Gary Bettman Sucks » nhl

Salary Cap Craziness!

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:58:45 +0000

Can you beleive the NHL’s maximum salary cap is now $59.4 MILLION? WOW! Even scarier for most team is the floor is now at $43 Million so you better be make money to play in the NHL. In all my arguments about the state of the NHL, I think the minimum salary floor is going to be the real undoing.

Unlike the MLB, the NHL doesn’t have a lucrative TV deal to help pad each teams bottom line. The $43M for each team next year, most of that is coming from the fans.

This is a HUGE jump from the $39M maximum the NHL had as a salary cap after the lockout (2005-2006) season. And more importantly, the minimum of $27M…

Could you imagine if the Phoenix Coyotes ‘revenue loss’ was replaced with a Hamilton team that was a ‘revenue generator’? Then the salary cap would probably be $62M-$64M with a minimum floor between $44M – $46. Might not seem like a big deal but remember the Atlanta Thrashers had trouble making the minimum three years ago when it was only $34M…now at $40 that is an exta $6M and the fan base in Atlanta isn’t going to make up that amount.

This increase is going to make things crazy…more and more bloated contracts are floating around the NHL. (Tim Thomas, $5 million cap hit * 3 years; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray, $5.4 million * 2years, and many more)

With five teams struggling to get under the cap and another six NFL teams strugling to make the floor…what is the state of the NHL?

Help Mr. Balsillie; the NHL needs you!

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:41 +0000

They’are baaacckkkk! The Coyotes are back in the news and it isn’t going to be good for Gary “Mr. Suck” Bettman. An outside party recently valued at ‘yotes at $50M…yes! That is $110M LESS then the NHL is asking. The main reason is Ice Edge Holdings Inc doesn’t have the money to purchase the team. Apparently, the US banks learned something from the drop in the housing market!

Phoenix is averaging less the 12K fans per game and that is at discounted ticket prices…I wonder how the Players Union feels about the ‘yotes bringing down the NHL salary cap? Mind you if the cap goes up…at least 3 more NHL teams will face bankruptcy.

Here is what is wrong with the Ice Edge deal:

- Bankers are balking at financing this venture after they learned financier Jeffrey Vinik paid only about $100-million in cash for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are asking hard questions about why the Coyotes would be worth 60 per cent more.

- The Ice Edge principals will not discuss their finances in detail, but a banking source says they have only a relatively small amount to put into the proposed deal. As a result, bankers are not queuing up to lend money.

Thanks to David Shoalts at the Globe and Mail for a great article on the failuer of the Ice Edge bid.

Is anyone REALLY surprised this deal fell apart? Mr Balsillie did you see this coming? I am sure you did…

My next prediction, when Mr. Suck gets handed his walking papers it will be over two things… a bad deal with the Players Union last strike AND the ‘cotes. Mr. Sucks successor will try and distance himself by letting Balsillie put a team in Hamilton!

Ho Ho Mr. Suck you’ve got to go!

NBC dances away from the NHL!

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:52:22 +0000

Gary ‘Mr. Suck’ Bettman has done another AWFUL job at marketing the NHL in the US. This might be the biggest slight in the long NHL history…. NBC is bumping the Men’s Hockey game of Canada VS USA for …. Ice Dancing… yes… you read it correctly… Ice Dancing! Mr. Suck you have failed!

Did you know that NBC is the rights holder for the NHL in the US? Did you know the NHL constantly changes it schedule (both regular season and playoffs) to accomodate NBC? Did you know that NBC doesn’t care about the NHL?

Mr. Suck’s relationship with NBC is the same as an abusive relationship…the worse NBC treats the NHL… the more Mr. Suck tries to make NBC happy. This Olympic snub shows Gary ‘Mr. Suck’ Bettman has no clout in the US…he can’t call in any favours…he can’t do anything for the NHL.

Mr Suck…your petty attitude and distain for all thing Canadian can be seen by even your US ‘friends’. If you can’t get a a partner to air a Canada V USA Olympic on their main network…well what good are you?

Please do the right thing and resign!!!

BTW: You can read more on Yahoo Sports

Relocation fee and Leafs waiting list…

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:41:44 +0000

In the battle for a seventh NHL team, the judge has ordered the NHL all sides in a Phoenix bankruptcy court to provide him with information around a possible relocation fee the NHL may charge for the Coyotes franchise to be moved to Hamilton.

