dakota said:
If he tried to do that I am sure Goodenow and the NHLPA would do everything in their power to stop him... so whose fault would it be then? Blaming Bettman for this is silly.
Goodenow and the NHLPA are doing "everything in their power" to stop Gary NOW.......it hasn't prevented Bettman from running roughshod over the League AND the fans. It hasn't stopped him from declaring that it will be HIS way, or NO way.
And if you're not going to blame Gary Bettman, then WHO do you "blame"?
Most fans blame the PLAYERS. Amazing.....
"That greedy Yashin. How DARE he be selfish enough to accept an offer for that kind of money when the Owners of Small Market Teams are losing money."
"Bobby Holik is a BASTID for stealing Jim Dolan's money. HE knows he's not worth that kind of scratch. Holik is the reason that we might LOSE Edmonton and Calgary!!!"
The upstanding and most honorable Mr. Bobby Clarke is VERY vocal in his support of Gary Bettman
now. He's EQUALLY vocal in his lambasting of the "greedy" Players and the "misguided" Goodenow who are, in HIS opinion, ruining the game, and endangering the Small Market Teams.
He wasn't quite as vocal when he, (with the BLESSINGS and the BANKROLL of Mr. Ed Snider), was sucking up legions of these "greedy" Players, luring them away from Small Markets with gobs of cash, and carrying one of the highest Team Payroll's in the League.
Gary Bettman and the Owners keep insisting that "finger-pointing" is useless for ONE reason....
Because the FINGER is pointed DIRECTLY at THEM. And they KNOW it.
They will villify the Players, engage in a smear tactic campaign, and turn the FANS against the VERY "product" which MADE them $2.1B in the FIRST place.....
Simply to divert YOUR attention from the fact that they are NOT, after all, the poor "victims", but ARE, in fact, the PERPETRATORS.
The Owners are like a defendant on trial for sexual assualt, (or worse......don't believe the board filters will allow the PROPER term......), and are falling back on the defense of:
"Well....if she hadn't-a been a-wearin' that perty dress, with her stuff all a-hangin' out for ever-one to see, and flauntin' herself......I wouldn't-a been TEMPTED. It's all HER fault, yer Honour."
And the members of the jury, (the fans), sit back and nod sagely saying:
"You know, he's right. SHE is rather tempting, isn't she? Poor fella. He never stood a CHANCE against THAT. That girl is just an outright TEMPTRESS! Burn her at the stake, so she can NEVER tempt another poor helpless man again!"