Back In The Game?

[CC97]

Some Canadians might say that spreading the game in the USA is pointless, it's Canada's sport after all. (In that case, please give up the Blue Jays, baseball's our national pastime you know) But imagine how much more respect hockey would get if the NHL grew.

Eh, there's nothing wrong with spreading the game in the USA -- but when you have several markets that are failing and at least one very rich owner willing to plop the team into a very populated, hockey-mad area and the league does everything it can to prevent it from ever happening you start to scratch your head.

Imagine if MLB had a super-rich owner trying to buy the Expos and move them to Washington back in '04 and MLB kept telling them to screw off -- honestly, you just can't imagine it, because no league other than the NHL would do such a thing.

And that move the Jays to the US argument is weak as hell... tell ya what, when 80% of MLB teams are located in Canada, several failing and markets are open and ready to go down in the States with rich owners lining up to take control and they still aren't relocating *then* you can feel free to sound off.

[The_Admiral]

Baseball is pretty popular in Canada, anyway. They seem to produce more than their share of major leaguers.

My gripe with Southern Ontario is that as populated and hockey-mad as it may be, how would it co-exist with the OHL? This vague "Southern Ontario" region that Balsillie has been trumpeting seems to overlap with the Kitchener Rangers and the London Knights, and I know at least the Knights are a pretty significant member of the league. Would this team siphon the support for major-junior teams? We all know the problems that the GTA teams and the Marlies have by daring to provide non-Maple Leaf hockey.

[SenatorJake]

Is Phoenix the canary in the coalmine in regards to very difficult times ahead for the NHL in this new era of economic downturn? I'm starting to think they might be. When the next CBA expires, I doubt this league can afford another lock-out on top of what they already have to endure with so many teams that, quite frankly, just aren't profitable. I think that even if the Coyotes do move to Hamilton (which would probably end up being a economically sound move by the NHL) , there may be some very dark days ahead for the NHL. Who do I blame for this? Mainly Gary Bettman.

Not being pessimistic, just bringing up a pretty obvious point.

[rams80]

Is Phoenix the canary in the coalmine in regards to very difficult times ahead for the NHL in this new era of economic downturn? I'm starting to think they might be. When the next CBA expires, I doubt this league can afford another lock-out on top of what they already have to endure with so many teams that, quite frankly, just aren't profitable. I think that even if the Coyotes do move to Hamilton (which would probably end up being a economically sound move by the NHL) , there may be some very dark days ahead for the NHL. Who do I blame for this? Mainly Gary Bettman.

Not being pessimistic, just bringing up a pretty obvious point.

So when he is gone and the problems are still here, are we finally going to figure out who to blame, or will he just continue to take flack because NHL fans are too ing dumb to see that he is a symptom, not the problem.

[tp49]

I think if basille could have gone in the front door like he has tried several times before he would have, but its seems the Bettman thinks if he loses one of his expansion or moved teams he will be a failure...

look at the entire predators fiasco, Basille overbid on that franchise then a supposed paperwork issue cause Leopold to back out of the deal, and sell the team for less (rumoured to be atleast 50 million less) to Boots Delbaggio who has had a hand in the LA Kings, which means he at one time had partial ownership of 2 NHL franchise (which is not allowed by NHL bylaws) but hey not like it matters turns out Boots didnt have the money anyway... I thought the NHL did their due diligence on all new owners...

Anyone remember John Spano? Anyone? Bettman didn't do his due dilligence then so why would we expect him to do it now or ever for that matter.

Gary Bettman arguably took the NHL from being one of the major sports and turning it into a niche sport. Taking a television deal with good national exposure and turning it into the third rate Versus. Bettman then has the gall to go on and say that ratings are up. Yes Gary they're up because you can only go up from next to nothing when you for all intents and purposes destroyed the league via the lockout.

Some of the expansion/relocation decisions made some level of sense. Atlanta, Raleigh, Tampa, Miami and Phoenix all have a large population of transplants from northern markets including a number of retirees from hockey markets. The problem with that was that many of these people already had a team that they rooted for. Thus games against New York, Detroit, Boston, Philly, and Chicago sell out but the rest don't or ot least didn't until the team built some kind of identity and even then in some markets that didn't help. I do not include Nashville or Colombus in these as I didn't think at the time nor think now that Nashville was the type of market that would support the NHL as to me it's more of a football basketball market.

