Around The League 2018-19 Offseason edition

[Nubmer6]

In his 25 years as NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman has been the boss, the villain and many things in between | The Star

It's a long read, but worth it. I actually did a report on the league for my MBA and it's quite impressive what it's grown to since Bettman took over. This summary kind of says it all:

Not arguing against his induction and what he did, but to be honest, I think all sports has grown at least that much in his tenure, at least revenue-wise.

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

I don't think he is. He shakes all the time

I think he has always done that but I could be wrong

 

[mtnet]

I don't think he is. He shakes all the time

Wondered about this, seems more visibly more pronounced in recent years

 

[New Jersey Devils]

The only thing I'll boo Bettman for is the Kovy penalty. Other than that he's done a pretty decent job.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Not arguing against his induction and what he did, but to be honest, I think all sports has grown at least that much in his tenure, at least revenue-wise.

That's all well and good, but he's the commissioner of this sport. And this sport still remains a distant 4th behind the NBA, MLB and NFL respectively in terms of annual earnings.

Look, it makes me ill to defend Bettman, but you can't disregard what he's done positively for the game. He still is the poster boy for 3 lockouts, don't get me wrong. But they'll always point to how the league has grown under his tenure and those numbers aren't ever going to be denied.

 

[OmNomNom]

To the whole "league has grown" argument: you really believe that a sports league, in this day and age, would not grow, regardless of commissioner?

Frankly, hockey has so many advantages relative to other sports that it should have grown far more.

such as?

i'm actually surprised that (at least in my opinion) it's grown more than soccer has (MLS)

 

[Nubmer6]

That's all well and good, but he's the commissioner of this sport. And this sport still remains a distant 4th behind the NBA, MLB and NFL respectively in terms of annual earnings.

Look, it makes me ill to defend Bettman, but you can't disregard what he's done positively for the game. He still is the poster boy for 3 lockouts, don't get me wrong. But they'll always point to how the league has grown under his tenure and those numbers aren't ever going to be denied.

And again, he left a bad taste in my mouth after 94-95 when we were threatening to move to Nashville, and it seemed like he was pushing for it. Maybe I'm wrong, but it certainly seemed like he was.

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

Not arguing against his induction and what he did, but to be honest, I think all sports has grown at least that much in his tenure, at least revenue-wise.

I see what your'e saying. Its only natural growth for most leagues due to inflation and birth rate. so how can you tell what Bettman did to increase revenue as compared to the natural growth of the game? I suppose you could argue he put the right people in the right places to make everything happen - from owners (somewhat) to marketing, arena deals, etc etc.. if the rate of that growth has increased during his tenure moreso than last commissioners? Theres so many underlying numbers id have to see in order to make an informed decision - but from the way his peers and folks who have worked with him talk about him, he seems extremely nice, extremely smart, and has an uncanny ability to bother a ton of people doing it.

I like him I think hes fine

 

[Devils Dominion]

And again, he left a bad taste in my mouth after 94-95 when we were threatening to move to Nashville, and it seemed like he was pushing for it. Maybe I'm wrong, but it certainly seemed like he was.

Yes, Bettman was pleading with McMullen to go to Nash.

Over time though, aided by 3 Cups, he now is comfortable with a successful franchise in Jersey

He loves Josh Harris

 

[Better Call Sal]

And again, he left a bad taste in my mouth after 94-95 when we were threatening to move to Nashville, and it seemed like he was pushing for it. Maybe I'm wrong, but it certainly seemed like he was.

Trust me, I totally get it. I respect what he's done in a business sense, but yes from a personal standpoint, I will always boo him due to the uncertainty of '95 and the lockouts.

But we have a successful team that is set up to be here for quite some time, so we can at least let that somewhat slide by now. The league we love can do worse than Bettman for sure. I also kind of love that he's embraced the villain image.

 

[OmNomNom]

Yes, Bettman was pleading with McMullen to go to Nash.

Over time though, aided by 3 Cups, he now is comfortable with a successful franchise in Jersey

He loves Josh Harris

but does he love josh harris like harris loves his liquor at our games?

 

[Nubmer6]

but does he love josh harris like harris loves his liquor at our games?

NOONE loves ANYTHING like Harris loves his liquor at our games

 

[NJDevs26]

Yes but we cant take for granted the help we received - for all we know another Comiss would say 'well theres 6 teams over there already, lets just move them'

lol Bettman said exactly that during the '95 playoffs...that he didn't think three teams in the NY/NJ area could work longterm. Never forget...



The only reason he got off his fanny to do anything for us (and the only reason the NJSEA upped its deal) is because we won the Cup and it would have made the NHL and the state of New Jersey look bush league to have its champions move and raise the banner somewhere else. Winning the Cup saved us, not Bettman or anyone else.

Whatever he may or may not have done for the Devils in the latter VBK days was offset by his outrageous Kovalchuk contract punishment.

