Evaluating Bettman's tenure as commissioner

Gusinabox — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:29:43 -0000

With all the talk of the situation in Phoenix, the manner in which Governors will vote with regards to Ballsillie vs Bettman, it seems the best time to evaluate Bettman's tenure as a commissioner.

I think to evaluate a person's work, we must determine his madates. Red Wings senior VP Jim Develanno was recently quoted as saying:

Gary Bettman was hired to do two things: one, to grow the game in the U.S. Two, to get a hard (players') salary cap. Nothing more. Nothing less. He's delivered on both counts.

Actually Jim, that's not quite right. According to this NY Times article from back in 1993:

Bettman's mission is simple: Put a stop to labor unrest; sell the product in television's mainstream marketplace; change the violent image of the game; curb salary inflation; force enlightened self-interest on reluctant, old-fashioned owners; expand contacts with European developmental leagues and markets; settle the divisive issue of possible Olympic involvement, and help launch several new expansion teams.

All that can, I believe, be resumed in three mandates:

1. End labor unrest

2. Make the owners money

3. Make the game more appealing

The tricky aspect is that, at first glance, it seems as though it's pretty much mission accomplished for Bettman, but that's incorrect. Let's evaluate all three aspects.

End labour unrest

In the 16 years since he's been in position, there have been two lockouts - more work stoppages than in an of the major pro sports.

Beyond that, the NHLPA and the NHL have not worked cooperatively at any point in his tenure. It has been a relationship marked by confrontation.

Make the owners money

With the addition 6 teams in his first seven years at the helm of the NHL, there is no doubt that he lined owners' pockets with expansion fees. But it was short term profit at a long term cost.

Indeed, 180 extra players needed to be added, and the "player supply chain" was in no way ready for such a requirement. And so, fringe players got more important roles, and players who should never have been in the NHL obtained spots on NHL rosters. The result: a diluted, unimpressive product. The trap was given a more important role, and clutching and grabbing became accepted practices. All to allow players with less talent to compete with the stars.

The offshoot of this was:

a) An unattractive product that mainstream television had no interest in carrying.

b) The creation of franchise that needed extra financial, support and thereby proved a drain on owners.

Make the game more appealing

As mentioned earlier, Bettman's "accelerated expansion" strategy actually made the game less appealing. Time allowed the player "supply line" to catch up with the demand and thereby partially fix Bettman's mistake. The competition committe got together to eliminate clutching and grabbing, to review the rules (and their application) and thereby partially fix Bettman's mistake.

In my mind, it seems obvious that in all cases, Bettman's tenure has been a failure. Add to this the strenuous relationships with European and Russian hockey federations, the NHL's inabilty to police its players' on-ice behavior and the problem seems obvious.

I know that some will say that Bettman is only an employee of the owners, and that "his" strategies, were really not of his doing. To that, I say "baloney". His mandate,. first and foremost is to be custodian of the NHL. To ensure actions of its members are in the league's best interest. It is his responsibility to ensure that Should the governors, owners or GM act together for the betterment of the NHL.

Some will say that his strategy of "accelerated expansion" was the right one and could work, given time. But the fact is that a structured, longer term expansion would have worked out much better. The product would have been of higher quality, increasing product appeal and thereby, if not securing a mainstream television deal, then at least increasing the number of hockey fans. This would have given expansion team in non-traditional markets more support, more quickly, and reduced the drain on established teams. It would also have increased the value of teams, and thereby increased the money that came in from expansion fees.

The issue with Ballsillie and the Coyotes is really just another issue, a symptom if you will of Bettman's tenure, and while I can't pretend to know how the governors will vote with regards to that issue, it would be nice to have them at least recognize that in his 16 years at the helm of the NHL, Gary Bettman has not done what he was hired to do.

SB Nation User Blog: Gusinabox

Evaluating Bettman's tenure as commissioner