One of the issues in Phoenix along with the awful lease they have with the Jobing.com Arena is that the arena takes a long time to get to from Tempe, Scottsdale and Downtown Phoenix. The location is fine for football (UOP Staduim is pretty much across the street) once a week usually on a Sunday but on a weeknight takes well over an hour to get to from the east side of the valley. Phoenix would be helped if they are able to renegotiate their lease to get terms more favorable toward the goal of profitability.

I also see a major legal battle involving both the Leafs (possibly even the Red Wings) and the Sabres for any team that would try to come into their territory. Similar to the battle that would occur if the Oakland Athletics actively seek to move to San Jose. The litigation would most likely take years and span suits in two countries.

[Linus]

I think if basille could have gone in the front door like he has tried several times before he would have, but its seems the Bettman thinks if he loses one of his expansion or moved teams he will be a failure...

Well said, I agree 100%.

[SenatorJake]

Is Phoenix the canary in the coalmine in regards to very difficult times ahead for the NHL in this new era of economic downturn? I'm starting to think they might be. When the next CBA expires, I doubt this league can afford another lock-out on top of what they already have to endure with so many teams that, quite frankly, just aren't profitable. I think that even if the Coyotes do move to Hamilton (which would probably end up being a economically sound move by the NHL) , there may be some very dark days ahead for the NHL. Who do I blame for this? Mainly Gary Bettman.

Not being pessimistic, just bringing up a pretty obvious point.

So when he is gone and the problems are still here, are we finally going to figure out who to blame, or will he just continue to take flack because NHL fans are too ing dumb to see that he is a symptom, not the problem.

Who was the commissioner who kept pushing for expansion when he should've been trying to make established markets work? Gary Bettman.

Who was the commissioner who inflated league revenue with expansion payments only to realize before the last CBA that the current business model of the league was no longer viable? Gary Bettman.

Which NHL commissioner then decided that his business mistakes would have to cost NHL fans a whole season of lockout, a blow that many NHL franchises have still not fully recovered from? Gary Bettman.

Who is the commissioner that has secretly been running the Phoenix Coyotes, a team that has lost 180 million dollars in the past 8 years, for quite some time now (or at the very least funding the team so that they could make payroll)? Gary Bettman.

He came in at a time when hockey was booming in the states. 1994, the Rangers had just won the Cup, Gretzky was still in LA, hockey was really progressing. Instead of focusing on markets that could've worked he gambled on some non-traditionnal markets. That gamble, for the most part, did not work. Tampa Bay = Losing money. Florida = Losing money. Atlanta = Losing money. Phoenix who relocated from Winnipeg back when he wasn't so against relocation = Losing money. Bettman is a failure and people who know the game will be the first to tell you that.

[rams80]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

[SenatorJake]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

[rams80]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

[The_Admiral]

Some of the expansion/relocation decisions made some level of sense. Atlanta, Raleigh, Tampa, Miami and Phoenix all have a large population of transplants from northern markets including a number of retirees from hockey markets.

I was led to believe that the Hurricanes exist so that NC State can justify having a pro-calibre arena, which they couldn't without a co-tenant.

[SenatorJake]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

Well, he slowly built the Board of Governors to depend on him for handouts. It was dishonest and bad for the league. Hockey is worst off than it was when he became commissioner. For crying out loud, most games are carried on Versus, a channel nobody has ever heard of.

When he became commissioner, I must say that many people thought he was a guy with a vision. His plan didn't quite pan out though. We need a new commissioner to come on and clean this mess up. Bettman has truly turned into a stubborn caricature of what he was when he took over from John Ziegler.

[rams80]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

Well, he slowly built the Board of Governors to depend on him for handouts. It was dishonest and bad for the league. Hockey is worst off than it was when he became commissioner. For crying out loud, most games are carried on Versus, a channel nobody has ever heard of.

When he became commissioner, I must say that many people thought he was a guy with a vision. His plan didn't quite pan out though. We need a new commissioner to come on and clean this mess up. Bettman has truly turned into a stubborn caricature of what he was when he took over from John Ziegler.

