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Since the original copy of the article was more than 1600 words, and there is still a little more that I would like to add, I cut it in half, and posted the first half yesterday.   

Another issue, which I spoke about in the original article on this topic, when Balsillie was trying to purchase the Nashville Predators, he actually went so far as to sell seasons tickets for a team in Hamilton.  They were sold with the condition that if the deal fell through, the tickets would be completely refunded.  I firmly believe that he did this to demonstrate the vast amount of desire for a hockey team in this country, however the old boys club that runs the NHL seems to have taken this as an affront to their way of doing business.   Craig Leipold was the owner of the Nashville Predators when Balsillie tried to buy the team.  Since that time, has divested himself of the Nashville Predators and now owns the Minnesota Wild.  During the meeting with Balsillie, Leopold berated him because of his infringement on the Nashville Predators trademarks.  I find that line of reasoning very difficult to agree with.  Balsillie didn’t sell his own souvenirs with the trademarks of the Nashville Predators, I’m not even sure that he used the Predators logo.  I’m not entirely sure which entity the Hamilton tickets were sold as, maybe they were marketed as the Hamilton Predators.  The fact of the matter is that although he may have technically infringed on the Predators name, he did not gain from it - all of the money from ticket sales were refunded.  When the tickets were sold, they were forthcoming about the fact that there might not be a team coming to Hamilton, and if not, the money would be refunded. 

It Must Be a Lack of Integrity

This meeting seems as though it was little more than an excuse to get Balsillie to come to Chicago and stand in a hotel ballroom so the NHL could hurl abuse at him.  Shortly afterward, Balsillie was informed that he had been rejected as an owner, under an NHL by-law that allows the league to say no due to financial shortcomings or lack of integrity.  I searched Google for an indication of his net worth, and the first number I came up with was $3.5 billion dollars.  Not that I know much about it, but it seems to be in the ballpark. 

The matter must be that he lacks integrity.  I can’t say that I know how the man treats his family.  Or his friends.  I don’t know how he behaves behind closed doors with business associates or subordinates.  But I also haven’t heard anything bad.  Often, when people are real pricks behind closed doors, word quietly gets around.  I have heard nothing of the sort about Balsillie.  What I do know, is that the community that I live in is lucky to have Research in Motion and the Balsillie family here.  He has donated not just millions, but hundreds of millions of dollars to causes in the community.  The cancer center at the local hospital bears his family name.  He donated $120 million several years ago to establish a world class theoretical physics organization that will be hosting Steven Hawking in the near future.  He donated even more money to establish CIGI, the Centre for International Governance Innovation.  During the last few months, he has donated approximately $50 million to establish a new local university.  These are just the major, public donations he has made, and I would be surprised if there were no others.  He is a very generous man, and I firmly believe that someone who donates such a fortune to the community deserves the benefit of the doubt. 

Surely They Would Never Let a Fraudster Purchase a Team…?

Now, bearing in mind that Mr. Balsillie has been rejected due to some perceived flaw in his character and integrity, the NHL must have awfully high standards when it comes to the pedigree and public image of those that actually are chosen to own NHL teams, it would make sense, wouldn’t it?  Unfortunately, either the powers that be are massive hypocrities, or they are able to judge a persons character very, very poorly.  One of the minority owners in the group that was hand picked by the NHL to purchase the Nashville Predators (instead of Balsillie) was William Del Biaggio III.  If you Google that name, the top four results are all describing his criminal activity.  It seems that he forged financial documents to secure $110 million in financing so he could purchase the Predators.  He is also on the hook of at least a half dozen law suits, including a divorce proceeding which claims that he misrepresented his financial wherewithal.  He apparently also operated a Ponzi scheme to finance his lifestyle.  As I stated before, either the NHL is a very, very poor judge of character, or they are unwilling to apply the same stringent standards to all potential owners.  Failing to apply the same standards to all applications for the benefit of their own personal vendettas does not really embody the values of integrity.

Based on the issues presented in both parts of this article, it appears that the NHL does have an axe to grind with respect to Jim Balsillie.  It is disappointing that they have chosen to cite a lack of integrity as being their reason for failing to allow him to purchase a team.  From where I sit, it appears to me that most of the people involved in this story have much more significant character flaws than those of Jim Balsillie.  George Gillett, although he was slighted by the early revelation that the Montreal Canadiens are for sale does not appear to be able to run a hockey team.  He owns one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, with some of the most loyal and passionate fans to go with it.  It seems as though such a franchise would be a license to print money.  Unfortunately Mr. Gillett has racked up approximately $250 million in debt in the Canadiens good name, and there are rumours that his inability to refinance the debt in current market conditions is what led to the sale of the team. 

Most of my first article on this topic focused on Gary Bettman’s shortcomings, and it would be redundant to post them again.  Needless to say, I could probably fill another complete article on what I have to say about that man.  I’ll simply say that its a good thing that they don’t require the same strength of character in a commissioner that they do in potential owners. 

It seems that the sale and bankruptcy of the Phoenix Coyotes has not nearly run its course, and I am sure that I will have plenty to say on this topic in the future.  As I find out more developments, I’ll be sure to post my take.