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

lol Bettman said exactly that during the '95 playoffs...that he didn't think three teams in the NY/NJ area could work longterm. The only reason he got off his fanny to do anything for us (and the only reason the NJSEA upped its deal) is because we won the Cup and it would have made the NHL and the state of New Jersey look bush league to have its champions move and raise the banner somewhere else. Winning the Cup saved us, not Bettman or anyone else.

Okay well sorry to say but was he necessarily wrong? We are continually bottom 7 in attendance, granted I think this will grow because of the next generations' kids being Devils fans more now in Jersey.

Either way he has supported us since so Im cool with it.

 

[OmNomNom]

i can't blame him, if we weren't projected to be profitable at the time, why should the league continue to support us and flush money down the drain?

do you think a business with 5 branches succeeding, and 1 doing really poorly, should funnel their money to the crappy one, or cut ties with it and help the other 5 flourish even more?

same situation with what happens to a dying team. relocation sucks from a fan perspective, but if there's a market that's gonna be profitable, i don't see why (from an objective standpoint) the decision should be villified.

 

[newjerseydamo]

i can't blame him, if we weren't projected to be profitable at the time, why should the league continue to support us and flush money down the drain?

Coyotes say hello.

 

[Devil X]

Coyotes say hello.

Totally different situation. They were/are trying to break into that market in the US, the southwest. The Devils were right in the middle of the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers.

You take the Coyotes away and they loose that footprint in that area of the county. Thats why they have been fighting hard for them.

 

[Nubmer6]

Totally different situation. They were/are trying to break into that market in the US, the southwest. The Devils were right in the middle of the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers.

You take the Coyotes away and they loose that footprint in that area of the county. Thats why they have been fighting hard for them.

I think it was more of Bettman's master plan to spread hockey to non-traditional markets. The Devs were low hanging fruit to be relocated to one (as was Hartford).

 

[njdevils1982]

Just curious how many of his predecessors were inducted while they were still active.

it was just mentioned on tv

campbell 46-77 inducted 66

and ziegler 77-92 inducted 87

 

[tailfins]

I think it was more of Bettman's master plan to spread hockey to non-traditional markets. The Devs were low hanging fruit to be relocated to one (as was Hartford).

And that plan has worked. Proof is the NHL's national TV deal. It may not be the deal everyone wanted, but there's no way that deal happens without successful franchises in Tampa, Nashville, Dallas, and Anaheim.

 

[NJDevs26]

Okay well sorry to say but was he necessarily wrong? We are continually bottom 7 in attendance, granted I think this will grow because of the next generations' kids being Devils fans more now in Jersey.

Either way he has supported us since so Im cool with it.

He was wrong to publicly say what he did. No commissioner should be lobbying for or hinting a team should move while it's still at its current location whether it makes sense or not, they should be publicly neutral on the matter.

That said he HAS grown the business by leaps and bounds with the new markets, the Winter Classic, etc and it pains me to say he deserves the HOF induction for that and the economic fixes they've forced on the game, I just wish he wasn't going in the same year as Marty and Willie O'Ree

 

[Nubmer6]

He was wrong to publicly say what he did. No commissioner should be lobbying for or hinting a team should move while it's still at its current location whether it makes sense or not, they should be publicly neutral on the matter.

That said he HAS grown the business by leaps and bounds with the new markets, the Winter Classic, etc and it pains me to say he deserves the HOF induction for that and the economic fixes they've forced on the game, I just wish he wasn't going in the same year as Marty and Willie O'Ree

I'm not so quick to forgive and forget. It was a deep wound.

Jesus forgives. I don't.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm not so quick to forgive and forget. It was a deep wound.

Jesus forgives. I don't.

Never said I forgave him lol...more seperating personal feelings from looking at his career. Although I do admit the 'I think you're gonna want to hear this' moment at the draft and the way he hams up his own lack of popularity does help thaw out a little of my deep freeze toward him. He handles the boos much better and more confidently than Roger at least

If anything I'm more annoyed at the constant labor stoppages these days but honestly hockey likely needed the first couple. The last one was like REALLY? AGAIN? Much like the last Cleveland-Golden State NBA Final

 

[Nubmer6]

Never said I forgave him lol...more seperating personal feelings from looking at his career. Although I do admit the 'I think you're gonna want to hear this' moment at the draft and the way he hams up his own lack of popularity does help thaw out a little of my deep freeze toward him. He handles the boos much better and more confidently than Roger at least

If anything I'm more annoyed at the constant labor stoppages these days but honestly hockey likely needed the first couple. The last one was like REALLY? AGAIN? Much like the last Cleveland-Golden State NBA Final

Strangely, the lockouts don't bother me that much. I guess I see it as a necessary evil that every league has gone through. I took the Nashville threat personally, especially after the season we had 93-94. I had already been a season ticket holder for 5 years at that time and was already emotionally attached. The whole incident is very hard to overlook.

 

[Goptor]

Derrick Pouliot just resigned with Vancouver. I remember when he was drafted I joked that I do not trust anyone named Pouliot.

3 Pouliots played in the NHL - all 3 were first round draft pick - all 3 were/are terrible.

Hopefully the Devils don't take #4