Hockey Shmockey
Here's the afore mentioned Hockey post, by popular request (ha) and because it'll help me get my mind off other things as well:
The NHL (National Hockey League) and NHLPA (NHL Players Association), like other sports, have to have an agreement, a signed contract outlining the specifics of the business relationship between the league and the players. The current agreement expires on the 15th of this month, and the two parties have been meeting over the last several months (years, actually) in an effort to agree on a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). If an agreement is not reached before the 15th, there will be a lock-out and the hockey season will not start later this month, as scheduled.
Only 11 of the 30 teams in the league actually made money last year. The rest lost tens of millions. Two teams have declared bankruptcy this past summer. This could theoretically be attributed to poor management--if you side with the NHLPA. The problem with the about-to-expire CBA is that 75% of all NHL revenue goes directly to the players. What business could survive if 75% of its revenue is used for employee salaries? The NHL has proposed 6 distinctly different solutions to stop this financial disaster, only 2 of which contained a salary cap--something the NHLPA absolutely will not agree to.
The NHLPA declined all 6 proposals, and for the first time in 15 months made a proposal of their own. With this proposal, by their projected figures even, more than half the teams in the league would still lose money, and almost a third of them would lose more than ten million dollars. It's absolutely retarded for the NHLPA to expect the NHL to agree to a contract which will continue to lose the league millions of dollars.
At this point the lock-out is virtually guaranteed, and some analysts are saying it could last 18 months. The NHL has been failing financially since the previous agreement was made some years ago, especially in the US where there are several sports already crushing hockey in popularity. There are obviously the die-hard fans that will come back to hockey when and if another season does commence, but the much larger casual fanbase will dissipate and find other things that pique their interest to fill the minute void that professional hockey leaves in them.
If Steve-O were the NHL, this is what I'd do. I'd give the NHLPA union an ultimatum, that if they do not agree to one of the 6 proposals then business between the two entities will cease. In this case I would then set up a huge draft from all minor leagues and hold giant media-saturated circus-like training camps encouraging anyone with an ounce of hockey skill and background to try-out. These players, comprised of athletes not yet tainted by the lust for big bucks, would be so stoked to play in the majors they'd be more than happy to play for millions less. A new players union could be formed, with a much more reasonable contract including a salary cap etc. Yes the quality of the game would be diminished to basically minor-league quality, but not for long. Eventually some of the ex-pro's would realize how good they had it and miss hockey enough to come back under the new union.
Obviously this is an extreme measure and there are other things to consider, such as the effect on minor-league teams and their business, and the possibility that the old players union could just up and start their own hockey league, which would have the more talented pool to draw players from. Anyway, the whole situation really P's me O, and that's what I think of it.
The NHLPA sucks. Period.
There's more to this dispute than I will post here, if you want to read more of the specifics you can check out the NHLCBA website, and the NHLPA website for their side of the story as well.
The NHL (National Hockey League) and NHLPA (NHL Players Association), like other sports, have to have an agreement, a signed contract outlining the specifics of the business relationship between the league and the players. The current agreement expires on the 15th of this month, and the two parties have been meeting over the last several months (years, actually) in an effort to agree on a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). If an agreement is not reached before the 15th, there will be a lock-out and the hockey season will not start later this month, as scheduled.
Only 11 of the 30 teams in the league actually made money last year. The rest lost tens of millions. Two teams have declared bankruptcy this past summer. This could theoretically be attributed to poor management--if you side with the NHLPA. The problem with the about-to-expire CBA is that 75% of all NHL revenue goes directly to the players. What business could survive if 75% of its revenue is used for employee salaries? The NHL has proposed 6 distinctly different solutions to stop this financial disaster, only 2 of which contained a salary cap--something the NHLPA absolutely will not agree to.
The NHLPA declined all 6 proposals, and for the first time in 15 months made a proposal of their own. With this proposal, by their projected figures even, more than half the teams in the league would still lose money, and almost a third of them would lose more than ten million dollars. It's absolutely retarded for the NHLPA to expect the NHL to agree to a contract which will continue to lose the league millions of dollars.
At this point the lock-out is virtually guaranteed, and some analysts are saying it could last 18 months. The NHL has been failing financially since the previous agreement was made some years ago, especially in the US where there are several sports already crushing hockey in popularity. There are obviously the die-hard fans that will come back to hockey when and if another season does commence, but the much larger casual fanbase will dissipate and find other things that pique their interest to fill the minute void that professional hockey leaves in them.
If Steve-O were the NHL, this is what I'd do. I'd give the NHLPA union an ultimatum, that if they do not agree to one of the 6 proposals then business between the two entities will cease. In this case I would then set up a huge draft from all minor leagues and hold giant media-saturated circus-like training camps encouraging anyone with an ounce of hockey skill and background to try-out. These players, comprised of athletes not yet tainted by the lust for big bucks, would be so stoked to play in the majors they'd be more than happy to play for millions less. A new players union could be formed, with a much more reasonable contract including a salary cap etc. Yes the quality of the game would be diminished to basically minor-league quality, but not for long. Eventually some of the ex-pro's would realize how good they had it and miss hockey enough to come back under the new union.
Obviously this is an extreme measure and there are other things to consider, such as the effect on minor-league teams and their business, and the possibility that the old players union could just up and start their own hockey league, which would have the more talented pool to draw players from. Anyway, the whole situation really P's me O, and that's what I think of it.
The NHLPA sucks. Period.
There's more to this dispute than I will post here, if you want to read more of the specifics you can check out the NHLCBA website, and the NHLPA website for their side of the story as well.