NHL 'negotiations' provide laughs
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
NHL 'negotiations' provide laughs
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
All along, I have been insisting that the NHL and the players' union should hire a mediator to help solve their ugly labor dispute.
But after developments late Tuesday, I think someone else is needed.
A divorce lawyer.
Both sides can't even agree to have a meeting Wednesday, one day before the NHL's supposed deadline to have a collective bargaining agreement in place _ and to preseve an 82-game season.
Who are the leaders of these respective groups? Captain Kangaroo and Homer Simpson?
In brief, the NHLPA said it wanted to have a meeting Wednesday, but its request was not greeted with open arms. The NHL said there is nothing to meet about because the players' union had rejected the owners' proposal last week and indicated they weren't making a new offer.
In other words, there will not be a new CBA on Thursday. And the NHL will move one step closer to being irrelevant.
But at least the league is providing comic relief.
* * *
Isles to Brooklyn. The laughs keep coming, folks. With the lockout as its backdrop, the NHL will proudly announce on Wednesday that the New York Islanders will move to Brooklyn for the start of the 2015-16 season.
Maybe the lockout will be over by then.
Maybe.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Comments (34)
hire a mediator? the owners would never do that. they'd pull a mayor nutter and just completely blow off the arbitrator / mediator when his decision isn't to their liking.— Ryan- Where was the union when the NHL wanted to open discussions on the CBA way back in November of 2011... Nowhere to be found, the NHLPA waited until way past the last minute to start talks, which was a tactic. Somehow they end up blaming the owners for the cancellation of games!
Whatever.— wgagne12 - NEWS FLASH-----The Owners imposed a lock-out on the players. The NHLPA had offered to not strike and continue to play while a new CBA was negotiated. That means that THE OWNERS ARE THE REASON THAT GAMES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.
— snad264 - NEW FLASH-----If they had started negotiating in November 2011, When the NHL wanted to start talks, games would not be being canceled right now! We would be watching hockey now, simple.
Per Andy Strickland:
According to sources Don Fehr has convinced the players the longer they remain firm, the better the deal will be down the road.
Sounds like THE PLAYERS ARE THE REASON THAT MORE GAMES ARE GOING TO BE CANCELLED.
— wgagne12 - wgagne12, your making a big assumption when you assert that if negotiations had begun in November 2011 that we wouldn't have a lockout now. Don't you think it was prudent on the part of the NHLPA to see what the revenue picture was before agreeing to any owner proposals, especially ones concerning Hockey Related Revenue?
No matter how you try to spin this, the owners imposed a lockout. The NHLPA was willing to play while negotiations proceeded. They did not strike.
And if you think the players make too much money for what they do, I have a suggestion: Lace on a pair of skates, get yourself a stick and a puck, and just try to skate from one end of the rink to the other without losing the puck once. Then try to shoot off a toe-drag, or from your back leg. Then tell me they make too much money.
Considering what NBA players make, hockey players are underpaid.
More games will be cancelled because of the owners intransigence.— backhand - I personally like to watch the Flyers, but one look at this article length and lack of comments/responses and you will see that very few people give a sh*t about hockey unless their team is winning.
We picked up a back up scrub center and there are a million comments. We lose a shi**y pitcher nad even worse non-hitting infielder and there are 8 million comments.The NHL and NHLPA better pull their oversized egomaniac heads out of thei rumps and get back to business.
P.S.-- Cindy Crosby is still a crybaby b***h.— Dr. D. - The owners who pretend to believe in free enterprise and capitalism demand a new agreement so that they can avoid paying for contracts they previously agreed to. So they are simply hypocrites who beg not to be held to their previous promises. Should we cry crocodile tears for them or simply regognize their dishonesty.
— berbatov - Exactly what was funny?
Please stopping writing articles just to write "something".
The fact that the Employees, sorry "players", call themselves a union is comical though. As a union do they ever support other unions? NO, they'd play with replacement refs at the drop of a puck ... they are not a real union, and should all be fired, ba-bye, go play in Europe, see ya, good luck.