I've got news for you.

You aren't going to get your visionary. The BOG won't hire him. Instead they'll hire someone who will let them carry on carryin' on. If you get a "hockey" person, you'll only get one who can serve as a figurehead and puppet.

-----------------------------------------------------

You wanted a major league? You got a guy from a major league. You wanted to be major league? Being major league means getting out of Quebec, Winnipeg, and Hartford and staying out of Hamilton. Bettman tried to give you what you wanted-if it didn't fully pan out, it's not for lack of trying.

[SenatorJake]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

Well, he slowly built the Board of Governors to depend on him for handouts. It was dishonest and bad for the league. Hockey is worst off than it was when he became commissioner. For crying out loud, most games are carried on Versus, a channel nobody has ever heard of.

When he became commissioner, I must say that many people thought he was a guy with a vision. His plan didn't quite pan out though. We need a new commissioner to come on and clean this mess up. Bettman has truly turned into a stubborn caricature of what he was when he took over from John Ziegler.

I've got news for you.

You aren't going to get your visionary. The BOG won't hire him. Instead they'll hire someone who will let them carry on carryin' on. If you get a "hockey" person, you'll only get one who can serve as a figurehead and puppet.

-----------------------------------------------------

You wanted a major league? You got a guy from a major league. You wanted to be major league? Being major league means getting out of Quebec, Winnipeg, and Hartford and staying out of Hamilton. Bettman tried to give you what you wanted-if it didn't fully pan out, it's not for lack of trying.

Agreed. I'm not big on those destinations as they are small markets. Another thing I'm not big on is the Phoenix Coyotes losing 180 million dollars in 8 years. Move 'em to KC for all I care. Heck, move 'em to Scottsdale if it will bloody work. What I'm saying is that the NHL messed this one up big time. They were funding the Coyotes and were shocked when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? Seriously? How did Bettman not see this coming? Many of the poorer teams are cooking the books so who knows what the hell is going on fiscally in this league. Kind of reminds me of what happened to the US economy with the housing market. Ballsillie made Bettman look like the inept commissioner he truly is.

Bettman and Bill Daly are the ones who put Jerry Moyes in there and he has clearly shown that he can't make hockey work in Phoenix. This guy has been getting free rent from Glendale, and money from the league for payroll, and then he declares bankruptcy so he can move the team out of Glendale. Another Gary Bettman fail.

[rams80]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

Well, he slowly built the Board of Governors to depend on him for handouts. It was dishonest and bad for the league. Hockey is worst off than it was when he became commissioner. For crying out loud, most games are carried on Versus, a channel nobody has ever heard of.

When he became commissioner, I must say that many people thought he was a guy with a vision. His plan didn't quite pan out though. We need a new commissioner to come on and clean this mess up. Bettman has truly turned into a stubborn caricature of what he was when he took over from John Ziegler.

I've got news for you.

You aren't going to get your visionary. The BOG won't hire him. Instead they'll hire someone who will let them carry on carryin' on. If you get a "hockey" person, you'll only get one who can serve as a figurehead and puppet.

-----------------------------------------------------

You wanted a major league? You got a guy from a major league. You wanted to be major league? Being major league means getting out of Quebec, Winnipeg, and Hartford and staying out of Hamilton. Bettman tried to give you what you wanted-if it didn't fully pan out, it's not for lack of trying.

Agreed. I'm not big on those destinations as they are small markets. Another thing I'm not big on is the Phoenix Coyotes losing 180 million dollars in 8 years. Move 'em to KC for all I care. Heck, move 'em to Scottsdale if it will bloody work. What I'm saying is that the NHL messed this one up big time. They were funding the Coyotes and were shocked when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? Seriously? How did Bettman not see this coming? Ballsillie made Bettman look like the inept commissioner he truly is. Bettman and Bill Daly are the ones who put Jerry Moyes in there and he has clearly shown that he can't make hockey work in Phoenix. Another Gary Bettman fail.

FWIW, I think at least one news organization reported that Bettman and co. were on the way to Phoenix yesterday (before everything blew up) to personally tell him the league was taking over the franchise. According to this line of thought, Moyer guessed that he was going to be told this when he learned they were coming and decided to (with or without Balsillie's goading) file for Chapter 11 and undercut the league. So in those circumstances, yes, I might be somewhat surprised by the filing; the act wasn't the surprising thing, the timing was.

