Gary Bettman

GARY BETTMAN IS IN THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE…
ON THE LINE IS NOT THE FUTURE OF THE PHOENIX COYOTES…
BUT ALSO “HIS” FUTURE AS THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NHL…
TODAY IN PHOENIX…BETTMAN AND JIM BALSILLIE WERE BACK IN COURT…
IT’S A 2 DAY PROCESS THAT WILL RESULT IN AN AUCTION TO DECIDE WHO OWNS THE TEAM…
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY…IT WILL DECIDE WHO RUNS THIS LEAGUE…
TODAY IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL STEPHEN BRUNT DESCRIBED IT THIS WAY…
“A CONTEST OF POWER AND MONEY AND SMARTS AND EGO”…
NO MATTER WHAT JUDGE REDFIELD T. BAUM DECIDES…
IT IS DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE HOW BETTMAN SURVIVES…
IF BALSILLIE WINS…THE TEAM WILL MOVE TO HAMILTON…
YES…THE LEAGUE CAN FIGHT THE MOVE…BUT WHY???
BALSILLIE HAS PROVEN HE HAS BOTH THE “MONEY” AND THE “WILL” TO KEEP GOING…AND GOING…AND GOING…
IF THE NHL WINS…THE OTHER 29 OWNERS WILL BE ON THE HOOK FOR WHATEVER THE COYOTES LOSE THIS SEASON…
LAST SEASON THEY LOST $67 MILLION…
THE NHL WILL THEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH BUSINESS OF RE-LOCATING THE COYOTES…
THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THEY WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THEIR MARKET…
WHICH MEANS…ANOTHER NASTY AND EXPENSIVE LEGAL FIGHT IS ALREADY ON THE HORIZON…
ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE…AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED…
IF ONLY BETTMAN HAD SIMPLY ALLOWED BALSILLIE TO BUY THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS…
INSTEAD HE CHOSE TO PICK…YET…ANOTHER FIGHT…
THIS TIME WITH A BILLIONAIRE WHO IS CLEARLY…OUT OF HIS WEIGHT CLASS…
TO KEEP BALSILLIE OUT OF THE NHL CLUBHOUSE…BETTMAN SUPPORTED THE SALE OF THE PREDATORS TO A CROOK BY THE NAME OF WILLIAM “BOOTS” DE BIAGGIO…
ON TUESDAY DE BIAGGIO WAS SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STEALING $110 MILLION DOLLARS…
THE TIMING OF THIS HAS NOT BEEN LOST…
THERE ARE NOW LESS THAN 2 YEARS LEFT ON BETTMANS CONTRACT…AND NO MATTER HOW THIS COURT CASE PLAYS OUT IN PHOENEX…
IT IS HIGHLY DOUBTFUL HE’LL BE ALLOWED TO SEE IT THROUGH…
THE SAD TRUTH IS…
GARY BETTMAN ONLY HAS HIMSELF TO BLAME…