The Bettman SS

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

So we have endured the first day of the 2012 Playoffs and it has become very apparent that the officials are going to make themselves a very large part of the game.

Lets break down the war crimes...

VAN vs LAK

13 PENALTIES

DET vs NAS

17 PENALTIES

30 PENALTIES in two 60 minute games oh with NO FIGHTING MAJORS??? No wonder Mickey walked out. This is atrocious and an embarrassment to hockey. Bettman has his finger up the ass of this one and its only going to get worse. I dont even want to guess what crimes against humanity will happen tomorrow. This could be against the Sharks and Id be pissed.

All I know is this is only going to get worse before it gets better.

Personally I think we need to do a letter drive to every owner of every team in the league to vote out Bettman as the Commissioner. If something stinks you look for the smell and Bettman smells like s***.

For the record Im not blaming the refs for our loss, Im blaming the refs for being compelled to call every last penalty they can and in some cases call two. Calling a hooking penalty AND a dive at the same time is a bit confusing. Either you dove and you werent hooked or you were hooked and you didnt dive.

This is looking to be a pretty f***in bad joke of a playoff and I dont feel like standing idly by and just complain when there MIGHT be something we can do about it. If not at least I or we tried...

[Nightfall 871]

Yup, cause Bettman was calling the games himself. I know he had a wireless transmitter radio and he was reporting down to the refs in both games on what they should call and how they should handle things. I guess the old addage is true here....

If your team is losing, blame the refs.

If its not the refs fault, blame Bettman.

If its in doubt, blame them both.

/sarcasm

EDIT: It seems that people just do not get good sarcastic remarks. I have added in the /sarcasm tag.

Edited April 12, 2012 by Nightfall

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

I think you missed his point Nightfall. Playoff hockey is suffering from all the penalties and would benefit greatly if the refs would just let them play.

Mickey said it best. "The refs are trying to make it to the Stanley Cup finals too."

Edited April 12, 2012 by PROBIE4PREZ

[bakerbert 211]

This was one of the worst playoff games i have ever seen:

Not because the wings lost but because there was 32 minutes of penaltys in the game and with out one 5 minute major.

No team was able to build sustained momentum, to many breaks in the game and to much time on the Pk/PP.

Game that are called like this have to get players to start questioning them selves, If i do ______, will i go to the box?

Let them play!!!!!!

I would still be mad if the wings won and Nashville fans should feel the same way.

Hockey was cheapened last night, this was a fairly clean game that could have been awesome to watch.

[Nightfall 871]

I think you missed his point Nightfall. Playoff hockey is suffering from all the penalties and would benefit greatly if the refs would just let them play.

Mickey said it best. "The refs are trying to make it to the Stanley Cup finals too."

Two of the three games were like this. I think it would be fair if this were analyzed through at least the first two games of each series, or 16 games. Not the first night when only 3 games were played.

I believe you will find games like this to be more of the exception, and not the rule. As I said though, lets get more games in before we pass judgement.

Edited April 12, 2012 by Nightfall

[wingslogo19 281]

Two of the three games were like this. I think it would be fair if this were analyzed through at least the first two games of each series, or 16 games. Not the first night when only 3 games were played.

I believe you will find games like this to be more of the exception, and not the rule. As I said though, lets get more games in before we pass judgement.

Last year in the playoffs the refs were terrible as well.

[Nightfall 871]

Last year in the playoffs the refs were terrible as well.

and in the end, the best team won the Stanley Cup. The players decided each of the series for the most part.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Two of the three games were like this. I think it would be fair if this were analyzed through at least the first two games of each series, or 16 games. Not the first night when only 3 games were played.

I believe you will find games like this to be more of the exception, and not the rule. As I said though, lets get more games in before we pass judgement.

It only took you one post to pass judgment in this thread. Why should you expect others to wait?

[CrimsonFlame 424]

Also look at the Pit/Phi game. There were a grand total of THREE penalties called and the game went ten minutes into OT. And that is supposed to be a "bad blood" series since the teams got in a brawl just a week or so ago. And Philly is known to be a rough and tough violent team.

And yet only three penalties? That's INSANE inconsistency. Either call everything a penalty so we can get used to playing games with 32 total penalty minutes, or put the whistles down and call just what needs to be called so we can play some REAL hockey.

[Nev 1,085]

Yup, cause Bettman was calling the games himself. I know he had a wireless transmitter radio and he was reporting down to the refs in both games on what they should call and how they should handle things. I guess the old addage is true here....

If your team is losing, blame the refs.

If its not the refs fault, blame Bettman.

If its in doubt, blame them both.

Did you not read the part where he said

For the record Im not blaming the refs for our loss,

[Rhah 195]

There were also like 3 plays where Preds grabbed Wings sticks with their legs then ripped them out of their hands. One was PeckerRinay on Hank's stick... it got caught in his pads and Pecker rolled over ripping it out of Hank's hands.

[Nightfall 871]

It only took you one post to pass judgment in this thread. Why should you expect others to wait?

So 2 wrongs make a right? Didn't think so.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

“The standard will be held,” he vows. “We were on a conference call with officials that Terry Gregson [director of officiating] was leading the other day and he reinforced the fact that the officiating standard is not to slip or change.”

SSDD.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Yup, cause Bettman was calling the games himself. I know he had a wireless transmitter radio and he was reporting down to the refs in both games on what they should call and how they should handle things. I guess the old addage is true here....

If your team is losing, blame the refs.

If its not the refs fault, blame Bettman.

If its in doubt, blame them both.

Um I specifically said that this was a league wide issue, not only happening to one team or just with a specific official.

