The NHL idiots say they are $187 million apart. And so far they have thrown away aboot $300 million in revenue. I'm surprised these morans have the brains to use a zipper.
Dumb and Dumber have agreed to meet with a mediator. http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8680079/2012-lockout-nhl-players-association-agree-mediation
Why mediation will fail. http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/20406/can-mediation-work-this-time-around
The mediators gave up! The Board of Govenors meets next week, any one want to bet that Bettman is gone?
I have mixed feelings about Mario. I think anybody is better then Buttman, but Mario doesn't always practice what he preaches. He is 2 faced in my opinion. I think he has a lawyer feel to him I don't like. Remember when he went after the NHL over fighting and cheap shots even though his team lead the NHL in suspensions, penalty minutes, and fighting majors? I think Yzerman is a better choice..... I can still dream about Neely getting the job. Right?
I'd like Mario because he could see things from a player and owners perspective. Steve has done well in Tampa, but I don't know if he'd be interested in being commish. Or if Mario would be for that matter. It's kind of a stupid job.
Hmmmm, I would like to see Wayne Gretzky get the job if he would take it. Cool under pressure, both good and bad, and has respect that he earned.
The owners do not want a former player. They want a lawyer, and for good reason. I can't figure out how the big market owners haven't seen the writing on the wall (revenue sharing, contract terms, salary %) and put together a contraction deal. They are the ones losing national TV revenue and sharing revenue with hopeless franchises. None of us have the numbers to know what that would look like, but take 6.67% annually back from the TV deal, don't spend XX dollars sharing revenue with junk markets, amortize it over a couple decades, and I have to figure there's a buyout/contraction deal in there somewhere. That is their best negotiating deal. 6.67% of players unemployed, or... take this offer. Would be super ballsy, but the superstar players would want it, and it would probably cause a big mess inside the union ranks. If I was a prick, that's what I would try to do.
I would assume that the financial power houses, Toronto, Montreal, and the NY Ranges view revenue sharing as an investment in growing the over all market. And as the total market gets larger the value of their respective clubs increase. No doubt they have studied how the other leagues have faired, ie football, base ball etc. As the lock out drags on they have got to wonder how much fan base they are losing. A gamble for sure. My guess is the owners are taking a long term view while the players want to make their dough right now because their careers could end any time.
That is exactly why Bettman should be canned. His expansion plans have been light to moderate failures, even as other franchises (read: Islanders) are weak. I'd love to see internal documents the the revenue growth he projected (sold to the owners) when they expanded. With two lockouts in the last decade, they have to be way behind.
As they say the devil is in the details. That said this seems to have become an emotional issue. There is suppose to be a Board of Govenors meeting tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if they remain united. I was in Montreal Saturday night for a Christmas party and can tell you the local fans are really fed up with this.
Commemorative NHL Lockout Trading Cards http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id...rading-cards-celebrating-everyone-got-us-mess
I wonder how that works when you own the TV network? (NESN ownership is a 80/20 split between the Sox and Bruins)
