The National Hockey League will lock out its players

[MacNut]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1882150


NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League will lock out its players Thursday, threatening to keep the sport off the ice for the entire 2004-05 season.

The NHL announced Wednesday that it is imposing a lockout of the Players' Association, effective Thursday -- the day after the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.

The long-expected decision was approved unanimously Wednesday by NHL owners, who are demanding cost certainty, which players say would be tantamount to a salary cap.

 

[Koodauw]

I didnt know hockey still exsisted.

On a serious note, the players and owners need to realize that hockey is goin down the tube, or more like the toilet bowl, with one quick flush. Something needs to be done. Hopefully they will be able to work out an agreement benefitial to both sides. If it takes a lock out, then so be it.

 

[ChrisFromCanada]

Even if it is not his fault I really want to kill Gary Bettman.

Im betting there will be a half season which will probably start in January.

Then GO LEAFS GO!

 

[Inkmonkey]

Even if it is not his fault I really want to kill Gary Bettman.

Im betting there will be a half season which will probably start in January.

Then GO LEAFS GO!

Don't hold your breath. But if there is...
Go Flames Go!!

 

[stcanard]

Even if it is not his fault I really want to kill Gary Bettman.

Actually I think a lot of it is his fault. Every time I hear him talk I want to scream "You don't know a %$# thing about hockey, why are you running it!"

Go CANUCKS Go

 

[stcanard]

I didnt know hockey still exsisted.

And there, in a nutshell, is the problem. Here in Canada, the lockout was front page news for just about every major newspaper (yes, even with the World Cup win last night).

And yet the American teams are controlling the economics of the game.

 

[Counterfit]

Hey, if they don't play, at least the B's can't let everyone down this season

 

[wdlove]

Hey, if they don't play, at least the B's can't let everyone down this season

If you are referring to the Bruins I agree. The fault of the lockout is probably a 50/50 situation. No business can afford to run at a deficit. Since I don't have access to either of there records there is no real way to judge or to assess blame. I would not be sad if there is no Hockey season.

 

[MacNut]

And there, in a nutshell, is the problem. Here in Canada, the lockout was front page news for just about every major newspaper (yes, even with the World Cup win last night).

And yet the American teams are controlling the economics of the game.

This might sound ignorant but why does canada rely on the NHL, do they have there own professional hockey league? That said, one of the biggest problems i have with the NHL is the length of the season, I watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs and thats about it but why does the season go into June, its not the time of year to play hockey.

 

[stcanard]

This might sound ignorant but why does canada rely on the NHL, do they have there own professional hockey league?

Money. We have various hockey leagues (WHL QJMHL etc), but the entire population of Canada doesn't add up to the population of California, so the top players go to the NHL. There's also a lot of history around how the NHL came to be the NHL (back to the original 6 teams)

That said, one of the biggest problems i have with the NHL is the length of the season, I watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs and thats about it but why does the season go into June, its not the time of year to play hockey.

Back to my comment about Bettman earlier. He's decided in his infinite wisdom to bring hockey to places like Atlanta and Florida, thus hugely diluting the talent base, and to extend the season to ridiculous lengths for reasons I am entirely uncertain about.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I can just imagine if I went in to work demanding to share in the owners profits.

 

[Abstract]

I'm glad this is happening now. The salaries are ridiculous, anyway. I want to watch hockey, but I don't want this many teams diluting the talent. I don't want to see that most hockey teams are operating on a deficit, because that will mean that the NHL is in deep deep trouble, or about as deep as ML Baseball. Not sure about this year, but didn't every single team lose money in 2003?

I don't want this to happen to the NHL. I'd rather that the players strike for a while than have the entire league come crashing down.


- Ian from Canada

 

[Diatribe]

I love it. This means a lot of players coming to the DEL (German Ice hockey league) for this season. This will be a fantastic season.

But you guys are right. It was a matter of time that this comes crashing down. But then again I do also think salaries in Baseball, Basketball and Football are too high...

 

[stcanard]

I don't want this to happen to the NHL. I'd rather that the players strike for a while than have the entire league come crashing down.


- Ian from Canada

After watching the world cup, I've really started thinking that it might not be a bad idea for the league to contract and lose a few teams. The talent base is just too diluted right now.

But they really need to do something about the refereeing too -- I can't believe how many times I've seen them ignore obstruction calls for a slower team to "even things up". If a team wants to be able to play a fast skating game don't punish them!

Of course our team plays a fast skating attacking style, so I am completely unbiased

 

[jdechko]

Back to my comment about Bettman earlier. He's decided in his infinite wisdom to bring hockey to places like Atlanta and Florida, thus hugely diluting the talent base, and to extend the season to ridiculous lengths for reasons I am entirely uncertain about.

As an Atlanta resident, that kinda hurts. I am a huge fan of hockey. A lot of my friends love the sport too. Is there any reason we shouldnt be able to enjoy the game live. It is much better in person than it will ever be on television. You dont get to enjoy the speed of the game and what happens away from the puck when watching it from home. Why shouldnt we be able to enjoy it as well?

Having said my piece on that, hockey needs a much larger fan base, and if that means taking the sport to new places, then so be it. Hockey is a culture... there is a lot of team diversity all over the place. I am a Red Wings fan, always will be, but seeing Wings fans at ECHL games just confirms that so many people love hockey that it needs to grow and expand itself to new horizons. I hardly ever care who is playing, but I just love to watch the sport, as I am sure many true fans do. So of course I am really upset that there is the possibility that they wont play this year. I was really looking forward to the wings/thrashers game this october.

