This is how Bettman negotiates

[Dakkster]

Allan Walsh tweeted about this and I found it absolutely fascinating.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/04/03/c...into-overtime/

The thing that I reacted to the most was this part:

On July 19, in Montreal, we presented Bettman and Daly with a formal offer. Less than two weeks later, we met again in New York. This time Bettman tabled his revenue model, which had been prepared by an outside group of consultants. The numbers looked absurd to us. They were another world from what we were actually achieving. Bettman, however, seemed quite happy with them.

“So,” he asked, “now that you see how well you should be doing, how much more can you put on the table?”

“These numbers are crazy,” I said. “Your projections are way too aggressive.”

“Maybe you just have a lousy sales force,” he countered.

“We have a good sales force. They have been selling Hockey Night in Canada since the dawn of history. They know the market better than anyone.”

“Our consultants say you are priced too low,” Gary went on. He smiled cheerfully.

At last we agreed that his man, Steven Hatze-Petros, would meet with our head of sales, David Scapillati, to see whether there was a common ground. And in fact they did agree. By the end of the month they had produced a common revenue number, which was much closer to our own.

The next day, I called Bettman. He was his usual sunny self.

“Now,” I said, “since we have agreed on the revenues, we should be able to close.”

“Nope,” he replied.

“Nope?”

“There is no agreement on the revenue number,” he said.

“That can’t be! Scapillati told me that he and Hatze-Petros had agreed.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

So imagine Fehr and company getting all those 76000 pages of financial details about the league and he uses that as a basis for a proposal. Bettman could just say "yeah, well, I don't agree with them". Slippery as a damn eel...

[DerekReese]

Dakkstar did you know you have the same avatar as Sentium!

[tgraveline]

I don't like this at all. He's trying to make more than 8 million each year for basically being the most hated guy in the sport.

[dongjohnson]

Bettman= moron and stooge of the worst owners...

[tgraveline]

I finished reading the entire thing and it's a good read. One, it does show that Bettman is the consumate negotiator. You get the feeling he just wants to win.

I understand he's always trying to get the best deal and who wouldn't?

I just don't like the weird emphasis on where they ate and stuff. It's the classic, kid who loves to talk about the history of a place or who owns it, or who goes there, that suggests he's got the ultimate little-man syndrome. Has to prove himself daily to everyone that he's got it made and that he's a force to be reckoned with.

I don't mind a negotiator, but one who is out to prove something because of their past makes me nervous.

[thatbirdguy]

Bettman= moron and stooge of the worst owners...

Bettman is many things, but he is far, far from a moron.

[ericdaoust]

I think what pisses off most people about Bettman is how well he fits the stereotypical corporate suit.

[dongjohnson]

Bettman is many things, but he is far, far from a moron.

You're right but this forum won't let me say what I really think without censorship

I think what pisses off most people about Bettman is how well he fits the stereotypical corporate suit.

He definitely embodies all the negative attributes of a corporate suit, 100% agree. Moreover, the problem is that Bettman seems indifferent to me (and many others) about the fans, e.g. the consumer of his corporate product, except when it's to increase his profit. It makes sense, doesn't it? He didn't grow up playing hockey, he didn't dream about becoming the Commish from age 9 etc, he took the job as a business matter and that's all it his to him, so he's happy to play games while doing so.

[ericdaoust]

He definitely embodies all the negative attributes of a corporate suit, 100% agree. Moreover, the problem is that Bettman seems indifferent to me (and many others) about the fans, e.g. the consumer of his corporate product, except when it's to increase his profit. It makes sense, doesn't it? He didn't grow up playing hockey, he didn't dream about becoming the Commish from age 9 etc, he took the job as a business matter and that's all it his to him, so he's happy to play games while doing so.

He's been good for the owners in the sense that he serves as their mouthpiece and doesn't throw any of them under the bus. He has a lot of faults though, mainly a habit of not addressing issues until several years after the fact.

[fungchen3]

Bettman makes $8 mil a year because he is great at his "job". That said, as a fan, I hate him.

[ericdaoust]

Bettman makes $8 mil a year because he is great at his "job". That said, as a fan, I hate him.

Bettman makes 8 million a year because he signed a long front-loaded contract. His cap hit is only 4.2 million. Oddly enough, his contract was not flagged for cap circumvention.