(not on the Commish’s iPod)

Hockey people have already found a lot to gripe about in Gary Bettman’s state of the league talk, but this part here slipped through the cracks.

Q: Are you chagrined or bothered by the fact that the Pistons and Celtics are going head to head against you both nights here and could you have gotten together with David Stern and done anything about it?

COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN: What’s interesting about that question is, and as I’ve watched the commentary on the subject, everybody seems to be focused on us. And I think that’s a little unrealistic and a little unfair. Not without noticing the Tigers are playing tonight. There’s, what do they call it, a techno rock concert. I don’t know exactly what that is, but it’s next door. I assume there will be thousands of people there.

Now, considering that Bettman seems the sort of guy who would refer to rapper “Snoopy Dog” (as I once saw C. Delores Tucker do at a legislative hearing) or think that Nickelback are indie rock, “techno rock concert” seems a close enough description of Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival, where Josh Wink and Kevin Saunderson are among the competition for Games 2.

But at least we know where Kid Rock’s gonna be. I find it just a little curious that in the midst of Johan Franzen fever, there’s been absolutely no talk about Chris Chelios. The Julio Franco of the NHL was injured in the last round but has purportedly recovered. Guess he turns up Wednesday if the Red Wings lose.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press checks in with Cheli’s salt-of-the-earth friends. And to think people gave Springsteen a hard time for moving to L.A.

Chelios is at the core of a group of athletes, entertainers and others who own property in the Southern California community, pal around and work out together.

The Malibu Mob includes Chelios, big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton, tennis star John McEnroe and actors Tony Danza, John Cusack and John C. McGinley, who provided some insight into the group’s activities.

McGinley, who stars as the fast-talking Dr. Perry Cox on the NBC (and soon to be ABC) sitcom “Scrubs,” grew up a Rangers fan in New York, but switched his allegiance to the Wings after his Malibu neighbour Chelios was traded from Chicago to Detroit in 1999.

McGinley said his fellow Mob members all are big Chelios fans and drop what they’re doing to see him play when Detroit is on the West Coast. They have seen the Red Wings play during recent stops in Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose.

If Chelios is in town, “the Mob is meeting,” McGinley said. “Whoever’s here is a quorum.”

The Mob members converge on a luxury box at the arena “so we can just completely bask in Cheli’s glory,” he said.

Or Andreas Lilja’s glory.

…apparently, the Mob is willing to expand its numbers should the right candidate come along. Currently under consideration is a lifelong Wings fan – Detroit’s own Kid Rock (real name Robert Ritchie).

“Kid Rock is coming on quick,” McGinley said. “There will have to be a Mob vote. Bobby’s one of the guys. He’s just the best.”

What, no mention of Tim Commerford?