The current rumours have amount being set at $100M! Crazy amount? Maybe maybe not…

The Anaheim Ducks payed the LA Kings $25M back in 1992-1993 because they were moving into their fan base. In 1992 the NHLs total revenue was only $400 million. So, the Ducks paid the Kings 6.25% of league revenue to move in on their fan base. In 2008, the league has revenues around $2.2B if they keep the 6.25% rule it would mean $137M! WOW! That is a pretty crazy amount of money to be given to the Leafs and the Sabers.

But wait, revenue is just one part of the equation…distance between the areans would also have to be huge part of the equation. The Staple Centre is 31 miles from the Honda Centre. This pretty close and the Ducks had to pay $$25M.

The Sabers are 65 miles from the arean in Hamilton and the Leafs are 41miles from Hamilton. Because both are farther away, the percentage they have to be paid should be lower. So 5% of revenue might make more sense…roughly $100M…this seems to be the logical…but is it too much for Mr. RIMM?

Maybe the NHL and Mr. Suck will realize another team in Southern Ontario will be good for hockey and the NHL. Maybe the will realize the Leafs revenue has been increasing steadily, from $117M in 2003-2004 to $160M in 2007-2008. While the Buffalo Sabers reveune has increased as well but was starting from a much lower point, $51M in 2003-2004 to $76M in 2007-2008

Does it seem fair to give these teams over 50% of years revenue for Hamilton to get a team?

This could be debated but one thing I want everyone to know, the Leafs have a season ticket waiting list that is around 3000 names deep…and over the last two years no one on the list has moved. That is right, there is 100% renewal of season tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs also have the highest average ticket price at $75 per seats…and even during this recession they have increased their ticket prices.

To recap, what the leafs have:

highest ticket prices in the NHL
highest team revenue
3000+ fans on the season ticket waiting list
and a ton of scalpers who make a mint off leafs tickets

Can someone tell me why Leafs need millions of dollars if a team goes to Hamilton?

Bankruptcy judge speeds up Coyotes relocation

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:41:50 +0000

June 9th!

This is the day the judge will hear the case of relocating the Phoneix Coyotes. With a ruling coming quickly after the hearing. This is a result of Balsillie having said he will withdraw his US$212.5-million offer if the sale is not completed by the end of June. I love the bankruptcy court really does what is in the best interest of the creditors.

Now that they date is set, I wonder if we will see any protests or move by the Coyotes fans. This would be a great opportunity for them to show their support. If Mr Suck wasn’t so dumb we won’t be in this situation. And the fans wouldn’t be suffering…instead Mr. Suck has put the US v Canada, Winnipeg V Hamilton, and Phoneix versus everyone… nice move Mr. Suck.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AtZCWZF9ewFyk7TCSl1FTDYJfwM6?slug=capress-nhl_coyotes_bankruptcy-274686428&prov=capress&type=lgns

NLHPA presenting labour proposal today!

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 01:27:35 +0000

Well the NHLPA is presenting a proposal today. Hopefully it will be something that Mr. Suck will like…or at least talk about. I don’t know about everyone else but I really hope the two sides can at least start talking.

MLS (Major League Soccer) is going after the title of #4 pro sport in the US while the NHLPA is locked out. Long term that might be good for our game but I still love it and wished more Americans got it…but oh well.

Mr. Suck…if you don’t like the offer you better counter-offer. Remember you don’t just represent the owners you represent the fans as well!

NFL Canada takes advantage of NHL lockout

admin — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 01:03:01 +0000

Mr. Suck is going to let the season disappear. And he says that he doesn’t care, that it is secondary, that they NHL will loss less money!

Mr. Bettman I know you probably never watched Canadian TV or read a Canadian website but if you did you would notice the increase the number of commercials and ads from NFL Canada. They know the lockout is their chance to steal money and fans from the NHL.

If we lose the entire season hockey will never be the same.

Mr. Bettman doesn’t really care; he isn’t a fan of the game!

Come on Gary…start talking and try to end the lockout!

hey hey ho ho Gary Bettman has got to go…
hey hey ho ho Gary Bettman has got to go…
hey hey ho ho Gary Bettman has got to go…