I have come to the realization that Gary Bettman is the chief cheerleader, salesman and upholder of franchise values by the simple of use of his tongue and mouth. I have also come to terms with the fact that he will say nothing that will negatively impact said values. So it stands to reason that when conditions for franchise success become compromised or exposed as sour, then spoonfuls of salt need to be taken when the Commissioner speaks.But now that news has broke that even the NFL commissioner is cutting his own salary, while the NHL “whistles past the graveyard” as one writer put it recently, it seems that the NHL politicking style doublespeak has reached critical mass. This appears to place the NFL in a more sympathetic position with thousands of fans who have lost their jobs, homes or lost hours of work in lieu of layoffs. And let's be honest the NFL players, senior HQ brass and ownership won't feel much of a pinch at all. The only question is the amount of NFL profit. It may be down or up, but the NFL will never actually lose money.If the NBA, MLB and even the NFL can show some weakness, then surely the NHL is Offside for not acknowledging the obvious, being the poorer cousin years or decades before the financial downturn occurred. more »

Photo Courtesy of Alex Snell The Commissioner is Offside for trying to cover the blueline with hundreds if not thousands of little white lies. So much so, the blue paint is being obstructed by a WhiteOut only rivaled by the original created in Winnipe… more »