I am sure there were a lot of fans that weren't happy today with Bettman's condescending, pompous and arrogant statement statement, I don't like reading that statement.
Tim Panaccio, Flyers Talk --- And that’s what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is counting upon. That you, the fans, will come back again when he locks the doors on Sept. 15.First, I am not sure how Gary Bettman can start making ridiculous comments like he did today – does he have research to back up his claims? How does he know that the fans will be back after the lockout is over – there might be some fans that might just decide to not renew their season tickets or spend the money on something else – the country is in an economic down turn and some fans might decide that they won’t by the tickets and save the money for a rainy day.
A week, a month, an entire season. He’s pretty confident you’ll come back.
How do we know that? The Commish all but said so today in Toronto at the CBA meetings.
After a brief, 90-minute negotiating session with the NHLPA in which nothing was really bargained and nothing was gained on either side, Bettman was asked about the damage another lockout could do.
“We recovered last time because we have the world's greatest fans,” Bettman said.
That, in a nutshell, is why the owners are willing to do it again. They know the sport will recover. They have past history to prove it.
Hockey fans are like addicts. They can’t resist the ice. They come back. Again and again.
This is one of the reason I believe that there is no reason to remain optimistic. The owners and Gary Bettman are taking NHL fans for granted – the owners and Bettman are making the assumption that the fans will forgive the owners for locking out the players after the labor dispute is over.
Today Gary Bettman said, "the only way to make progress in ongoing labour talks is to solve the "fundamental economic issues."
