Obama, the NHL and a new target date
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Obama, the NHL and a new target date
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
President Barack Obama on Wednesday night pleaded with the NHL and the players' union to create labor peace because "the fans deserve it."
Appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Obama was asked if he could pull strings to end the NHL lockout. After the appaluse ended, Obama said, "You know, I do have a comment on this. Every time these things happen I just want to remind the owners and the players, you guys make money because you've got a whole bunch of fans out there who are working really hard, they buy tickets, they're watching on TV.
"Y'all should be able to figure this out. Get this done. The fans deserve it."
We have a feeling Mitt Romney (mindful NHL fans = votes) will express similar sentiments this week.
The NHL and the players' union have no meetings scheduled for Thursday, the day of the league's deadline to get a new CBA in place. That means an 82-game schedule is virtually out the window.
From here, starting the season on Black Friday _ yes, the name is appropriate for this league _ should be the next target date.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Comments (81)
he's got my vote!— LouF- romney's solution to end the lockout: outsource all player positions to india - start playing hockey with an entire league full of indian players until nhlpa bows to ownership's demands.. — zwarte piet
- @Zwarte - Notice Obama didn't propose a solution?!? Much like his Presidency.
Romney 2012!— Professor1982 - My advice is don't buy it. Obie is behind in the polls to to white men. A couple of key states are northern Hockey states. White men in those states like hockey. Do the math- Obama is just being a PANDER BEAR. He can't bowl. He has no clue about hockey. However, when you look at Romney, he is no closer to hockey either. This is just a publicity stunt.
— DarnelX - Sam---How can you assume Romney would say the same? Remember, he thinks like an owner in his approach and wants to take advantage of workers (even high priced ones). Too bad, he can't send the NFL overseas like he has done with so many other jobs in this country.— hankhammer2
- Move jobs overseas? Like he did with GM? Oh wait, that was Obama.
Please Hank, tell me which companies Romney owned where he moved jobs overseas. It should be easy since there are so many. Unless you are just a sheep who mimics the same old lib trash. Actually, nevermind. You couldn't name 1 but that wouldn't change your mind on it at all, would it?
I have a feeling Romney thinks there are more important issues to worry about right now, apparently Obama doesn't.
We'll see soon enough what the voters find more important.
By the way, nice of Obama to take time from his talk show appearances to at least worry about some jobs. Word is that the strike was started because of a youtube video. Bahahahaha!— smfree31 - There is a company in Southern Illinois featured on an MSNBC special last Friday night which is closing with all jobs going overseas. This was a Bane Capital property which they sucked the life out of and then threw into the trash can.
By the way, GM would not be here if it weren't for Obama finishing what Bush started and Romney opposed. That is a matter of record and you will see the consequences when Obama wins Ohio and your hero loses the election. I am not a liberal but i believe in working people and seeing fair things done on their behalf. I also believe that rape is a crime and pregnant women should be given the chance to abort a fetus conceived in a rape.
Of course, my opinion doesn't matter because I support a black candidate and some people like you just can't abide the thought of the President of our country being a black man.— hankhammer2 - hankhammer2, you hit the nail on the racist head. The Tae Baggers are furious that a black man got elected President. They can't afford a pot to pi$$ in or a window to throw it out but they support corporate America. Constantly voting against their best interests by supporting right wing loons.
This is why you see people posting here who obviously are not hockey fans. They are anti-labor, although most of the schmucks work for a living and are not invested in Bain Capital. So because the owners locked-out the players, they come here to rant against unions.— backhand - "tell me which companies Romney owned where he moved jobs overseas."
Sensata Tech., owned by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital.
Asimco Technologies, owned by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital.
Obama didn't move GM jobs to China, and neither did GM. Get your facts straight before...oh, I forgot, you're a tea bagger so facts are irrelevent to you.
— backhand - Yes but Obama would force players like Giroux, Malkin and Stamkos give up 70% of their salaries to "bring up" players like Jody Shelley and Andreas Lilja. — Sidewinder7
- That's a right-wing myth, in the same vein as 9/11 conspiracy theorists.
