To Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow

[lunchbox]

No matter how hard you've tried, not even the both of you can stop hockey from being played this year on national TV.

ESPN has announced it will broadcast the AHL superskills competition and all-star game.


full story here: http://www.theahl.com/AHL/05AllStar/...26/910846.html

[the_marq]

Y'know, I think that a year from now I won't even miss the NHL. There is still plenty of hockey to watch, the World Jr's were especially good this year. Not just because the CDN Boys totally dominated either. It was just some great, rough and well disiplined hockey from all the teams.

I am already looking forward to next year.

Chances are that by this time next year the WHL teams will have signed some sort of contract with the CBC to start airing games, then no one is even going to give a shit anymore.

I am still disturbed by the way the NHL players were treated during this whole thing. At least they were willing to negociate some sort of deal, back when they offered to take a salary rollback in December the leauge wouldn't even talk about it. If the NHL Owners and Betman were at all interested in saving the season they would have at least considered they offer instead of closing down the talks. It's almost as if Betman didn't want a season in the first place.... gosh, I wonder why that would be?

I support the players.

[vox_rox]

Originally Posted by the_marq

I am still disturbed by the way the NHL players were treated during this whole thing. At least they were willing to negociate some sort of deal, back when they offered to take a salary rollback in December the leauge wouldn't even talk about it.

Firstly, there is negotiating, and then there is negotiating in good faith. I have seen neither side do either since this started. The players don't need our pity because they don't want any negotiation to take place that will undermine their long range skygrocketing salaries, which puts them in a position of not playing hockey and making any money. The owners don't need our pity because their ridiculous salary offers over the last 7 or 8 years caused this whole mess to start with, and they already have enough money not to feel bad for them.

As far as I'm concerned, watching a couple thousand men fight over how to split up a couple BILLION dollars is just fucking pathetic. Both sides have lost their credibility, and both sides are, and will continue to be, LOSERS, even once they do negotiate a new CBA. Just friggin' pathetic, really.

Originally Posted by the_marq

If the NHL Owners and Betman were at all interested in saving the season they would have at least considered they offer instead of closing down the talks. It's almost as if Betman didn't want a season in the first place.... gosh, I wonder why that would be?

The owners are bastards because they planned this lockout years in adance, there is no questoin of that. But the players galdly grabbed the biggest salaries that they could, even knowing that they were earning far above what the market could bear, which makes them just as culpable for the work stoppage.

Originally Posted by the_marq

I support the players.

That's your perogative. I don't. I think they've put on a really good P.R. campaign, but if you don't think that both sides are equally to blame for there not being NHL hockey this year, then you're not looking at both sides. Equal blame, equal culpbility, equal shame.

Neither the owners nor the players are involved with hockey out of a passion for hockey anymore, but rather, out of a passion for business and finance. I don't care if no player ever plays another game, and no owner ever gets to put a team on the ice in the league again. They all think they are much more important then they are, and their total disregard for the other individuals who make their meager living off of the keague by toiling in the front offices, or in the packed arenas (remember them) just to feed their families is just an added shame to these men who have collectively decided that their personal wealth is more important than anything else, and for that they can all just rot in the hell they've made for themselves.

Period.

Peace,

Pierre

[canuckguy]

I just don't know why the players just don't cave already. You can see that the owners are not going to give in, if the players voted on the latest offer i bet alot of them would except it. Only ones against are the top paid players.

[eribrav]

In the early 90's I was a huge baseball fan. After the strike, I made a conscious decision not to watch baseball anymore. That was out of pure anger. After a year or so I realized I wasn't angry anymore, but I still wasn't watching because I just didn't care at that point. Ten years later, I don't pay the least bit of attention to pro baseball.

Six months ago, I was mad at the NHL and the players. I'm evolving to the "don't care" position as we speak (type?).

Baseball survived millions of apathetics like myself because it was working from such a huge revenue base. I'm not sure NHL hockey is going to make it.

[BurntToast]

Originally Posted by eribrav

In the early 90's I was a huge baseball fan. After the strike, I made a conscious decision not to watch baseball anymore. That was out of pure anger. After a year or so I realized I wasn't angry anymore, but I still wasn't watching because I just didn't care at that point. Ten years later, I don't pay the least bit of attention to pro baseball.

Six months ago, I was mad at the NHL and the players. I'm evolving to the "don't care" position as we speak (type?).

Baseball survived millions of apathetics like myself because it was working from such a huge revenue base. I'm not sure NHL hockey is going to make it.

You hit the nail on the head and stole my thoughts at the same exact time.....

[Serpent]

they need a mediator, and quick..

