Gary Bettman = Douchebag

by Brad Lee on Oct 24, 2007 10:33 AM CDT

Hi, I'm a douchebag

By Brad Lee

Darren Dreger with TSN in Canada has a little update on the possibility of changing the format for the NHL schedule.

Less than two weeks ago the Detroit Red Wings were touting a proposal for an 84 game regular season schedule that put a 6 game cap on the preseason - instead of the free for all that exists now - and included a home and away with all out of conference teams.

We are so in favor of playing every team in the league on the road and at home.Â Great idea,Â even if itÂ came from Detroit.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks were supporters of the concept, which was delivered to most NHL owners and the commissioner's office.

According to sources, Bettman persuaded Detroit to stop the campaign to increase the number of games from 82 to 84, as it was for two seasons during the early 1990s.

Huh?Â The commissioner of a fourth-rate professional league doesn't want one of it's marquee teams to take the lead on an important issue?Â Seems like a smart commissioner would want the opposite. Â

Politically, the timing isn't right. Although, it's believed the Red Wings intend to re-visit the plan in the future.

Sources say Bettman was not pleased with the way the NHL schedule was so hotly and openly contested by league executives last season and intends to keep a lid on public debate this year.

Ah, now we see the real reason.Â When teams in the Western Conference talk aboutÂ their travelÂ burden, when they point out that Toronto should probably play Vancouver, Calgary and Detroit every yearÂ and when they point out thatÂ New Jersey could take a bus to almost all of its "away" games, it might make the league look like it's run by fools. Oh wait, IT IS RUN BY FOOLS.

We could harp on the joke of a TV contract, the efforts to curb fighting in the league, the heavy-handedness of pushing new uniforms out to every team in the leauge at once or any number of other decisions by commissioner Bettman and his league office. But the schedule is one of the biggest mistakes they've made since the league has only itself and Bettman to blame. Last year the NHL Board of Governors was on the verge of fixing this issue and making sure that players like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin played in every arena and exciting teams like Buffalo andÂ iconic teams like Toronto and Montreal made at least one visit a year. And Bettman's lack of leadership coupled with Lou Lamoriello's demonic influence killed the proposal a year ago.

At next months NHL Board of Governors meetings, the commissioner is expected to roll out a new schedule similar to the pre-lockout format that will see fewer divisional games and the assurance all teams will play each other at least once.

The only question is, will Bettman have the leadership to make it happen this year?

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Comments

expand the sched? the nhl (and on this i think RIGHTFULLY SO) are trying to also constrict the season. this was to be done with a full oct sched that apperntly didnt get signed off on by the nhlpa in time for this season. THe preseason game restriction/reduction was part of the plan. while they did not orignally intend to curt games (though that was a possiblity) they wanted the season to end earlier than it does (and realistically put the hockey playoffs as a top dog even in a sports world that laughs at the breed).

so i can definately see why the nhl brass would ask team to NOT submitt plans expanding the season while plans to reduce the time between game 1 of the season and game 7 of the stanley cup is still very much a work in progress

by Childhood Trauma on Oct 24, 2007 12:02 PM CDT reply actions

The 84 games to me is a minor part of this overall story. If it makes playing every team twice possible, fine. Otherwise, I could take it or leave it.

However, two extra games would also boost revenue for owners, possibly affecting the salary cap and move it higher, obviously something Detroit wouldn’t mind seeing. I just realized that.

by Brad Lee on Oct 24, 2007 12:59 PM CDT reply actions

Hey guy who left the www.firebettman.com link in your comment, I accidentally deleted it. Repost please.

by Brad Lee on Oct 24, 2007 1:48 PM CDT reply actions

Bettmans single biggest fault is his complete and utter ignorance as to the true nature of hockey’s core fanbase. Oh, and he is a tool.

by StLooFrenchy on Oct 24, 2007 3:11 PM CDT reply actions

i like the idea of an 84 game schedule peronally. that’s one more game i can see that’s a not a preseason game. not only that it keeps the schedule balanced. it’s only two extra games for christsakes and the way bettman came down on it and it was reported on tsn you’d think the hateful detriot redwings were asking for a 162 game schedule or something.

bettman is a douchebag. he’s the ass kisser that got some fame and hangs onto to every inch of it like whore at a donkey show.

by Chris D on Oct 24, 2007 3:35 PM CDT reply actions

The Bettman Douchbag thing doesn’t exactly fall into the category of breaking news.

