My Anti-NHL(Gary Bettman) Rant

[kaos]

You know, hockey just doesn't get any better than a Montreal/ Toronto matchup on the last day of the year to decide who's going to the playoffs....well sort of.... because Gary Bettman has ######ed with the game so much, the team that has the most victories isn't assured of a playoff spot. And if thats not absurb enough how about not even being assured of home ice advantage even though you might have more victories (and points) than another team in another divison.

No, you have more victories than all the teams below you and even some above you, but because they lost more games in OT or shootouts than regulation, they recieved a few extra points that have them above you in the standings. Yah...lets reward people for losing. Could you imagine classy leagues like the NFL and MLB rewarding losers? NO...thats reserved for second class leagues like the NHL. Even the NBA doesn't do it.

Oh, but now the worm has turned....sort of. The team you are competing with now has to defeat you in regular time to advance to the playoffs.....only maybe though...becuase another team with a game in hand could beat both of you out if you happen to defeat the team that has more wins than you. Sound convoluted? Sound stupid to me.

And can somebody please tell me why the shootout is good enough for regular season games but not the playoffs? Because of shootouts its potentially possible that the best team (Montreal with more wins) could miss the playoffs with inferior teams (Toronto, NY Isles) sneaking past. So if winning and losing shootouts is good enough for determining playoff seeding that why is it not good enough to determine the outcome of these games?

No I am not a fan of shootouts. I detest them. I can't wait for playoff hockey to start so I don't have to see them again for 6 months, and hope at the meetings in the summer they banish them...not a chance in hell because the leagues 26 American fans like them.

I just hope my team, The Montreal Canadiens, who do have the most wins of the 3 clubs vying for the 8th spot, makes the playoffs.

GO :hlogo: GO

[Dirty Harry]

I agree completely. Shutouts are european garbage and an embarassment to the sport. Screw Bettman.

[JMMR]

Great post.

Only thing that is not bettmans fault is the divison leaders getting a top three seed. It is like that in other sports.

I also hate the shootout and will be pissed if the Habs have more wins and do not make the playoffs.

[dark_faerie87]

Great post.

Only thing that is not bettmans fault is the divison leaders getting a top three seed. It is like that in other sports.

I also hate the shootout and will be pissed if the Habs have more wins and do not make the playoffs.

Maybe what they could do is still have division winners make the playoffs, but seed everyone according to total points.

[JMMR]

Maybe what they could do is still have division winners make the playoffs, but seed everyone according to total points.

I have thought about that as well. Could work but will never happen.

[Fanpuck33]

Not enough people hate giving a point to losers. I've been saying this for years, but very few people agee with me. I guess it takes a rant to get attention.

Seriously, though, I totally agree. I've never liked the OTL point or the shootout. I understand they wanted to encourage people to not play for the tie in overtime, but that's simply been replaced by playing the last 5 minutes of regulation like old OT: playing for the tie. They just should play 10 minutes of 4-on-4 overtime and if it's not decided by then, then good for two teams playing hard and earning a tie.

However, even in the old system a team with 40 wins, 40 losses, and 2 ties would make the playoffs over a team with 38 wins, 37 losses, and 7 ties.

[Pierre the Great]

Bettman is the nhl anti-christ. He's killing the sport and has turned the sport into a joke in america where none of the sports radio networks will talk about hockey, they'll just laugh. Or as one guy says on his radio program talking about hockey is an act of sabotage on his program.

Nascar gets more respect now then the NHL.

Bettman should be tried for war crimes against the sport of hockey.

[House11]

I don't know why you guys single out Bettman for everything ... it's the GM's and owners that vote for rule changes and things that change in the game ... the reason there are points for losing in OT and the shootout is because the OWNERS want it that way not Bettman. Basically all Bettman does is be the face of the collective owners and speak on they're behaf ... Bettman doesn't just say " you know I want to take fighting out and it happens ... the owners decide that. Bettman only makes sure that they vote fairly and keep owners from killing each other.

[jetsniper]

I think...