I'm also under the impression that few, if any of the Phoenix Coyotes' employees knew a Chapter 11 filing was coming yesterday.

[max]

"Balsille" ... I'll say so.

Had to.

[SenatorJake]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

Well, he slowly built the Board of Governors to depend on him for handouts. It was dishonest and bad for the league. Hockey is worst off than it was when he became commissioner. For crying out loud, most games are carried on Versus, a channel nobody has ever heard of.

When he became commissioner, I must say that many people thought he was a guy with a vision. His plan didn't quite pan out though. We need a new commissioner to come on and clean this mess up. Bettman has truly turned into a stubborn caricature of what he was when he took over from John Ziegler.

I've got news for you.

You aren't going to get your visionary. The BOG won't hire him. Instead they'll hire someone who will let them carry on carryin' on. If you get a "hockey" person, you'll only get one who can serve as a figurehead and puppet.

-----------------------------------------------------

You wanted a major league? You got a guy from a major league. You wanted to be major league? Being major league means getting out of Quebec, Winnipeg, and Hartford and staying out of Hamilton. Bettman tried to give you what you wanted-if it didn't fully pan out, it's not for lack of trying.

Agreed. I'm not big on those destinations as they are small markets. Another thing I'm not big on is the Phoenix Coyotes losing 180 million dollars in 8 years. Move 'em to KC for all I care. Heck, move 'em to Scottsdale if it will bloody work. What I'm saying is that the NHL messed this one up big time. They were funding the Coyotes and were shocked when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? Seriously? How did Bettman not see this coming? Ballsillie made Bettman look like the inept commissioner he truly is. Bettman and Bill Daly are the ones who put Jerry Moyes in there and he has clearly shown that he can't make hockey work in Phoenix. Another Gary Bettman fail.

FWIW, I think at least one news organization reported that Bettman and co. were on the way to Phoenix yesterday (before everything blew up) to personally tell him the league was taking over the franchise. According to this line of thought, Moyer guessed that he was going to be told this when he learned they were coming and decided to (with or without Balsillie's goading) file for Chapter 11 and undercut the league. So in those circumstances, yes, I might be somewhat surprised by the filing; the act wasn't the surprising thing, the timing was.

I'm also under the impression that few, if any of the Phoenix Coyotes' employees knew a Chapter 11 filing was coming yesterday.

Well they (the NHL starring lil' Gary Bettman) put Moyes in charge and he totally screwed them over. I think we can agree that that is some pretty extreme mismanagement. Also for Gary Bettman to go to Phoenix "before everything blows up" just shows how dishonest and self-serving he is.. This is the same guy who goes on his radio show every week to tell us, the fans who pay his salary, that all the teams are in good shape financially.

I don't like Gary Bettman. <==period

[JQK]

If you're gonna put hockey somewhere, why put it in an already saturated hockey market? You're not going to grow the game in an area that is already crazy about hockey, and has several teams to root for. If you're gonna move a team back to Canada, Winnipeg has to be option #1, and if that cant be done, work your way down the options. Then there is the option of looking to move within the U.S., with Kansas City being A-number one on that list since they have a new arena and are willing to agree to most anything to fill it. The third, and seeing how the league is reacting to this situation, the most likely option, is that the league gets Jerry Reinsdorf or some other owner of their choosing in there, and keep the team in Phoenix.

The bottomline is, when you miss the playoffs seven years in a row, you're gonna run into financial troubles because no one's gonna pay money to watch failure. Winning cures everything, even poor revenue.

[rams80]

Well then...why wasn't he fired? Unless he was obeying the wishes of a least a certain segment of the NHL ownership. That same certain segment will still be here after he's gone.

Bettman isn't a dictator; he does answer to someone. That someone (or someones) have, by renewing his contract, explicitly endorsed his decisions.

Those owners who do keep him around are his loyal friends to whom he either gave franchises to or that get revenue sharing from the richer teams. Would a team that he pretty much funds with league money (ie. Phoenix Coyotes) go against him? No. That doesn't make it a good business model. Notice how he won't let Balsillie in because he knows Balsillie doesn't have his back.

