The Dark Ranger: Bettman the Barbarian Takes On Dolans!

Bio of TDR

TDR is a working professional in entertainment and is obsessed with the game of hockey. More four years ago, this site emerged as a means (or an outlet) to tell some truth'isms about the game post-lockout, rather than the crud fed to us through knuckleheads like Jimmy Dolan and his lemmings universe. Today, there are a hundred Rangers sites and is thankful and grateful to all those that have come after him, but honorable thanks go to his fellow Dark-writers, Graying Mantis and J_Undisputed. And "Let's Go Rangers!"

Bio of Graying Mantis

Graying Mantis is in fact a graying legal practitioner by day (and sometimes, alas, by night). In the cobwebs of his memory, he recalls starting to follow the Blueshirts in 1970 and remembers watching pivotal playoff games against the Blackhawks on a snow-covered Hartford t.v. channel in their 1972 march to the Finals. Giacomin, Gilbert, Ratelle, and Hadfield seen skating on a small B&W TV screens always will be among his first Ranger memories. He is grateful beyond words for the opportunity to work with his colleagues here in their never ending battle to inform and entertain. Most of all, he appreciates the chance to engage with fellow hockey fans.

Bio of J_Undisputed

"J_Undisputed is an Information Tech Professional; a student, and on and off in his dreams, Mike Richter. He caught his first glimpse of Rangers Hockey when an overtime preempted his favorite pro wrestling broadcast on WWOR-9 one late saturday night when he was 5 and he's been hooked ever since. He's been watching the Rangers for 30 years despite family attempts to make him an Islander Fan (Rest easy...they're out of the will). What started as a minor annoyance has become a life long passion (and at times, a frustration...But he wouldn't trade it for anything). Lets Go Rangers!"

Bio of General Ganz

General Ganz is a cynical yet well-informed student of the human spirit. He's a professional of sorts, with a post-graduate education, some experience working in real companies, and some limited athletic ability. The total small package. He got picked on a fair bit as a kid, and he experienced his first human-non-relation kiss in his teens. He also grew up on the other side of the tracks, thereby helping to cultivate a healthy contempt for dreamers and optimists whose rosy upbringing gave them something to smile about, even when "life produced lemons." Like it or not, his only mission is to point out the potholes you're lucky enough to miss on your drive to work. To find the blemish on your daughter's carefully-stitched (and not-yet-paid-for) wedding dress. To take that little smidgen of hope that your favorite hockey teams fill you with, and pour orange paint on it. Oh, and he is a Blueshirts fan, and takes most of his fashion direction from Ron Duguay (whose name he dropped as a way to close the deal on that first kiss).

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Bettman the Barbarian Takes On Dolans!

The National Hockey League is threatening to kick out Madison Square Garden, the owners of the New York Rangers, as punishment for accusing the league of violating antitrust laws.

The NHL filed court papers Wednesday that included a draft letter from commissioner Gary Bettman. In its court filing, the NHL asked a judge to agree MSG has breached its contract by challenging league rules and that it can force out MSG.

Madison Square Garden sued the NHL in September, saying it violated antitrust laws by monopolizing control of team promotions. And a judge said in November the league seemed within its rights to take control of the team's website.

Now here is the perfect example of the 'Battle of the Egos' -- where at some point Herr Bettman probably got in a room with members of the Dolan Empire and verbally shagged them, inciting imaginary rule #357a of the NHL franchise agreement regarding global league marketing and how big your C**k is....I mean New York accent.

So instead of revisiting corruption in the NHL's referees, looking to greater expand the NHL in our own country (as opposed to England or Prague), securing a greater network (i.e. ESPN) for the NHL to mainstream North America, and making player rough-housing revisions, etc., Mr. Bettman is again looking to admonish and threaten one of the most profitable Original Six teams because he 'can.'

What a joke. If the Toronto Maple Leafs decided they wanted to keep profits in-house and ultimately coordinate their website marketing in tandem with the league, as opposed to letting Gary Bettman control it, there wouldn't ever be a problem. There are untouchables in the league, as we saw throughout the playoffs.

Perhaps this is another example of favoritism in the hockey world and how the league looks down on another New York City franchise.

Go get 'em MSG....

tdr

5 comments:

DiscordanianJun 19, 2008 12:01 PM
What a joke. The New York Rangers are one of the "untouchable" teams that gets away with murder. What a bunch of whining. And no, Toronto wouldn't be able to get away with what the MSG tried to do.

Having said that, Bettman is is rather full of himself after taking on the NHLPA for the win.

What I don't get is why anyone likes the MSG organization anyway. They aren't one of the better hockey owners in the league. In fact, before the 'new' NHL, they traditionally spent big and got very little in return. Who isn't a bit excited to think that the Rangers might get some new owners?
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The Dark RangerJun 19, 2008 12:18 PM
Gary Bettman is a bigger prick than any one franchise -- one example with the failing franchises in Florida and Nashville - both have corrupt and bankrupt owners...mind you, all previously approved by the legion of Gary Bettman. When a billionaire named Jim Basille wants to buy one of these ailing teams and the owners want to sell them to Basille -- Gary 'control freak' Bettman and the league will NOT allow it. Why? Because they are afraid that Basille can market the league - or his team for that matter - better than BETTMAN CAN! Huh? The Blackberry owner Jim Basille owning a hockey team is a bigger threat to Bettman's employment and control than anyone...maybe it would get in the way of that bonus-laden NHL Nokia sponsorship that does nothing for the league. See..this is the problem. Gary Bettman makes himself 'untouchable' by controlling the marketing and that in itself is the bigger issue.

..and if you're a die-hard Rangers fan, who wouldn't whine a little and defend the venue...I want to keep my friggin seats. ;)
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AnonymousJun 19, 2008 07:52 PM
You are both schmucks. But Bettman is flexing his muscles more than the Dolans, which is wrong. Clubs like Nashville and Carolina are perfectly willing to let the league market their franchises appropriately because they don't have the capacity for it, but Bettman is bordering on a monopolistic approach to his lawsuit.
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FAUX RUMORSJun 20, 2008 05:56 AM
1) Getting away from the personalities for a second; What are the possible outcomes here? If you 'force' the team to be sold, there is no problem you'd find someone willing to buy the most profitable US based team BUT, could MSG then say you can't play here in our arena if that happened?
2) Imagine the marquis US team without a home? Great PR for the league Mr. Bettman. It would seem this could have been handled a bit more delicately/diplomaticly.
3) There are no winners in any scenario. Well, the lawyers for both sides win either way.
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The Dark RangerJun 20, 2008 08:47 AM
Anonymous...schmucks? so what you're saying is that you agree with me. thanks.

Faux...Blueshirt Bulletin did a nice piece this morning reassuring all Rangers fans that major corporations like Cablevision do NOT get bullied by private organizations, especially one that threatens a NYC institution. As suspected, this is legal bullying by both parties, especially Bettman and his new-found God complex. They could find new buyers in a heartbeat - and yes, MSG could become the sole home of the KNICKS if legally this pushed through. The NY Times did a piece that suggested the new Brooklyn arena as a potential re-location for the Rangers. I think everyone has jumped ahead of themselves a little -- especially discordanian on this post --

I am all for Bettman stirring up controversy and getting press for himself and the NHL -- just not at the expense of MY TEAM. Pick on someone your own size, Bettman -- because Jim Dolan and his empire are the DARKER side to your DARK side. Pick on someone smaller and let me - the lowly humble season ticket holder - keep my MSG.
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