Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Boots puts Bettman in awkward position

STEPHEN BRUNT

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 8:09 AM EST 16/07/08

Del Biaggio treated with 'distrust,' says the head of the Nashville investors group ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. P C from Toronto, Canada writes: It's all so obvious. The little man's gotta go.
  2. Rob C from Canada writes: Yet another embarrassment - The NHL could have had Jim Ballsillie, yet somehow Boots is preferable? How fast would I fire Gary Bettman? It might have given him whiplash. How inept an a guy be and still keep his job?
  3. Jeff Walker from Ottawa, Canada writes: Something just doesnt add up about Bettman's motivations. He is not a stupid person, yet he has this obsession with maintaining hockey in some of these markets that are obviously not capable of supporting a team, and backing owners with dodgy backgrounds to the ends of the earth.

    Maybe is it just ego that keeps him from recognizing that he overreached with the last wave of US expansion and needs to retrench.

    Its bizarre, though, because he is doing far more damage to his legacy by supporting this handful of marginal franhises and owners than he might have gained by spearheading the original expansion effort and growth of league revenues.

    Good leaders know when the battles' over and its time to change the strategy. All this makes it clear that he isnt a good leader.

  4. Greg Naydiuk from United States writes: In response to Jeff Walker's question about Bettman's motivations - could it be that he perhaps is still getting some remuneration from the one and only David Stern. I mean it sure seems to me like he takes basketballs best interest when making hockey decisions :)

    On the Nashville situation, I don't know how I could have been so wrong about this ownership change and the infusion of cash from the cobbled together local (plus Boots) ownership group. I gave it three years but I guess its imploding closer to three months.

    Again, the guy who comes out of this smelling like a rose is the proud new owner of the Minnesota Wild, no other that Craig Leopold. I guess he has no problems!
  5. Deke Tretiak from Guelph, Canada writes: Although I am not a fan of Bettman, he has to be admired for the way he fights to keep a franchise in place until every avenue is exhausted. Without his tenacity, Ottawa and Buffalo would be distant memories. He is fighting to keep the NHL from becoming the WHA with its ever changing number and location of teams. For that much we should be thankful.

    In Nashville, the fans fervently believe that the local ownership group, led by David Freeman, will save the team. I'm less confident as Freeman has stated publicly that his group was placing a cap on their losses at a cumulative $20,000,000. He also said the group would plow any profits back into the team's operations.

    In addition, the sale agreement allows Freeman's group to break the lease and move the team before July 1, 2012 if the team has a cumulative cash operating loss exceeding $20,000,000 and the average paid attendance for the regular season is less than 14,000 per game.

    This past regular season the Predators averaged 13,429 paid attendance, 81 per game lower than last regular season. The team gave away 1481 free tickets (comps) per game, over 250 per game less than last year. Average total attendance was down approximately 300 per game.

    Hmmm, doesn't exactly sound like committed ownership does it?
  6. Carl Hansen from Canada writes: Bettman would rather almost die than see a team relocate to Canada. He hates Canada. The only thing keeping him from a complete meltdown is Toronto hasn't won the Cup while he's in charge.
  7. R. Carriere from Maritimes, Canada writes:

    With monster economic problems in the US, watch for early attendance to be down big time-especially in places where the water doesn't freeze in the winter. Next, with all those huge contracts, there will be a gang of US owners trying to bail out.

    Ballsilie will get his franchise for a song and dance......unless MLSE puts pressure. Imagine if they would have to deal with some competition in Southern Ontario?
    .
  8. Phoenix Thorpe from Canada writes: This story makes Bettman look like he's either incompetent or lying to protect some vested interests like AEG.
    Nice league, a bunch of flashy under-financed loud mouths in Tampa, struggling community owners in Nashville being lied to and no team for Balsillie.
  9. slapdash dapoint from trawna, Canada writes: i feel for the fans in nashville... this is like one of those bad, drawn out break ups that neither wants to fully take the blame for... so the break up just sorta happens, and happens, and happens...

    either the fans or the team, one of them has to get drunk and sleep with someone else
  10. Dave Miller from Canada writes: Does Gary Bettmen even like hockey???
  11. Henry Allen from East Bank, Don River, Canada writes:
    NHL Commish Butthead's expansion strategy is that he wants to introduce hockey in every American market that loves basketball. This makes perfect sense to him. Butthead's problem is that he can't find more US investors. That's because, except for dumb Boots, smart fraud artists can find better ways to make money than invest in a southern-based NHL team.
  12. Fred Draper from Kingston, Canada writes: Henry Allen from East Bank, Don River, Canada writes:smart fraud artists can find better ways to make money than invest in a southern-based NHL team.
    ____________________________________________________

