‎“Life is like a penalty box of hockey. You never know what you’re going to get.”
~ Gary “Gump” Bettman quote?

Posted by HasTheVoice.com on 08/23/12 at 02:15 PM ET

Gary Bettman: “we are focus on making a deal…nhlpa wants to keep things the way they are, and that is slowing the process.

Let me fix that quote for the garden gnome…

“The nhlpa wants to keep things the way we forced them to take them last time, and that is slowing the process. ... Besides, the owners can’t stop paying the players more than they should, so the players are going to have to step up and take another huge salary cut. You know, if those greedy bastards would just quit asking for so much money we wouldn’t have to go through this every eight years.”

What a disgusting little pig this guy is.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids, MI on 08/23/12 at 02:29 PM ET

if the lockout makes you mad at gary bettman, you’re punching the dummy for what the ventriloquist said. get a clue, see the big picture.

Posted by Evilpens on 08/23/12 at 02:37 PM ET

The lockout will begin and end when the big income teams lose more money from not opening up at the gates then they would losing by just sharing more with the low income teams.

Yes many of the big income teams have more revenue streams than the players, but they havehigher fixed costs as well. At this late date a big income team like the Rangers know that MSG will be dormant on the nights the Rangers don’t play and MSG cable will have to show an awful lot of Knicks re-runs to make up for the missing Rangers, Devils, Sabre and Islanders games they cover. The stadium renovations weren’t free either.

If you still think Donald Fehr’s 1994 dealing within baseball are responsible for Gary Bettmans quadrennial lockout policy since 1993 you are obviously confusing major league sports with the Pirates.

Posted by hockey1919 from mid-atlantic on 08/23/12 at 02:47 PM ET

Asked Bettman why, if #NHL is doing well owners are determined to change core economics ‘we think we’re paying too much in salaries’

hey gary, does giving sutter and parise $200 million or flyers(nash) giving 110 million to weber ring a bell?

the disgraceful thing in all of this is that Craig Leopold can give suter and parise 200 million and has the balls ask for some of the money back at the same time. unreal.

I’m really beginning to think this is an owner vs owner issue and Gary has chosen his side in this fight.

Posted by FlyersFan on 08/23/12 at 02:55 PM ET

looks like Nashville going to give weber that 27 million after all, if they can find the $$$

Posted by FlyersFan on 08/23/12 at 02:57 PM ET

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) UMMMM reading comprehension fails you?

Posted by Evilpens on 08/23/12 at 03:08 PM ET

Gary remarks with regards to player salaries unwittingly says it all.  Player salaries have rarely been the main cause of problems for struggling teams, but it’s a great excuse for the league to impose a new CBA and get more money from the players.  If the owners get everything they want, teams like Columbus, Phoenix and the New York Islanders will still be struggling because they keep on incompetent general managers and burn through propspects, hire a man with no coaching experience a pay him a record breaking salary to stand behind the bench, and sign terrible arena leases and give out limetime contracts to injury prone goaltenders.  Then, when the next CBA comes around, the NHL will repeat the process.

Posted by henrymalredo from Lansing on 08/23/12 at 03:20 PM ET

hey gary, does giving sutter and parise $200 million or flyers(nash) giving 110 million to weber ring a bell?

the disgraceful thing in all of this is that Craig Leopold can give suter and parise 200 million and has the balls ask for some of the money back at the same time. unreal.

^ This is what makes me so angry about the NHL’s “negotiation” points.

‘We recovered last time bc we have the world’s greatest fans’...meaning, “We believe NHL fans are loyal suckers, with money in hand, who will continue to support us after every lockout we have and plan to have in the future”

Posted by starsfan26 on 08/23/12 at 03:36 PM ET

It strikes me how very different the two sides are run this time around.

All indications are that Fehr has consulted the players every step of the way. And while he has no doubt been advising them, it is the players concerns that are driving him. The players can say what they feel. Its clear when each player speaks that there are certain issues that are particularly important to them as individuals. Fehr appears to really be working for the players and in their collective interest.

