Just When You Thought Bettman Couldn't Sink Any Lower

[TBLeafer]

Here's a guy that doesn't know how to accept that he's lost.

NHL sues players' union to restore Dennis Wideman's 20-game ban

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/dennis-wideman-suspension-nhl-1.3623548?cmp=rss

 

[bustaheims]

I'm not sure why you're putting this on Bettman, when this is likely coming from the league's legal counsel, and, in light of the third party decision on Tom Brady's suspension being overturned, there's now precedent for this kind of case. If anything, in light of the Brady decision, it would have been unwise for the league to not explore this avenue.

Also, the headline is really misleading. The league isn't suing for damages here. They've filed a lawsuit to get the decision made by the independent arbitrator overturned.

 

[TBLeafer]

Bettman runs the league, so it ultimately falls to him.

Just take your lumps.  You got beat.  The process already took so long, Wideman wasn't allowed to play for the bulk of the 20 games anyway.

Very childish.

 

[bustaheims]

Bettman runs the league, so it ultimately falls to him.

Just take your lumps.  You got beat.  The process already took so long, Wideman wasn't allowed to play for the bulk of the 20 games anyway.

Very childish.

Yeah, no.

The Board of Governors runs the league, not Bettman. Also, Bettman's not in charge of supplemental discipline, and the decision to pursue a lawsuit almost certainly is being pushed forward by that department. And, there's absolutely nothing childish about pursuing all your legal options and doing your due diligence, especially in light of the NFL having success in the same arena.

 

[TBLeafer]

Bettman runs the league, so it ultimately falls to him.

Just take your lumps.  You got beat.  The process already took so long, Wideman wasn't allowed to play for the bulk of the 20 games anyway.

Very childish.

Yeah, no.

The Board of Governors runs the league, not Bettman. Also, Bettman's not in charge of supplemental discipline, and the decision to pursue a lawsuit almost certainly is being pushed forward by that department. And, there's absolutely nothing childish about pursuing all your legal options and doing your due diligence, especially in light of the NFL having success in the same arena.

Oh goody.  The NHL version of deflate gate. 

Its a suspension not a crime and one that BETTMAN pushed for.

 

[Kin]

I didn't agree with the arbitrator's ruling, I thought Wideman deserved at least 20 games, but the final say of the arbitrator is an important issue the NHLPA fought for and won and I don't see merit in the NHL's case.

That said, I reject the idea that this is "low" on the NHL or Bettman's part. Obviously they're going to want to test the limit and get an actual ruling on how their CBA is worded and whether or not the arbitrator can just summarily say "Bettman is wrong" and change a suspension. Considering the way officials saw the Wideman hit it's very much in the league's interest to go to bat for them here.

 

[bustaheims]

Oh goody.  The NHL version of deflate gate. 

Its a suspension not a crime and one that BETTMAN pushed for.

We get it. You don't like Bettman. The problem is that your arguments here hold no water. The league isn't doing anything malicious. This isn't sour grapes. This is them pursuing their legal due diligence. Whoever pushed for the suspension is irrelevant. If it had been Daly, Campbell, or whoever else in the head office who pushed for it and it was reduced, the league would still have filed the lawsuit. The fact that it's not a crime is also irrelevant. They're not attempting to press charges. They're not trying to get anyone incarcerated. They're looking to overturn the decision of an independent arbitrator, and the court system is the only way they can do that. That is absolutely their right and - in light of the Brady situation - one could argue, it's their duty.

 

[Bill_Berg]

Oh goody.  The NHL version of deflate gate. 

Its a suspension not a crime and one that BETTMAN pushed for.

We get it. You don't like Bettman. The problem is that your arguments here hold no water. The league isn't doing anything malicious. This isn't sour grapes. This is them pursuing their legal due diligence. Whoever pushed for the suspension is irrelevant. If it had been Daly, Campbell, or whoever else in the head office who pushed for it and it was reduced, the league would still have filed the lawsuit. The fact that it's not a crime is also irrelevant. They're not attempting to press charges. They're not trying to get anyone incarcerated. They're looking to overturn the decision of an independent arbitrator, and the court system is the only way they can do that. That is absolutely their right and - in light of the Brady situation - one could argue, it's their duty.

To add to that, and to be clear. The court system is not exclusively used for criminal matters.

 

[TBLeafer]

Oh goody.  The NHL version of deflate gate. 

Its a suspension not a crime and one that BETTMAN pushed for.

