Columnist speaks up against Bettman boo birds
It has become somewhat of a tradition in the NHL for fans to boo commissioner Gary Bettman at every opportunity. When he comes out to present the Stanley Cup, there are nothing but boos. When he hands out any award, there are a chorus of boos to greet him. And on Friday night as he opened the 2015 NHL Draft, he was yet again met by a shower of boos.
There are numerous grievances against Bettman. There have been three lockouts during his 22-year reign. He moved broadcasting rights from ESPN to smaller networks with less exposure for financial reasons. He concerned NHL fans recently when he claimed there is no evidence linking concussions to CTE, a degenerative brain disease.
But a Pittsburgh-area columnist Rob Rossi has had enough of fans booing Gary Bettman, and he argued in a recent column that the popularity of the 2015 Draft in Florida was enough evidence to prove Bettman's worth as commissioner.
"Hockey has grown immeasurably in America because the NHL is today where it wouldn't be without Bettman's resolve to maintain non-traditional and warm-weathered markets," Rossi wrote. "He has fought furiously to provide a similar shot for potential Hockey Guys and Hockey Girls from South Florida to Nashville, over and through Dallas, and all the way into Arizona.
"Auston Matthews was born in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sept. 17, 1997. Two days short of the cut for this past NHL Draft, he is projected to go first overall next year. Bettman will be booed [next year] in Buffalo. Then he'll smile, because he knows what can happen when the NHL stays in a place where hockey didn't once belong."
The comments on Rossi's column are, of course, full with the vitriol from fans unwilling to consider the NHL's commissioner in a positive light. Their concerns reflect the nuanced role a commissioner of any sports league has to face.
But the well-attended Draft in Florida was proof that hockey can thrive in untraditional markets, a venture in which Bettman clearly plays a large role. Whether that growth is enough for fans to forgive Bettman for his faults and recognize his accomplishments remains to be seen.
(h/t Trib Live)
Photo credit: Kirby Lee
