Remember the NHL? Where did it go?

[Rockford35]

Meh, I guess we'll never know.

Back to something important for me I guess....

R35

 

[Youngun5]

do you seriously know?, being canadian............, but, i think they are on strike or something

 

[Rockford35]

I was making a joke, Gun.

I'm just sick of the whole situation. Bunch of rich babies. I'd rather watch an entire group of up and comers than this lot of bull.

R35

 

[DaveE]

I not sure these guys realize how few people really care. I think I read it hear or at GR or I wouldn't have even known there was a lock out.

Every time I hear about some union dispute with baseball or football it makes me want to puke. How on earth do professional athletes who are represented by their agent/attorneys also need a union to protect them from being victimized by the man.

 

[Rockford35]

Dave,

They gotta eat, right?

Makes me sick to see a guy dog it for 8 million a season. As a hockey player myself, I know for a fact that there are plenty of guys that would be just as entertaining as these bums that would play for room and board.

I, for one, would be first in line to buy tickets if the league folded and started off with all new players. Screw the Union. I'm in one now, what have they ever done for me? If it was an option, I wouldn't be in it. Fight for my rights? Ya right. In the last bargaining session we got 0-0-1% over the next 3 years, with an increase in chiropractic care funds. Big friggin whoop. It's funny how guys in the Union "represent" everyone.

If the league had a closed vote right now, you'd see an overwhelming number of guys want to get back on the ice. Even if that meant a big pay cut to keep the league alive. But who's running the show? The guys making big money who can afford to sit as they've deferred their salaries until 2012.

But I guess it must be hard to survive on only 800 grand a year.

Boo-f-ing-hoo.

R35

 

[Youngun5]

anyone ever seen the replacements with keanu reeves, its a great movie exactly about what rock is talking about, except in football, its one of my favorite movies and i recently received it for christmas,

yes, i'm sick of the same things, thats why i watch alotta college sports

 

[The master]

Thats cool that movie The replacements it was on last night, but I fell asleep half way through so I will watch it agin sometime.

 

[Rockford35]

Keanu sucks. The movie does describe what i'm talking about tho, just with less pissy acting.

R35

 

[Rockford35]

American markets create the havoc that we see in professional sports that cross borders.

The Expos are gone, the Blue Jays will never contend again with the Canadian dollar having to compete with the US.

In hockey, the numbers of american teams needs to be limited. A few current teams need to fold. That way, there is a better pool of talent. And, with better talent comes better gate reciepts. Better gate reciepts, more income for teams, including the Canadian ones.

Bettman may want to break the union, but he has every reason to do so. The reason the NHL wants their cost certainty is so that they don't have to pay a guy like Doug Weight 18 million a season, a la Clemens. In the US, baseball is a true american pastime.

If we in Canada had a Canadian only Hockey League, you would definitely see a salary cap, good talent spread over the league evenly and consistent teams each and every year. Because of the lure of American dollars, players leave Canada at an alarming rate to be paid better and have exposure to US dollar endorsements. Why do you think Wayne left Edmonton? Was he sick of winning? Did he want to go to a contender? The guy left because of money. US Dollars money. Plain and simple. Our embassador to Canada's sport, left a winning establishment (who won the Stanley Cup the next year, I might add) to pursue Easton, Hollywood and the almightly american dollar. Can I blame him? No. I mean, wouldn't you like to have your current salary paid in US funds? Exactly....

From the owners perspective, I think it's only right that if you own a team, you should be able to make money. That is fundamental. And, with the current system, only teams with big bankrolls can win and bring in the cash. As for being paid for playoffs, anyone in the NHL would gladly play for the same amount that they make in the regular season to have a shot at the Cup. If not, then they shouldn't be in the league. That's the goal of every single player in the league, to win. Plain and simple. And if that means playing for 4 extra weeks only to get knocked out in the second round, so be it. It's better than golfing in April.

The players (the guys making the big dollars) understand where the owners are coming from. They just don't want to bend. They don't want to have their future, as well as the younger guy's future, contracts limited to a cap.

In other words, a few of these guys see themselves being Clemens in a few years.

I'd like to see the real numbers on the vote for a hard cap, how many of the grinders, the diggers and the hard working guys that make dick all for money (relatively speaking) how they would vote. I think alot of them would jump at the change to play the game that they love for a million bucks a season.

And if they don't, there are a thousand guys that will.

Shut down the NHL and start the North American Hockey League. Then you'd see who would come back.

R35

 

[Bravo]

Great Post Rock.

It is all about Greed.

And this is one reason why I agree with Youngun about college sports. Love college football and basketball. I think they are very exciting sports played at a high level and the level of sportsmanship is better too...

