Gary Bettman's NHL Debut - 92-93 All-Star Game

[rrrjjjmmm100]

he's done alright

[wontonnoodle23]

Marv Levy ain't exactly Manute Bol but he towers over little Gary Bettman.

[Terminus92]

Gary Fagman.

[bloodfurypk666]

the man who kill the real hockey

[KrisMTL]

This guy is useless.

[FischerFan]

The beginning of hockey's dark ages.

[4lifeReagan]

Bettman has been great for hockey. If Gill had been kept on as Commish the league would still be a regional league continueing to lose money every year.

[knightschwartz]

they should make Don Cherry comissioner.

[knightschwartz]

why did they bring in a NBA guy?

[Sithlord703]

He sounds like the Steriotypical New Yorker.

[zoomorphicrap]

the exACT moment hockey went wrong, you evil son of a bitch....

[ltkrieger]

Gary Bettman is a dirty Fucknuckle.

[tricesimo]

...and the league has been shit ever since.

[jasonscfr]

Less confusing so that Americans can grasp the game

[FAITHandLOGIC]

@jasonscfr They weren't confusing to me and I was 10.

[jasonscfr]

@FAITHandLOGIC Why did Gary Bettman want to make things more simpler. As a Canadian things in the NHL were just fine

[FAITHandLOGIC]

@jasonscfr Because he's an ego maniac and was trying to make the NHL into the NBA.

[PeteMAnderson]

When he was hired, Bettman was tasked with overhauling the league's economics (in favor of the owners) and expanding the league beyond a niche northern sport to a major one on par with the NBA/MLB/NFL. If he had done nothing and kept things as they were in 92, he would have been fired and the owners would find someone who would execute those goals. IMO he over-expanded, and the 05 lockout was a PR disaster, but he did what you must to reach mass audiences - dumb down, and copy others' successes.

[Engnone]

this is the day that hockey took a turn for the worst, Bettman you suck!

[bubukaka5]

FUCK YOU BETTMAN YOU AND YOUR 8 MILLION DOLLAR SALARY ! SHYSTER

[uniontory]

@bubukaka5 And he had the cheek to push a salary cap because $8 million was too much for a player to earn!

[thecuptomontreal]

THIS ASSHOLE NEED TO GO!!!!

[mcmikex]

Fucking swine. 

[thedude19766]

worst commish ever in sports history

[LoserMcGee99]

KILL BETTMAN!

[northey2008]

@schnids1605 You better rethink what you typed when you said that the best move was from minnesota to dallas. Last time I checked, Dallas is struggling to get fans and Calgary is thriving with their fan base

[dross82]

I hate him too, but he has been a very effective attack dog for the NHL owners - which is the reason his job exists. He has increased the worth of every franchise, he's increased overall revenue, and he's pushed franchises into major US markets ... which again increases the overall worth of each NHL franchise. If you want to have a high value sports league, you must be in all the major US markets.

Bettman works for the NHL franchise owners ... not us fans. Of course we hate him.

[123GlobalFailures]

He ruined the game and also they had 2 lock-outs since he's been there. The main threat he did was removed good hockey areas and moved them to failed southern communities. How can you introduce hockey to people who never seen ice other than their drink lol.

[tvlondon]

"Look at me, I'm Gary Bettman, I'm so much of an asshole I refuse to even look at the camera!"

[schnids1605]

haha... 6-0 after 1 period. belfore was so shitfaced...lol

ps... Bettman's a douche

[icommentonurstuff]

even Hitler thinks Bettman is a dick

[jayhawk88z]

Betmen was worst thing to happend to the NHL

[Froston1]

when Gary Bettman ruined the NHL

[FAITHandLOGIC]

@MsBryanfreeman You mean by taking teams out of Canada and putting more teams in the south? Yeah, brilliant move.

[schnids1605]

@FAITHandLOGIC

I think you mean taking A TEAM from Winnipeg. besides, Calgary stole poor Atlanta's flames. The only team move that's worked out has been the stars to dallas

[FAITHandLOGIC]

@schnids1605 Atlanta wasn't supporting the team. The owner wanted to move it.

[FAITHandLOGIC]

An unfair characterization? Hey Bettman, how are those sunbelt teams coming along? Idiot.

Hockey is a northern sport.

[SouthshoreVice]

"Marv Albert here in lace panties, speaking to the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman! YESSS!"

[jigsaw99]

slime.... 

[morri31]

a VERY sad time in hockey history started then...

[surfer53]

Bettman represents the entire US economy. When businesses decided they needed to be run like the NHL, and the govt followed suit, America was toast. The guy looks like Bush in every interview.

[jimih64]

What a fucking tampon. Goddammit Bettman sucks at life.

[TUdaToken]

well despite me hating him, NHL revenues have gone up since 400 million when he was hired, to 2.2 billion in 2007, that's a positive (pretty much it)

[FAITHandLOGIC]

@TUdaToken

Well, when you increase the amount of teams by almost 30% that'll happen!

