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Posted on 09/15/2012 11:41:43 PM PDT by smokingfrog
NEW YORK – The clock struck midnight, and the NHL turned into another sports league closed for business.
Unable to reach agreement on a new labor deal, the National Hockey League locked out its players at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, the third major pro sport to impose a work stoppage in the last 18 months, behind the NFL and NBA.
The action also marks the fourth shutdown for the NHL since 1992, including a year-long dispute that forced the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season when the league successfully held out for a salary cap.
That fight ended with the latest collective bargaining agreement, and when it ended Commissioner Gary Bettman followed through on his longstanding pledge to lock out the players if no deal was in place.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the shutdown was in effect. The union said it would have no comment.
The sides were so far apart in their discussions that they didn't even meet face-to-face for negotiations on Saturday.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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O.G.N.T.S.A.
If they keep this up, the KHL is going to move in and start their North American League.
That's not a bad idea except for the fact that my agent and I think I'M the best player in the league......
I don't begrudge anyone for trying to make as much money as they can. If there's anyone to blame it's the fans willing to fork out the big bucks for the tickets, the refreshments and parking.
Kenya Hockey League?
Kontinental Hockey League, the Russian League. They are looking to expand outside of Russia.
The players are getting 57% of revenues. Their propaganda catch phrase is that they're “partners”. If they were partners they'd get 57% of profits not revenue.
Here's hoping they find a compromise, the owners reign in the stupid contracts (100 million for Parise!) and the players realize that the NHL is in a precarious position business wise.
Also unlike the other leagues which don’t have viable competition, the Russian KHL very much stands to gain from this.
I agree.
My problem is the huge money the owners squeeze out of us taxpayers to fund the facilities.
(A particular gripe here in Indianapolis where the govt has an inferiority complex and feels compelled to give 100s of millions to the Simons and Irsays lest they pick up and move somewhere).
I hope they show some KHL games on TV. The KHL pounced on the Russians stars fast enough and Malkin is already lobbying Crosby to join him in Magnitogorsk. I’ll bet they’d get him a winger.
I have a big problem with that too. I look at Detroit's Ford Field and Comerica Park as being prime examples of that crap........
I don’t know how to post pictures, but I saw a classic yesterday. Picture of the joker and he says, “end the lockout? Simple. We kill the Bettmann”
I cannot believe the fundamental anti business position and lack of understanding of the real issues by Freepers. This string of responses looks like something from the UAW website.
Ownership and property are sacred rights, be it your own income or your sports franchise. That applies here too.
I like Bettman (sort of). But really fans raggin on him is silly. Bettman is an employee serving at the pleasure of the NHL owners who are themselves experienced in running other businesses. Fehr is a lawyer representing a group of players some have described as being 700 millionaires with an 8th grade education. Who do you think has more influence over those he represents and more say in how these negotiations go?
That's why it has become perfectly acceptable for profesional sports to have the kind of regulatory systems in place that would never be permitted under anti-trust law in any other industry. Can you imagine any other industry that would be permitted to have things like revenue sharing, a salary cap, and -- this one always makes me laugh -- an entry draft?
>>I remember going to Red Sox and Bruins games on newspaper route money.
Amazing how much has changed. We used to go to Whalers games for $6 a ticket. I probably went to 15-20 games a year despite it being quite a drive and a bit of PITA w/regard to parking.
The last pro sports game I saw in person was the local single-A baseball team. Decent game, about the same price per ticket as those late 70s, early 80s hockey games. We have a local AHL team which I go to once in a while, but they are even somewhat expensive.
During the last lockout I started watching college hockey. No where near the level of play, but it was still fun to watch. And despite never having lived there, I became a Minn Gophers fan and still follow their college team.
My alma mater (UConn) has announced that they will join Hockey East, so I’m hoping we’ll have some local college hockey coverage.
I can’t recall, did the AHL still play during the last lockout? I seem to remember that they didn’t, but the ECHL did.
You have some valid points, BUT......BUT.....you’re not looking at this through the correct template. A sports league is technically 30 or 32 different businesses in the same industry....depending on the league. The key word here is “technically.”
HOWEVER: they function as one business with 32 branch offices competing in the industry of entertainment dollars, etc. In other words, in the technical sense, it would be good for the Detroit Red Wings to put the Tampa Bay Lightning OUT OF BUSINESS just like it would be good to put any other financial competitor out of business.
In the FUNCTIONAL REALITY though, it helps Detroit for Tampa to be financially successful and vice versa. Again, they function like 32 (or 30) branch offices or profit centers of the SAME business competing for the entertainment and sports dollar with all other entertainment and sports.
Therefore the draft and all other normal business parameters that you are trying to apply do NOT apply. There is competition on the ice (or hardwood or field or whatever) and that is impacted somewhat by financial competition...but again, the Cowboys and the Giants would not have a league if they put the other 30 “branch offices” of the NFL out of business.
You have to stand back and understand the very unique nature of a sports league and the very constrained competition between the different “businesses” so to speak.
>>I can’t recall, did the AHL still play during the last lockout?
I guess this answers that question. Some of the younger players will be lighting up the AHL lamp:
My son’s college roomate is a hockey player so I started watching college hockey because of him. The crowds are way more fun and interactive than NHL ones. I’d like to go to the frozen four but they say tickets are nearly impossible to get.
I live in a hockey hotbed so there’s a variety of hockey close by including minor league (Wheeling Nailers), college and high school hockey. High school and college are on TV sometimes. Maybe they’ll broadcast some AHL games.
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