2008 Woodie Awards
For NHL, it's Two Weeks or Else
NHL's Hopes Return to Doom and Gloom
David Pollak
Issue date: 1/26/05 Section: Sports
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SAN JOSE, Calif.- That loud noise you heard last week was a 24-hour window of optimism slamming shut.
Before that happened, however, there was much chatter about the fact that neither NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman nor players' union president Bob Goodenow was invited to take part in "small group" dialogue between opposing sides in the lockout.
When Wednesday's meeting went well enough to schedule a second day, it confirmed one school of thought: See, those two guys are a big part of the problem. Eliminate them and progress will be made.
Wrong, eh? Thursday, it was back to doom and gloom.
Among fans and the media, there has been demonizing on both sides- Goodenow for blinding players to economic realities, Bettman for insisting that players fix mistakes he helped create. But among the parties most directly involved, the commissioner has been the main target.
"Listen, Gary's the guy running the ship, and he knows nothing about hockey. He's a basketball guy," Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe told the Toronto Sun, joining Chris Chelios, Manny Legace and others in criticizing the commissioner.
"If he bumped into me on the street, he wouldn't know me. You could probably say that if he bumped into 95 percent of the league."
Bettman does have an NBA background. As NBA Commissioner David Stern's protege, he crafted pro sports' first salary cap. And he can sound defensive about his commitment to hockey.
"I have devoted virtually all of my waking hours for the last 12 years to this game, every aspect of it," Bettman said in December. "Nobody can be more passionate about this game than I am."
Bettman's lieutenants make it clear that personal attacks on the commissioner, whether his background or expansion strategy is being challenged, frost them.
"To the extent Gary's a sticking point, that's very unfortunate and entirely a product of misinformation and disinformation being given on the other side," said chief negotiator Bill Daly, noting his boss acts at the direction of the owners.
Before that happened, however, there was much chatter about the fact that neither NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman nor players' union president Bob Goodenow was invited to take part in "small group" dialogue between opposing sides in the lockout.
When Wednesday's meeting went well enough to schedule a second day, it confirmed one school of thought: See, those two guys are a big part of the problem. Eliminate them and progress will be made.
Wrong, eh? Thursday, it was back to doom and gloom.
Among fans and the media, there has been demonizing on both sides- Goodenow for blinding players to economic realities, Bettman for insisting that players fix mistakes he helped create. But among the parties most directly involved, the commissioner has been the main target.
"Listen, Gary's the guy running the ship, and he knows nothing about hockey. He's a basketball guy," Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe told the Toronto Sun, joining Chris Chelios, Manny Legace and others in criticizing the commissioner.
"If he bumped into me on the street, he wouldn't know me. You could probably say that if he bumped into 95 percent of the league."
Bettman does have an NBA background. As NBA Commissioner David Stern's protege, he crafted pro sports' first salary cap. And he can sound defensive about his commitment to hockey.
"I have devoted virtually all of my waking hours for the last 12 years to this game, every aspect of it," Bettman said in December. "Nobody can be more passionate about this game than I am."
Bettman's lieutenants make it clear that personal attacks on the commissioner, whether his background or expansion strategy is being challenged, frost them.
"To the extent Gary's a sticking point, that's very unfortunate and entirely a product of misinformation and disinformation being given on the other side," said chief negotiator Bill Daly, noting his boss acts at the direction of the owners.