*goes to check*

Yeah, we'd be tied with Calgary for 8th if it weren't for OTL and SL.

Theres the basis for whatever feelings I have on it right now. It helped us win the division back in 02/03 though so eh. I can go either way on the subject depending on how it effects the Avs.

[Pierre the Great]

I don't know why you guys single out Bettman for everything ... it's the GM's and owners that vote for rule changes and things that change in the game ... the reason there are points for losing in OT and the shootout is because the OWNERS want it that way not Bettman. Basically all Bettman does is be the face of the collective owners and speak on they're behaf ... Bettman doesn't just say " you know I want to take fighting out and it happens ... the owners decide that. Bettman only makes sure that they vote fairly and keep owners from killing each other.

Because

A: Bettman doesn't know anything about hockey, he's a basketball guy

B: He hates Canada

C: He doesn't care about the history of the sport and its origins

D: He has killed any interest that there was in US

E: The NHL was a major sport when he took controls, it is now below MLS in terms of significance

F: He is killing the NHL to beyond MLS territory to Arena Football and Major League Lacrosse in America

G: He killed hockey

American Sports culture

1. NFL

2. MLB

3. NCAA Football

4. Nascar

5. NCAA Basketball

6. Golf

7. NBA

8. Horse Racing

9.MLS- now with Beckham

10. Poker

11. Indy 500

12. Spelling Bee

NHL will go the way of professional boxing unless Bettman is removed.

[Fanpuck33]

I don't care for him myself, but you're going a bit far.

[JoeLassister]

i like shootouts, let's just screw the point to the losers.

[House11]

Because

A: Bettman doesn't know anything about hockey, he's a basketball guy Doesn't know anything ? well i'm sure the owners would notice that if it were true and remove him

B: He hates Canada : How do you know ? has he said that ? and don't give me that won't give canada a franchise bull ... the owners decide that.

C: He doesn't care about the history of the sport and its origins : again owners voted for all the rule changes. Bettman did not put all these changes in all by himself.

D: He has killed any interest that there was in US : how did "HE" kill interest .. maybe it's because there are so many other things for people to watch ( and cheaper )

E: The NHL was a major sport when he took controls, it is now below MLS in terms of significance : the NHL was never a major sport. and it probably won't... reason I believe it won't is because it's too expensive to play for kids and for parents to get there kids involved in especially in non-winter areas like the South and West of the U.S. when I was a kid in Cali it was either A) baseball which I played B) football or basketball ... that's it. If i could have played hockey I would have. so kids grow up playing those sports and don't appricate what hockey is cause they've never played it. it's not like kids in the south and west could just go outside with ice skates and play in the streets or on a pond. But now kids here play hockey even at a young age so the NHL has grown alot here since I was a kid.

F: He is killing the NHL to beyond MLS territory to Arena Football and Major League Lacrosse in America : maybe it's because MLS and the AFL are growing ? not the NHL going down ?

G: He killed hockey : how ? did he hang it ? shoot it ? stab it ? and if he killed it way is it still NBC today ?

I believe the NHL will grow alot in the next couple of decades ... you have to remember that things don't change over night ... look at the NHL now .. there are more players that were trained and raised in California that play professional hockey. the habs have one . Cameron Cepek. normally those kids play Baseball or Football. USC and UCLA have club hockey teams and play in the PAC8. Although it's only club teams how long before it becomes official and they start to play teams like BC and BU etc ... USC plays at the rink I play at ... that didn't exsist 10 years ago. It's going to take time but I believe it's going to get better. Oh and I noticed at my last game that the traveling Bantam " jr ducks" team that plays at my rink won there division at tournament in Quebec ! yes canada !

PTG i don't have a problem with you bro .. but your attacking someone that has no "direct" effect on how the NHL game is changed ... the owners do. So if your looking for someone to hate, hate the owners for wanting to make money. cause they make these changes to sell the sport so they can make more money.

