Bettman Chimes in on Fighting in Hockey

The Commissioner is alive! Well, really that statement is just a product of how few interviews our great Commissioner actually gives, and even more so, how many interesting interviews he actually gives. From Monday’s Globe and Sport, Gary Bettman has spoken and said that fighting isn’t going anywhere. Are you surprised? I’m not. Last week, league disciplinarian Colin Campbell said fighting was something the league should take a look at. The statement was blown way out of proportion. What people forget is, it is Campbell’s job to look at everything and anything hockey related. So chatting about fighting is just an added bullet to the list. And there shouldn’t be any worries, the debate starts with the league’s General Managers. You know, the same General Managers that just voted to increase the number of instigators from three to five before a player is suspended? Yeah… that debate should go far.

As for Gary’s comments... Gary isn’t going to say anything that will get him in trouble. And since the GM’s (an extension of team owners) have already had their say on fighting, Uncle Gary is going to be right in line with what they say. Why? Because Gary is an extension of the owners too… what some might call a puppet.

Some quotables from the Globe article:

Bettman told reporters at the CBC that fighting is actually down over the long term and that the fighting-related injuries in the past few weeks may be an "aberration, not a trend."

"Fighting has always had a role in the game and the amount of fighting is determined by how the game is played," Bettman is quoted as saying on the CBC website.

"From a player safety standpoint, what happens in fighting is something we need to look at just as we need to look at hits to the head," Bettman said. "But we're not looking to have a debate on whether fighting is good or bad or should be part of the game . . .

"Players have gotten bigger and we at least have to look at the consequence of that on player safety."

"My view on fighting hasn't changed," Bettman said. "We've never taken active steps or considered eliminating fighting from the game. I've always taken the view that it's a part of the game and it rises and lowers based on what the game dictates."

"The PA [National Hockey League Players' Association] obviously is going to have to be involved," Bettman said. "This is something that's going to have to be discussed with the managers, with the competition committee . . . and ultimately the board of governors."

Response from one of the league's biggest enforcers, Buffalo's Andrew Peters, was
definitive.

"How long has fighting been around the game of hockey? It's part of the game, the fans love it and there's a need for it, for someone to protect their teammates," the 6-foot-4, 230-pound left winger said.

Brett Hull Sounds Off on Gary Bettman

Brett Hull has become the latest to tear into NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman. An excerpt from the Charleston Post and Courier:

His take on NFL Commissioner Gary Bettman: "I don't think he really understands the game. He doesn't understand the history and at times I don't think he really gives a hoot. All he cares about is if he's making the owners happy."

Let’s face it… Hull says a lot. But most of the time, the guy isn’t far off. Bettman has openly stated that he works for owners in the not so distant past.

The Bettman Saga Silently Rolls On...

Ed Willies, from the Province, wasn’t impressed with Gary Bettman’s latest trip to Vancouver. Last night Gary casually put down any speculation that he could be asked to step down by the league’s BOG. The arrogance drips for his quotes as he mentions that even he isn’t sure how many years he has left on his contract… four maybe five. Rest assure, it runs through the end of his latest and greatest CBA. Maybe the owners will strategically re-up him after he oversees the next work stoppage and another CBA… we might as well make this a cyclical process. Bettman again spun answers like a yoyo, saying that the NHL’s deal with Versus was a good one and they were willing to trade viewership for better coverage. His criteria for that, of course, is that Versus covers hockey in between periods and not other sports. Forget the .02s for regular games and a disastrous .7 for the All-Star game (a 76% drop from 2004). Forget that the All-Star game placed 18th on the Neilson in Dallas, the host city. Bettman lied to NHL fans, saying that all major polls show that only 25% of fans disagree with the current schedule. While not major, one from my site says that 65% of fans WANT a balanced schedule (248 votes). While not surprising, Bettman’s deal, should it have been voted on recently by owners is disgraceful. It essentially displays that owners are content with the state of the NHL; that they do not care what fans think. Do you ever wonder why Gary doesn’t make too many public appearances? Because he is ridiculed by fans everywhere he goes. And forget speaking at on-ice ceremonies. The great NHL Commish was booed mercilessly at Wayne Gretzky’s jersey retirement when he was handed the mic.

