Ask Bettman

[Briggy 0]

I was browsing through me email and I came across an email saying this:

Do you have a question for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman?

Join NHL.com's exclusive Live Chat with NHL Commissioner

Gary Bettman on Wednesday, October 13 at 2:30 p.m. ET as he

answers fan questions.

Just a heads up to those who have some questions for Bettman.

[LkptTiger 1]

"How did you manage to run the "Coolest Game on Earth" into the ground the way you did? Just how hard did you have to try to get things to the point they are at today?" I doubt questions such as these would make their way into the conversation, but it would be interesting to see what he would have to say in response.

[Chadd 916]

His job is to do what the owners want him to do. It's not like all of the ideas are his alone.

[Crazy Otto 0]

Gary, is it hard to breathe with your head up your ass all the time?

[Chadd 916]

Both sides make me sick every time they speak publicly. They need to stop making public statements and work on finding a common ground.

[Jim Bob 0]

Both sides make me sick every time they speak publicly. They need to stop making public statements and work on finding a common ground.

Honestly, I don't think there is a common ground to find.

Both Bettman and Goodenow have staked out their line in the sand and I can't see either guy budging until things get so bad that the people they represent force them to make a deal happen.

This is going to be one long, drawn out, ugly battle.

It's almost like a fight between two kids: one that wants to get a burger and the other that wants pizza. There is no comprimise between those two positions and it's always ugly.

:P

[Chadd 916]

I couldn't agree more. The NHLPA has the better position having given concessions on a number of issues, however they pissed the moral high ground away with their last CBA proposal.

Both sides think the other side is going to give in due to pressure eventually. I don't see any way the season happens this year. I honestly think the league will try to impose their conditions and play with replacement players next year.

[Jim Bob 0]

Personally, I don't know how much the NHLPA has really offered given the financial state of the game.

And I'm sorry, but weakening the main component in your offer isn't bargaining in good faith, IMO.

The NHL isn't negotiating in good faith either for the most part, but I think the losses that they've incurred gives the owner a little more leeway when it comes to taking a hard line.

[Jim Bob 0]

Personally, I don't think the 6 different proposals that the NHL put on the table all said the same thing.

But I'm not of the belief that tying revenues to player payroll is a version of a salary cap, either.

[Chadd 916]

Many of the NHL owners are hiding money or can at least offset losses via related businesses. Many of the team owners are arena owners and media owners so that provides opportunities to hide money.

Look at it this way, Comcast Spectacor sould pay the Flyers a very low rate to broadcast their games. They could then charge the Flyers $500k to rent the ice for every game. That would greatly reduce the money the team makes and the team could show a loss. The overall business would still be very profitable but the hockey team would make very little.

Note: That was an example and I'm not saying that it happens.

[Jim Bob 0]

Arthur Levitt said that he reviewed any areas where he felt teams were underreporting and asked for supporting paperwork and that in some cases the UROs were amended upwards.

Who knows, the Levitt report could be pretty darn close to accurate.

If you believe Mark Cuban, the NHL is FUBAR financially. He's looked at becoming a minority owner in a few teams and the economics of the league scared him off.

[jay 1]

To be honest I don't think these owners are hiding too much money. They may have found way to hide a little but the huge amounts everyones talking about would be much more difficult to hide. The way I see it is that most of these owners were willing to operate at a loss in order to write off profits from other buisniess ventures. You can only do that for so long before Uncle Sam says no more. In the past the owners would just sell their stake but nobody in there right mind is going to buy now.

[Chadd 916]

I didn't mean to imply all of the losses were bunk, simply that it is possible to do so. Most of the owners break even and make their profit when they sell off and reap the rewards of the increased franchise values.