NHL lockout?

[lukethedrifter]

Sports owners are taking a hard line because this is the era for squeezing the worker, highly paid or lowly; for his wages, for his pension, for his health bennies.
NFL owners squeezed refs over a relatively tiny amount in order to eliminate fixed benefit pensions for new hires.

That players are willing to budge on every issue except for the preservation of existing contracts, which the owners obviously had a hand in negotiating and signing, seems a perfectly reasonable position. What isn’t reasonable is that owners weren’t willing to entertain such a proposal for longer than 10 minutes.

http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/10 ... e-lockout/

October 28th, 2012... I want to work! I’m a professional athlete and I want to play hockey! In my chosen profession, I don’t have until I am 60 or 70 years old to do this job. My window of opportunity to play professional hockey is limited. If I’m lucky, I can play until I’m 40. I have been training as a hockey player my entire life, and I know it is a privilege to play in the NHL. So each month, each week, and each game that is cancelled is an opportunity I will never get back. This is the case for every NHL player. I value every day in this job and take my commitment to my team very seriously. I give it my all every shift. I come to play every night and I leave it all on the ice. This is my responsibility as an individual, an athlete, and a professional. I have a duty to my team, the organization that has given me this opportunity, and the fans in the stands to give them my best at all times. The concept that the owners are trying to dismantle existing contracts that they in good faith offered, signed, and committed to is appalling, unprofessional, and disgraceful. I negotiated my own contract, without an agent, with the confidence and belief that the owner offering me that contract operated by the same convictions and principals as I do. During the summer, the players offered to play through negotiations and the owners locked us out. We want to play hockey! Where is the honor? I’m ready to play and uphold my end of the deal!

http://jackjohnson3.com/

[Popeye_Card]

I'm not believing either side here. I'm actually OK with the lockout happening if it ultimately helps teams like the Blues and others who aren't in line for cushy revenue streams to stay viable. But I fear it is pretty much going to still be the same.

Mostly I wish they would curtail all of the stupid 7-10 year deals that are nothing more than skirting the intention of the salary cap.

[JackofDiamonds]

And they cancelled the Winter Classic today.

Frankly, the Winter Classic's fate was sealed when Fehr admitted the players' concern. That's a moment of weakness, and if you're Gary Bettman, this is when you twist the knife and kill as much of their remaining resolve as you possibly can.

That's where the Winter Classic comes in. For months, the players have had the approaching event, one they believed the owners really, truly wanted, in their back pocket. It looked like leverage. It felt like leverage. At one point, maybe it even was leverage. And thus, the timing was just right for Gary Bettman and the owners to make like Gus Fring, step into the underground lab, and take a box cutter to the whole thing.

You thought this was invaluable to us? You thought we cared about this? Well, now it's dead. Clean it up.

In one ruthless action, the NHL reminded the NHLPA they mean business. Sure, it may have seemed unnecessary. It may have seemed excessive. But that was the point. The owners are done with half-measures. This is about to get ugly

[jim]

And they cancelled the Winter Classic today.

Frankly, the Winter Classic's fate was sealed when Fehr admitted the players' concern. That's a moment of weakness, and if you're Gary Bettman, this is when you twist the knife and kill as much of their remaining resolve as you possibly can.

That's where the Winter Classic comes in. For months, the players have had the approaching event, one they believed the owners really, truly wanted, in their back pocket. It looked like leverage. It felt like leverage. At one point, maybe it even was leverage. And thus, the timing was just right for Gary Bettman and the owners to make like Gus Fring, step into the underground lab, and take a box cutter to the whole thing.

You thought this was invaluable to us? You thought we cared about this? Well, now it's dead. Clean it up.

In one ruthless action, the NHL reminded the NHLPA they mean business. Sure, it may have seemed unnecessary. It may have seemed excessive. But that was the point. The owners are done with half-measures. This is about to get ugly

Well, for me that's the entire season. That's the one game I watch. NHL season is cancelled for me basically.

[cardinalkarp]

Betman & the owners are [expletive]. I'd wager that the season is done for. From what I gather the owners & Betman don't sound like they will negotiate what so ever.

[jim]

What do the NHL fans think the long term outcome of this is going to be? Teams folding?

[Popeye_Card]

What do the NHL fans think the long term outcome of this is going to be? Teams folding?

Honestly? Just a lost season for nothing, that ultimately severely damages the NHL brand again. Nothing major is going to change coming out of this. It just won't.

I get that it's all negotiating, and there's something to be gained from the ticking clock forcing the other to act. But it just pisses me off that they can't just sit in a room and hammer this stuff out in a marathon 2-day session. Nothing changes over several months. The lack of urgency while games just get cancelled right and left is infuriating as a fan.

It is a [expletive] sport. Sure, it is big business, but don't make it a bigger deal than it really is. Just come to a [expletive] agreement already.

[TheoSqua]

It'll hurt economic growth for a few years, but in 3-4 years this lockout will mean nothing for the popularity of the league.

The bigger concern is the growing separation between the players and owners on labor stuff. The hope was that the settling of differences and gaining the cap last lockout combined with the heavy growth of the last few years would put the NHL in a similar position as MLB, where there aren't enough things to argue about and too much money at stake to risk labor strife.

And, really, an MLB-like system would really help the NHL.

[Popeye_Card]

It'll hurt economic growth for a few years, but in 3-4 years this lockout will mean nothing for the popularity of the league.

The bigger concern is the growing separation between the players and owners on labor stuff. The hope was that the settling of differences and gaining the cap last lockout combined with the heavy growth of the last few years would put the NHL in a similar position as MLB, where there aren't enough things to argue about and too much money at stake to risk labor strife.

And, really, an MLB-like system would really help the NHL.

I feel like it is going to really hurt sponsorships again, which is a fairly sizable cash cow for both the league and individual franchises. Which losing that money basically kills any and all gains for the individual parties (NHL and NHLPA) that they're arguing for. By the time the sponsorships return--if history is any guide--it'll be time for another lockout/strike, because the CBA will be up again.

The very definition of shooting yourself in the foot.

[Popeye_Card]

"Hey guys, I know we haven't talked for a few days, what do you think about just going ahead and agreeing to not talk for the next two weeks too? It's not like we're up against any sort of deadline or anything. Fans seem to be pretty patient about this whole ordeal."