Would he increase *taxes* on NHL players and owners. Yes! They can afford it. How many Lambos can you buy and not be happy?— backhand - Who cares about jobs, terrorism, voter fraud, race relations, the spiraling debt or transparency, The Big O makes another one of his promises and the Philly Left fall right into line. This guy's done nothing he's promised us so far. I miss Jimmy Carter.— schnitzelboy
- Don't be so lame and go pray to your Ronald Reagan effigy. — BumSatellite
Personally, I'd like to see someone (writers, politicians, whoever) start to pressure the owners ending this lockout. If you recall, most stadiums nowadays are publicly funded with taxpayer dollars which owners validate by saying it will bring jobs and positive econominc impacts to the coty. Well if you aint open for business, we aint providing either, so feel free to pay back that public loan.— centard- I don't get it. NHL players have won life's lottery. Many of the players have multi million dollar contracts to play a sport that most adult males in Canada have played since they were children. They travel in chartered planes and stay at the finest hotels. Fans idolize them and most players "outkick their coverage" with regards to the women that they can get. They have incredible retirement plans and health benefits. They should wake up in the morning and smile at their good fortune. Instead, they are worried about what % of the sport's revenue they are entitled to. Are they kidding? Worrying about "only" getting 50% of the NHL's revenue. What a joke! Wow, the owners want to turn a profit, imagine that!It is the nature of any businessman to seek to make the most money they can. Calling the owners greedy is a badge of honor to them. The owners will be stinking rich whether there is a season or not. The players are losing millions in salaries that they will never get back. If I was a player, I would have Don Fehr on speed dial and tell him to take the owner's offer. Again, this is money that once the players lose it, it is gone forever. Hopefully, there is someone in the players association that understands that.— syddan26
- Put yourself in their position though. Your boss comes to you and says we made more money last year! But we want to cut your salary by 13% even though we both signed a contract. I'm not saying the players shouldn't give in some, but its not an easy thing to do when you feel your being screwed. — Sidewinder7
- syddan26 wrote: "NHL players have won life's lottery."
No, actually they have worked at perfecting their skills from the age of 4 or 5. Nobody gave them anything. They worked hard to become the best hockey players on the planet.
The owners ARE turning profits. They just want BIGGER profits, at the expense of the players who actually ARE the show. I don't pay to see Hank Samueli in his luxury suite at the Honda Center (that is, when he bothers to show up), I pay to see Teemu Selanne, Bobby Ryan, and Corey Perry.
Most of these owners treat owning a hockey team as a hobby. You got a Ferrari 458 Italia? I got a hockey team.
— backhand - I hate this article. Keep your politics out of my hockey. Equally snippy comments could be made about Obama and the fairness of good teams beating bad teams, the war on women hockey players, etc. But, bottom line, odds are politicians don't care much about the NHL (or other leagues for that matter). Let them focus on fixing the country.— thawthor88
- Yes!!! Thank you. — Jabey
- @hankhammer2, way to get overly political on a sports blog. makes perfect sense. Either you're completely left (which is fine) or doing some undercover black ops for the Obama campaign. Whichever the case, I don't want to read it (same as I don't want to read anti-obama stuff). Keep that stuff on the political blogs and off sports blogs.— mundiff
Who cares what he thinks he's from Chicago...- Unfortunately this lockout is similar to what is wrong with politics. Neither side wants to do what is right for the fans\country, better product\better price ... they just want to disagree and sling mud.
why not start by agreeing that you actually do agree on some points and chip away towards the resolution.— FatBoy90 - The Tonner doesn't really like discussing politics. The Tonner's seen too many fights break out when Genny Cream Ale and politics intertwine.
- Sidewinder, if these guys lose the entire season, no contract is going to make up for the lost salaries. The players really need to understand that the owners are more than willing to cancel another season.— syddan26
- Geez...for a second there I almost forgot that we are 16 trillion in debt, have massive unemployment, trillion dollar deficeits, soldiers in Afghanistan, terrorist blowing up our embassies ...the way that Obama talked about the Hockey lockout...I know..he can redistribute the stanley cup to all the teams that haven't won in over 30 yrs...that means the Flyers get a little cup..LOL...— fbpdplt
- The United States, down 16 trillion with only two weeks in this game...pulls the President! He's heading for the bench!— dasher
- Most of that 16 trillion in debt was rung up by Bush when he decided to fight two wars and put the costs on a credit card. And giving tax cuts to the wealthiest 2% of the country didn't help either. — backhand
- He's never seen a hockey stick before! Must have been included in his budget portfolio that was assembled by his advisors the night after the debate. ROMNEY/RYAN for a real AMERICA!— Dogkilla
- Dogkilla wrote: "ROMNEY/RYAN for a real AMERICA!"
What you wanted to say was Romney/Ryan for a WHITE America but you didn't quite have the guts.— backhand - Thank goodness the resident is putting thought and time into the 6th rated sport in the land....after all there is nothing going on in this county or the world that needs his focus.....and the 19000 fight mongers in this city will surely swing the election......sad, that this is his way of trying to sway voters.....If he had any brains or courage he would tackle the NFL and gambling and make it available in all states.....and that would benefit all the degerate gamblers, the NFL ratings and the job situation in each casino.....but no that would take courage, brains and effort and he is lacking in all areas...— nuggett
- n— Professor1982
- And he demanded the Olympics be held in Chicago. How'd that work out?— BobbyD
- What is your source for that outlandish claim? Fox News? The Tea Bagger Blog?