We get it. You don't like Bettman. The problem is that your arguments here hold no water. The league isn't doing anything malicious. This isn't sour grapes. This is them pursuing their legal due diligence. Whoever pushed for the suspension is irrelevant. If it had been Daly, Campbell, or whoever else in the head office who pushed for it and it was reduced, the league would still have filed the lawsuit. The fact that it's not a crime is also irrelevant. They're not attempting to press charges. They're not trying to get anyone incarcerated. They're looking to overturn the decision of an independent arbitrator, and the court system is the only way they can do that. That is absolutely their right and - in light of the Brady situation - one could argue, it's their duty.

No, its a waste of a court's time and money.  It was clear BETTMAN didn't like the ruling and the NHL commissioner has the ability to tell the NHL he runs not to pursue it further.

That's how hierarchy works.  That's fact.

Wideman didn't have hits wits about him and that was clear to all.

 

[Kin]

That's how hierarchy works.  That's fact.

It's a fact that the commissioner is hired by, and can be fired by, the board of governors. If someone hires you and can fire you, you're not above them in a hierarchy.

 

[L K]

Oh goody.  The NHL version of deflate gate. 

Its a suspension not a crime and one that BETTMAN pushed for.

We get it. You don't like Bettman. The problem is that your arguments here hold no water. The league isn't doing anything malicious. This isn't sour grapes. This is them pursuing their legal due diligence. Whoever pushed for the suspension is irrelevant. If it had been Daly, Campbell, or whoever else in the head office who pushed for it and it was reduced, the league would still have filed the lawsuit. The fact that it's not a crime is also irrelevant. They're not attempting to press charges. They're not trying to get anyone incarcerated. They're looking to overturn the decision of an independent arbitrator, and the court system is the only way they can do that. That is absolutely their right and - in light of the Brady situation - one could argue, it's their duty.

No, its a waste of a court's time and money.  It was clear BETTMAN didn't like the ruling and the NHL commissioner has the ability to tell the NHL he runs not to pursue it further.

That's how hierarchy works.  That's fact.

Wideman didn't have hits wits about him and that was clear to all.

You do know that the hierarchy of the league doesn't have Bettman at the top, right?

 

[bustaheims]

No, its a waste of a court's time and money.  It was clear BETTMAN didn't like the ruling and the NHL commissioner has the ability to tell the NHL he runs not to pursue it further.

That's how hierarchy works.  That's fact.

It's not a fact, as Bettman doesn't have that ability. He can advise the BoG not to pursue things, but, at the end of the day, he has to follow their decision. The league didn't like the ruling, and, I'm sure the BoG (or, at least, the head of the BoG) advised Bettman to pursue all legal avenues available to them. The officials union didn't like the ruling, and I'm sure they pressured the league to pursue all legal avenues available. And, yeah, I'm sure Bettman himself didn't like the ruling, and being that he was a lawyer before he got involved with professional sports, I'm sure he felt it was prudent to explore all legal avenues that were available.

As for being a waste of the court's time and money . . . the branch of the court system they'll be using for this case is basically designed to settle disputes related to arbitrated decisions. Hardly a waste. They won't be causing delays in any criminal proceedings or the like. In fact, the "courtroom" they'll be using for this will likely just be a boardroom in an office building somewhere.

And, well, you can capitalize his name as many times as you want, that doesn't change anything.

 

[Tigger]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

 

[TBLeafer]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

Ooooooooh look at that flat cap. 

 

[bustaheims]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

Ooooooooh look at that flat cap.

Ooooooooh look at that irrelevant point.

 

[Tigger]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

Ooooooooh look at that flat cap.

What does that have to do with it?

 

[TBLeafer]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

Ooooooooh look at that flat cap.

Ooooooooh look at that irrelevant point.

yeah because they can't spend money on raising the cap, but they can spend it on going to court and forcing the PA into using the escalator.

 

[TBLeafer]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

Ooooooooh look at that flat cap.

What does that have to do with it?

See above.

 

[Tigger]

Bettman aside, if they want to waste time and resources pursuing a legal claim, why is that a problem?

Ooooooooh look at that flat cap.

Ooooooooh look at that irrelevant point.

yeah because they can't spend money on raising the cap, but they can spend it on going to court and forcing the PA into using the escalator.

That's just nonsense.

 

[Kin]

yeah because they can't spend money on raising the cap, but they can spend it on going to court and forcing the PA into using the escalator.

That's....that's not how the cap works.