Did you know that 33% of the ticket revenue comes from the 6 teams in Canada?

[KNS1996DFS]

@FAITHandLOGIC How much of that 33% comes from the Leafs and Habs?

[FAITHandLOGIC]

@KNS1996DFS

I don't know. Do you? or are you just making a blank assumption that the majority comes from 2 teams?

Look at the attendance figures. All of the Canadian teams sellout 95% of their games and fill to 98% capacity to those that they don't.

[KaesoBrutus]

MOAR GOALZ

[CMUBrent]

A dark day for the NHL.

[NHLGoalHrns]

Worst day to the NHL

[FAITHandLOGIC]

Hate Bettman all you want but he did what the BoG hired him for ... to grow the game and make everyone rich.

You grow the game by expanding throughout the USA. That's how it's done. Now I think hockey in the south is stupid but the NHL doesn't and that's all that matters.

[mariomania]

The day the NHL DIED!!!!!!!!!!! WHY CANT THIS ASSHOLE BE FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can someone tell me this please??? He is fucking up the NHL!!! I dont understand why they cant get rid of him!! he has put the NHL to shame

DIE YOU LIL BASTARD

[BleedingGreenEASHL]

I wish us fans could get Bettman fired. This is a dream, but it would probably work. If we could get every single person to stop going to games in protest of Bettman the BOG would be forced to get rid of him.

[MyCrosbyfan87]

@BleedingGreenEASHL Is that to get every single person in most NHL cities to stop going to games that the team's attendances would be so poor that he would be fired and maybe be hired by the MLB or NFL? :O :P

[BleedingGreenEASHL]

@MyCrosbyfan87 That's the plan lol Possible but not probable..

[MyCrosbyfan87]

@BleedingGreenEASHL Ok man. It would be interesting to see how the future of the NHL Changes. If the NHL Gets a new commissioner, it would have to be someone like maybe Ron Maclean, Darren Dreger, Don Cherry, something like that. No gentlemen like Gary from NBA or somewhere else only with no professional hockey job experience. :P

[BleedingGreenEASHL]

@MyCrosbyfan87 Yea hopefully we see the Whalers and Nordiques back. Ideally I would move the Panthers to Hartford and the Coyotes would go to QC evening the conferences 15 teams each. Then there can be talk about expanding to a 32 team league with Seattle, Kansas City, Houston as contenders for expansion. Go back to the adams, patrick, etc. like Bettman proposed (which I personally liked) and to me the league at least teams wise would be perfect.

[BleedingGreenEASHL]

@MyCrosbyfan87 Cherry is to off the cuff and not tempered enough to handle the job I think. Darren Dreger knows nothing just look at the Wpg talks he's just an NHL mouthpiece nothing more. Personally I believe Gretzky would be a good choice because he knows whats best for teams, players and the league and he conducts himself in a professional manner. And he's personable. 

[MyCrosbyfan87]

@BleedingGreenEASHL So Gretzky would be nominated for the job. Hey at least he doesn't come from the NBA.

[smorgdonkey]

What a NON-hockey mind.

He 'franchises' like a restaurant chain.

Gary azzwipe.

[thatdudecozz89]

SMDH...Gary Bettman should have stuck with his butt-buddy named David Stern and left the NHL alone.

[meonfire11]

Gary Bettman is such a fucktard

[coop08]

RUINED the game I have loved my whole life, no words can describe how much I can't stand this guy, did anyone ever think twice about a guy who came from a game that is the EXACT opposite of the NHL, TERRIBLE!!

[lizardking89]

I hate this fucking weasel

[tdejong85]

LOSER

[Harman432]

What a loser this guy is man ,, Hate from canada gary ,, u suck

[raydawg325]

Best Commissioner in Sports history Pete Rozelle (NFL)...Worst Gary "Scum" Bettman

[pimpmasterdac]

Someone should have taken him out right then n there!

Let let this ass clown masquerade as some saviour of professional hockey! Since 1993, which was an awesome season NHL hockey has gone down hill... If only they had got a good Commissioner things would have been much better

[theSameRetroWindsor]

Changed the divisions to dumb ass simple names. This guy is, always has been and will forever be a moron hated by any true NHL fan for ruining the NHL.

[rjkStudios]

Buttman you fool!! Re-naming the classic divisions into boring, generic NBA copies..... *shakes head in disgust.

[calbertpitt30]

what a horrible commissioner. two lockouts. 1.5 lost seasons. an all star game nobody cares about anymore. only six teams in canada. teams failing in atlanta, phoenix, and nashville. complete garbage.

[benpalin08]

SOOO TRUE! I'm from Michigan and ALWAYS a Wings fan, but I love Canada and want more Canadian teams. Here is a new NHL rule, do lakes or ponds freeze in your state? No? No hockey for you. Get rid of every team south of the mason-dixon line and bring them to Canada, Wisconsin, and New England.

