Quote:
Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc
Who in their right mind thought that Bettman coming to Calgary and threatening the city would be an effective tactic? Bettman is not exactly a likable figure that can be rallied behind.
I was hoping that the reason for the constant delays in the announcement of the arena plans was because the Flames were busy getting their ducks in a row to ensure that the announcement had the backing of the city. I'm not sure if King and Co., thought that Calgarians would be so excited by their plans that they would lobby their Councillors/Mayor to get on board but that simply isn't the way things work.
|
Is anyone surprised by Bettman's tactics though? I guess a few people seem to be ripping him, including Nenshi, for doing exactly his job. We all know how this works. Why are we pretending like what he said is so insulting? Bettman's job is to support the team's vision and try and make the city pay for as much as possible. That's what is in the best interest of the owners. You know, the guys who selected him and keep him employed.
Of course Bettman is going to feed us a bunch of biased BS. I wouldn't expect any less. Could anyone actually imagine a scenario where he comes out and says "yeah it's unfair for taxpayers to pay for this, those rich owners of the Flames should pay for it themselves?". He went pretty far the other way but I'm certainly not insulted. I can read between the lines. He's saying what he's saying for maximum effect.
Nenshi really needed to take the high road here. Meeting with Bettman or not, who really cares? What he should have said was "I fundamentally disagree with Mr Bettman's statements on the future of the city of Calgary. Myself, council and many Calgarians value the Calgary Flames organization very much and appreciate their contributions to the city. That being said, at present we are not in a position to support, fund or approve the Calgary Next plans until we are able to evaluate the current proposal and negotiate further with the Calgary Flames, NHL, city and province etc. I recognize the importance of new facilities for both the Flames and Stampeders but my job is to do what is best for all Calgarians and as such I will push for a proposal that benefits the city as a whole."
No shots at the NHL, no pissing off NHL fans, no crapping on those pesky 1%ers and billionaires who are trying to freeload on our taxdollars. Just a professional statement (that I wrote in about 2 mins).