Stich said:
Let's assume for a second that anything that Bettman has ever done has been bad for the NHL... do you realize how ridiculous your logic is?
If we assume that everything Bettman has done has been bad, then it is logical his proposal now is also bad. Are you a big Gary Bettman fan or something? You think he has done good things?
1. National TV deal increased from $17M per year to the $60M per year the league would have gotten this upcoming season.
A little over $1 million per team to $2 million per team in ten years. Wow.
2. Average attendance increased from around 14,000 per game to 16,500 per game despite the fact that many of the teams that have been added since then are below average.
Yes, Bettman has added many teams that has dragged down average attendance. You must be getting desperate if you are claiming this is good. Average attendance is up because the fans paid for new rinks. Is it up as a percentage of capacity?
3. Total revenue the league generates has increased from $500M to $2 Billion and even more if you trust the players, as you clearly do.
Which owner was the latest to be charged with fraud? Islanders, wasn't it? That one folowed hot on the heels of the Qwest fine. Add a lockout and we'll call it a trifecta week for the NHL. You trust the owners?
I will concede that Bettman has done an excellent job encouraging teams to charge higher prices and plaster more commercials in rinks and on TV. Prices for merchandising is way up too. The little guy has been priced out of the rink. I had to spend about $200 to watch my team on TV last year! Thanks, Gary!
These are the good things Bettman has done. And coming next? He's going to turn a great league into a version of the National Football Lottery. And you think it would be great! You and Bettman!
There is absolutely no denying that under Bettman the sport has grown considerably in terms of revenue production.
Hurrah! We're paying way more to watch a less entertaining game! On the one hand, Bettman has done a great job skinning the fan, and on the other, the game is doomed without a salary cap.
If everything Bettman had done for the NHL had been bad, the owners would have fired him a long time ago. There's a reason why he not only still has a job but has the backing of the owners during these labor negotations... because he has performed his job very well.
The owners? Like they make decisions that are good for hockey. Want to try to defend your buddy William Wirtz next? They can do no wrong I guess, boy scouts, every one of them. What do any of them know about hockey?
I think you forgot to explain why fans in the good markets should pay the freight for fans in the poor ones.
Tom