its just an analogy. do you understand the overall idea i was trying to get across? that people watched hockey even when players were not super awesome.
- joshs

Oh sure, it's not the greatest analogy, becuase what made Crosby "Super Awesome", wouldn't be available to him in the 40's.

But Ya, people watch Hockey at all levels, some people would even say that the CHL is better then the NHL.

The NHLPA in my mind doesn't act like any union that I have ever belonged too.
A 50/50 split is not unreasonable. What amazes me is that the average career of most NHL players is only four years, yet little if anything is being done to help the vast majority of players. If the NHLPA was asking for a 50/50 split of hockey related revenue and an extra 1.5 percent of HRR to be put into some type of pension plane to help past, present and existing players, then I would be more then willing to support them. All I'm seeing at this point is the NHLPA working for the few players that are getting more then enough money from salaries and endorsements, while the vast majority are left high and dry and expected to sacrifice one of there few years of earning. I'm sorry but greed is greed whether it's from millionaires or billionaires.

I say give the players %80 and let them cover all the teams expenses. Would give them a hell of a wake up call.
- ehabs9

Making them cough up their own meals and hotel rooms would throw them into strike mode.

Almost everyone seems to realize that except the players. Doesn't help they have a combined IQ the size of peanut's.
- ehabs9

I think you are giving Mr. peanut too much credit

Almost everyone seems to realize that except the players. Doesn't help they have a combined IQ the size of a peanut's.
- ehabs9

IQ of a peanut???

I think they are a bit greedy but it's not all the players who are thinking that, a lot of the player agents are acting that way.

The NHLPA in my mind doesn't act like any union that I have ever belonged too.
A 50/50 split is not unreasonable. What amazes me is that the average career of most NHL players is only four years, yet little if anything is being done to help the vast majority of players. If the NHLPA was asking for a 50/50 split of hockey related revenue and an extra 1.5 percent of HRR to be put into some type of pension plane to help past, present and existing players, then I would be more then willing to support them. All I'm seeing at this point is the NHLPA working for the few players that are getting more then enough money from salaries and endorsements, while the vast majority are left high and dry and expected to sacrifice one of there few years of earning. I'm sorry but greed is greed whether it's from millionaires or billionaires.
- BadWaffle

If they really wanted to make a point internally then they should go socialist during a stoppage!Have a big pool of union dues to off set the players/members who really be hurt by this time off.Then continue the fight.If they don"t get it done this time. then they better prepare for the next one.The partnership needs to start in house.

i can't help but think that if the NHL guarantees every penny of every current deal, we're playing hockey within 15 days.

Companies are in business to make money. The current system doesn't work, even though the players believe that anything less then more of the same is unacceptable. A union is responsible to all of it's members and if the vast majority only last four years in the league, then the NHLPA need to improve pensions for all of their member and stop worrying about only the top earners in the league.
No offense but players like Crosby are set for life, they receive more then enough in compensation for there skills, time to share the wealth with their so called union brothers.

Companies are in business to make money. The current system doesn't work, even though the players believe that anything less then more of the same is unacceptable. A union is responsible to all of it's members and if the vast majority only last four years in the league, then the NHLPA need to improve pensions for all of their member and stop worrying about only the top earners in the league.
No offense but players like Crosby are set for life, they receive more then enough in compensation for there skills, time to share the wealth with their so called union brothers.
- BadWaffle

take a guy like Brandon Prust. finally gets a long-term deal. probably his only one ever. now the lockout is eating into money he was going to set aside for his family for life. you think he wants this lockout? not a chance. there are 500 Brandon Prusts. this lockout is absolutely about the Mike Richards, Marian Hossas, the Sidney Crosbys. they run the show with Fehr, and they could not care less about the rank and file.

secret ballot vote by the players on the owners deal and it passes easily...the Croz should share money with those poor 4th liners that only make 750K for playing 2 minutes a night and selling ZERO tickets

use replacements and let the players go to europe. They all really need a reality check.

take a guy like Brandon Prust. finally gets a long-term deal. probably his only one ever. now the lockout is eating into money he was going to set aside for his family for life. you think he wants this lockout? not a chance. there are 500 Brandon Prusts. this lockout is absolutely about the Mike Richards, Marian Hossas, the Sidney Crosbys. they run the show with Fehr, and they could not care less about the rank and file.
- scotch_tape

its a shame because without those guys your team is going nowhere. if the players were not accepting this contract because it was gonna hurt those guys i would understand but that is just not the case. this is about players making more than league average rolling back 10%.

secret ballot vote by the players on the owners deal and it passes easily...the Croz should share money with those poor 4th liners that only make 750K for playing 2 minutes a night and selling ZERO tickets
- flashfire

which is why it will never happen.

