Behind the scenes with Gary Bettman at Game 1

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

That was fun and it shows Gary as a human (kind of).


I still think he's an oily, greasy lawyer who does only what's best for the 32 people who employ him.

Yup, but at least he shows some long term thinking unlike most execs and politicians. The Flames don't exist without him, so I'll be forever thankful about that.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah and I agree, but sometimes people have the tendency to think, much like your conspiracy theories, that Bettman is some all-powerful Hockey God who snaps his fingers and changes penalties and policies all by his lonesome.

The NHL is a HEAVY bureaucracy and that generally means things are slow to happen. It took a while to change icing rules, hitting rules...but they change. It just takes time.

Also, being a heavy bureaucracy is also saddled with a lot of 'Old Boys Club' guys that dont necessarily want to see that change. Wrangling the Board of Governors must be like herding cats.

Lastly, regarding the whole prolonged CTE issue is where being a scummy lawyer might come into play. Your moves have to be calculated to mitigate as much risk or potential image of guilt as possible...

Anyways, I'm a fan of Bettman, I think he's done a good job overall, but I also will admit to not being 'in-the-know' about all of his decisions. Obviously.

The reasoning behind the whole 'Phoenix Debacle' still eludes me for instance.

Also the fact that he is exactly what The Count from Sesame Street would look like if he were a real person. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.

The thing about the CTE was (IIRC) there were texts or emails in the lawsuit which definitely showed Bettman involved in coverup type of activity.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The thing about the CTE was (IIRC) there were texts or emails in the lawsuit which definitely showed Bettman involved in coverup type of activity.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least.