The schedule could easily go to 84 games without lengthening the season. Jusat look at how many off days the Blues have already had in these first few weeks. It’s agonizing. They’ve played just 7 games, while other teams have played almost twice that.

by Pagan on Oct 24, 2007 4:20 PM CDT reply actions

There are 30 teams in the NHL now, right?

Split ’em up into four divisions — the Norris, Smythe, Patrick and Adams, and put eight teams in two divisions, and seven in the other two, 15 teams per conference.

Each team plays the 14 teams in its conference 4 each (2x home, 2x away), for a total of 56 games. Each team plays the 15 teams in the other conference 2x each (1x home, 1x away) for a total of 30 games. 56+30 = 86.

Top four teams in each division make the playoffs, first two rounds of playoffs are divisional… Norris 1 vs Norris 4, Norris 2 vs Norris 3, winners meet for Norris Division championship; nNorris Champion meets Snythe Champion for Western Cinference championship; West champion meets East champion for Stanley Cup.

All series best-of-seven.

Western Conference

Norris Division
==
Chicago
Columbus
Dallas
Detroit
Minnesota
Nashville
St. Louis

Smythe Division
==
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

Eastern Conference

Adams Division
==
Boston
Buffalo
Montreal
NY Islanders
NY Rangers
Ottawa
Toronto

Patrick Division
==
Atlanta
Carolina
Florida
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay
Washington

Nashville moves to Kansas City, stays in Norris. Nashville moves to Portland, moves to Smythe; Colorado moves to Norris.

Florida moves to Hamilton, moves to Adams; Islanders move to Patrick.

by GT Prospect Department on Oct 25, 2007 1:37 PM CDT reply actions

It works better if you contract the league by two teams. Let’s take hockey out of the desert and fold one of the Florida teams

by Pagan on Oct 25, 2007 1:52 PM CDT reply actions

Taking hockey out of Phoenix isn’t really that great an idea, Pagan…

Most people don’t know this, but Phoenix has had pro hockey for as long as the Blues have been in the NHL. The old WHL Roadrunners were a powerhouse, and the current CHL Roadrunners draw decent crowds even in competition with the NHL Coyotes.

Besides, I have family there, and they like hockey.. and I like going to Coyotes’ games when I go visit them. ;-)

I don’t have a great issue with contracting the league by a couple of teams, and folding the Panthers doesn’t bother me… but I’d fold Nashville out of the current Western Conference teams before Phoenix.

Ultimately, however, I think the league needs to keep the number of teams it has, as folding/contracting teams just doesn’t make the league look very good, or professional.

by GT Prospect Department on Oct 25, 2007 3:22 PM CDT reply actions

John Buccigross has a theory about contraction. Since the league had such a small number of teams up until 35-40 years ago, the sport is still very young in most of the United States. It only helps the game in the long run by having more NHL teams in US cities. I tend to agree. Puls selfishly, I’d like to see a team go to KC and be put in the Blues division. My brother lives less than five minutes from the Sprint Center. And having more rivalries is easier to write the front page of the paper.

For some reason, Bucci also says that if you contract, scoring will go down across the league and the game might suffer. Not sure how that idea works.

by Brad Lee on Oct 25, 2007 3:36 PM CDT reply actions

The only reason I didn’t suggest ditching Nashville as opposed to Phoenix is the nice little rivalry the Blues have going Nashville.

I’m also not a fan of a KC team. There’s already talk of Detroit moving to the Eastern conference and I like them right here in the Norris. More Western teams would tend to push them toward joining Toronto in defecting.

A conference that doesn’t include the Blues, ‘hawks and ’wings just wouldn’t feel right.

by Pagan on Oct 25, 2007 3:55 PM CDT reply actions

If you contract, you assume the players will be evenly distributed, and the more talented players will remain. I can’t fully explain it, but it makes sense that as the talent concentration increases, that would increase defense more than it would offense.

I love the idea of playing every team in the league home-and-away. That just seems idiotic to eliminate that.

I agree that Nashville should be the first to go if they do contract. And if Phoenix loses the Yotes, that doesn’t necessarily mean they lose pro ockey altogether (permanently, at least).

by UtahBluesFan on Oct 25, 2007 6:14 PM CDT reply actions