 

[Golfbum]

FINALLY THIS CRAP HAS COME TO A END

Thank God Bozo Bettman finally pulled the plug on this BS Crap with the NHL and the NHLPA. What a bunch of BS this is, and boys if you like hockey you might be waiting another year or so before you see NHL teams in action.
Even The Great One has his doubts about next season, no matter what Bettman said yesterday.
Both sides are greedy, however when the owners toss millions at players to keep them signed can you really blame a player for not taking it? I know if my employer offered me $10/hour wage increase I sure as hell would not turn my back on it!
So let's hope both sides get together and sit down and get this agreement hammered out so we can watch NHL Hockey in 2005/06

 

[Slingblade61]

Rock, I think you should keep your skates sharp.

The NHL is gonna need a few good men if there is to be a season next year.

 

[Rockford35]

I'm practicin' like crazy. I mean if guys like Brian McCabe can make 5 million bucks, I'm a shoe in for the league minimum. I wouldn't let that guy wash my car let alone play defense for a professional hockey team.

I'm starting up a new league. Players all make the same money, they get paid by fan appreciation. If you hustle, do your work, the fans know it. And, if you don't, you don't get any bonus.

All players in the new league must wear visors, 3 stick infractions in one game results in a misconduct, no red line and post game interviews are only given once a week at most. Is anyone else out there sick of this after a game of pretty much any sport?:

"So, what's your strategy for next game?"
"Well, we just need to play good defense and put more points on the board then them".

No shit, Sherlock.

Ad Nauseum.

R35

 

[caddyshackgolf]

Sounds like a pretty good league you got going there Rock.

It makes me wicked mad when they say they dont make enough money.

"OOOO I'm only making 10 million dollars a year, Thats not enough how can I ever afford my new Rolls Royce Phantom. I only have 10 other cars"

But yet they are doing what they love to do they are making a very good living off it. Then they go cry when there are a lot of people who dong even know where there next meal is going to come from or they cant heat there house.

 

[JasonMacIsaac]

I may be a golfer but I am a hockey nut at heart. Here is my views on the issue that I posted on a couple hockey boards:

Bettman made a mistake in 94/95, he made a deal because he felt the pressure by the owners, by the players and most of all by the fans. He was younger back then and didn't have total control over the owners or over the situation. It is a mess that he created but he will fix now. Sure the owners made a poor deal that led to the mess now but the players didn't help, they used every advantage possible to milk the owners for themselves rather then help the league out. Why shouldn't the owners do that now?

The NHL can survive with 30 healthy teams, anyone who suggests otherwise should re-think their position. With a hard salary cap in place all owners/teams will be given the chance to make a profit while iceing a team that can compete. The talent will be spread out evenly and with a few rule changes the product on ice and competitive level will be at an all time high.

In current negotiations the owners are well on their way to getting a deal that will ensure the NHL 30 healthy teams. Goodnow misplayed the situation and put himself in a deep hole with the NHLPA breaking in pieces. Bettman has done an excellent job this time around, he got Goodnow, who would 'never" accept a cap, to agree that a cap was needed for a deal to be reached. No Commissioner has ever negotiated a cap in major professional sports. Bettman has also destroyed a once strong union. Bettman will also get a cap that is close to his original proposal weither Goodnow likes it or not. Bettman has done these things while keeping the large majority of fans behind the him and the owners 100%.

TV contracts are an area where the NHL could improve upon. The problem the NHL has with TV contracts is that all the major ones are in the USA and the majority of the american public don't care about the sport of hockey or the NHL. The average person can not put their kid in hockey due to high costs, they can't watch hockey in person because of high ticket prices so why would they want to watch it on TV. These are problems that Gary Bettman has tried to address by relocating teams to non-hockey markets. It worked in Tampa Bay, it worked in San Jose. Columbus and Minnesota were allready good hockey areas. The areas where it did not work were Nashville, Carolina, Anaheim, Florida and untill now Atlanta. A main reason for this is because these teams have a tough time competing and having a succesfull franchise. It is hard to gain in popularity when your team doesn't win. Nashville showed signs of what it can be in the playoffs. Anaheim didn't draw all that bad last year, better then New Jersey. Florida has been horrible for years and Atlanta hasn't had a great team yet. With league parity all these teams could be profitable.

You try to contract teams that spent millions on new arenas. You also pay the cost to contract teams. It isn't that easy, there are alot of leagal issues that you must go through in order to do such a task.

The difference between NHL in 1990 and today isn't only the rules. Coaching has gotten better, players have gotten bigger and faster, goaltenders are faster, more efficent and smarter. You will never have that NHL style of run and gun ever again but we will have exciting hockey if the following takes place:

1.) Restrictions on goaltender gear
2.) Call obstruction endlessly till the players learn
3.) Make players erve full 2 minutes for obstruction no matter how many times the opposing team scores.
4.) Tag up offside
5.) Move the nets back to to where they were, this will make the neutral zone bigger.
6.) Bye Bye instigator
7.) Goaltenders can only stop the puck behind the net, they can not make a forward pass.
8.) Intent to injure majors can be called weither clean or dirty.