MississippiWing 14 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 So after a discussion with my friend (who is a big NBA fan) it just dawned on me why Crosby is the annointed one. Bettman was involved with the NBA. The NBA has done a great job drawing casual fans, by abandoning traditional play and playing exciting less defensive play. That is why Bettman is so big on Crosby. He doesn't play defense. He is all showy and offensive minded. Bettman is slowly trying to transform the league into a 5 forward league that doesn't play defense but has amazing offensive goals. Much like the NBA scores have gone up in past years due to this, the NHL will also. We will slowly get accustomed to seeing 7-5 and 10-8 scores. He is trying to shift the focus to offensive minded teams to draw in the casual fan and doing like the NBA did and say screw the die hard old school fans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckbags 863 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 (edited) Wow you just figured this out? I'm starting to think you may be trying to set the record for most threads started in one night!! Edited June 1, 2008 by puckbags Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poxer 0 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 It may be that way for scores out East but out West it will be the same and West will take the cup. Sorry, but Defense wins championships. The casual fans will come but will be disappointed when they watch the West play. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CAredwingsfan91 28 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 (edited) crosby doesn't play defence? have you been watching this series? crosby back-checks like no other...i dislike him but hes not just a one way player, he hustles. well actually you know what...thats all those d-bags show on NBC i take back what i said, crosby sucks. Edited June 1, 2008 by CAredwingsfan91 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NHLrules? 32 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 The NHL doesnt want hockey fans, they want NBA on ice fans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
betterREDthandead 58 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Crosby plays at least as much defense as Yzerman did when he was 20. And MW, any link between the league's marketing of Crosby and how the game will be played is heinously imaginary. Think about what you're saying. Do you really think Bettman - all by himself - can force a style of play onto the league's coaches using TV commercials? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NHLrules? 32 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Crosby plays at least as much defense as Yzerman did when he was 20. And MW, any link between the league's marketing of Crosby and how the game will be played is heinously imaginary. Think about what you're saying. Do you really think Bettman - all by himself - can force a style of play onto the league's coaches using TV commercials? Yes, see Michael Jordan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 No, Crosby's good offensive, and he's pretty good defensive also. He's just a pansy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seeinred 1,488 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Crosby plays at least as much defense as Yzerman did when he was 20. And MW, any link between the league's marketing of Crosby and how the game will be played is heinously imaginary. Think about what you're saying. Do you really think Bettman - all by himself - can force a style of play onto the league's coaches using TV commercials? Of course he can. He's both an idiot and a genius. He's responsible for ruining the league through his ineptitude, and creating conspiracies with his brilliance! You can't have it both ways, people. (Bettman is an idiot though) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MississippiWing 14 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 No but you can "encourage" a team to do things a certain way. I just see this trend developing. I'm sorry I haven't been astute as some of you other gentlemen in realizing it so get off my ass. I was just realizing it. If you don't think the whole league can make the transition see the all star game. There was very little defense played there. I hope the west can still hold out and play defense. I too believe that defense wins championships. No i'm not trying to start a lot of threads, I just have a lot of questions. So I come to the place I figure I can get them answered and instead get met with hostility. thanks guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlakChamber 8 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Of course he can. He's both an idiot and a genius. He's responsible for ruining the league through his ineptitude, and creating conspiracies with his brilliance! You can't have it both ways, people. (Bettman is an idiot though) Bingo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dallas27 7 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 To make more money. Simple as that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NHLrules? 32 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Bettman is a lawyer. He is a very smart man. What makes him an idiot has nothing to do with his intelligence. He is an idiot because he is willing to take hockey from loyal long time fans in order to reinvent the game for newbies. Hockey was more popular in the 80s than it is now. The 80s were very exciting hockey years. Tons of offense fighting and rivalries. Bettman is an idiot for taking the hockey out of hockey and turning it into NBA Ice. And yes he is smart enough to find a player to build a league on, market (worldwide) with and have a corporate sponsor (gatorade and nike) tow the line. He did it with basketball. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barrie 900 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Scoring is back down to pre-lockout levels. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
betterREDthandead 58 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Hockey was more popular in the 80s than it is now. By what metric? That's a claim that needs to be backed up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NHLrules? 32 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 By what metric? That's a claim that needs to be backed up. http://www.jou.ufl.edu/sji/2007/?p=43 In 1994 the NHL was fresh off of its most successful season to date. Interest in “The coolest game on ice” was at an all time high. A large market team (the New York Rangers) had just won the Stanley Cup, and the NHL seemed finally ready to elevate itself into a top American sports league. Sports Illustrated even had a cover about “Why the NHL’s hot and the NBA’s not”. Yes everyone could see the NHL was primed to “break out”. It looked as though newly appointed commissioner Gary Bettman was going to allow the league to reach its vast potential. The anticipation for the next season was building and more and more people were starting to seriously pay attention to the NHL. The NHL looked primed to capitalize on charismatic stars such as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemuiex. Then Gary Bettman took off his Superman cape and put on his cloak of ineptitude. After the most successful season in league history Commissioner Bettman decided a salary cap needed to be created immediately. However, pushing for an immediate salary cap that the majority of large market teams and players did not want was not a good idea. Upsetting players and the owners of the biggest teams could only prove problematic. Insisting on implementing something so controversial that could potentially cause a strike was not a good decision. So after the great season the NHL had, rather than capitalize on the golden opportunity that had been given to them, they decided to go on strike. With the league on the verge of becoming what members had only dreamt about, they alienated the fans and completely screwed up any opportunity they had to elevate the status of the league. The NHL eventually did play a 48 game season but the future that once looked so promising was now back sitting in mediocrity. Read the article, it has stats. The league was more popular in the 80s and early 90s. What year did the Gary Bettman Circus come to town? Thats right 1994. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaKineMaui 8 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Crosby plays at least as much defense as Yzerman did when he was 20. That is a great way to sum this subject up! Total truth ^up there^. It is frustrating to get Crosby, or Tiger/Phil, or A-Rod/Jeter, or LeBron etc shoved in your face sometimes. But if I am a league commish, and it's my charge to showcase a player? Do I go with Chris Chelios? Or maybe a promising and highly skilled youngster? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wingman 0 Report post Posted June 1, 2008 Also, remember this: It's all about the money. All about the money. No one with financial interests in the sport gives a damn about hocket itself, what it is or were it came from. If it'd raise ratings by replacing the goalies with monkeys and dress the players in latex underwear they'd do it. It's the sad truth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