[Pierre the Great]

I believe the NHL will grow alot in the next couple of decades ... you have to remember that things don't change over night ... look at the NHL now .. there are more players that were trained and raised in California that play professional hockey. the habs have one . Cameron Cepek. normally those kids play Baseball or Football. USC and UCLA have club hockey teams and play in the PAC8. Although it's only club teams how long before it becomes official and they start to play teams like BC and BU etc ... USC plays at the rink I play at ... that didn't exsist 10 years ago. It's going to take time but I believe it's going to get better. Oh and I noticed at my last game that the traveling Bantam " jr ducks" team that plays at my rink won there division at tournament in Quebec ! yes canada !

PTG i don't have a problem with you bro .. but your attacking someone that has no "direct" effect on how the NHL game is changed ... the owners do. So if your looking for someone to hate, hate the owners for wanting to make money. cause they make these changes to sell the sport so they can make more money.

I don't see how the 'owners' could have decided to move networks to a station nobody has right when the 'future' starts to play (Crosby and Ovelchekin). Talk about making the sport a laughing stock. That's exactly what Bettman did by moving to league to a station nobody has.

Exactly, why did he move teams to the desert? Seriously.

Its exactly like Brian France and Nascar trying to be 'urban' and moving to big markets, when nobody cares in those markets, yet he does it anyway.

I would have been in hockey as well. Yes its expensive but that's not Bettman's fault.

The NHL is located in Toronto. Yet he lives in NJ.

I don't need anymore info on him being anti-canadian then that.

Its like the governor of Illinois. The Capital of the state is Springfield yet you go by the governors mansion and he's not there, he lives in Chicago, there by alienating everybody south of Chicago in the state.

By Bettman refusing to live and work in the NHL Headquarters in Toronto he's basically giving a giant flip of the bird to the nation of Hockey, Canada.

Imperialism doesn't work, and Bettman's colonization of the south isn't working.

He must be accountable for his actions.

[Fanpuck33]

One wonders if you would feel the same way about him if he were Canadian and lived in the US.

[House11]

I don't see how the 'owners' could have decided to move networks to a station nobody has right when the 'future' starts to play (Crosby and Ovelchekin). Talk about making the sport a laughing stock. That's exactly what Bettman did by moving to league to a station nobody has. You don't think the owners had any say in how they would make money ? Bettman is appointed by the owners ... don't you think they'd be pissed if he did something they didn't want ?

Exactly, why did he move teams to the desert? Seriously.

Its exactly like Brian France and Nascar trying to be 'urban' and moving to big markets, when nobody cares in those markets, yet he does it anyway. Again the owners must approve a moving of a franchise by two thirds vote I believe. The owners approved it because they feel they will make more money.

I would have been in hockey as well. Yes its expensive but that's not Bettman's fault. Your right it's not his fault

The NHL is located in Toronto. Yet he lives in NJ.

I don't need anymore info on him being anti-canadian then that.

Its like the governor of Illinois. The Capital of the state is Springfield yet you go by the governors mansion and he's not there, he lives in Chicago, there by alienating everybody south of Chicago in the state.

By Bettman refusing to live and work in the NHL Headquarters in Toronto he's basically giving a giant flip of the bird to the nation of Hockey, Canada. Last time I check NHL headquartes is in NY, NY and NJ is just a drive away from NY. He's not giving the bird to canada. why would living in NJ have anything to do with anything as long as he does his work who cares where he lives .. even if NHL headquarters was in Toronto.

Imperialism doesn't work, and Bettman's colonization of the south isn't working.

He must be accountable for his actions. I guess the owners of Winnipeg and Quebec had nothing to do with evil bettman and his forcing of those franchises to move to the US.

I don't understand why your so hateful and negative towards Bettman ... I to don't like some of the things that have changed in recent years .. but they're not all Bettman's fault ... the owners make changes to the game .. Bettman just relays that to the public. I'm sure there are some things he thinks of but the owners have the last say in weather or not it goes though. Just like i'm sure the stock holders of a large company would be all over the CEO if he did something that would cause them to lose money.

