from Adrian Dater of All Things Avs,

It’s just such a sick joke now, this lockout. It really is. Is Gary Bettman not the most tiresome person in the world by now? Gary no doubt about it will enjoy a nice, comfy Christmas at his Saddle River, N.J., home – the same town where Richard Nixon lived out his final years. The rest of us have to remain living in his Captain Queeg-ish nightmare of a hockey world, where he’s circling the steel balls in his hand, wondering who ate the strawberries. (I stole that analogy from the great Michael Farber, my friend and mentor from Sports Illustrated. Always steal from the best)....

Bad management. Yep. Of course, it’s not Bettman who is to all to blame for the NHL’s financial problems. The bulk of blame, of course, goes to the confederacy of dunces known as the NHL owners. But that’s tired ground by now. After all, hasn’t everybody pointed out the stupidity and hypocrisy of idiots like Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold, who signed two players to a combined 26 years and $196 million in salary over the summer – but now is part of a cabal shutting down the game partially over the length of contracts for players? It’s a joke, right? Right? Guy signs two players for 13 years each at $98 million apiece, then sanctions a lockout principally over salaries and contract lengths? HA HA, great one! But no, it’s no joke. Sorry.

But Bettman’s act has grown so tired, in charge of all of them. A more imaginative, resourceful, cerebral, humane, intuitive commissioner would have never let this third lockout on his watch never take place. Instead, we’re all just left with the same “take it or leave it” BS and “Let’s play this move next, and when they play that move, let’s play this move after that, and when they play their next move, we counter with this move and…”

God, isn’t it just so over now for everyone? Honestly. Bettman, my ultimate diagnosis of the man is: he’s fatally stubborn. He can’t seem to admit ever making a mistake, which will do everyone in eventually. Take his stewardship of the Phoenix Coyotes, for instance. Please.

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