|
Here's to Soft Landings...here is the latest... |
|
|
|
|
|
The 2012-2013 NHL Season is out of the ICU today and capable of making a FULL recovery...That can't help but feel a bit miraculous to those involved.
Today the hockey world woke up to optimism abounding. The NHL's offer yesterday is the offer the hockey world has been waiting for...the point where this whole thing "just got real."
For months we have talked about October 15th being a benchmark day. And what we are seeing is 100% planned out. This whole play is very scripted. We are seeing a negotiation to get the best deal possible for the NHL. It's ridiculously simple and painfully obvious now the NHL isn't willing to cancel a season and never was. They are just willing to get the best deal possible.
The PA's biggest complaint for the past month or so has revolved around the NHLPA wanting the NHL to tell them what they really needed to get a deal done. Not hyperbole, but rather exactly what they want and need. In the PA's opinion, the NHL has thus far put forth offers bordering on absurd. The PA wanted a real offer to work from. Well they now have one.
The sticking point will be...
Yesterday I talked to a player currently in Europe and he was optimistic but also added the key statement I feel you will hear a lot of over the next few days: "If they are willing to have a soft landing on the 50/50 I think a deal could be made..."
The term "soft landing" refers to how drastic the cut from 57% of revenues to 50% of revenues will feel to the players. In the NHL proposal there are interesting provisions that should soften the landing a bit by finding ways to pay current contracts in full through a creative escrow of funds. It is essentially "grandfathering" the contracts with some insurance on the league's side of things. I am told the players today will put forth the concept of "sliding down to 50/50 over a few years" to make the eventual landing point of 50% feel less. There will be some more negotiating to come this week, and things will get heated. And as I said before...this whole thing could appear darker before it gets finished...
But as I have also been saying all along.."This will get done. It's only about money. There is nothing here worth throwing the NHL on their own sword."
Is the landing in the deal soft enough?
As I said in my article where I wanted to abolish the percentage concept all together and instead just put set dollar figures...it is the amount of money the players get that matters..not the percentage of the money. If the League continues to grow at this pace the percentages can fall, but the players could still see their salaries rise. No one is giving up anything in that scenario and the owners get to make more money by taking more risk and spending more money marketing the game. That is where we are heading...
All of this can get worked out over the next week now that the NHL has given the full 82 game season a second chance. It was downright brilliant to put 82 games back on the table the day after the players missed their first paycheck. It's like your boss telling you you aren't going to get paid for this month and then turning around and saying you are.
Also the fact the NHL said "we essentially have 9 or 10 days to bang this out if we are going to have a full 82 games" is brilliant and it is what the fans have wanted from day 1 because what it means is "let's get in a room and not leave until we have an agreement."
The fact it is even possible to play a complete season explains how the NHL managed to get some of the bigger money making teams to go along with the cancellation of games. They knew the games weren't really cancelled at all. In ten days or so they will be however. There simply is no more time.
I will have much more on this proposal as the next few days of negotiations take hold.
Join the Discussion:
»