from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,

When Bettman and sidekick Bill “The Hill” Daly mounted the stage of a Midtown hotel conference room on Thursday night, it was truly Theatre of the Absurd. Within an hour of Fehr having stood in the same spot with the audacity to express hope that a deal should be near, the tandem from Sixth Avenue threw a tantrum in which they basically shouted: “Who are you going to believe, us or your lying eyes?”

Because anyone and everyone who can read can indeed see for themselves: The sides are thread-the-needle close to a deal. The league wants a 10-year CBA with an eight-year out clause. The union wants an eight-year CBA with a six-year out clause. The league wants five-year contract limits with seven-year limits for teams to sign their own players. The union wants eight-year limits to apply across the board.

That’s about it. A couple of split-the-difference items plus the issue of amnesty buyouts that arises because of what will be a steep drop in the cap for 2013-14 and because absent such a transition, there will be nearly 10 teams without the means to create cap space to complete their rosters.

This is what the league angrily stalked away from? Yes, this is what the league angrily stalked away from, on cue, as choreographed.

The owners and Bettman walked away from the deal because they do not want to complete a deal with Fehr. They want him removed from the equation. That has become their primary mission, a priority greater than negotiating a CBA and saving the 2012-13 season.

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