 

[rhpenguin]

This might sound ignorant but why does canada rely on the NHLQUOTE]


We rely on the NHL because its basically a part of mine and probably every other Canadian that likes the sports past time for many many years. Its one of those things you can take for granted (not now of course...). Hockey Night In Canada on the CBC, your friends and some beer is a common occurance for many of the people i know and will continue to be for years.

 

[stcanard]

As an Atlanta resident, that kinda hurts. I am a huge fan of hockey. A lot of my friends love the sport too. Is there any reason we shouldnt be able to enjoy the game live. It is much better in person than it will ever be on television. You dont get to enjoy the speed of the game and what happens away from the puck when watching it from home. Why shouldnt we be able to enjoy it as well?

It was in no way meant as a slight against Atlanta. That was a name picked off the top of my head, as one of the teams that I think often has attendance problems.

I can ask the same question in reverse. When you consider last years Stanley Cup finals: in the US it set records for the least watched ever, in Canada it set records for the most watched why are cities like Winnipeg being denied the ability to watch a game live, so that Phoenix can for the most part ignore live games? (And again, no slight on the people of Phoenix, I'm sure there are hard-core fans there, but I'm also certain hockey as a sport is nowhere near as popular as it is in Winnipeg)

The league has been expanding for several years now with very little apparent thought to the viability of the teams. I'm all for expanding the fan base, but it's being done now at the expense of financial stability and, quite frankly, at the expense of the quality of the game. In the long run that's going to hurt more than it helps.

 

[yellow]

Hey, if they don't play, at least the B's can't let everyone down this season

Seriously. We won't have to play the frickin' Habs. Growl.

 

[wdlove]

I love it. This means a lot of players coming to the DEL (German Ice hockey league) for this season. This will be a fantastic season.

But you guys are right. It was a matter of time that this comes crashing down. But then again I do also think salaries in Baseball, Basketball and Football are too high...

I agree and don't contribute. Not even via my local cable franchise.

As has often been mentioned it's the fan that allows these high salaries. When fans are no longer willing to pay high ticket prices and stay away, then ticket prices and salaries will decrease. All pay is dependent on how much the employer determines that the employee is worth.

 

[MacNut]

Once upon a time in Hartford we had a team called the Whalers now known as the Carolina Panthers. I didn't really watch hockey when we had a team, now I could really care less about the NHL. Its all about money and the league would rather punish the fans from a smaller city to move the team somewhere else for more money. I say screw them and any other Leagues that would rather make a quick buck than support there true fans. That goes for you LA Dodgers and STL Rams too.

 

[yellow]

You wouldn't believe...

You wouldn't believe the funny looks I get when I shout "Let's Go Whale" at 'Canes games. Bah. I'm a Bruins fan anyways..

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

As has often been mentioned it's the fan that allows these high salaries. When fans are no longer willing to pay high ticket prices and stay away, then ticket prices and salaries will decrease. All pay is dependent on how much the employer determines that the employee is worth.

So right you are! I have no problem with a star player being able to get Nike or Pepsi to give them endorsement money. But when the Redskins add 5000 seats in the rafters (seriously), some with obstructed views at $69 - that is wrong. Maybe it is my priorities, but why should sports players on an average earn more than teachers, or the front-line personnel that serve us everyday? Particularly when they do drugs (and for the most part get away with it). have babies out of wedlock (and in some cases avoid paying support), or attack fans in the stands (like in Oakland).

The problem we have is one of how do we get back to normal? Do we demand that the owners let the multi-million contracts run out; and then put in to place serious salary caps? That can create its own problems within the teams. Do the leagues bite the bullet and pay off all contracts and have the players sign the newer lower contracts? And how do we know that the owners and the leagues won't take and make more profits.

As shown by the prices paid by the average fan of an NFL team ($75 per this site http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2981260 . This seems low to me. For the Redskins parking will be about $7. Food and drink during the day will be about $15 - doing it on the cheap. Good luck finding a $53 ticket).

I also believe that owners need to have flexibility to fire players that don't deliver or live up to exceptions. Wasn't Dion Saunders that sat out the preseason?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I agree and don't contribute. Not even via my local cable franchise.

As has often been mentioned it's the fan that allows these high salaries. When fans are no longer willing to pay high ticket prices and stay away, then ticket prices and salaries will decrease. All pay is dependent on how much the employer determines that the employee is worth.

Everyone needs to contribute to make this problem go away. Eventually, I'd like to see hockey salaries with 2, 3, or even 4 zeros lopped off. Ticket prices need 1 zero lopped off.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Everyone needs to contribute to make this problem go away. Eventually, I'd like to see hockey salaries with 2, 3, or even 4 zeros lopped off. Ticket prices need 1 zero lopped off.

The problem is that there are too many that don't care, or need to do for business purposes. I fall in the later. I get tickets to events to be schmoozed, and it is an opportunity to build relationships. Other times it is a "thank you". I try where I can not to spend much if anything in the event itself.

Thankfully for the O's we are able to bring in food and drink. With the Cap's and 'Skins it is harder. I try to have a big lunch or dinner before those games. But drinks can be an issue, unless you like fountain water.

 

[gwangung]

Maybe it is my priorities, but why should sports players on an average earn more than teachers, or the front-line personnel that serve us everyday?

Because that's what >>WE<< as a society value.

We watch the games. We listen to the commercials advertised on them. We listen to the media that revolve around them. We buy the memorabilia that commemortates them.

The money doesn't appear out of thin air. It comes from us.