A couple of quotes from Willies’ article that will make you want to lose you cookies:

Bettman remains impervious to any criticism of his administration or the game's direction, as the commissioner again demonstrated during a 40-minute presser in which he said absolutely nothing of interest.

He will tell you the Versus deal is good for the game. He will tell you it's part of a master plan that will launch the NHL into a golden era. He will tell you the new conomic order has positioned the NHL for a prolonged period of prosperity.

And, it doesn't bother him one iota that others would look at the league and draw a far different conclusion about its prospects.

"I do it at the will of the owners," Bettman said.

Bettman, for his part, understands what's good for the owners is good for him. He's presided over two work stoppages, hasn't been able to deliver a national TV contract and his mere presence is a divisive point among NHL fans.

A Picture Tells a Thousand (actually 2,545) Stories...

Forget the article... we have seen the spin-zone a thousand times. Check out the poll on the right side. Actually, here is my first attempt at uploading a picture to a blog:


Hey... pretty easy. I love capturing these special moments! What a popular guy...

A Short List of New Commissioners...

Mike Heika says its time for a new Commissioner. But he disagrees with the recent Gossage talk… instead, and rightfully so, he says its time for a “hockey guy” to take over the reigns. Here are a few of his suggestions:

Brian Burke
Anaheim GM
Former right-hand man to Gary Bettman, he has strong opinions.

Wayne Gretzky
Phoenix coach
This is the position that he was born for. Coaching is just a stopgap.

Bob Gainey
Montreal GM
Not sure he could take the bureaucracy, but he has a beautiful mind.

Ken Dryden
Hall of Fame goalie
Maybe too cerebral to lead, but he understands hockey and how to make it better.

Daryl Reaugh
Stars broadcaster
Laugh if you like, but he would make it one fun league.

The middle of the end for Gary… and Saskin Now?

I’ll read what Adam Proteau has to say and give you the main points:

First, Oilers chairman Cal Nicholls fired a shot across Gary Bettman’s bow at the last Board of Governors meeting, when he quite correctly derided the commissioner’s laissez-faire leadership during the heated debate over the NHL’s nonsensical schedule.

Then, this week comes rumours the league has made overtures to Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, regarding his willingness to replace Bettman when the latter’s contract expires after the 2007-08 season.

Meanwhile, as THN Senior Writer Ken Campbell and others are reporting, the NHLPA is a mess of near-Mesopotamian proportions. One faction of the union wants nothing less than Ted Saskin’s resignation, while the other wants nothing more than some peace and quiet for at least 10 minutes.

At this point, it’s impossible to say the stories and people undermining Bettman and Saskin have a large degree of credence behind them. But everybody understands these types of tales rarely surface when collective expectations are being met.Two divergent sets of natives are growing increasingly restless, and no amount of Pollyanna press releases can mask that fact.

Let's all face it... Gary's in until 08. After that, it is all up to what the BOG wants... more money for their pockets? Or a better NHL for everyone?

The New NHL is Not What We Want Petition

The New NHL is Not What We Want Petition

Sign it, email it (to EVERYONE), add it to your blog, write about it, print it out and mail a hard copy.

Gossage Touted to Replace Uncle Gary...

Although some yuppy "Cap's Nuts" would discredit this story, HFU can't help but report/repeat it. Here are some juicy tidbits... I plan on having a great sleep tonight:

Is hockey on the horizon for Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie
Gossage? Gossage says no. But the man generally regarded as one of the top promoters in racing has been approached by people involved with the NHL about joining the league and eventually replacing commissioner Gary Bettman, sources confirmed Wednesday. Bettman's contract expires after the 2007-08 season.

But sources said a group with NHL ties has met with Gossage to discuss his availibility. The NHL is looking to find a marketing guru and a high-profile individual who can bring more attention to a league that is struggling.

