Gary Bettman is a damn nitwit

Picking on Gary Bettman is like picking the short fat kid in elementary.

Its easy. Everybody does it and there's plenty of material to use.

In this instance, its his absolute retardedness in scheduling the season opener of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.

Don't get me wrong, as Red Wings fan, I despise the Blackhawks immensely.

But the defending Stanley Cup Champions who have great young stars such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews deserve more respect.

In other sports, the reigning champion's banner ceremony is usually a celebration of the team's tremendous accomplishment that kicks off the regular season with a national audience with the sport's undivided attention.

The NFL has developed a tradition where the defending SuperBowl Champion always kicks off the season in a primetime Thursday telecast at home on NBC to kick-off the regular season.

The NBA always has the reigning World Champions kick-off the new season with their banner raising and ring ceremony in primetime on TNT as part of a doubleheader.

But not Mr. Bettman, oh no.

The Blackhawks open their season on the road tonight in Colorado of all places for a 10 p.m. puck drop on Versus, when most of the country will be asleep and is one of five games on tonight's schedule.

Its as if the schedule maker mixed something up as the Blackhawks home opener and banner raising ceremony is on Saturday against fellow Original Six team and hated rival, the Red Wings.  Yet, it is not on any kind of national TV.

If I'm making the schedule for the NHL, the defending Stanley Cup Champions raising a banner and one of the league's most historic rivalries on national TV on opening night makes sense to me.

Instead, the league will again give lip service to their meal ticket in Pittsburgh (Sidney Crosby) and just probably hope nobody remembers the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.

Its their first Cup in 43 years, not like that ceremony will be special or historic or anything.

Gary, you just make it too easy sometimes.