The NHL Lockout vs the NHLPA refusal....

Oh boy – talk about the ongoing NHL lockout. Well I'd just like the NHL and the NHLPA to know that they are bound to lose many more of its fans.

Prior to the 2004-2005 lockout – I was a vivid hockey fan, maybe I didn't watch every single game out there, but I'd be sure to watch games from time to time(Yes – TV airing which means revenue for the League and Teams). Since the lockout, you can probably count on one hand the number of games I've watched – and furthermore I haven't been to a hockey game for quite a few years(again more lost revenue).

So the fact that post lockout I was finished school and now working – I was able to afford to go to some games, but the desire I once had for the sport had long been lost due to the fact that it came down to money.

Yes – money would seem is always the bottom line. And what more is money?
I Timothy Chapter 6 [10] For the love of money is the root of all evil:

Players within the NHLPA say they play the game for the love of the game. They also say it's the best league in the world. Yet – rather than try and work out a deal with their owners a lot of super talent players have gone overseas and are playing there. Now that causes other problems. There are players who play in those countries because a) they prefer to play in their home countries or b) they're not “good enough” to make the NHL cut. So now these NHL players are taking jobs from other people in other countries. What does this show to me? Players are selfish! Oh wait – yet somehow players are different from the “selfish” owners who only want to bring players salaries to 50% of revenue.

It's a good thing that NHL players have owners who decide their wages. I know many families who would love to go to an NHL game, but they just can't afford to go to a game, and will never be able to afford to go to a game. The hard working middle class people – who pay the NHLPA and the NHL's salaries. The NHL and NHLPA need to realize that they're both at fault in this. Players are so quick to point the finger to the owners – yet the most “diplomatic” of both parties seems to be the owners.

Let's think about this under current CBA where the players get a 57% of revenue while owners get 43%. So everyone says the owners are greedy, right? Ok – who pays for the teams travel when going on out of town games? The Owners. Who pays for the the players hotels? The Owners. Who provides meal allowances for these away games? The Owners. Who provides equipment to the players? The Owners. Who pays for the coaching staff? The Owners. Who pays for the management of the team? The Owners. Who pays the referees salaries? The Owners. Who pays for the Buildings that players play in? The Owners. Who pays for the.....

It would seem obvious that although the players on the team make up for 57% of revenue under current CBA – it would seem logical that these “greedy” owners – aren't really all that greedy. They're just trying to run a business. Perhaps the players have forgotten that.

My main point in this – is I think the NHL was too generous in offering 50% and then further adding the “make whole” - I think there should've been a serious cutback in salaries – now of course for guys who just signed big time money – that would suck, but what makes more sense – to have a team like Columbus in the league, or have a team like Columbus fold and then have approx 25 players out of a job? What makes more sense NHLPA?

See what love of money does – it causes problems. It causes people to lose their jobs. It's obvious that most players in the league who speak up have very little education – because they can't logically think things through for themselves and hence need a union to step up and do things for them.

So – if the NHL is going to keep this offer of 50% revenue for the players along with the “make whole” agreement – I think the players should take it and run.

Why? Who pays your salaries NHLPA? Oh yeah – your fans do. Your TV viewers do. All these people who will probably only ever dream of making in a life time what you make in one year – yet somehow players need to make a lot of money because they have short careers. That's a bunch of phony baloney if you ask me. If a player can make $1M in one year – and a person making $50,000 /year – it would take that person 20 years to make that same $1M that an NHL player made in one year. So – let's assume for a moment that in year one of that contract – the player has a career ending injury. You're telling me that with the salary he made he can't afford to go to school, get an education and earn a living like anyone else?

NHLPA – again take the offer from the NHL. If it were up to the fans to decide your salaries – I'm sure you'd be making 1% of revenues – and or NHL – if it were really up to fans to decide – average ticket cost for a game anywhere in the league would be $15/ticket – yes I said it AVERAGE – meaning some tickets could be like $5 or even $10 while others could be more expensive, but the average would be $15. Coming from someone in a city like Ottawa where it seems like ticket prices at cheapest were like $50 – this is just plain ridiculous – oh and I haven't even talked about how the ticket prices skyrocket for playoffs – but anyways average ticket cost would be $15. Then – we could allow the fans to determine who gets what percentage of revenue.

Enough said – NHL & NHLPA – if you want a league that's going to thrive – you better put brains in your heads and work out a plan. The NFL managed to do it – why are your groups incapable of doing such a thing?