Gossage has been portrayed at times as a Ringling Brothers-type showman, an over-the-top promoter willing to do whatever it takes to bring attention to TMS.

His efforts have helped make the 157,000-seat TMS facility, which opened in 1997, one of the top speedways in motor sports.

It might surprise people to learn that Gossage is a serious hockey fan. He coached little league hockey on and off for 12 years while his son, Dustin, was playing the game.

"I loved the NHL for many years, but they have some problems. Their TV contact is a major issue. They probably have too many teams and their feeder system needs fixing. They have many challenges that need to be addressed."

Sounds like a realist that is willing to admit and meet troubles head on. Ahhh... what a breathe of fresh air it would be to have a Commissioner that didn't spin everything that was sent out to his "fans." Gossage also sounds like he values the on-ice product and what appeals to the majority of fans. And the fact that this guy coached peewee hockey for 12 years is like comparing John Elway to Ryan Leaf when you account for Bettman's lack of hockey knowledge before taking over the reigns.

Dan Wetzel on Uncle Gary

Dan Wetzel has a bone to pick with Gary Bettman. Read all of his article here. Read some of his article below:

Anyone who doesn't think hockey can work in America is forgetting this era [early 90s]. All of a sudden, hockey was challenging, if not beating, the NBA in a number of major U.S. markets – including New York. It's almost impossible to imagine now, but it happened.

As the conspiracy theory goes, Stern sensed the potential trouble in 1993 while the NHL was in search of a new commissioner. So he looked around his own office for someone so incompetent that if they got the job, the NHL would be marginalized by their mismanagement and never again be a threat to the NBA.

Naturally, Stern recommended one of his assistants, Gary Bettman, for the job.

There has never been a commissioner of a major North American sports league this inept...

Bettman is on a 14-year run of bad ideas. His latest was a classic, moving the league's all-star game, which featured attention-grabbing young megastars, to midweek on the Versus Network – as opposed to NBC on a weekend.

The result was a catastrophic 0.7 rating. That's a meager 474,298 households in the States that bothered to watch, down 76 percent from the last all-star game.

He has shown no respect for the game, for its history, for its fans, for its unique qualities.

The league is now overexpanded and overpriced, misplaced and misdirected. It is less exciting, less interesting, less traditional and more difficult to follow for the non-obsessive fan.

And, since fighting has been curbed, the "new" rivalries haven't really taken because a hockey rivalry without fighting is like non-alcoholic beer.

This is Bettman's NHL. Fourteen years, four bankruptcies, three franchise moves, two lockouts, one lost season and no effective leadership.

Brilliant article. Keep em coming folks....

Sportsbusinessnews.com Says Fire Bettman

Sports Business News says it's time for Uncle Gary to take a hike. At HFU.com, we've been preaching this for quite some time now. Let's rehash this article of the week about Gary's performance:

If Gary Bettman is allowed to continue as NHL commissioner undoubtedly the NHL is headed to a dark deep place, a journey that will see the NHL as we know it implode with the NHL certain to lose at least six franchises in the next decade.

Of all the mistakes, error in judgments Gary Bettman has made during his tenure as NHL commissioner none come close to his misguided belief that Versus is the right American cable TV partner for the NHL.

It has been said before in the pages of Sports Business News and it will be said again, if you’re not on ESPN, you’re not a sport in the United States.

Its time Gary Bettman was held responsible for leading the NHL’s BOG’s into their terrible Versus cable agreement.

And just how bad are the NHL’s national TV ratings on NBC? They’ve fallen by 20 percent through the first three weekends of coverage.

"I was in Chicago last Sunday and Tuesday," a scout said over the weekend told The National Post. "There weren't 6,000 people there either night. And I'm seeing a lot of that in the U.S. Los Angeles? For the most part, you won't see 10,000 people there.

"In Philly, they're really, really worried about next year, from a business perspective. They've got plenty of season tickets sold -- this year. But look at the stands. No one is using their tickets. What happens after you paid for season tickets but never used them? You don't renew."

