Garry Bettman is the embattled commissioner of the National Hockey League. Since the league has returned from the a one-year, strike-imposed vacation, the league has battled low ratings and lack of interest from average fans and media since the league returned in 2005-06. Having two non-traditional hockey markets (Raleigh-Durham and Anaheim) win the Stanley Cup since the return hasn’t helped the league either.
But, Bettman’s job is easy compared to the commissioners of the three other major professional sports in the United States. Bettman’s woes are simply a marketing problem, while the commissioners of the NFL, MLB, and NBA are dealing with major legal issues that have dominated their respective offseasons and, in the case of baseball, placed a cloud over the league’s regular season.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is dealing with yet another player facing legal problems, this after the passage of the new personal conduct policy that allows the league to suspend habitual law breakers. Goodell has used the policy to suspend Tennessee Titans’ cornerback Adam Jones for a year, Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Chris Henry for eight games, and former Chicago Bears’ defensive tackle Tank Johnson for eight games. Read the rest of this entry »