[mroy88]

look at the way he was plotting to destroy our nhl...as we grew up knowing it...ive never hated him more

[krnboy1009]

No it isnt. It hurts the league. Sure it might create more revenues in the short terms but it wont grow the sports, in fact it will hurt hockey in US, where it really matters. Does any Americans know what Hamilton is? No. Winnipeg? Probably, but Winnipeg is too small for anyone to care.

[flapjackrabbit]

Accept the fact that it's a regional/niche game. Hockey doesn't work in a number of US markets. It's the casual fan's loss for not learning to understand the game.

[krnboy1009]

No it isnt. Most hockey fans never have and never will play ice hockey. It can work in Atlanta and Miami. Trust me. They are as much of a legit market as Philly when Flyers first came in to the league.

[flapjackrabbit]

Is it working in Phoenix?

[krnboy1009]

Flyers were in similar position when they came in to the league. Hardly ever selling out, losing money etc...And so were many 'traditional teams'.

[flapjackrabbit]

As I recall, the Flyers never had serious issues like that. They've been owned by Snider and Comcast Spectacor since the behinning. It took the Flyers only five seasons to become one of the top teams in the league. Atlanta has done nothing in 9 seasons, Florida has done nothing in 15 seasons (96 was a fluke), Phoenix has done nothing in 12 seasons. The talent pool is way too watered down today, as you have way too many guys playing who should be in the AHL.

[LeafFan4Life86]

krnboy, I respect your opinion but in terms of traditional teams, well....fellow Toronto fans have seen many bad teams (even worse then the one right now) and year after year we've packed the stadium (even when times are grim as in twice as bad as now).

[krnboy1009]

Thats Canada, thats Toronto. I respect Leafs fans, they are nothing like US fans even in cold weathered cities like Detroit. That doesnt mean Detroit shouldnt have a team right?

[LeafFan4Life86]

Detroit should have a team because over there they actually CARE about the game. Unlike most parts of the US, and right now Canada can actually support a few more teams but Bettman's got his head too far stuck up his ass to admit that his Southern dream hasn't worked out as well as he planned. People in Atlanta don't care, Pheonix..etc...If a team has a strong market where people love the game, they should have a team no matter where it is.

[TUdaToken]

@LeafFan4Life86 it's been mixed, anaheim, tampa bay and carolina have won the stanley cup in great fashion and san jose has had a big fanbase since 2004

[LeafFan4Life86]

@TUdaToken Yeah but the point is, is that even given that they won a cup, they still aren't attracting fans like they should...Just look at espn's 2009/10 attendance and who do you see. About half of them and most the ones you mentioned are in the bottom 10. Sharks were 14 out of 30. Put that team in Toronto and they'd be playing to sold out crowds even if the tickets are 300-400 a piece .Back in 99 I saw a game at ACC, 132 bucks per a seat and tickets go up 10%almos each season in price.

[KNS1996DFS]

@LeafFan4Life86 The Sharks play in an arena that seats less than the NHL average, so that's no surprise.

[LeafFan4Life86]

@TUdaToken on the other hand though, some teams that have supposedly better markets are not doing as well as I thought (Pittsburgh, Avalanche, Bruins, Kings, Stars).

[LeafFan4Life86]

continued...I respect Bettman for trying to promote the game, however I think that there are a few cities in Canada that deserve a team more then say places like Atlanta or Pheonix. They've had their chance and the sport has been a flop ever since they got a team.

[skydome29]

incorrect: those that didnt make much money were ABLE to stay in the league by basically putting out an ahl calibre team (for salary reasons) and thus be able to stay in the black.

[skydome29]

Are you as simple as you sound?

[TakedaKenshi]

A complete and utter failure of a human being.

[john37733]

I hate this asshole with every fiber of my being! How has this incompetent, arrogant shit stain kept his job?

[krnboy1009]

No more Canadian teams please. No one gives a fuck about Canada

[brawnhallieparks]

@ 0:50, he is like, "Screw Canada"...i wish they make it seven already

[JBhab30]

Control Freak.

[mudkipzonpcp]

What a fucking asshole. Look at that fake, shit-eating grin on his face the entire interview.

[Stevenio]

He hasnt changed one bit. Still a prick.

[itsjustinleon]

Wow! Marv could just feel the douchiness flowing from him!

[Louie14DGB]

Look how much pleasure he got out of saying he was going to get rid of the classic conference/division names.

What a fucking draculan asshole.

[SFFOOL76]

@Louie14DGB

I f---ing hate Bettman with a passion. There are some things I don't understand in the world that Bush was president for 8 years, Joe Buck & Tim McCarver are still announcing , and this asshat is still running the NHL.

[KNS1996DFS]

@Louie14DGB Classic names? They were so classic that they were around for all of seventeen years.