Please post a link to a reputable news organization that corroborates your claim.— backhand - Why would any president comment on the NHL? He should be focused on matters that concern him... like JOBS and NATIONAL DEFENSE. Grow up President, not every matter concerns you.— Bud Fox
- National defense? Have you been awake for the last four years? Elimination of senior Al Qaeda leadership has soared under Obama, and let's not forget that OBL was eliminated on Obama's watch, and at his direction. Bush presided over the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history and then launched a needless war in Iraq, the cost of which he put on a credit card and ran up the national debt.
And jobs? If Bain Capital and Romney were involved in the NHL the players' jobs would go to China (a Communist country by the way, for all you flag-waving, non-serving right wingers).
If Obama had huevos he would invoke the Taft-Hartly Act. Oh, wait, the republicans repealed that.— backhand - The difference is: A player can have his earning potential reduced to zero in a split second, whereas the owners have plenty to fall back on. I'd rather cast my lot with the former, thanks.— So_many_haters
- WARNING THIS MAY OFFEND YOU!!! Intelligence test: When was the last time you ever researched an issue? When was the last time you actually went to YouTube to see what a person actually said? When was the last time you actually thought for yourself? Weak minded people vote as they are told, fall for the same old rhetoric, listen and believe cliches, or flat out are gullible. DON'T BE A ZOMBIE VOTER!— MooseBreathMints
- Can you imagine if Obama ran the NHL like he runs the US? He would allow uncapped spending, even if it exceeded team revenues. Eventually, the teams would run massive deficits and have to lay off employees and possibly even shut down, leaving employees and players without income and fans without a team to cheer for, but... he would look like a man of the people pushing for players rights. On the other hand, Romney, even though he would risk looking like a greedy businessman, would suggest a contract which allowed for healthy profit for the teams. Yes, this would mean that the rich owners would get richer. It also means that players would continue to make a great living, the league will remain healthy... maybe even expand resulting in more jobs for players and workers alike. I will never understand the closed minded quotes suggesting that a successful businessman is evil because of his success. His success enables more to work and earn.— 106S.P.Bailey
- Bailey, your vision is obstructed by the tea bags hanging from the brim of your tin-foil hat.
No one is against capitalism. But laissez faire capitalism has not worked in the past and won't work for working people in the future. Unregulated capitalism led to the mortgage and Wall Street meltdowns under Bush.— backhand - Lost my vote, I prefer the current programing on Comcast not the meaningless hockey games in October.— TEMPLE55
- So now the professional golfer, vacation planner, etc is a Hockey expert! He wouldn't know a blue line from a picket line.— dogman5
- Obama knows about as much about hockey as he does economics...which is to say, "Zippy".
— Nicher - yeah all you Obama bashers, the jokes on you who've been duped by the
upper crust who since the Reagan years have accumlated 40 percent of the wealth in this country and who pretend to wave the flag and follow Christian doctrine. I mean duped. Trickle down economics does not work, and concentration of wealth in the pockets of a few stunts economic growth. Shut the TV and do some reading by neutral think tanks.— retzlaff - Well stated, retzlaff.
Unfortunately the people who have consumed the right wing Kool-Aid won't read that and THINK about it. Even though most of them are in the 98% of the population that get screwed by the right.— backhand - Obama wants what??? The guy can't keep our domestic economy going, can't protect our national and international security, would tax small businesses plus our coal, oil and energy businesses out of ..competition. And this naif in the WH wants an end to the NHL strike or workout or whatever. A real national priority huh in a collapsing world. This dunce can't keep from lying on domestic and foreign issues every day and he wants ....Good Lord. This egotistic socialist would probably put the NHL in China and tell us it was...W's fault.Yikes.— Koons
- You do realize that under the republican definition of "Small business", Bain Capital files taxes as a small business, and actually gets tax credits for shipping American jobs to China (a Communist country). — backhand
- obama wants the lock out ended so he can increase taxes on all the millionaires!— Starbuck99
- obama likes hockey?...anything for a vote I guess. Who cares who says what just hope the season is not lost— glove69
- Please keep politics out of sports...I'm convinced all politicians above the local level (township supervisor, small-town mayor, councilman,etc.) care about the voters only to the extent you keep electing them so they can enjoy their fat and happy lifestyles. They don't give a rat's a z z about your true welfare and happiness— Polecat_39
- Mr. President, why don't you pass your own budget deal in congress first before you comment on the NHL's problems?— Smooth88
- The republicans control the house and refuse to let the budget proposal come up for a vote. That is why no budget has been passed. — backhand
- Doubt he even knows there is a team in DC.— tpizza
- I will now vote for Obama! because he wants to end the Hockey lockout!— gxel
- If Obama were to give the NHL players 48 hours to get back to work before firing them like Reagan did to the airline workers, I'd be impressed. "Mr. Bettman, tear down that wall!"
