6.3, the commissioner's duties are spelled out as having "responsibility for the general supervision and direction of all business and affairs of the league", co-ordinates matters between member clubs and serves as the principal public spokesman for the league. The commissioner also has authority over dispute resolution, league committees, interpretation of league rules, appointment of league staff, NHL financial matters, contracting authority, scheduling, officials and disciplinary powers.[2] The commissioner also determines the date and places of board of governors meetings.

Bettman has a lot of influence over the game.

 

[Statto]

To everyone saying he’s just a mouthpiece for the owners, that’s not really true.

He does what they tell him to do, and much of the time, they’re telling him to do what he’s advised them to. It goes both ways.

Of course it goes both ways, he’s not a puppet. However, with the job he will have been given a brief/framework/strategy and to be in the job as long as he’s done, he has clearly delivered on it.

The lockouts were certainly not on him, that was between the owners and the NHLPA. Yes, he will have had some influence on the lockout debacles but the big ticket stumbling blocks were never his doing. I actually think it’s far more likely that he played a big part in bringing the 2 sides together. No one does a perfect job and he’s certainly made mistakes, but on balance he’s been a very good commissioner.

As for his health, who knows, I’m not going to engage in speculation as it could be many things. However, as an aside, I have a family friend with Parkinson’s and she had a chip inserted between the 2 hemispheres of her brain approx 8 years ago. It manages her Parkinson’s brilliantly, eliminated her tremors almost completely and apart from when she’s very tired you shouldn’t know she had it.

 

[Damisoph]

Oof.

The Globe and Mail has made league's unsealed emails searchable [MOD WARNING IN OP]

I saw it in the unsealed emails thread

Nah you didn't. All I saw was stupid shit between Colin Campbell and Bettman about concussion issues and head shots.

 

[AvroArrow]

Nah you didn't. All I saw was stupid shit between Colin Campbell and Bettman about concussion issues and head shots.

It's on the last page lmao still a major oof on my part

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

I hope all the idiots that constantly booed him for no reason feel like shit.

 

[Spade]

It's on the last page lmao still a major oof on my part

Hey, props for the admission though, I don't trust anything that gets released within 3 days of April 1st for this exact reason!

Bettman's a business man and that isn't exactly appealing for many reasons, but hopefully he is fine and if not then hopefully he gets some well deserved rest.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I hope all the idiots that constantly booed him for no reason feel like shit.

What about the idiots that boo him for specific reasons? Should they feel like shit?

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

What about the idiots that boo him for specific reasons? Should they feel like shit?

Like?

Yes, they should feel like shit too.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

The game has had a downward trend in popularity ever since Gary has been commissioner, year after year the NHL is losing relevance. It was a game bursting with potential for growth in the early 90's and the NHL killed it with poor marketing and poor choices for hockey markets. They gambled on the wrong markets and lost. Their advertising post mid 90's has been horrible. Their business strategy has been horrible. The TV deals they signed have been horrible. One bad decision after another. It's not all Gary obviously since he speaks for the owners interest. But they really need to get a savy marketing guy in there as their next commissioner. The NHL needs to gain some relevance back.