9/4 1:12 pm: For anyone who is asking, the NY Islanders are not being represented at today's arbitration. The arbitration hearing is with the Anaheim Ducks and the Islanders will be informed of the outcome.
9/4 7:03 am: I have been thinking all night about the impending lock-out should an agreement not be made. I see so many others are doing the same. It is on our minds and we cannot escape it. At 10 pm last night, when I noticed Chris Botta had Tweeted about the CBA, I was hopeful for just one moment. But he only Tweeted to tell his @SBJD readers that neither side has plans on meeting yet.
My heart sank. It was labor day and there were NO 'labor' discussions going on behind closed doors trying to resolve the situation. Do we have a proverbial 'Mexican Standoff' here? But while the two sides fight over pieces of the 'pie' who is fighting for those who live off the crumbs of that pie? No one.
Stop and think of all the fringe players in this arguement and the amount of revenue that will be lost is staggering. it's not just the games that won't be played should there be a lock-out, it's the mortgages that won't be paid and the food that won't be on the table for thousands. That's not fair.
I noticed one Tweet last night that said there should be legislation that a major sport should not be allowed to have a work stoppage. While grand in scope, I think they were on to something. The trickle down effect of a lock-out here on Long Island is more far reaching than you would ever imagine.
Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead would also be losing revenue with each game not played, and Nassau cannot afford any more interruptions in their revenue streams.
In this economy, someone needs to speak for the workers and the fringe businesses who are dependent on Hockey. Who will that be?
Biznasty2.0 Tweeted that Don Fehr would not be taking a salary until the new CBA is final and they are playing hockey. That's nice. He can afford that. What about the semi-retired usher at the Coliseum, or grandmother raising her grandson who works the concession stand or the new Ice Girl who has a college tuition bill to pay? Should they have to 'not take a salary' until all you millionaires figure out how to divide your pie?
While you're at it, please, please, remember the thousands living on those crumbs of yours.
9/3/12: Back from a trip to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and two days of trying NOT to think about hockey. (If you want to know how horrid that was, you can check my www.7thwoman.blogspot.com post.)
Once back on line, I found this video circulating through Twitter that really did bring tears to my eyes. It's a bit long at over eight minutes, but it's a Holiday Monday with not much going on so it's worth it. Actually, I really think I would be doing the Hockeybuzz readers a disservice if I don't link to it.
Now, while I just love every second of that video, I am not sure how "Together, We Can" do anything. This is a fight between two labor entities: Employers and employees. We are simply the consumer. Yes, we do have a 'voice' as the video asks us to use. But the only way to use that voice is by using our purchasing power.
I am guessing, should there be a lock-out (God help us), we should use our voice and just NOT return to the rinks or the pro shops to buy merchandise. That $3.1 billion that the NHL made last year came largely from us, the consumers. Our voice is our wallets. Other than that, we are mute.
Tomorrow Lubomir Visnovsky will have his day in court to plead his case that his "no-trade" clause should have precluded a trade to the New York Islanders. Why it didn't effect his trade to the Ducks is for the arbitrator to consider. However, remember this, the trade went through all proper channels before being finalized. Visnovsky has said this has nothing to do with the Islanders, however I seriously don't know how much I can believe that.
Whatever the decision is that is handed down, I cannot imagine the relationship between Garth Snow and Visnovsky will remain undamaged. I just can't.
Tony Romano formerly of the Sound Tigers has also headed to Europe -- where we all may be turning for professional hockey in a few weeks. At least we will know a few names on those foreign rosters that we may end up becoming very, VERY familiar with!
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