Another rant for the heads of Bettman and Goodenow

Ray Ratto vents his spleen over the leadership of Bettman and Goodenow. For the most part, it's typical hyperbole from someone who simply doesn't get it.

Firstly, the league is now officially healthier than ever before in history. Bettman's deal (and make no mistake, this is HIS deal, not Goodenow's), ensures that small market teams share in revenue, have a basement of spending, caps the top revenue earners, hard caps the top players, and links revenues to salary moving forward.

Bettman's deal in short, ensures the survival of the NHL by forcing all teams to spend within their limits.

As to the suggestion by Ratto that the failure to hold a season is something to pin on Bettman - I point to the fact that a BETTER deal for the players could have been had prior to the shutdown;, one with; a higher ceiling, a lower basement, and numerous other smaller concessions that Bettman would have made to save the year, but wasn't obliged to make once it was clearly toast.

But Goodenow misread the situation and so we lost a year of hockey. If there is a casuality from all of this Bobby G is the fall guy. When Chelios, Jagr, and other top stars are calling for the Union head on a stick, he can't be long for the role. In contrast, Bettman has the firm support of the key owners, and most of the fans. I don't think he's going anywhere.

As for the state of the fanbase for hockey, let me say this; in Canada this is not a problem. Hockey is our national religion, it is never going away. The fans will come back because we desparately WANT to come back, and this deal will give us even more incentive to do so.

In the US things will be different. But they have always been different in the US. Americans are fickle and flighty in their support for anything save the big three sports (MLB, NBA, NFL) and even those three have seen their support wax and wane over the year (i.e. recent ESPN headline "Can LeBron save the NBA?" - I certainly didn't realize the NBA was in trouble!)

Now that the NHL has turned the corner on its darkest year, it's all going up. With costs under control, everybody can focus on the necessity for growing the revenue pie. That will mean marketing initiatives, etc. As hockey excitement builds in Canada and leaks Southwards, the networks will return gradually and inveitably, and so will the fans.