Owners give them until November 1, then FIRE them all, like Reagan did, and start up from the pool of minor leaguers and "free" agents.— FatBoy90 - What a mess these people have created. No sympathy for any of them.— meteo30
- Very few comments here showing the lack of real fan support for the sport....Just go away hockey, the 19000 fight fans will find something else to do.....it is not a big deal to the rest of the city...or the Delaware Valley.......— nuggett
- nugget, I'm disapointed. Usually your posts are more informative and insightful, and sometimes humorous. — backhand
- I don't understand why anyone whould care that they're not playing now. The regular season is meaningless so you should be happy that the season is going to be cut in half.— OldCityJoe
- Hello, hockey fans! Please google and watch Scary Pete's video "Shut the Puck Up" on youtube. It's a hysterical take on the lockout from a fan's point of view.
Meanwhile, back at the rink...will the owners and players stop acting like babies and get back to playing hockey??? ACT like you care about the fans, the concession workers, the zamboni driver, the sports bar down the street...instead of looking like greedy, selfish brats. At this rate, it's gonna be a looooong winter...
— Black Stewart - A million thanks for posting that link!
That video is funny as hell and makes some very good points as well.
I loved his Quebecois accent. If Moose Dupont ever made a music video it would sound like that.— backhand - Yo, eggheads. Just like politics - neither side wants to admit the other may have a point. Get your respective noggins' out of your respective a-h's and come to an agreement. You're acting like children, for crying out loud.— pfes
- Owners throw out 100 million dollar contracts, then turnaround and claim poor. Owners are their own worst enemy. Contract the league by 10 teams and that will solve your financial issues.— snwbrdrjeff
- Actually, according to Adam Proteau of The Hockey News (page 8, October 29th isssue) the NHL is planning to ADD two more teams: One in Quebec City, and one in Markam, Ontario.
Remember the NHL's initial realignment strategy? Two of the proposed cofnerences had 8 teams, the other two had 7. The two new franchises would be added to the eastern conferences bringing them up to 8 each for a total of 32 teams.
The owners are crying poor-mouth and planning on ADDING two more teams (one in a weak market).
BTW, True North Sports and Entertainment paid a $60 million USD relocation fee to move the Trashers to Winnipeg. Can you imagine how much they will charge the new franchisees?
— backhand - You do remember when we exchanged about it days or weeks ago...makes more business sense to expand to Canada than relocate there...fees,fan support.Some
hard core Nordiques fans organized bus trips to show
that they would welcome the Islanders to their
city,the NHL does not want to relocate in Quebec,they
want entry fees...look were the Islanders are heading
in a few years,the Barclay center in Brooklyn...it could also be a ploy to get city council in Nassau to get moving...time will tell.
It would be fair to mention that those new teams will
create jobs for the players...in some case prolong some
careers,more revenues because of can't fail markets, will bring the salary cap up,and up,and up.The problem...
the floor,to many teams cannot reach the floor at this
time,the ceiling was at 39 millions when it started,the floor would be at 54 millions if they played this year...of course the players wanted to play this year, the same union who wanted no part of a salary cap league,how funny,can't make this stuff up.
I believe the owners want to reign in salaries so they can pocket those entry fees,back when the NHL was expanding in the 90's ,those fees basicaly paid some bills,and in the case of big market teams,that money was
turn in to salaries........for the players,again.
Two more teams backhand,means 46 more jobs for the players.I believe in unions who protect the common man
needs,someone to watch his best interest.We are not in
pre NHLPA days anymore,back then,the players needed to unionize,the pendulum as swung the other way since then...time to find the middle ground.The players are the attraction ...totally,the owners provide the structure for the players to play a game they love,and
being very well taken care of along the way ,most of them anyway.I could go on and on,time to wrap it up.
backhand,if you took the time to read all of this post,
youre a patient dude...I appreciate it and salute you !!— Mean mean stride,mean mean pride - Yes, I read your entire post. But do everyone a favor and *please* use paragraphs. It makes it easier to read and comprehend.
As to the content of your post, you make several good points. One of which is the addition of 46 more jobs for the NHLPA. How could they argue against that? They can't and remain player representatives.
Another is your conclusion that the NHL does not want relocation fees, they want expansion fees. I can see how they could put a team in Quebec City (I don't see how it will do any better financially than the Nordiques but that's the new owners problem), but since Markham is basically a suburb of Toronto, I don't see how they can get the Leafs to allow that competition. It's like trying to get the Flyers to agree to an NHL franchise in Wilmington. Good luck with that. But Markham would be a money maker, fur sure.