Contrast with Bettman and the league who seem to railroad the owners. We know that the various owners each have different thoughts about the process and wildly different situations economically.  The league has flat out refused to consider alternate proposals, even if they may be beneficial to some of the owners. Owners and staff are under gag orders or face stiff fines. I know the commissioner serves as a lightning rod for criticism, but does Gary actually work for the league or is it the other way around?

Maybe it means nothing, but its an interesting dichotomy.

Posted by Nate A from Detroit-ish on 08/23/12 at 03:42 PM ET

Couple interesting things here:

Asked Bettman why, if #NHL is doing well owners are determined to change core economics ‘we think we’re paying too much in salaries’ #NHLPA

First of all, credit to Bettman on this quote. No lies here. Nowhere does he plead poverty on the owners’ behalf. He doesn’t say the owners “need” this to be done in order to survive. Just that there’s an abstract thought somewhere that the players make too much money.

Second, this is the stupidest reason ever to risk damaging a business that’s not merely growing, but swelling. Where would google be if they saw record earnings, decided the engineers were making too much and turned off the search engine for a year? It’s something you do when your business is in a pretty serious crisis. When there aren’t really any other options. The NHL is in no such crisis.

Bettman says real issue isn’t revenue sharing, said sides are close in that department..

This is a curious statement. If it’s true, then the only stoppage-big issue that remains should (keyword should) be the percentages (starting to think all that ridiculous contract stuff in the owners’ first offer was just a bargaining chip to get percentages down). Suppose it could be a lie, but if Bettman was going to tell the media a pack of lies today, one would think he’d have come up with a better reason for wanting to alter player share than “We think they make too much money.”

And the final thing that interests me is this quote from Fehr:

Don Fehr: “we remind the nhl that the only league that works (no stoppage) has no cap, and that is the mlb.”

What struck me about Fehr’s proposal is it looked like it was laying the groundwork for an attack on the salary cap in 4 years. This statement would seem to confirm that those are his ultimate intentions. If Fehr is selling that to the PA as a long-term possibility worth a work-stoppage to achieve, he’s doing them a gross disservice. It will never happen. Ever.

Posted by larry from pitt on 08/23/12 at 03:45 PM ET

hockey1919 UMMMM reading comprehension fails you?

Posted by Evilpens on 08/23/12 at 01:08 PM ET

Evilpens, are you trying to say that fehr is “masking” the idea of a no salary cap system but an system like baseball?

Posted by FlyersFan on 08/23/12 at 03:49 PM ET

NHL obviously feels they’re paying the players too much, so says Bettman.

That statement/belief is tantamount to saying, “The owners can’t stop paying the players too much, so every few years we’re just going to have to roll salaries back by 20%.”

And this statement mystifies me…

Bettman—we’re far apart on player contract issues. Union wants more flexibility we want something close to what we envisioned 8 yrs ago

Well, the owners got exactly what they wanted eight years ago. And the players have said they’ll continue to play under those conditions. So, what is it that Butthead wants now that he didn’t get eight years ago? I don’t get it.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids, MI on 08/23/12 at 04:04 PM ET

if the lockout makes you mad at gary bettman, you’re punching the dummy for what the ventriloquist said. get a clue, see the big picture.

Posted by Evilpens on 08/23/12 at 12:37 PM ET

Evlipens, I know it’s been said to you before, but I’m a little sick of reading your snide comments.  Maybe instead of being an oppositional prick, you could make an actual argument for your case? 

Maybe you did, weeks ago, in an comment section I didn’t read, and you think that justifies making snippy remarks on every article thereafter.  Maybe tone down the sass and contribute to the conversation instead.

Posted by mmuskrat on 08/23/12 at 04:26 PM ET

Lets see I will say it SLOW & IN GREAT BIG BOLD LETTERS!

