Will Bettman ever deliver another Stanley Cup?
The sold-out crowd is raucous, screaming till their lungs feel like they are going to burst. And then they scream some more. They are wild, dizzy with the euphoria of watching the home team win the Stanley Cup. Nothing at this moment can ruin their mood. Until…
“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
The crowd has suddenly erupted in a cacophony of malice and spite, taking a 180 degree turn. What’s going on? They just witnessed the very thing they have cheered for all season. The one event they have spent countless moments hoping and dreaming would come true. And now they are booing with the scorn of a million jilted lovers.
Oh right, Gary Bettman is presenting the Stanley Cup.
The dissonance between the pure, sweet elation of winning the Stanley Cup and the raw hatred afforded to Bettman has become an annual rite of spring, signaling the start of summer with unparalleled accuracy. And whenever the NHL resumes and this scene plays out after three Bettman-induced lockouts, the boos will be louder and more vicious than anything even Donald Fehr could dream of.
With the animosity sure to be limitless, does it even make sense to have Bettman continue presenting the Stanley Cup?
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Even before this third work stoppage, The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau argued that it was time for Bettman to remove himself from the ceremony and in a November column, ESPN’s John Buccigross agreed that Bettman’s absence has become long overdue.
“Gary Bettman should not be allowed to pass out the Stanley Cup to the winning team anymore. The deserved boos toward him will sully the moment. He should do the honorable thing and recuse himself from this beautiful and meaningful ceremony involving the ultimate symbol of hockey excellence.”
Both writers have suggested a well-respected alumnus of the winning team should present the Stanley Cup to the winning captain, a real-life passing-of-the-torch moment sure to be just as beautiful and triumphant as the captain’s first Stanley Cup kiss. It would be a special way to link a team’s past to its present and would be a nice way to continually honor the contributions of teams and players of the past.
From a feel-good standpoint, it’s a no-brainer. Just imagine the reaction to Mark Messier passing the Stanley Cup to Ryan Callahan or Bobby Orr passing it to Zdeno Chara. Plus, it would give the broadcast crew something else to pan to during breaks in play. “With the LA Kings up 3-1 in the series, Wayne Gretzky is in the building tonight, ladies and gentlemen.”
The idea makes sense financially, too. Framed pictures of the two stars, past and present, holding the Stanley would fly off the shelves, something I just don’t see happening for any picture with Bettman. And if money can’t sell the NHL on that idea, I’m not sure anything will.
That isn’t the only alternative to the Gary Bettman boo-fest, however. Proteau has also floated the idea of having the previous year’s winning captain on hand to present the trophy, similar to the green jacket ceremony at the Masters’ golf tournament. Such a ceremony could also create memorable moments, especially if the former champions were just ousted in the final. Can you imagine Nicklas Lidstrom having to present Sidney Crosby the 2009 Stanley Cup after narrowly missing the tying goal in the decisive Game 7? How many Penguins fans would have bought that picture just for the schadenfreude?
Or maybe nothing about the ceremony should change. Maybe Gary Bettman’s unceremonious reception is just as special, albeit considerably less beautiful, as anything else about the Stanley Cup Final. Boos don’t tarnish the ceremony; they have become one of the most memorable and anticipated moments. Watching Bettman get booed mercilessly is enjoyable. It’s fun watching him squirm under the relentless noise as he tries to get the crowd on his side, like his “It’s okay, I’m bringing a gift” reply to the Anaheim crowd in 2007.
Besides being fun, jeering Bettman is something the fans need. After these stoppages, the last being the most inconceivable and most stupefying, allowing Bettman to be booed loudly is a cathartic moment the fans deserve. It provides the fans a chance to get back at Bettman for all the perceived slights and very real frustration he has put them through. And although he isn’t solely responsible, he is the face of the league and the owners, and as such it’s a part of his job to bear the brunt of fan criticism.
It isn’t as if hearing a torrent of boos is going to upset the players and ruin their Stanley Cup moment either. After such a divisive round of labor negotiations, one in which many players echoed similar statement’s as Ian White’s “he’s an idiot,” seeing Bettman bashed by the fans is likely welcomed. Seeing Bettman so publicly shamed is validation of everything they felt during the lockout.
It isn’t beautiful, but booing Gary Bettman should be here to stay.
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