    True enough, Henry. Talk's cheap, but it takes money to buy whiskey. And it takes money to cover real operating losses. You just can't photocopy rich guys' bank statements, white out their names, insert your name, and re-photocopy. In colour. That's apparently Boots' modus operandi.

    ps. what happened to the deposit monies in Hamilton? Did Ballsillie return it or is it still sitting in trust somewhere? Does anyone know?
  13. Eric Zubert from Sudbury, Canada writes: Didn't lil' GB get the memo that a high powered hollywood producer named Jerry Bruckheimer likes hockey to the point he may be interested in either buying/moving a team or getting an expansion franchise?Or that Balsille wants to over pay for brutal NHL franchises and therefore increase the value of the remaining franchises?

    Nope...guess not. Another swing and a miss by 'the Little GB that couldn't'

    It's kind of sad, I love playing/watching hockey but I'm really starting to hate the NHL! Thanks for nothing Bettman!
  14. Allan Hewitson from Kitimat, B.C., Canada writes: Much as I enjoy the vituperation raining on the slicked-back head of that scheming little gnome, this is the wrong time to bring in the Toronto Stanley Cup red herring. Toronto has started out each season with as much chance as anyone to win the Cup on an annual basis since 1967 -- in the past several years I'd have bet on Nashville winning it before the Leafs. But Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver and Bffalo have equally fruitless pasts since the start of the 21st Century. Hardly Bettman's fault and some of these teams have come close -- meanwhile, two f Bettman's southern based clubs, Tampa and the Hurricanes have had their Stanley Cup parades while the Canadians wait for the snow to melt off the golf course. Until Canadian clubs compromise, organize and bloc-vote withe some level of unanimity, pushing their advantage as league leaders, Bettman and his ilk will continue subvert Balsillie or any Canadian plans -- and will plot the growth of the NHL in Boca Raton, Yuma, Intercourse, Pennsylvania, Dodge City, Las Vegas or Kansas City -- anywhere but southern Ontario or Manitoba. Instead they back-stab one another, actlike jealous siblings and continue to tinkle on the extremities of their 'territories' while the US Governors and the gnome get to plan Canada's future in hockey. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
  15. Billy Talon from Toronto, Canada writes: Allan Hewitson from Kitimat, B.C., Canada writes: Much as I enjoy the vituperation raining on the slicked-back head of that scheming little gnome, this is the wrong time to bring in the Toronto Stanley Cup red herring.

    ***

    Agree, Allan.

    I think the problem obviously stems from having a commishioner who knew next to nothing about hockey or the NHL before taking the job.

    You could argue that he still knows nothing of the game.

    The next commish needs to have a solid hockey background...
  16. Richard Keho from Canada writes: If the Buttman lets Nashville go, he's gone too. That's why I think he's trying to cover his tracks now. It's obvious to us up here what has to be done but down there it's also obvious that the right hand don't know what da left hands doin. He was probably secretly hoping the scandle in the NBA(bad refs) would have allowed him to take over Sterns job. Afterall that's where the runt came from. Why is it all these little runts that couldn't play a lick end up running pro sports?
  17. j wilson from vancouver, Canada writes:
    Move the Sabres to Hamilton. Problem solved there.

    Wait for th US economy to finish tumbling before moving anything else. Nothing will ever bring Buffalo back to it's glory days of the late 1800s, but Phoenix might rebound once the forclosurers abate.

    Get rid of Bettman (too many mistakes in the last ten years, including the lockout that meant nothing and the Boots debacle). Install a hockey guy. Hell, install a Nascar guy, once who understands that a regional sport can have a strong, lucrative base and that it still doesnt mean that it's shut out nationally.

    A hockey team in Tennessee would be like a baseball team in Montreal. Doomed to Potter's Field.
  18. Nancy Botwin from hamilton, Canada writes: What business anywhere can operate in this manner? The NHL is under-serving it's best market. There is ample interest in the product in certain geographic areas, but oh no, can't do that. That's the NHL's problem if they choose not to exploit what is there for the taking (even if they have to persuade MLSE to give up a small fraction of the golden empire). What's worse yet though is the fact that the NHL (or at least the little emperor) is so unbelievably comfortable insulting it's best customers, as if it would be an embarrassment that they be better represented ..... how is Kansas City or Nashville more sexy than Hamilton or Winnipeg? ...... but we keep taking it.
  19. jethro bear from Canada writes: Bettman should try like heck to keep existing teams where they are. I remember not so long ago when "small market" Canadian teams were struggling (70 cent dollar, no salary cap) and the NHL made strong efforts to keep them alive, with the result that these teams are now the revenue engine of the NHL. Of course, I also remember further back when some small market teams couldn't remain viable and were allowed to move (some would say the Phoenix Coyotes still aren't viable but I digress).