Bettman or (BUTTMAN) or Gary ASS IS PAID BY THE OWNERS !! HE IS SAYING WHAT THEY WANT HIM TOO SAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so all these Playboy like fantasies that he will be fired by the people who he is talking for an DELUSIONAL!! & the hate is Misplaced !

think of it this way when you read a quote from Bettman or Hear him speak think of your favorite team owner saying it !

Posted by Evilpens on 08/23/12 at 04:43 PM ET

Maybe you did, weeks ago, in an comment section I didn’t read, and you think that justifies making snippy remarks on every article thereafter.  Maybe tone down the sass and contribute to the conversation instead.

Posted by mmuskrat on 08/23/12 at 02:26 PM ET

No, he hasn’t.  He has refused every call for him to support his opinion, instead ignoring the request or becomining hostile.  He apparently has no support for his claims and prefers to nerd-rage at us instead.

Posted by WingsFaninCO on 08/23/12 at 04:47 PM ET

hey, I completely agree with your point of view.  Seriously, I do.  I just think you don’t write respectfully, and you act like a jerk when people disagree with you or call you out.

Case in point, ^^

Posted by mmuskrat on 08/23/12 at 04:48 PM ET

Gary Bettman:“we believe that we are paying the players more that we should be.”

“I mean, we’ve told them the last time, they should get 57% of league revenues! Wait…”

Bettman—we’re far apart on player contract issues. Union wants more flexibility we want something close to what we envisioned 8 yrs ago

“See? Eight years ago, we told them they should get 57%. Wait…”

Bettman on damage lockout could do: ‘We recovered last time bc we have the world’s greatest fans’

“So we’ll test and again, maybe this time they’ll leave us alone”

/hops in car, blasts The Division Bell, singing “I pushed her to the limit to see if she would break”.

Posted by Herm from the office on 08/23/12 at 04:53 PM ET

The owners are certainly a huge part of the equation, and in theory Bettman represents their interests, but it’s quite a simplification of things to suggest that he’s paid huge sums of money to be a lapdog.  He generates policy, he builds consensus, he (and of course “he” includes his advisers) comes up with bargaining points and positions.  Does anyone honestly think that if he had come forward two years ago and said “keeping the Phoenix Coyotes in Phoenix, at the expense of the NHL, is unsustainable and injurious to other owners” there’d be some sort of revolt?  Hell no.  These are his positions, largely, and they only occasionally overlap the interests of all owners.

Posted by shazam88 from SoCal on 08/23/12 at 04:59 PM ET

One other thought.

If only the core economics (read, %) remain, why not take 1 thing from each? No rollback of existing future revenues headed to the players but reduced growth as well? While revenues grow, the player gross stays the same until it’s at, say 50%, at which time it starts growing again, tied to that rate. Were I a player currently on a long-term deal, that’s something I would probably accept. And if I was a year to year journeyman (someone like, say Dominic Moore), I’d also take it, because it’s not going to make a whole heck of a lot of difference in my earnings. I also have to believe 2/3 of ownership would be satisfied with this as well, as would, probably, every general manager (not that their votes count).

Posted by larry from pitt on 08/23/12 at 05:04 PM ET

At this point…if there will be lockout…and IF is is said rather stupidly…I hope the players hold out as long as they can.

This is bullsiht.

Posted by mrfluffy from Long Beach on 08/23/12 at 05:05 PM ET

Don Fehr: “we remind the nhl that the only league that works (no stoppage) has no cap, and that is the mlb.”

What struck me about Fehr’s proposal is it looked like it was laying the groundwork for an attack on the salary cap in 4 years. This statement would seem to confirm that those are his ultimate intentions. If Fehr is selling that to the PA as a long-term possibility worth a work-stoppage to achieve, he’s doing them a gross disservice. It will never happen. Ever.

Posted by larry from pitt on 08/23/12 at 01:45 PM ET

I understand what you’re saying larry, good post by the way…

All that said…Fehr is right. The MLB is stable, and you don’t hear much grumbling from anyone.