[Mils]

ESPN Sportscasters (save maybe John Buccigross and Steve Levy) are know-nothing idiots. Disregard ESPN. They're east coast homers and don't know a thing about hockey, so they don't respect it. Mike Wilbon, JA Adande, Jay Mariotti, and the rest of those talking heads can ... well, you can fill in the blank.

PTG: Take note, I did not go 100% American on this one!!

[Shu]

I agree completely. Shutouts are european garbage and an embarassment to the sport. Screw Bettman.

Ummmmmm, yeah. He was saying shootout, not shutout.

My opinion on the matter is to have a shootout but not reward the losing team in the shootout with any points. I dont know, i just love the shootout, It brings so much intensity to the game just 1 v 1.

At my house we have about 4 tvs with different stuff running on each one of them but as soon as someone yells "Shootout!" everyone comes together and its fun to watch.

I think thw shootout also has showed us some real sick goals in the past two seasons.

[Pierre the Great]

I don't understand why your so hateful and negative towards Bettman ... I to don't like some of the things that have changed in recent years .. but they're not all Bettman's fault ... the owners make changes to the game .. Bettman just relays that to the public. I'm sure there are some things he thinks of but the owners have the last say in weather or not it goes though. Just like i'm sure the stock holders of a large company would be all over the CEO if he did something that would cause them to lose money.

All his other faults could have been ignored if it wasn't for his marketing skills or lack there of. I swear him and Bud Selig are the worst commissoners in sports right now.

I don't care if ESPN knows nothing. Which is true. But they are a giant vehicle and people watch ESPN. Best not to piss them off even if they absolutely know nothing about hockey.

ESPN is a vehicle that gave the NHL exposure. Even if they really didn't care about the product. At least you knew a game was on.

Bettman to jump the ship right when the NHL was about to get its future stars is embarrassing to the league and the sport. ESPN loves to hype things. Look at their NBA coverage. Nobody watches the NBA but the NBA is promoted relentlessly on the network.

Same goes for Nascar. Nascar was ridiculed on shows like Jim Rome, ATH, PTI. Now look at it. Yes its because Nascar is back on Espn but it shows that they promote the crap out of a product.

Worst thing Bettman did, was move hockey to a station nobody has. It was like giving a suicidal depressed person a loaded gun. Result: NHL isn't even a blip on the radar anymore, its in stealth mode. He vanished the sport.

[Fanpuck33]

Worst thing Bettman did, was move hockey to a station nobody has. It was like giving a suicidal depressed person a loaded gun. Result: NHL isn't even a blip on the radar anymore, its in stealth mode. He vanished the sport.

The goal was that Comcast and the NHL would help each other. Comcast gave the NHL more money than ESPN and showed more dedication to the sport. Comcast was already the leading cable company in the US, so they knew a lot of people were going to able to see the games. In turn, Comcast hoped that getting the NHL would help them spread their cable channel to more cable providers. I know my cable company probably wouldn't still have Versus if not for the NHL. They hoped that a revived NHL would help their network, and it has. Since getting the NHL, Versus has also gained cnotracts to show college football and basketball. The channel is growing, as they hoped. Some cable providers continue to shun them, but if they continue to improve, then they will get to the same level as FSN and make it so nobody will be able to say no to them.

[House11]

All his other faults could have been ignored if it wasn't for his marketing skills or lack there of. I swear him and Bud Selig are the worst commissoners in sports right now.

Worst thing Bettman did, was move hockey to a station nobody has. It was like giving a suicidal depressed person a loaded gun. Result: NHL isn't even a blip on the radar anymore, its in stealth mode. He vanished the sport.

Again Bettman did not move the NHL to another station ... the OWNERS did ... so stop blaming Bettman for everything. he's not the NHL's dictator. The 30 owners were given a proposal from both ESPN and COMCAST and they voted and decided on which to go with ... they chose COMCAST i'm assuming because comcast would make the NHL it's top priority and not it's 5 or 6th like it would be on ESPN.