As I said THEY ARE BEING COMPELLED to make multple calls on some rather pitty pat s***.

I wont be surprised if we see multiple games this evening where the same crap happens.

As to why I think Bettman is COMPELLING the officials to over officiate? Well more power plays statiscally mean more goals, more goals somehow means more exciting game which somehow gets more viewers on tv, which means more advertising money ect ect.

There is a distinct correlation between the boss of the officials and the officials themselves. All he needs to do is make it known to the refs that high scoring games are prefered and to do what they can to make it happen.

Happens in the NBA to this day. High scores and Game 7's are the goal of both leagues where the refs have a huge role in the outcome of the game. Not saying the games are fixed (although it is also known that this happens) but are being steered in the direction that the league prefers.

The refs cant make a team score 7 points but they can give them multiple 5 on 3's to help them get there.

[edicius 3,269]

Also look at the Pit/Phi game. There were a grand total of THREE penalties called and the game went ten minutes into OT. And that is supposed to be a "bad blood" series since the teams got in a brawl just a week or so ago. And Philly is known to be a rough and tough violent team.

And yet only three penalties? That's INSANE inconsistency. Either call everything a penalty so we can get used to playing games with 32 total penalty minutes, or put the whistles down and call just what needs to be called so we can play some REAL hockey.

Weren't there four? Three on the Flyers and only one on the Penguins (from which the Flyers got a PPG, so you knew that was the last time that would happen)?

[Nightfall 871]

Um I specifically said that this was a league wide issue, not only happening to one team or just with a specific official.

As I said THEY ARE BEING COMPELLED to make multple calls on some rather pitty pat s***.

I wont be surprised if we see multiple games this evening where the same crap happens.

As to why I think Bettman is COMPELLING the officials to over officiate? Well more power plays statiscally mean more goals, more goals somehow means more exciting game which somehow gets more viewers on tv, which means more advertising money ect ect.

There is a distinct correlation between the boss of the officials and the officials themselves. All he needs to do is make it known to the refs that high scoring games are prefered and to do what they can to make it happen.

Happens in the NBA to this day. High scores and Game 7's are the goal of both leagues where the refs have a huge role in the outcome of the game. Not saying the games are fixed (although it is also known that this happens) but are being steered in the direction that the league prefers.

The refs cant make a team score 7 points but they can give them multiple 5 on 3's to help them get there.

I was being sarcastic with that post, but I digress....

(It seems that people can't pick up sarcasm here unless you add the /sarcasm tags)

If we had seen this through the course of 16 or 24 games in the NHL playoffs first round, I would agree with you. I believe, when the first round is complete, you will take these kinds of games and they will be the exception more than the rule. I believe you will see more games reffed like the Pens and Flyers game last night.

As it turns out, you are passing judgement on just 3 games played. Lets wait before we pass judgement.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

There are few things more obnoxious and insensitive than casually making comparisons between the mundane and the systematic slaughter of millions of people.

[Nightfall 871]

There are few things more obnoxious and insensitive than casually making comparisons between the mundane and the systematic slaughter of millions of people.

You forgot your /sarcasm tags. Be prepared for negative ratings!

[Drake_Marcus 890]

You forgot your /sarcasm tags. Be prepared for negative ratings!

I'm serious. It's utterly obnoxious to compare the mundane to Hitler.

[beachwing 426]

I can recall years going by and NEVER seeing a 5 on 3 in the playoffs and now we seem to have them every game ir at least multiple ones every series!

[Nightfall 871]

I'm serious. It's utterly obnoxious to compare the mundane to Hitler.

I think that was sarcastic as well.

I can recall years going by and NEVER seeing a 5 on 3 in the playoffs and now we seem to have them every game ir at least multiple ones every series!

I can recall years back if one team got a 5 on 3, the other team was guaranteed a 5 on 3 later in the game. It always seemed to work out like that.

[CrimsonFlame 424]

Weren't there four? Three on the Flyers and only one on the Penguins (from which the Flyers got a PPG, so you knew that was the last time that would happen)?

Three, four close enough. The point is that four is a lot less than what we had to deal with.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Didn't really feel like a playoff game with all the NBA-esque penalties being called. I agreed with about 5 out the 17 that were called. Both teams fell victim to s***ty calls.

Oh well, tough hockey isn't good hockey anyway.

[SDavis35 140]

I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but there was a point where the CBC cameras were focused on Bettman, who at the time (late 2nd I think...) looked like he was falling asleep. If Bettman really was falling asleep, hopefully he realizes that the penalty issue had gone too far on a night like that. Hopefully there won't be more than 10 penalties in a game for this series. Both teams are very well-disciplined and shouldn't be getting more opportunities than that.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

There are few things more obnoxious and insensitive than casually making comparisons between the mundane and the systematic slaughter of millions of people.

Im not Jewish but I am 2nd generation Lithuanian with grandparents that escaped during WW2, believe me the atrocities of Genocide are not taken casually.

However the comparison of a single man, a short and rather obnoxious one himself, using his gestapo to slaughter a game millions love is far from mundane. Tell Vancouve how mundane the playoffs are. This is life to quite a few people, maybe not YOU, but to many including myself I feel like one little evil man is systematically killing off the very game I love.

I apologize for unfortunately offending you, I will not apologize for how I view Bettman, the officials and how it affects the game and the fanbase in general. Vile people require vile comparisons, he isnt a murderer but he DOES have the power to ruin things for entire cities and does so regularly.

I'll leave out his decisions regarding PHX to a different thread but he single handedly has the abilty to ruin entire economies.