August 16, 2004
Warming The Seat For The Great One
Having established that Gary Bettman's tenure as NHL Comissioner is nearing an inglorious end, The Rodent is now speculating on who his replacement might be:
But I don't believe we'll see a Bud Selig maneuver as we did in 1992 when he promised that it was not his intention to become the permanent commissioner (yeah, right) in what amounted to a coup d'etat.
I believe the BoG will seek an interim boss to handle the negotiations and the transition. But said boss will probably be replaced with a "hockey" name some time after the next CBA is agreed to.
The mission of the new commissioner will be to restore the popularity of the sport and make peace with the fans and for that a famous retired hockey player makes more sense than the beancounter of a different league.
You must assume that it irritated the BoG no end to hear boos clear across the league for years every time Gary Bettman stepped onto the ice to make an award. Bettman is a lightning rod for fan wrath. Yet another reason why he must go, if for no other purpose than to put a fresh coat of paint onto the product.
Some thoughts: can anyone ever remember any Commissioner in any sport that passed this kind of smell test? I know I can't recall many comissioners who have ever been greeted warmly by the fans. In fact, the 'lightning rod' function is part and parcel of every commissioner's job -- a role filled quite ably by Bud Selig best of all.
But when it comes to the sort of solution that The Rodent is proposing, a 'Bud Selig manuver' is exactly what the league ought to consider. Because the only person who could fill those shoes ably, both as a voice for reform inside the game, as well as a personage with the business smarts to pull it off, is currently the owner of an NHL franchise.
He's in Phoenix. And his name is Wayne Gretzky. If I was a member of the Board of Governors, I'd be absolutely begging him to take the job.
Think about it. As far as I'm concerned, he's the only person in the game with the ability to command the respect of the players, the owners and the league's business partners. And in the areas where he might be weak, he's got the simple star power to convince the people he needs to come on board.
He saved the game once. And I think he can do it again.
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This is, I'll admit, a simplistic argument, but the NHL made a mistake in hiring a lawyer to be its CEO. Most lawyers are not good businessmen--look at Peter Angelos. Most of the modern legal profession is predicated on the *destruction* of wealth, not its creation. I don't think Bettman himself is an evil guy, and the NHL is not alone in its thinking. Three of the four major sports commissioners are lawyers; I doubt you'll find a non-legal industry with that high a percentage of bar members as CEOs.
I'm far from sold on Commissioner Gretzky, however. I think the NHL needs a real entrepreneur, not a star-cum-figurehead. Perhaps Gretzky could be the chairman of the Board of Governors instead? That would make substantially more sense.
Posted by:
at August 16, 2004 01:32 PM
gretz certainly wouldn't get booed when he makes appearances around the league.
Posted by:
at August 16, 2004 05:58 PM
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