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Taking Sides on the CBA -- Ours

August 21, 2012, 7:33 AM ET [58 Comments]
Dee Karl
New York Islanders Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It's almost September. You can feel it in the morning air. It's cool and still at 6 am when I wake up and take the dogs outside and there is an undeniable 'feel' in the air. I have always loved it. While to all children, it heralds the start of school, to me it heralds 'hockey!'

And then I remember: We probably won't have hockey this September, or October or maybe even November. Camps may not open on time, the pre-season games I have to plan around for family birthdays most likely won't happen and all I'll have to keep an eye on is CBA negotiations.

Really? Again? Didn't I already go through this?

Yes, I did. You can't really see it, but the black bracelet says "Bring Back Hockey." I bought them on line from a kid in the South in 2004. Yes, I said the South. I think it was Florida. They were 3 for $5. I gave away two and kept that one. I wore it every day of that missed season. I searched for it this morning. I have a feeling I'll be needing it again.

Over the weekend, I received an email from the NHLFA. That's the NHL Fan's Association. If you've never heard of them, you should check them out. They may be a little over zealous at times and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye with their creator, Jim Boone, but they try to represent the third party in these negotiations: Us, the paying public.

This time around it is the NHLPA that wants our attention. They have launched an all out PR campaign so that we side with them instead of the other millionaires on the other side of the table. While I enjoy the fact that the players association finally thinks we're important, I don't necessarily side with them.

However, this go-round, I don't think I side with the owners either. Your business model stinks. They asked for a set of rules in 2004 and they got them. Then they figured out ways to get around them -- legally.

They asked players to take a 24% pay cut on existing contracts and got it. They asked for an escrow account and got it. They then proceeded to hand out ridiculously high contracts because the salary cap allowed them to. They put themselves right back in the same boat. Isn't that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again thinking you'll get different results?

You want my sympathy this time? You're not getting it. I have been resisting writing anything about the CBA negotiations because frankly it makes my head hurt. All I know is it's almost September and I should be drawing red circles on my calendar and telling my family when they WON'T see me because I'll be at hockey games. Now I have to circle days for kiddie birthday parties and family dinners.

I'M NOT HAPPY!!! FIX IT!!! JUST FIX IT!!!

I don't really care which side of men who make more in one day than I will ever make in a year decide to blink, but someone better do so before September 15th. Lock yourselves in a room and hammer out the legalese that none of us will understand, but come to an agreement and don't hold us hostage. Because it seems THIS time around you want the fans to give up 24% -- of their games since we all know neither side would ever jeopardize the Winter Classic on NBC but they'll certainly give up October and most of November.

Hey guys -- I don't like that option.




Off sides: Yesterday while driving to work and listening to XM's Home Ice as I usually do, Mick Kern jokingly said that maybe Visnovsky crashed that Ferrari just not to have to play for the Islanders. Nice Mick. You just made my list of people I'd like to smack.
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