[blitz.fenix]

NHLPA sucks plain and simple, I'm not gonna waste my time to give an intelligent post into how they suck. If they don't want to make millions in North America they can try to peddle their skills in Europe

[Stan Fields]

The next week or so seems to be the deadline for saving this season so it should be interesting to see if they can finally come up with something, one way or another. If this season is lost I wish they would just announce it, although I can understand why they wouldn't want to do that.

With the completion of the NFL season and no NHL hockey I have no idea what I'm going to have to watch on TV

[lunchbox]

Originally Posted by Stan Fields

The next week or so seems to be the deadline for saving this season so it should be interesting to see if they can finally come up with something, one way or another. If this season is lost I wish they would just announce it, although I can understand why they wouldn't want to do that.

With the completion of the NFL season and no NHL hockey I have no idea what I'm going to have to watch on TV

Looks like today or tomorrow the NHL is presenting a new deal to the NHLPA but its supposed to have a team cap of 42 million but no single player salary cap and apparently revenue sharing up to 100 million for players. espn has the story and no word on whether it's been presented or what's going to happen. hopefully things will turn out in the positive.

[Stan Fields]

Just saw the following link on another site, I'm not sure if I believe it or not but I guess anything is possible
http://hockeyrumors.blogspot.com/200...s-message.html

[Antikarma]

I had a long post planned out argueing why players shouldn't get paid as much as they do, but I won't post it. All I have to say is, when I take my daughter to the junior team in town, we watch kids play for love of the game, and she WANTS to play for love of the game.

I wouldn't put much credence in the rumour, but I hope its true. All I have to say, as a Canucks fan, is PLEASE BRIAN BURKE COME BACK WE MISS YOU......

It's only a matter of time now till we trade Bertuzzi for a sack of pucks and a Tim Hortons gift certificate.

[CandleInTheDark]

I'm all for a deal gettin done, but a season is worthless now.

[lunchbox]

Originally Posted by Antikarma

It's only a matter of time now till we trade Bertuzzi for a sack of pucks and a Tim Hortons gift certificate.

lmfao, nice one karma. I'm not sure i'd part with my TH gift certificates for Bertuzzi, even if I needed a good mule to lug some dirt around. They make some good coffee.


Anyway, I don't put much stock in the rumor either but being incredibly addicted to hockey I hope for any sort of season. 15 games, 10, 30, 5, whatever. I hope to God there is some season...I'll jump for joy if/when ESPN announces it.

[streak_56]

Bettman Vs. Goodenow
A-hole vs. A-hole

I hate them both. The players and owners have met more without them than with them helping. If the NHL comes back, Bettman will be gone in less than a year. Both were hired to make sure hockey was being played but the both failed in their jobs. I hate it, I hate them.

[nein991]

Hockey needs some type of salary cap. It doesn't have the TV revenue other
sports have. It has way too many teams! It is time for successful owners like
Ed Snider of the Flyers, the Red Wings, and Rangers owners to provide leadership and end this lock out.

[Stan Fields]

Looks like they may have finally set next Tuesday, the 15th as the day a deal must be done by, otherwise the season will be cancelled:
http://www.mytelus.com/sports/articl...icleID=1839909

[Quadraton]

Dear Mr. Bettman and Mr. Goodenow,

Retire. Immediately.

Signed,
A True Hockey Fan

[betula]

It's looking pretty bleak for the NHL right now. After this weekend, we should know the fate of the league. IMO, the players just don't know what's going on. The NHLPA has been bamboozled before, and I think they are again 'drinking the Kool-Aide' and just following their leadership, instead of thinking for themselves. A salary cap really hurts no one, but it affects the richest 10% or less the most. Of course, these are also players that are playing in Europe and such now. What about the grinders that can't make it over to Europe? You know, the guys that are actually getting hurt by not playing? The NHL with a salary cap is a much better situation for the lower 50% of the league than any other option. No other league will pay as much per player, to as many players (30 teams worth) than the NHL. If the league folds, anything that comes to replace it will have less than half the teams, and will have salaries half as high. I'm really hoping some of the players come to their senses.

...takes a breath... that said, the owners are morons too.

[blitz.fenix]

Originally Posted by Quadraton

Dear Mr. Bettman and Mr. Goodenow,

Retire. Immediately.

Signed,
A True Hockey Fan

Dear Mr. Bettman and Mr. Goodenow,

Please Die.

Signed,
A True Hockey Fan



Could a petition be in the works?