"Detroit? A lot of empty seats there. The tickets are sold, but they're not coming," another scout reported. "I've never, ever seen empty seats in Detroit. I was there for a Dallas game -- empty seats. A Nashville game -- empty seats. Montreal? Empty seats."

Eight franchises and two success stories, that’s a 25 percent success and that by any definition is a failure. Its time the National Hockey League Board of Governors showed they really care about their game, show they really care about the future of the NHL and hold Gary Bettman accountable
for how his lack of leadership in managing the NHL.

Keep them coming folks.

Jim Reeves is a Very Smart Man...

Jim Reeves, of the Dallas Fort-Worth Telegram says the NHL needs to do something different. Here are a few blips from his article…

But you think fans at the AAC, and those watching at home on television (all three of them), wouldn't have perked up if one of the league's young studs, Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, had actually played this game as if did mean something? If they came out firing on all cylinders, popping people under the chin, plastering somebody against the boards? Sure, some of the graybeards on the ice would have looked at them as if they were crazy. But at least it would have been different. At least it might have grabbed some attention.

Do something, Bettman, don't just sit there and play Commissioner Pollyanna while your league slowly withers and dies because it's too stubborn to change.

On the 11 teams that voted down the balanced schedule - Bettman is supposed to be the commissioner for the entire league, not just 11 provincial thinking owners concerned with only their own interests. He needs to act in the best interests of the league, not just a few teams.

Bettman consistently brushes off questions about the league's problems -- its nonexistent TV ratings, declining drop counts (actual fans) in arenas, the year-long lockout, the arena situation in Pittsburgh, teams that have maximized their revenues with new arenas -- with bromides and platitudes, as if the new, stream-lined uniforms that were introduced Wednesday night provide the answer to everything.

This is a great game, a game of skill, speed, violence and passion (though only the first two were on display in the All-Star Game). With all that going for it, it's a shame that it might simply fade away for lack of leadership.

Bettman the Master Politician

After reading this article from Mike Heika and Gary Jacobson of The Dallas Morning News, one would be led to believe that the league is approaching the peak of its existence. After all, Gary Bettman said:

About t.v. ratings = "We're committed to doing the right things over the long haul and we're confident over time our ratings will grow."

Real quick, Mike Chen from Fox Sports counters with "Bettman wants to say that the league is being patient and they're confident that with the right treatment, TV ratings will grow. The problem is that they've tried pretty much damn near everything. TV sports ratings are like a mudslide and the NHL is trying to fight its way upstream." In his article, he investigates the drop in t.v. ratings for all four major sports from 2000-present. Not surprisingly, he found that the NHL has seen the biggest decline. Read more here.

On attendance - "I think the fact of the matter is we're playing within about 1 percent of our attendance last year. Last year, we set an all-time attendance record. Were it not for last year, this year would be the all-time attendance record. So we're really not having attendance issues." Nevermind these articles. They're all false. Some of the biggest hockey markets in the States aren't really facing dramatic losses... not Boston, not Philadelphia... two blue-collared cities. Not St. Louis. And on and on.

More - "But we're still playing close to 90 percent of capacity." Has this guy been to a game in a while. I went to the Caps game last Saturday and I would say it was a little more than half full. Even sadder, teams are being forced to offer cheaper tickets these days to attract fans. The Caps just GAVE AWAY 300+ tickets to the Canes game tomorrow night.

Health of teams financially - "Vastly improved. Most of our teams are either making money or breaking even. The teams that are losing money are losing less. My goal is to have all of our clubs at least breaking even or making money, and at the same time." That is one thing he is good at... putting money in the pockets of owners. Rest assure though, as his fan base gets flushed down the toilet, owners will not be making money. The quick fixes will run dry... I wouldn't be surprised if Bettman asks the proper authorities to cut down on time zones in North America to one so that he can have one big division with minimal travel costs. BTW... have you ordered your $400 jersey yet? It's steamlined!!! You'll be 8% faster!