This "Optomism Meter" should be pointing at no progress.

secret ballot vote by the players on the owners deal and it passes easily...the Croz should share money with those poor 4th liners that only make 750K for playing 2 minutes a night and selling ZERO tickets
- flashfire

without those guys who play 8 mins or less a night crosby would be getting punked up and down the ice. these guys fight crosbys battles as well as police the ice. there is a code with the enforcers in the NHL to police the league even if someone did not scum your teamates but rather scummed a player the night before on a different team. psst you do know that hockey existed before crosby was even born

take a guy like Brandon Prust. finally gets a long-term deal. probably his only one ever. now the lockout is eating into money he was going to set aside for his family for life. you think he wants this lockout? not a chance. there are 500 Brandon Prusts. this lockout is absolutely about the Mike Richards, Marian Hossas, the Sidney Crosbys. they run the show with Fehr, and they could not care less about the rank and file.
- scotch_tape

and there are 500 brandon prusts that are on board with the union. don't be fooled for a second. the union as a group are tired of being locked out and told to give back. it's the owners system that has been in place for the last 7 years. the players gave the group everything they wanted, just to find themselves locked out and told that they need to give again?

people need not be hypocrites and female dog about the amount of money they make. you as the fan are the ones who pay 100 bucks a ticket, 8 bucks a hot dog, 12 bucks a beer, 150 bucks a jersey.. just to watch them play. the players are defending what they feel are their rights just like each and every one of you would do as part of a union. don't sit there for a second and act lke if you at your jobs signed a contract for 50 dollars an hour, that you would stand for being locked out and told you need to agree to make 40 to go back to work. being overpaid doesn't have much to do with it, it's about giving again and again and again.

fans are taking the nhl's bullpoop seriously? you genuinely care about a league that's been spending as a group out of their own pockets to keep a franchise in the (frank)ing desert for 5 years? and then wants to female dog about how their own system isn't making them enough money? right.

use replacements and let the players go to europe. They all really need a reality check.
- ganou60

cant. because the league is the ones who locked out the players they are not allowed to bring in replacements. its an antitrust law. now if the players striked it would be a different story.

use replacements and let the players go to europe. They all really need a reality check.
- ganou60

it's fans like you that need a reality check. i'm sure you wouldn't female dog once with borderline beer leaguers making millions and playing for a cup.

and there are 500 brandon prusts that are on board with the union. don't be fooled for a second. the union as a group are tired of being locked out and told to give back. it's the owners system that has been in place for the last 7 years. the players gave the group everything they wanted, just to find themselves locked out and told that they need to give again?

people need not be hypocrites and female dog about the amount of money they make. you as the fan are the ones who pay 100 bucks a ticket, 8 bucks a hot dog, 12 bucks a beer, 150 bucks a jersey.. just to watch them play. the players are defending what they feel are their rights just like each and every one of you would do as part of a union. don't sit there for a second and act lke if you at your jobs signed a contract for 50 dollars an hour, that you would stand for being locked out and told you need to agree to make 40 to go back to work. being overpaid doesn't have much to do with it, it's about giving again and again and again.

fans are taking the nhl's bullpoop seriously? you genuinely care about a league that's been spending as a group out of their own pockets to keep a franchise in the (frank)ing desert for 5 years? and then wants to female dog about how their own system isn't making them enough money? right.
- joel878

funny because this happens all the time in real life. unions are asked to take paycuts to keep the company's afloat. these are people who make 50K a year. your right its not about the money its about the players being manipulated by their agents to feel some sort of entitlement.
the owners are the league...the action of hockey is the product...the players are the meat.
players have come and gone. the teams have remained (maybe moved but never abolished).
name a city larger than phoenix in north america that does not already have a hockey team.

