The NHL was on the cusp of something wonderfull following 1994, but Bettman squandered it. Is it too late now? I do not think so, but it is going to be a LOOOOOOONG road back to even respectability, instead of being a joke. It HAS to start with breaking the contract with Versus, and going with hat-in-hand back to ESPN for whatever deal they can cut. There is simply no way around that. The game and it's stars need the exposure that ESPN provides.
Then he has to deal with the fact that even with the cap, there are a few teams who simply have no business being in the league. And off course, there is the fact that calling all the hooking/holding is all well and good, but Bettman seems intent on making it a two-hand touch league.
But it all starts with getting the necessary exposure. And that all goes back to ESPN.
^Thats a petition. I also have a hard time watching this current brand of hockey. I always watched hockey for passion, physical play and hitting. I missed the days when players were ready to do all it took to take it to the other team on the scoreboard and on the ice. Rangers Islanders games are boring now, where did the passion go? As a whole I cant watch skating around, no one being hit, goals without contests much longer. I hate Gary Bettman and hopefully the old ways will come back, however I doubt it. Please God let Bettman go.
I blame myself. 4 years ago I was sitting one row in front of him at MSG and literally could have reached over the back of my seat and tossed that dwarf into the penalty box if I felt like it. Shame on me for not recognizing opportunity knocking. Just think, sportscenter, my own trivia question, all you can wear handcuffs, new roomate, conjugal visits... I really blew it.
A recent article said that the NHL All-Star game was down a whooping 79% from the last time it was aired. That is a scary number. There are QVC shows that do better. In another act of Bettman dropping the ball, instead of putting it on a weekend where there was no major sporting events and on a major chanel, he put in on mid-week, on a channel that most people cannot find.
Let's see. Ratings this year have been down. Attendance has been down. The owners are artificially creating revenue by simply raising ticket prices, an act that can only mask the league's many deficiencies for so long (i.e. if ratings and attendance keep dropping, ticket prices cannot continue to accend every year). Is it just me or is Bettman's grand experiment of catering the game to the casual fan failing?
Salary cap or not, Bettman has to do better. He has to create new revenue streams, something that he has failed at. The first step is to bring the game more exposure. Whether he likes it or not, he has to go back to ESPN, hat in hand.
At the start of next season the avaerage salary will be right where it was before the lockout. So all that was done was turn things back for 2 whole years! There have been two articles, or post referring to articles, about Bettman, one is on the Hockey Rodents site, the other on here under the business of hockey forum. Bettman after 14 years still knows as much hockey as before he took over, zero. He has taken a tradition rich sport, which was its backbone and sould and trampled it. He makes John Zigler, his predecessor, look like Pete Rozell of hockey and Zigler was bad!
The NHL was on the cusp of something wonderfull following 1994, but Bettman squandered it. Is it too late now? I do not think so, but it is going to be a LOOOOOOONG road back to even respectability, instead of being a joke. It HAS to start with breaking the contract with Versus, and going with hat-in-hand back to ESPN for whatever deal they can cut. There is simply no way around that. The game and it's stars need the exposure that ESPN provides.
Then he has to deal with the fact that even with the cap, there are a few teams who simply have no business being in the league. And off course, there is the fact that calling all the hooking/holding is all well and good, but Bettman seems intent on making it a two-hand touch league.
But it all starts with getting the necessary exposure. And that all goes back to ESPN.
TB
go read the article that is linked in a post about Bettman at the Hocket Rodent's site. I really could see David Stern doing that. Early 90's hockey is passing the NHL and Stern turns around and looks for the most incompetent lackie he has and recommends Bettman to the NHL. The NBA has never looked back.
Early 90's hockey is passing the NHL and Stern turns around and looks for the most incompetent lackie he has and recommends Bettman to the NHL. The NBA has never looked back.
People love to use this term, and personally I hate it. But Bettman has been a cancer to the NHL.
^Thats a petition. I also have a hard time watching this current brand of hockey. I always watched hockey for passion, physical play and hitting. I missed the days when players were ready to do all it took to take it to the other team on the scoreboard and on the ice. Rangers Islanders games are boring now, where did the passion go? As a whole I cant watch skating around, no one being hit, goals without contests much longer. I hate Gary Bettman and hopefully the old ways will come back, however I doubt it. Please God let Bettman go.
Hey dinks.
You don't need petitions, if enough fans are unhappy the right people will get the point and changes will be made. Petitions are so early 19th Century
I dont know if Bettman would ever know if hes wrong, even if the dalai lama slapped him in the face hed still think hes doing something right.
Stubborn people run this world, what can I say.
When it comes to the NHL, change takes a while.
Let them iron out the 'bugs', i'm willing to cut them some slack until then.
Doesn't mean i'm ready for the kool-aid just yet though
