20 replies to this topic

[Jedi]

20 years ago today, Gary Bettman officially took office as the first NHL Commissioner.
 
http://www.nytimes.c...mmissioner.html
 

The first week of the shortest month of the year offers professional hockey a rare share of the American sports spotlight. Football is finally finished, and the baseball players won't report for spring training for another couple of weeks. The sports news media poke their collective heads above ground, see Charles Barkley's shadow and realize there are six more weeks of college basketball until the Final Four.
 
So the stage was set yesterday (February 1st, 1993) at National Hockey League headquarters in Manhattan, where Gary Bettman took office as the first commissioner in the league's 76-year history.

 
The traditional gift for a 20th anniversary is china.  Maybe if we pool our money together, we can buy him a (one way) ticket TO China?

 

 

 

*edit* Props to the author of that story for the Charles Barkley one-liner.

[frankgrimes]

20 years ago today, Gary Bettman officially took office as the first NHL Commissioner.

 

http://www.nytimes.c...r-business.html

 

 

The traditional gift for a 20th anniversary is china.  Maybe if we pool our money together, we can buy him a (one way) ticket TO China?

 

I'd rather pay more and make him another space tourist, that would mean at least 1 year without his (anti)services to the game we all love.

[GMRwings1983]

Here's to 20 more.

 

[Jedi]

Hey, I just realized.  Next year, the Office of the Commissioner will be old enough to buy everyone a beer!  Maybe THAT'S the apology that they're going to give everyone for the lockout!!

 

 

[amato]

"The first week of the shortest month of the year offers professional hockey a rare share of the American sports spotlight."

they mean the week of the Super Bowl? Yeah, okay....

Edit: just realized this is an old article.. Was the Super Bowl not the first Sunday in February back then? I wouldn't know.. I was 2 ha

Edited by amato, 01 February 2013 - 12:15 PM.

[Nev]

The issue is finding ways to grow the revenue pie.  If you run
the business aspect well, the game will take care of itself

we will grow the pie and not fight over a small pie

 

Well, you grew the pie, but the more it grew, the more you fought over it Gary.  And you ran the business aspect so well we've lost 2 full seasons over the course of 3 lockouts, whilst enduring a decade of stifling clutch and grab.  So much for the game taking care of itself.

Edited by Nev, 01 February 2013 - 12:25 PM.

[rrasco]

"The first week of the shortest month of the year offers professional hockey a rare share of the American sports spotlight."

they mean the week of the Super Bowl? Yeah, okay....

Edit: just realized this is an old article.. Was the Super Bowl not the first Sunday in February back then? I wouldn't know.. I was 2 ha

 

It varies.  Typically it ends up falling on one of the last days of January, or very early in Feb.

[hillbillywingsfan]

Happy 20!!!!      

[Gary.Bettman]

Thank you for all the warm wishes, guys.  I am proud to have been part of the league for 20 years.  Here's to 20 more successful years.

[Rick D]

"The first week of the shortest month of the year offers professional hockey a rare share of the American sports spotlight."

they mean the week of the Super Bowl? Yeah, okay....

Edit: just realized this is an old article.. Was the Super Bowl not the first Sunday in February back then? I wouldn't know.. I was 2 ha

 

 

It's a week later than it used to be. It changed a couple years ago when they put the pro bowl before the super bowl.

[The Axe]

He better not hand out the cup this year. He will get tomatoed

[cusimano_brothers]

In this case, a much more obvious gif, to honour his twentieth anniversary, would be the finger.

[Euro_Twins]

Thank you for all the warm wishes, guys.  I am proud to have been part of the league for 20 years.  Here's to 20 more successful years.

 

Anytime Gary, it was a pleasure and a privlidge to see you "work" so hard to save a 48 game season, I'm glad to see you made sure there was hockey, even if you did have that hill you would die on...

[puckbags]

Thank you for all the warm wishes, guys.  I am proud to have been part of the league for 20 years.  Here's to 20 more successful years.

 

Annual revenue was around 400 million when you took over and now it's in the billions.  I bet you take really nice vacations and have worn out the knees on every pair of pants you own.  Say hi to Jeremy Jacobs for us.

[shoobiedoobin]

[irishock]

If Gary convinced the big market teams in '94 to cancel the season to get the salary cap, we might not have had 2002.

[Gary.Bettman]

Anytime Gary, it was a pleasure and a privlidge to see you "work" so hard to save a 48 game season, I'm glad to see you made sure there was hockey, even if you did have that hill you would die on...

I'm glad to have had the opportunity to make sure there was a season this year.  It was tough, and a lot of back and forth between the players and the owners, but I think we ended up with a pretty good deal that both sides can be happy with.  

 

Now if I can just find someone to buy the Coyotes and keep them in Glendale, I'll be happy.

Annual revenue was around 400 million when you took over and now it's in the billions.  I bet you take really nice vacations and have worn out the knees on every pair of pants you own.  Say hi to Jeremy Jacobs for us.

Not to mention our terrible TV deal, and lack of fans in the south.  Overall, while there have been some missteps along the way, the pie has gotten bigger, and everyone has been enriched.  

 

Not sure about wearing out the knees on my pants.  They wear pretty consistently, not really in any specific places.  Plus, they're very high quality.

 

I will definitely pass along your greetings to my bo...I mean, Mr. Jacobs.

You're number one, also, my friend!

If Gary convinced the big market teams in '94 to cancel the season to get the salary cap, we might not have had 2002.

I know, right?  If they had just listened to me back then, everyone would have been much happier much sooner.

[KATIEBARTHEDOOR24]

 194b294a-54bc-4be1-b140-aa8defd2abd6.jpg   37.12K   7 downloadsThat face just kills me!!! If someone that is skilled in the ways of photoshop could get him in there around Crosby. That would be priceless.

[KATIEBARTHEDOOR24]

Gary wanted to make sure the games didn't start untill his young lad Crosby was completely healed. That's why there was a lockout...Duh

[Gary.Bettman]

Gary wanted to make sure the games didn't start untill his young lad Crosby was completely healed. That's why there was a lockout...Duh

Wells, Crosby is the face of the league.  Definitely wanted to make sure he was ready to go.  But to my knowledge he was all healed up in November.  

 

You know, that does make a lot of sense, why Donnie was playing so many games, saying we were close, and then blowing things up.  I wonder if he ever comes on here, maybe you could ask him.