NHL -- No Hockey League
Posted on February 17, 2005 in SportsYesterday NHL commish Gary Bettman “regretfully” announced the cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season. It's really sad that we, the fans, are the ones whom are truly losing out. No matter what way players and owners try to spin it, greed has everything to do with this.
I can only imagine trying to explain the salary cap, player contacts, unions and economics to a little kid who’s wondering why he couldn’t go see the Bruins for his birthday like my dad had done before for me.
“But Dad, you promised we were going to go see the Bruins? Was I a bad boy? Please Dad, I'll be better!?”
Taking a pay cut is always hard I guess, that’s true for no matter how much money you have in your bank account. Greed still never ceases to amaze me, the presidents of these NHL teams are proclaiming that they don’t pocket any cash after we plunk down our hard earned cash and buy their $7 hot dogs and $50 beers, bullshit. One thing I am sure of today is that their financial books are about as baked as Rickey Williams is right now.
I lost most my interest in hockey after the second partial season lockout (94-95), and I can only imagine how much more support the NHL will loose now. The game will need to see some major changes in order to get back to where it was even just 5 years ago. The owners will have to do something special to get fans back in the stands.
We all know that all sports are hardcore business, one of the most lucrative in America. We all know its filled with contracts, economics and negotiations, but as fans, we don’t want to see that side of things. We just want to go to a game get our shitty overpriced hotdog in those foli sleeves and watch Borque line one up a one-timer from 75 feet out as it rips through a “5 hole”.
Watching these negotiations (and the ultimate cancellation of the season) take place is very disappointing, you hope for the best and you try to be optimistic but it doesn’t pan out in the end.
This is the best way I can describe what yesterday it felt like to be a hockey fan, as I read that the season was cancled.
It was sort of like going on an impromptu low-budget strip club adventure with some beer buddies in a strange town on a Wednesday night. You’re eager and hopeful when your walking in the door but soon after looking around and only seeing middle aged women for 15 minutes, your left wondering where all the beautiful women are then you get a awkward feeling in your stomach.
Whilst standing there sipping an surprisingly reasonably priced beverage with dollar bills clenched firmly in hand, some used-washed up 37 year old woman gets on stage and disrobes in front of you and you watch in horror as her tits freefall and land flat on the floor.
All visions of a fun night at the strip club quickly disappear and your left feeling very filthy and dissapointed to say the least. Not that I have ever been in a strip club like that [grin] but I imagine that is what it would feel like.
Players should be happy, playing and owners should quit being so fucking greedy.
As always, my .02 cents is free.
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Previous Comments
Who Cares. The NBA can go next.
Hockey is losing money, that is a fact. It has no major network TV deals and is still pretty much a regional sport. Hockey in Tampa Bay, Atlanta ... come on, my in laws are from Atlanta and the only thing these people care about is college football. The Braves finish 1st every year and they don't even sell out playoff games.
As for for player greed, it is more like agent greed and elite player greed. A good bit of the players are pissed they didn't even get to vote on some of those things proposed. A lot of these guys make a decent living but their careers are short lived, and I suspect the 100k they made last year is running low.
The guys looking out for the guys coming up is pure bullshit, they are looking out for their 3 million a year.
They will get no sympathy from me and expect little from the majority of people. I think in general most fans of all sports are tired of the me, me, me attitude. I especially think people in New England are even more sickened by it when you look at the Patriots and see how they handle things. Players take pay cuts to stay here and play, if you don't like it there is the door. They don't kiss anyones ass.
All the players say we understand this is a business when it comes time for trades etc but they forget it is a business when its time to get theirs.
Even if the owners were making millions, who cares, they got into the business to make money, that is what you go into business for. Maximize profits.
Yep. Little sympathy coming from me. Although I'm not a hockey fan, I find it hard to believe that a difference of $6 million couldn't be worked out. Especially if it means that there's a season. Think of the small businesses that make money off of the NHL plus people that work in those venues.
After doing in depth research on the NBA players union (and, yes, reading their contract thoroughly), I can't muster a lot of sympathy for any professional players. If only I had a contract that specified the exact temperature that my locker roo...er, I mean office had to be kept at.
Cancel baseball while your at it and make football longer. (next sentence is in politically incorrect asian accent) "baseball is wong...man with 4 balls cant walk"!
Speaking of footbal. Can you believe that Moss is now a Raider and Bledwho........Bledsoe is a Cowboy