it's fans like you that need a reality check. i'm sure you wouldn't female dog once with borderline beer leaguers making millions and playing for a cup.
- joel878

its not about the money the players make. its about the sense of entitlement even though the league clearly does not make sense. an increase in HRR does not mean profit. was hockey always as good as it was now? no hockey players now are a heck of alot better than they were decades ago. yet people still went and watched. because the action of hockey is the product. the players are just the meat

and there are 500 brandon prusts that are on board with the union. don't be fooled for a second. the union as a group are tired of being locked out and told to give back. it's the owners system that has been in place for the last 7 years. the players gave the group everything they wanted, just to find themselves locked out and told that they need to give again?

people need not be hypocrites and female dog about the amount of money they make. you as the fan are the ones who pay 100 bucks a ticket, 8 bucks a hot dog, 12 bucks a beer, 150 bucks a jersey.. just to watch them play. the players are defending what they feel are their rights just like each and every one of you would do as part of a union. don't sit there for a second and act lke if you at your jobs signed a contract for 50 dollars an hour, that you would stand for being locked out and told you need to agree to make 40 to go back to work. being overpaid doesn't have much to do with it, it's about giving again and again and again.

fans are taking the nhl's bullpoop seriously? you genuinely care about a league that's been spending as a group out of their own pockets to keep a franchise in the (frank)ing desert for 5 years? and then wants to female dog about how their own system isn't making them enough money? right.
- joel878

name 17 other billionaires that would take on the burden of losing millions of dollars a year just to own a NHL team. i bet you cant name 1. yet i can name 800 AHL'ers that would gladly play for more money.

I love how the NHLPA always lines up all their superstars and top players WHO ARE SET FOR LIFE life having signed their multi-million (mega) deals and are portrayed like they're the one's that have the most to lose, while the 3rd and 4th line players whose best chance to scrape out a career in the NHL is NOW aren't represented.

You tell me, who has more to lose by not playing NOW?

The NHLPA is a (frank)in' joke.

name 17 other billionaires that would take on the burden of losing millions of dollars a year just to own a NHL team. i bet you cant name 1. yet i can name 800 AHL'ers that would gladly play for more money.
- joshs

What you're describing is the idea of replacements for the current players, and I wish you'd stop bothering us with that nonsense.

It isn't going to happen.

I love how the NHLPA always lines up all their superstars and top players WHO ARE SET FOR LIFE life having signed their multi-million (mega) deals and are portrayed like they're the one's that have the most to lose, while the 3rd and 4th line players whose best chance to scrape out a career in the NHL is NOW aren't represented.

You tell me, who has more to lose by not playing NOW?

The NHLPA is a (frank)in' joke.
- As_I_See_It

They proposed three offers, each one meeting the glorious, indisputable 50/50 fairness standard that most people have arbitrarily set.

The NHL rejected each one in under an hour.

and there are 500 brandon prusts that are on board with the union. don't be fooled for a second. the union as a group are tired of being locked out and told to give back. it's the owners system that has been in place for the last 7 years. the players gave the group everything they wanted, just to find themselves locked out and told that they need to give again?

people need not be hypocrites and female dog about the amount of money they make. you as the fan are the ones who pay 100 bucks a ticket, 8 bucks a hot dog, 12 bucks a beer, 150 bucks a jersey.. just to watch them play. the players are defending what they feel are their rights just like each and every one of you would do as part of a union. don't sit there for a second and act lke if you at your jobs signed a contract for 50 dollars an hour, that you would stand for being locked out and told you need to agree to make 40 to go back to work. being overpaid doesn't have much to do with it, it's about giving again and again and again.

fans are taking the nhl's bullpoop seriously? you genuinely care about a league that's been spending as a group out of their own pockets to keep a franchise in the (frank)ing desert for 5 years? and then wants to female dog about how their own system isn't making them enough money? right.
- joel878

yeah, because Brandon Prust gives a poop about labour relations. dude wants to get PAID. and you say the NHL keeps locking them out? gee, maybe the union got this whole ball rolling when they walked out in 1992?

do you know why the league keeps locking the players out? MARKET CORRECTION. go take a peek at what players were earning before the last lockout. take a peek at what players are earning now compared to the other pro sports in America. they get the highest percentage by a mile. 50% is an insult to them, but it's OK for their bosses to make 43% right?

and you want to talk about circumventing the cap? do you honestly think that the owners are responsible for that? you don't think it's player agents who conceived of these deals? so what's an owner to do? not acquire talent and let his fanbase and TV audience dwindle based on principle?

you, sir, need an economics lesson, because you have no clue what you're talking about.