Kukla's Korner Hockey
“The Most Inept Commissioner In North American Professional Sports”
by Paul on 12/19/12 at 08:05 PM ET
Comments (8)
from Jonathan Mahler of Bloomberg,
In case you missed the latest news - - the National Hockey League has a hard enough time getting people to pay attention when games are actually being played -- Commissioner Gary Bettman went nuclear last week, filing a lawsuit against his own players.
The suit was intended in part to affirm the legality of the NHL’s ongoing lockout. We’ll have to wait for a federal judge to rule on that. What we can safely say now, with his league about to lose its second full season in less than a decade, is that Bettman is the most inept commissioner in North American professional sports.
Bettman wants to eliminate signing bonuses, cut the salary cap, increase time in the league required before free agency and set the maximum duration of contracts at five years. By one economist’s estimate, these proposals would reduce the average player’s wages by 15 percent to 20 percent.
Filed in: NHL Talk, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman
Comments
Ah capitalism… nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face, all for a few extra dollars.
Author’s plan: Contact the league to six teams, twelve at the most.
Alrighty then!
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 12/19/12 at 07:16 PM ET
Well that would solve the failing teams in failing markets problem… and… it would be wealthy owners “taking personal responsibility” for their own (bad) decisions. It’s funny how the wealthy clam up on that front when they aren’t condescending to those less fortunate than themselves, isn’t it?
I fail to see how their poor investments are the players’ problem in an otherwise profitable league. If the commissioner’s pet projects are such a failure than they and he should get the gate.
Posted by bezukov from the kids are alright. on 12/19/12 at 09:44 PM ET
It’s funny how the wealthy clam up on that front when they aren’t condescending to those less fortunate than themselves, isn’t it?
Isn’t what? I don’t know what your point is.
Sure, the NHL should contract; but to six teams, twelve the most? Really??
Seems to me it was a pretty healthy league when it had 21 teams.
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 12/19/12 at 10:07 PM ET
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 12/19/12 at 09:07 PM ET
Personal responsibility.
Posted by bezukov from the kids are alright. on 12/19/12 at 10:36 PM ET
Think Bez is commenting on the fact the NHL seems to think it’s the player responsibility to take less because of the fiscal situation out-of-control spending has put bad markets in and not the responsibility of the successful franchises to share the wealth in this pseudo socialist economic paradigm the NHL operates in with the CBA. JUST capitalistic enough not to have to share, but put all the constraints on the way business is ran (so we can find ways to circumvent it)
Posted by HockeytownOverhaul on 12/19/12 at 10:49 PM ET
Seems that “a better alternative to labor disputes is contraction” is the new “Donald Fehr must be winning because Gary Bettman’s mad.” It makes sense only if you’re stupid.
Sure, Mahler, unions love it when you tell them your peace offering is dismissing 65% of their membership.
Posted by larry on 12/20/12 at 12:57 AM ET
I approve of the title of this article.
Posted by Vladimir16 from Grand River Valley on 12/20/12 at 09:18 AM ET
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Author’s plan: Contact the league to six teams, twelve at the most.
Alrighty then!
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 12/19/12 at 08:16 PM ET