Yep. Especially the PA. If they'd just bent their stiff goddamn necks three weeks ago (to say nothing of FIVE MONTHS!), maybe this could have been solved.
Yes and no - I'll admit the owners have more than a touch of blame, too, especially Bettman, who basically turned this into a personal fight. But I think that I'd have a lot more respect for the Players if they'd bent earlier...and if 3/4 of them hadn't run off to Europe or the minor leagues to play under worse salary caps than anything the owners proposed.
Actually, a lot of the players are now pretty pissed at the PA - they wasted a season to fight for what they wanted, lost a buttload of pay (not like they can't survive for the most part, but) and now the PA has given in on the whole thing. A lot of the players feel betrayed and are asking 'what was the point of that then?'
Carl has a theory that's what Bettman wanted - to make the players stop trusting the PA and break them both so he can fight for what he wants: hard salary cap, including benefits under the cap, etc etc etc. Ruthless, but probable - and now we see, effective.
True, though I've noticed the ones angriest about the cap break are guys like Hasek...who happen to be making about $12.5 million a year. The guys playing for Half a million, a million...not so much.
Bettman though...could be. But the real question is...if the NFL is the only profitable sport out there right now, why aren't they trying to model their CBA on that?
Pfft Hasek. I have no sympathy for him, the jerk (lol i am retiring going back to my country to raise my children f u america WAIT NO I COME BACK PLAY HOCKEY LOL I WAS JOKING). It just always seems to be the wealthiest ones that do the most crying.
And why aren't they following the NFL? Because Bettman and Goodenow are too pig-headed to change. I think they're letting their own egos get in the way, and it's going to ruin the NHL.
The season was lost months ago. Had they gone through with the truncated season it would have been a disaster. Imagine trying to recoup any cost of games selling fullprice tickets for this sort of half-assed approach. With a quarter of the league in bankruptcy I doubt any but the top three venues could be even a shred out of the red.
Frankly, while I agree on a cap within the context of a competition, I find the way the owners are trying to use this move a crude economics club to be insulting to both American enterprise and common sense.
I pretty much wrote off this year's NHL season as soon as I heard about the dispute. I'm dissapointed and irritated, yes, but I can deal as long as it only kills one season. But if it kills the entire HNL? Well, there's always the off chance that Mario Leimuex can figure out something to keep hockey around at the national level.
They'll have to do SOMETHING to try to get people in, anyhow.
We definently should haul off to a Crew game or two, tho. And rumor has it that part of the USA v. Mexico world cup series might just be in Crew Stadium...
Game would be a World Cup Qualifier, so it shouldn't be as expensive as an actial WC game, but yea, might be higher.
For anyone in Columbus. Ohio State's hockey team is hosting a round 1 series in the CCHA with an opponent TBD later. Dates are March 11 and March 12 Tickets are $5 for students and children under 18, $10 for general admission. They also have a family pack for $20. Call 1-800-GO-BUCKS for ticket info :)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-02-16 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 06:56 pm (UTC)Assholes.
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Date: 2005-02-16 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 07:00 pm (UTC)To the limited extent I've been following the situation, it's hard not to see the players' association as the owner of the lion's share of the blame.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 07:20 pm (UTC)Carl has a theory that's what Bettman wanted - to make the players stop trusting the PA and break them both so he can fight for what he wants: hard salary cap, including benefits under the cap, etc etc etc. Ruthless, but probable - and now we see, effective.
</tinfoil hat>
no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 07:36 pm (UTC)Bettman though...could be. But the real question is...if the NFL is the only profitable sport out there right now, why aren't they trying to model their CBA on that?
no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 09:19 pm (UTC)And why aren't they following the NFL? Because Bettman and Goodenow are too pig-headed to change. I think they're letting their own egos get in the way, and it's going to ruin the NHL.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 07:31 pm (UTC)Frankly, while I agree on a cap within the context of a competition, I find the way the owners are trying to use this move a crude economics club to be insulting to both American enterprise and common sense.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-16 11:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-17 12:49 am (UTC)I can't wait for buck-a-brat Wednesdays to start again.
Date: 2005-02-16 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-17 12:49 am (UTC)We definently should haul off to a Crew game or two, tho. And rumor has it that part of the USA v. Mexico world cup series might just be in Crew Stadium...
no subject
Date: 2005-02-17 01:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-17 03:31 am (UTC)Though, who knows? We might be able to sneak some cheap ones there, too. You never know.
Still. Crew. Oh, yeah.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 05:46 pm (UTC)For anyone in Columbus. Ohio State's hockey team is hosting a round 1 series in the CCHA with an opponent TBD later. Dates are March 11 and March 12 Tickets are $5 for students and children under 18, $10 for general admission. They also have a family pack for $20. Call 1-800-GO-BUCKS for ticket info :)