Kukla's Korner Hockey
Is Fehr Pushing The Right Buttons?
by Paul on 09/07/12 at 11:18 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Michael Grange of Sportsnet,
The NHL commissioner is entering his 20th season on the job and has suffered all measure of indignities, be it requiring a police escort in Winnipeg when he sounded the death knell for the first go-round of the Jets to having Chris Chelios threaten his family in the lead-up to the 1994-95 lockout to simply being unpopular, as the greeting he receives at most NHL arenas when he pokes his head up would attest.
But Bettman plows ahead. You get the sense he’s oblivious, figuring those doing the baiting have, over time, shown themselves to be overly emotional or provincial or fools. He’s not any of those things, so he figures he’ll win in the end.
But maybe, just maybe, Don Fehr has Bettman on edge, as he faces a new foe with poker face and no need to please.
"Don’s not afraid to tick someone off," says Buck Martinez, the Toronto Blue Jays broadcaster who was the American League vice-president of the MLBPA for eight years during his playing career and part of the negotiating committee for baseball’s labour stoppages in 1981, 1984 and 1985. "He knows how to push buttons and he knows what to fight for."
Filed in: NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: donald+fehr
Comments
For now Bettman sounds like his goat had been gotten.
He accused Fehr and the NHLPA of “stonewalling” last week and dodging the fundamental issue: How much of a share of the league’s hockey related revenue will the players be willing to accept?
Bettman and the owners need to remember one simple fact, as Ted Lindsay once said, “There is no League without the PLAYERS.” And I say, there is no NHL without the fans.
There is no hockey related revenue without the fans who pay to watch Hockey, not only at the arena, but, on television as well. We attend games which means we buy tickets, Jerseys, souvenirs, food, beverages and the like.
So suck-it Lil’ Gary, and, your greedy cabal of owners.
Lets Go Red Wings!!!!! In’13?
Posted by Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit on 09/07/12 at 12:46 PM ET
How much of a share of the league’s hockey related revenue will the players be willing to accept?
I thought Donald Fehr told him 56%. What part didn’t he understand?
Posted by hockey1919 from mid-atlantic on 09/07/12 at 03:22 PM ET
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Yep. Whether that will happen…. only time will tell. I have so much disdain for Bettman that I’ll sacrifice a season or two to see if he can be “broke”. I’ve actually got a life, Gary. Tool.
Posted by Vladimir16 from Grand River Valley on 09/07/12 at 12:24 PM ET