    Who I feel for are the fans in Nashville. You guys have been consistently strong supporters of your team through thick (a very good team 2 years ago) and thin (currently) and you deserve better than to be at the mercy of rich men's egos.
  20. Joe Puckster from United States writes: duh!!! The guys over at Fire Bettman (http://www.FireBettman.com) told us this whole deal was a scam and would fail, right when it happened... just another example of how the mainstream media buys into everything the 'big guys' tell them. Bettman is a crook and he should be in jail.
  21. Brandan Matchett from halifax, Canada writes: Bettman just does what he is told to do by the owners.

    He will not lose his job because his job is licking the owners boots.

    They don't care what nashville thinks. Long as the money keeps rolling in everything is roses.

    Revenue was up last year. Gary is bulletproof.

    Simple economics.
  22. Jeremy K from Canada writes: hrmm this looks familiar
    lets see what we got
    -a buyer who is lying through his teeth about his intentions for the team
    -a sports commisioner who is willing to buy into the lie and provide cover for it
    -fans in a city which is about to be screwed over by the mendacity of the new owner and the sports head

    remind you of the Vancouver Grizzlies anyone?
  23. Gary Dare from Portland, Oregon, Canada, writes: Jeremy K ... add the Seattle Supersonics to that list. Gee, what a shock that after selling to a consortium from OKC chartered to look for a team to relocate ... they actually did it! (As for the Grizzlies, I have them tabbed as the replacement Sonics in a few years, if a new arena is built in Bellevue, WA and after the Memphis lease expires.)

    j wilson writes, "Move the Sabres to Hamilton. Problem solved there." Yep, agreed. Tom Golisano is grumbling but the economic slowdown may tip him over the edge to sell to a relocator. The Sabres' lease runs to 2011, which is the time needed to refurbish Copps.

    Jeff Walker writes, "Something just doesnt add up about Bettman's motivations." I do believe that he is sincerely adamant on no relocations as an indicator of franchise stability. However, his mentor Dave Stern has been open about relocating the Sonics to OKC and even avoided affirming that the Trailblazers stay in Portland and not move to replace the Sonics (eventually, a personal agreement upon Paul Allen was found that binds the Blazers to Portland until 2025).

    As for Boots, Bettman seemed to want him in the circle and as a majority owner in waiting. Kansas City was his internship to prove himself. Maybe a future Seattle franchise in Bellevue, WA or back to the Sharks, someday, closer to home in San Jose. Looks like that won't happen.
  24. Rob C from Canada writes: Bettman, don't forget was thr guy who put Bruce McNall in charge of expansion---Bruce McNall - he went to jail for being a crook, we remember him right? He wanted expansion because he needed cash to prop up his financial house of cards. Thats why we have teams in non hockey markets like Nashville and Florida...and non sustainable franchises like ottawa
  25. melissa wiebe from writes: Don't forget that the owner of the Anaheim franchise has just pleaded guilty for lying to feds.
  26. Gary Dare from Portland, Oregon, Canada, writes: Melissa, also note that Greg Reyes, ex-CEO of Brocade Communications, was found civilly liable for stock options timing (the company settled with the SEC) and resigned as a minority owner of the San Jose Sharks.
  27. D W from Switzerland writes: Jeremy K from Canada writes: hrmm this looks familiar
    lets see what we got
    -a buyer who is lying through his teeth about his intentions for the team
    -a sports commisioner who is willing to buy into the lie and provide cover for it
    -fans in a city which is about to be screwed over by the mendacity of the new owner and the sports head

    remind you of the Vancouver Grizzlies anyone?

    ...........................

    or better, the Loria-era (1999-2001) Montreal Expos: lie upon lie upon lie

    I know: I was apparently the last to see it all
  28. Proud Canadian from Canada, Canada writes: Rob C from Canada writes: ... """"and non sustainable franchises like ottawa""""" And non functional franchises like Toronto.

Comments are closed

Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.

Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top