[lunchbox]

Originally Posted by betula

It's looking pretty bleak for the NHL right now. After this weekend, we should know the fate of the league. IMO, the players just don't know what's going on. The NHLPA has been bamboozled before, and I think they are again 'drinking the Kool-Aide' and just following their leadership, instead of thinking for themselves. A salary cap really hurts no one, but it affects the richest 10% or less the most. Of course, these are also players that are playing in Europe and such now. What about the grinders that can't make it over to Europe? You know, the guys that are actually getting hurt by not playing? The NHL with a salary cap is a much better situation for the lower 50% of the league than any other option. No other league will pay as much per player, to as many players (30 teams worth) than the NHL. If the league folds, anything that comes to replace it will have less than half the teams, and will have salaries half as high. I'm really hoping some of the players come to their senses.

...takes a breath... that said, the owners are morons too.

I think the problem here is the owners' voice isn't being heard and neither is the players. Gary Bettman has been running the show for the owners, everything that's been going on, has been bettman and he has told the owners and players which deals were which.

If you read the last deal is was ENTIRELY bettman's idea and what was it? he called it a "compromise" it essentially said "we'll play under the players proposal including the 24% cut if and only if it meets all of the requirements we want in our cap system" does that sound like a compromise to you? this is bullshit and someone is going to have Goodenow and Bettman's heads when this is all over.

[betula]

Originally Posted by lunchbox

I think the problem here is the owners' voice isn't being heard and neither is the players. Gary Bettman has been running the show for the owners, everything that's been going on, has been bettman and he has told the owners and players which deals were which.

If you read the last deal is was ENTIRELY bettman's idea and what was it? he called it a "compromise" it essentially said "we'll play under the players proposal including the 24% cut if and only if it meets all of the requirements we want in our cap system" does that sound like a compromise to you? this is bullshit and someone is going to have Goodenow and Bettman's heads when this is all over.

Yeah, I understand that. I am very upset with BOTH sides being so stubborn. Personally, I side with the owners more, because it doesn't seem that the players understand how unsustainable their salaries are becoming. However, the owners don't smell of roses either. I don't think they need a hard cap... I think that a luxury tax system, like what the players proposed, could work just as well. In that case, the teams that want to spend above some limit can, but they have to pay a dollar-to-dollar amount to match the overspend. Because of the dynamics of the league, very few teams could actually spend above the level, and most of those couldn't go very high above the tax level. At the very least they should have considered using the luxury tax because it'd help out.

But alas, both sides are staring down the train, waiting for it to move off the tracks. No one wins playing chicken with a train, and no one wins in this labor dispute. The morning sports show here was talking about this, saying that since NHL games often end in ties, it is fitting to have this in a stalemate as well. I guess they both get a point then...

[bigelow]

Greed, greed, greed .... They're all a bunch of greedy bastards. It's not as if making more than million for the average player is enough and the the owners wanting to make millions every year. So who's ultimately paying? The fans are and I don't hear any talk of anyone getting a break when it comes to paying for tickets. I think they should all give their respective heads a shake and come down to earth. Pretty hard to have any sympathy for anyone who makes more in one year than I'll make in 25.

[MikeyChalupa]

Fuck you both.

-Mikey

[Blackthorn]

Wait...are you saying that there's no hockey season? Wow...I hadn't noticed.

[Cujo]

1 picture is worth a thousand words and this pic says it all.

To Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow

[Quadraton]

Originally Posted by lunchbox

I think the problem here is the owners' voice isn't being heard and neither is the players. Gary Bettman has been running the show for the owners, everything that's been going on, has been bettman and he has told the owners and players which deals were which.

If you read the last deal is was ENTIRELY bettman's idea and what was it? he called it a "compromise" it essentially said "we'll play under the players proposal including the 24% cut if and only if it meets all of the requirements we want in our cap system" does that sound like a compromise to you? this is bullshit and someone is going to have Goodenow and Bettman's heads when this is all over.

I don't think that last part will apply so much to Bettman as it will to Goodenow. If you think about it, as dumb and stupid as Bettman is regarding the game of hockey (he did after all tell people that hockey belongs down in Florida), he did exactly what the owners wanted him to do. He broke the union, and got a salary cap. I think Bettman should be fired out of a cannon. You think Bettman should be fired out of a cannon. Ultimately, however, it's the owners who have the last say, and I get the impression that Bettman is going to be around for a very long time.

Now Goodenow is another story. Once the NHL and Players strike a deal, his days will probably be numbered. After years of telling the Player's Association that they will not accept a salary cap, what does he do? He accepts a salary cap, and he did it in the 11th hour as an act of desperation, without consulting union members. You can think of it as a reasonable comprimise, but now that Goodenow has accepted a salary cap, he has demonstrated that, much like Eagleson, he is weak in the face of the powerful owners. It will be difficult for the union to back out of a cap from now on, and I wouldn't be surprised if many players think Goodenow just screwed them up the ass without even having the courtesy for a reach-around.