And, surprisingly, I also agree with your contention that the pendulum has swung the other way with respect to unions. There have been and continue to be abusive actions by some unions. That needs to stop. They have to get back to their raison d'etre, protecting workers from exploitation by capital, and forgo the power trips their leadership has been taking. I agree that we are not seeing a return of the Molly McGuire days.
But in the case of the NHLPA and the NHL, we have a case where the NHL is spending money like drunken sailors and then expecting the players to bail them out when they sober up.
And I also agree that there is a middle ground and both sides had better get to it soon. Problem is, the owners are more interested in the high ground (ask the French at Dien Bien Phu about high ground).— backhand - backhand,if there is still a salary cap in place,and
a strong Canadian dollar,a small market like Quebec,will
prosper...rabid fans out there. The reason I think they could put a team in Markham,is happening in New York,the Barclays Center is 6 miles from MSG...that is not a suburb,that's up the street.
The Maple Leafs and the Sabres would be oppose to it,but a few years ago I heard about some 5oo million
dollars in compensation for the Leafs alone.Anyway,if they can put 4 teams in a region like New York(Devils, Islanders,Flyers and the Rangers)2 teams in southern Ontario and 1 in upstate N.Y.(Sabres)would be OK,I think.A lot of Canadian fans go to Buffalo for games,it could hit the Sabres in their pocket book,but I believe
that the new ownership in Buffalo,is in it for the long
haul.
I think Leafs fan would be ok with another team in the
greater Toronto area anyway,because a lot of them think
there hasn't been a hockey team in Toronto for a long, long time :)
Molly McGuire ??? I have no idea,would appreciate some
info...
Your point about the owners spending like drunken sailors,I will come back to you later...gotta go get some Z z z z z's...
Hope I paragragh ok,I never know how it will present itself once I submit,your point is well taken,I will try and get better.— Mean mean stride,mean mean pride - Owners throw out 100 million dollar contracts, then turnaround and claim poor. Owners are their own worst enemy. Contract the league by 10 teams and that will solve your financial issues.— snwbrdrjeff
- Thank Goodness. I don't have to watch meaningless hockey highlights on Sportscenter between Calgary and Tampa Bay (yikes is hockey putrid and uninteresting). We can only hope they abolish this atrocious and boring sport from the United States completely.— brmorgen81
- Hello, brmorgen81! For someone who does not like hockey very much, you sure took enough time to read this article and comment on it...— Black Stewart
- @brmorgen81- since when does ESPN show hockey highlights?— Handsome B. Wonderful
- Why ridicule Homer Simpson? The man's got class.— johnny rotten
- Wait. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought this was the link to the Fire Gary Bettman Petition. Carry on. Oh, and FIRE BETTMAN!!!— Mister Blah
- Dear God, somebody please call Jim Balsillie and a few other multi millionaires to organize another league. These NHL owners are a friggin joke and a disgrace to the sport.— Fly Guy
- Thanks Ed for the great entertainment.
— mrh1955 - I have an idea. Stop covering the "talks". Stop writing about the NHL until the agreement is signed. Everyone. All across the country. Don't mention one freaking word about those losers, on both sides. Nothing. Zilch. I am sure we can get a movement going.— scootch
- I'm actually enjoying the break from the relentless season after season marathon with only two months off between Cup final and training camp.— JourneyHome
- The NHL will withdraw its latest CBA proposal to the NHL Players' Association once Thursday's deadline to finalize a new deal passes. "When we delivered the proposal last Tuesday, we told them it would be on the table through today-sounds like go to your room with no supper Jimmy.— NYPHILLYPHAN
- You're right. The owners last statement included the language "Our offer was based on an 82-game schedule".
Now they will come back and offer the players 40% of HRR, a reduced salary cap, no financial aid to "struggling" franchises (i.e., there will be fewer jobs for you when they fail), and you have to wash your own jerseys and we will charge you for the soap and the water.— backhand
1
Popular Posts
About this blog
Broad Street Bull is the Inquirer's blog covering the Philadelphia Flyers and the National Hockey League.
Reach Sam at scarchidi@phillynews.com.
Sam Carchidi
Inquirer Staff Writer
Search this blog:
Blog Roll
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners:
Powered By:
