Tom Wilson appeal last 7 hours, Bettman to make ruling in a week. (upd: suspension upheld)

[Filthy Dangles]

Miss Tom. Hope he's back ASAP.

 

[HanSolo]

The f*** is there to talk about for seven hours? Anything more than two and I'd be asking the same question.

 

[Saltcreek]

the point is, it will likely be 3 weeks from when wilson appealed to when bettman makes a decision and thats even before an arbitrator. Im not understanding 1) why the appeal hearing was 2 weeks after he appealed and why bettman needs a week.

no one is saying the hit shouldnt be suspended, Im asking why is it taking so long to do the appeal process?

It takes so long because people have to fit it in their schedules and sometimes that takes time to sort out. No one is going to rearrange their work life for a person who broke the rules and got suspended. This is no different in any of business or sport.

 

[Paris in Flames]

That's not that bad once you take Bettman's famous 5 and a half hours lunch.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Did someone try to filibuster the appeal or what?

 

[Warden of the North]

He'll get his money back if he wins the appeal, which is all the PA really cares about

 

[maacoshark]

**** Tom Wilson


That is all

This site really needs a dislike button.

 

[Mickey Marner]

The **** is there to talk about for seven hours? Anything more than two and I'd be asking the same question.

No kidding. I'd rather takes the 20 games than go through that.

 

[K Fleur]

What the hell is there to talk about a hockey hit for 7 hours?

 

[maacoshark]

Says who?

 

[maacoshark]

What the hell is there to talk about a hockey hit for 7 hours?

I'm sure they were watching video footage of other hits.

 

[maacoshark]

Who all was there? Wilson and Bettman, obviously. Agent, NHLPA, DoPS?

The more parties, the more presentations and conversations, the more time consumed. That I understand.

Almost a week to make a decision? That makes no sense to me.

I dont know but the entire appeal process is a joke. It should go to a neutral arbitrator immediately.
There is nothing neutral about the process.

 

[Dekes For Days]

There is no incentive to prioritize his appeal or rush things along. If anything, they want to take as long as possible, so that regardless of how the arbitrator rules, the games are missed. If the NHL had their way, they would just make a judgement and that would be the end of it.

 

[Acallabeth]

Maybe Terrific Tommy was reading the "Tom Wilson the playoff warrior" thread aloud?

 

[trick9]

I would sit there for 7 hours easily if it was my 1+ million dollars on the line.

 

[oobga]

With a million bucks on the line, it was definitely worth Wilson's time.

edit: sorry about being trick9's echo

 

[shello]

7 hours with Bettman? Sounds like an in school suspension if you ask me

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

He's gonna get a reduced suspension, that's what I expect since the league is a joke. They're probably going to deduct 10 games or something from his current suspension.

 

[philip]

it just stinks of a
'hey, you're banned for 20 games!'
'oh, but that seems a lot?'
'tough'
'but i want to appeal, that seems too many games'
'yea, we'll get right on that'
'thanks'

*10 games later*

'any news?'
'nah, we still looking into it'
'ok, well let me know yea? only it's been a while'
'yeah leave it with us, we're on it'

*20 games later*
'hey, we thought about it, and yeah 20 games seems ok to us. And would you look at that? it's been that long already. Hey guys did you lose track of time too? crazy how that happens'

Simple school-ground delaying tactics fo-sho. Just burning time until most of the suspension is up anyways so it won't matter. No reason an appeal couldn't be sorted within like a day or two, max.

 

[Cellee]

Have video of part of Tom Wilson's prepared statement to begin the appeal which may help explain the 7 hours:

 

[Drake1588]

The entire arbitration and appeals process is broken.

First, the NHL has complete license to take as long as it wants to schedule appeals. The CBA includes no provisions for due process, so the commissioner can take as long as he/she wants to schedule the appeal hearing, and then as long as he/she wants to issue a ruling after hearing the appeal. It's designed to stretch the appeal so long that the team loses the player regardless of what the final ruling happens to be, in the end. The player may get his money back, but the team still loses the player indefinitely.

As far as the stages go, the first appeal has to go to the commissioner... who has absolutely no reason to ever go against his own office's DoPS. So why have this appeal at all? The reason is clearly to stretch this out. The only thing that this stage of the appeals process does is delay the inevitable appeal to the impartial third-party arbitrator. Which brings us to...

The NHL exclusively selects and hires and fires arbitrators. The NHLPA has no input whatsoever. This is unlike, say, jury selection for a trial. Where's the incentives structure there for arbitrator to rule in favor of the player? Arbitrators make good money for little work, but the strings are there.

This guy in place at present is a dead man walking, as he's already ticked off the league for reducing Watson's suspension. The NHL is going to fire him. Why? Did he fail in his job performance? Well sort of, in the eyes of the NHL office. He had the audacity to rule against them.

Either have a genuine appeals process or don't have one at all. This fig leaf system is just going to piss people off. The NHLPA is going to need to address appeals next go round. Fortunately, it's not going to be long before those talks begin.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Three suspensions ago, they started telling Wilson what he was doing wrong, yet he keeps getting suspended for the same hit. Maybe they are tired of dealing with him.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

He should extend he suspension

Agree. In college you could ask for a paper or exam to be re-graded but the big proviso was that your grade could go down, not just up.

Appeal should be the same.

 

[Anglesmith]

It takes so long because people have to fit it in their schedules and sometimes that takes time to sort out. No one is going to rearrange their work life for a person who broke the rules and got suspended. This is no different in any of business or sport.

Sort of, but Bettman was interviewed after the dust settled a bit on the Wideman situation, and kind of hinted at the fact that the drawn out appeal process may have been intentional to a certain degree. I don't think this is really a pure scheduling issue.

I wish I could find that interview. I think it was part of the interview after they fired Oldham.

EDIT: Bingo:

NHL dismisses neutral arbitrator from Dennis Wideman case - Sportsnet.ca

 

[maacoshark]

Three suspensions ago, they started telling Wilson what he was doing wrong, yet he keeps getting suspended for the same hit. Maybe they are tired of dealing with him.

From what I have heard they didnt really give him a clear explanation.