tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518202653898886981.post5018774060169600579..comments2024-03-27T23:29:08.366-04:00Comments on Down Goes Brown: A look back at the NHL's forgotten lockoutDown Goes Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10150805735008417848noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518202653898886981.post-9530099058383170882014-09-03T18:45:20.390-04:002014-09-03T18:45:20.390-04:00Bettman is certainly the kingpin (not a comical, h...Bettman is certainly the kingpin (not a comical, hook handed bowler!), of tightrope walking sports executives, continually airing the business side of the NHL in public, and somehow avoiding disaster. I'm a long suffering Leafs fan (I think Ontario hospitals actually have preset medication for this now), and as a Canadian in general, Gary is an easy prick to demonize, sometimes wrongly. He's so adept at keeping the owners as this invisible pool of rich dudes, and deflecting all the arrows and boulders on his own, that most of us sometimes forget that he actually has bosses.... a lot of 'em. Many owners (not including the bizarre, multi-tiered Leafs ownership debacle) spoke out as the 'nice guys' during the lockout(s), hoping that the whole crazy mess will be over soon. These guys were complicit, but Bettman was such an easy target for fans and media alike, that the rich boys seem to just breeze right through the conflict. <br /><br />Note to self: being absurdly wealthy offers certain advantages.Russhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12007074153354792757noreply@blogger.com