Why the heck does the NHL even HAVE a commissioner who used to be in charge of a basketball league? Are there no executives in the hockey “business” who could have been promoted from within and given the comissioner’s job? Because really… Bettman has pretty much been the single reason why we don’t have any hockey this year.

The last article I blasted the NHLPA pretty bad, but really Bettman is no better. The whole battle has really been a fight for money. Management wants it. Players want it. Neither one of them deserve it and this season - oh wait, there wasn’t one - proves it.

Today’s “last ditch” offer from the league to the NHLPA is worded in such a way to completely back this up. I don’t still have the browser window open but it said something to the effect of “we’ve raised the cap to a level that we think will be acceptable to both management and players”. No mention of fans. Give your head a shake, Bettman. Where do you think all this money comes from? It comes from US in the form of ticket sales, merchandise sales, and our support of hockey sponsors.

Gary, how much of MY money have you burned in the fireplace in your office this season and not given me a SINGLE DROP of hockey?

I applaud the efforts of Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito to start an alternative league. You can rest assured that the WHL - or whatever they’re going to call it - will be the league that I will watch. The NHL has proven that it has outlived it’s usefulness to fans.

Remember the AOL commercials, Gary? The one with the line of people in the foyer and the one AOL employee asks the other AOL employee what the lineup is? “Oh, that’s an AOL customer, with a suggestion on how we can improve AOL”, the other employee replies, then they look out the window and see the parking lot FLOODED with people all wanting to make “suggestions” on how to improve AOL.

America Online kinda bit themselves in the butt making that commercial, but the point you should consider Gary… is that maybe it’s time to look out the window.

Trackback URI |