— kjuggs77 - It wasn't airline workers. Reagan fired all of the Air Traffic Controllers, showing his genuine concern for the safety of air travelers. — backhand
- This guy likes to comment about NCAA playoffs and a crime in Miami and the hockey lockout because he is an insufferable narcissist who projects himself into any scene where the lights are shining. He is a complete lightweight when the question is economics or foreign relations, which happen to be job requirements. But he can opine on Mariah Carey vs. another singer. He is light in his loafers.— Cazptain Philadelphia
- a balck guy that wants to watch hockey? WOW— Zero
- "a balck [sic] guy that wants to watch hockey? WOW"
You do realize that there are a number of black guys playing in the NHL, don't you?
Do *you* watch hockey? I don't think so.— backhand - he will do anything to get elected, even talk about hockey, surprised he did not say he has a rink in the white house.— camasbud
- If he did have a rink in the White House, you'd castigate him for wasting taxpayer dollars.
Romney is Gordon Gekko personified.— backhand - To — hankhammer2
GM current value $12 billion.
Govt funding for bailout $26 billion
plus millions lost to shareholders and bondholders.
Learn the real cost.— mmds - Actually, it's you who needs to learn the real costs.
GM has paid back every dollar they got from Uncle Sam, with interest (at well above prime). The U.S. Government MADE money on that deal.— backhand - David Stern is retiring in 2014. I wish his disciple Gary Bettman would oblige us before that. If you asked Bettman which is more important, the survival of the league or his job, is there any doubt which he would spring for. He's what comes out of a mouse after a strenuous feeding.
For you politicos who like conspiracy theory, do you know that in 1983 on Ronald Reagan's watch, there was a bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut that resulted in 17 U.S. deaths and more than 60 Lebanese fatalities and that the identity of those responsible has not been established to this day? That's something you can get the plate spinners on right wing radio and Fox News to sink their teeth into. Why was that matter not solved and, oh yes, let's get to the bottom of Benghazi in 29 days as opposed to 29 years. Rip it up guys.— Claudio Vernight - Have you noticed that the photo of Bettman that Philly.com used is very reminiscent of the famous photo of Benito Mussolini (not the one of him hanging by his heels)?
Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini
and look at the photo on the right of the page. Tell me they don't look similar. Their politics are certainly similar.— backhand - Oh Yeah? Well I want the Government to stop wasteful spending and high taxes.....Bozo--worry about things you should be worrying about...— IdahoMoose
- If you want the government to stop wasteful spending you might email your congressman and senators and tell them to stop giving subsidies to corn farmers who are making money hand-over-fist in the ethanol business. They have driven up the costs of every commodity that uses corn as an ingredient, such as food.
You might also ask them why the republicans are insisting that the DOD receive an additional 2 trillion USD even though DOD never asked for the money. That money winds up in the hands of defense contractors to produce weapons that don't work and no one needs. Trust me on this one, I'm a Vietnam veteran and while I want the military to have what it needs to fight, I have been through the process where over-priced gadgets they sell don't work or are designed to make them MORE money (case in point: The Starlight scopes we used required a nonstandard type of battery. Why? So the contractor could charge us $50 for a D-Cell battery that we could have bought for a dollar at the PX).
And you are paying high taxes because the republicans wanted tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%, but not for the middle class. If you are not among the wealthiest 2% of the tax base, and you vote for the right wing, you are essentially screwing yourself.
— backhand - Obammie the Commie also ants 4 more yrs....He won't get either!!! LOL— fbpdplt
- Ask Barry to name 3 NHL players - any 3....— Mike in LA
- If you remember, Obama invited the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins to the White House. All of the non-racist Bruins accepted the invitation and showed up. So I'm fairly certain he can name at least one, and quite possibly two more.
Can you name three NHL players? How about three black NHL players? Hint: one plays for the Flyers and used to play for the Kings.— backhand - Sorry, the hockey fan in me says anybody making seriously political statements in this comment section is an idiot.— thawthor88
- You can question his sincerity, but you've got to admit he handled it smoother than Romney would have.
"I love watching ice... hockey. There is no greater passion of mine than drinking... Coors Regular... and watching a game of... ice hockey... with my sons..."— b3n222 - This comment has been deleted.— Ashburn072
- If this nitwit spent as much time trying to get our economy back on track as he does doing celeb appearances, golfing and vacations, we might once again have a prosperous nation! The biggest con man since the Ponzi scheme. The mans an utter failure...worse than the peanut farmer...— dogman5
- Prosperous nation? Such as the one we had under eight years of Bush?
BTW, Ponzi was a republican.— backhand - I love hockey but don't give a flip if they play or not. Ready for a resurgent Eagles team, 76ers, and City 6. Plenty of teams out there to take my money.
— ACBaughman - As soon as he passes a budget.— eagledude
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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
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