On the new rule changes - "I think the feedback from the general managers and from the coaches, and from the players, and, as importantly, from our fans, has been overwhelmingly positive. People like the game, they like the style of play, they like the speed, they like the flow, they like the scoring chances, they like the increase in scoring. We're committed to maintaining the standard." Ha... fans... any time this guy gets around fans they boo him. How would he know what the fans think? It makes me sick to my stomach any time he even says the word fans. I genuinely believe that he does not care one bit about what fans think. His goal, as he mentioned already, is to make the owners money. And overwhelmingly positive??? Who is this guy kidding? Is that why arenas are sitting nearly half empty on some nights?

When asked about the hitting, emotional, and physical play, Bettman countered with "While statistics only take you so far, I think the people who say we've taken hitting out of the game haven't been watching the game because, actually, we had more hits last season than we did in '03-04. " I wish they asked him when the last time there was a rivalry in the NHL. Look that up in your stat book Uncle Gary.

On the new uniforms - "They'll have more freedom of motion, they'll be wearing fabrics that enable them to breathe and not retain as much sweat in their uniforms so that they'll be lighter, I think this is going to enhance performance. " That is wonderful. And how much do they cost should I want to purchase one? What's that? $400? I am sure you'll make some good sales off those jersies. You do realize that your jersies now cost 2-4X as much as any other pro jersey out there, right?

So now, let me get this straight.... we have the second highest attendance mark of all time; arenas are 90% full on any given night on average; t.v. ratings will grow and it is not a big deal that the NHL has seen the biggest drop off since 2000 because all sports are down; there are more hits in today's NHL than there were pre-lockout, and the new jersies will make players 8% faster. Don't let the overwhelming number of articles steer you wrong ladies and gentleman... Uncle Gary has spun the truth into you and you will be a fan of his new product. Zippy chance...

Challenges of job appear to be never-ending for Bettman
By Helene Elliott:
January 24, 2007

DALLAS — Tonight is the fun part, a gathering of players who have honorably carried their teams for years and youngsters entrusted with carrying the NHL into the next decade.But when the All-Star game concludes and the last in a likely goal barrage is recorded at the American Airlines Center, the hard part will begin for Gary Bettman.

He is known as the commissioner of the first major professional sports league to cancel a season because of a labor dispute, but his ability to handle an array of troubling issues may determine his ultimate legacy and the course of the NHL's future.

Expansion? You're Kidding Right?

Damien Cox's blog, The Spin on Sports, is reporting that the NHL is currently chatting about the possibility of expanding the league by one team. Apparently, Jim Balsillie’s $175 million offer to buy the Pens raised some eyebrows in the NHL front office. And although hockey followers are already well aware of the watered down talent expansion has brought us over the years, the league apparently hasn’t taken notice. The league has proven time in and time out that they are not concerned with their perception to fans. So don’t be surprised if this talk comes to fruition. Quite frankly, I enjoy this sort of talk… I mean, can you imagine the thought of another expansion team? It would be great. The Panthers, for instance, have been nothing but beneficial for the league since 1993. Today, they are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NHL… filled with a fine blend of talent and toughness. They pack the arenas on road trips. Robert Luongo thought a lot of the team too. Yes, that is just what we need. Another team in the NHL. Maybe when we get a new team, we’ll start reporting that attendance is up by 10,000 from last year to this year.

Q&A with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman

Q&A with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
Bettman's reign marked by growth, change
10:40 PM CST on Saturday, January 20, 2007
By MIKE HEIKA and GARY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News

Gary Bettman will celebrate the completion of his 14th season as NHL commissioner on Feb. 1. Bettman, 54, is a New York native and a 1974 graduate of Cornell. He served 12 seasons as a senior executive with the NBA before replacing Gil Stein in 1993.

During his term, the NHL has grown from 21 teams to 30 while its annual revenue has increased from $700 million to $2.2 billion. He also has witnessed four franchises go through bankruptcy, four teams move and the league shut down twice for labor reasons. The 2004-05 lockout marked the only time a big-league North American sport has lost a full season to a labor dispute.