How did these loyalists get these teams? Isn't there a BOG vote at some point in the proceedings? That BOG wasn't always stacked with his loyalists, yet those who weren't apparently assented to letting their power get diminished. You don't do that if you are unhappy with the guy.

Well, he slowly built the Board of Governors to depend on him for handouts. It was dishonest and bad for the league. Hockey is worst off than it was when he became commissioner. For crying out loud, most games are carried on Versus, a channel nobody has ever heard of.

When he became commissioner, I must say that many people thought he was a guy with a vision. His plan didn't quite pan out though. We need a new commissioner to come on and clean this mess up. Bettman has truly turned into a stubborn caricature of what he was when he took over from John Ziegler.

I've got news for you.

You aren't going to get your visionary. The BOG won't hire him. Instead they'll hire someone who will let them carry on carryin' on. If you get a "hockey" person, you'll only get one who can serve as a figurehead and puppet.

-----------------------------------------------------

You wanted a major league? You got a guy from a major league. You wanted to be major league? Being major league means getting out of Quebec, Winnipeg, and Hartford and staying out of Hamilton. Bettman tried to give you what you wanted-if it didn't fully pan out, it's not for lack of trying.

Agreed. I'm not big on those destinations as they are small markets. Another thing I'm not big on is the Phoenix Coyotes losing 180 million dollars in 8 years. Move 'em to KC for all I care. Heck, move 'em to Scottsdale if it will bloody work. What I'm saying is that the NHL messed this one up big time. They were funding the Coyotes and were shocked when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? Seriously? How did Bettman not see this coming? Ballsillie made Bettman look like the inept commissioner he truly is. Bettman and Bill Daly are the ones who put Jerry Moyes in there and he has clearly shown that he can't make hockey work in Phoenix. Another Gary Bettman fail.

FWIW, I think at least one news organization reported that Bettman and co. were on the way to Phoenix yesterday (before everything blew up) to personally tell him the league was taking over the franchise. According to this line of thought, Moyer guessed that he was going to be told this when he learned they were coming and decided to (with or without Balsillie's goading) file for Chapter 11 and undercut the league. So in those circumstances, yes, I might be somewhat surprised by the filing; the act wasn't the surprising thing, the timing was.

I'm also under the impression that few, if any of the Phoenix Coyotes' employees knew a Chapter 11 filing was coming yesterday.

Well they put Moyes in charge and he totally screwed them over. I think we can agree that that is some pretty extreme mismanagement. Also for Gary Bettman to go to Phoenix "before everything blows up" just shows how dishonest and self-serving he is.. This is the same guy who goes on his radio show every week to tell us, the fans who pay his salary, that all the teams are in good shape financially.

I don't like Gary Bettman. <==period

It is considered good form to tell the person you are effectively firing about their termination to their face. Just sayin'. They were planning on doing this, then happened. Not..."they got wind of this, then tried to undercut it and screwed up." There is a difference.

----------------------------------------------------

For bold...

And the Arena League continues to insist that it will come back in 2010 and a wide variety of bottom feeding teams insist they do indeed know exactly what they are doing. Like most authority figures, Bettman is paid to be a cheerleader for the organization they represent, not to be honest. Screaming "we're doomed" doesn't exactly bring in investors, now does it?

/Or maybe I'm just that cynical.

[SenatorJake]

It is considered good form to tell the person you are effectively firing about their termination to their face. Just sayin'. They were planning on doing this, then happened. Not..."they got wind of this, then tried to undercut it and screwed up." There is a difference.

----------------------------------------------------

For bold...

And the Arena League continues to insist that it will come back in 2010 and a wide variety of bottom feeding teams insist they do indeed know exactly what they are doing. Like most authority figures, Bettman is paid to be a cheerleader for the organization they represent, not to be honest. Screaming "we're doomed" doesn't exactly bring in investors, now does it?

/Or maybe I'm just that cynical.

Excuses-excuses. If I messed up at my job the way Bettman messed up managing the NHL in a sustainable way, I would be out of a job, plain and simple. Since there are so many failed expansion teams that he created that thrive on the current failing business model, he gets to keep his job. As a fan, it pisses me off.