Posted by mrfluffy from Long Beach on 08/23/12 at 05:07 PM ET

The owners are certainly a huge part of the equation, and in theory Bettman represents their interests, but it’s quite a simplification of things to suggest that he’s paid huge sums of money to be a lapdog.  He generates policy, he builds consensus, he (and of course “he” includes his advisers) comes up with bargaining points and positions.  Does anyone honestly think that if he had come forward two years ago and said “keeping the Phoenix Coyotes in Phoenix, at the expense of the NHL, is unsustainable and injurious to other owners” there’d be some sort of revolt?  Hell no.  These are his positions, largely, and they only occasionally overlap the interests of all owners.

Posted by shazam88 from SoCal on 08/23/12 at 02:59 PM ET

I just wanted to re-post this whole thing to show my appreciation for how well-worded it is.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/23/12 at 05:15 PM ET

hahahahahaha Right as long as
you’re a fan of the top 10 teams

Posted by Evilpens on 08/23/12 at 05:15 PM ET

The Division Bell, singing “I pushed her to the limit to see if she would break”.
Posted by Herm from the office on 08/23/12 at 02:53 PM ET

The ringing of the division bell, has begun.

Quality taste Herm-ano (sorry, I know that’s spanish but I don’t know Portugese)

Posted by HTO from F*ckin' Work on 08/23/12 at 06:33 PM ET

All that said…Fehr is right. The MLB is stable, and you don’t hear much grumbling from anyone.

Posted by mrfluffy from Long Beach on 08/23/12 at 03:07 PM ET

Well, the MLB is stable un-capped because the particulars of the sport are so different. It might surprise most people to learn that, without a cap, Baseball naturally evolved to a place where owners actually pay LESS in salary as a percentage of revenue than Bettman asked the players to accept in that proposal everyone thought was insulting. When the NHL didn’t have a cap, the amount paid out was in the 70s. Reasons for that are many, but it would basically be a book-length post if I went into it and that’s just what I could see as a layman.

Suffice it to say Baseball an orange while the NHL and NBA are more or less apples.

Posted by larry from pitt on 08/23/12 at 07:30 PM ET

Lets see I will say it SLOW & IN GREAT BIG BOLD LETTERS!

...think of it this way when you read a quote from Bettman or Hear him speak think of your favorite team owner saying it !

Such a condescending attitude for someone who randomly uses the Shift key and has no understanding at all of grammar or punctuation.

As others have requested, drop the bravado, EP, and give us some facts. Because the only thing your nonsensical histrionics convince people of is that you, sir, are an idiot.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids, MI on 08/23/12 at 08:49 PM ET

I’m both disgusted and disappointed in both sides to keep taking these 2-3+ days off between sessions. Deadline gets closer and closer, and instead of hashing it out they take long breaks. I understand they need time to regroup and try another route to each other, i think an evening is fine. Reload, and start up the next morning. And you keep doing so 6 days a week up until the deadline or an agreement is reached. Can we get a federal mediator in here to rule and make it so? Players just wanna play, fans just want their game.

Posted by NIVO from underpants gnome village on 08/23/12 at 09:59 PM ET

At the end of the day Billionaires always win over Millionaires and that is the way it should be simply because the Billionaires interests have to prevail otherwise the game can not survive. The fans have no rights other than to buy or to not buy a ticket. The players have no rights other than to refuse to play. All the small businesses that depend on the game have no rights other than to choose to do something else until this works out. It’s a tough world ain’t it.

Posted by joedaiceman on 08/23/12 at 11:19 PM ET

The players didnt create the frankenstein monster here(high contracts). The owners did just that. They started it by giving out high dollar contracts. Now they regret that and its hurting them, or so they claim. You wave money in my face like that of course i’ll take it. Dont expect me to give any back though. As long as I pay my just taxes and fulfill my contract….......tough noogies. So yes, its a tough world.

Posted by NIVO from underpants gnome village on 08/24/12 at 02:10 AM ET