NHL Lockout 2012: Against Popular Opinions

The fan's anxiety of the current NHL lockout has been hysterical as if it were judged by the internet blogisphere. One would think that the universe were collapsing and the Mayans were right after all. It wasn't all that long ago, that the same issues brought on by the owner's previous lockout, were all hopefully taken care of now that the salary cap and other financial rules were put into place. The fans and players are told now that it isn't so. The financial model of the league is still "broken". Therefore, the League's owners choose to sit out and wait until they can plan for all contingencies.

So far, this lockout has divided some fans and Gary Bettman's reputation has fallen further (as evident by the radical outspoken fans). But before you view the NHL commissioner and collective owners as callous, here is a list of reasons why I am taking the owners side in lockout 2012 and you should also.

1. I am a non-conformist when it comes to populism. I see the hate and piling on Bettman and I think it's outrageously cruel. He's had so many pictures of him making him look foolish, but there is no real substance or solution offered by those fans. They just demonize Comish Bettman. It's a childish immature response.
   
2. To quote James Carville: "It's the economy, stupid". There are people out there who will never see a million dollars. For the players to trot out the "I'm starving" when they have more than what they need just to play a trivial game is a slap in the face to people who can barely make ends meet and have to save up to even buy one overpriced ticket.
   
3. Donald Fehr. He was instrumental in baseball for making sure that we have irreversible competitive non parity in MLB.
   
4. NHLPA hypocrisy. As reported by Yahoo! Sports Hockey, The players union meet in "New York Marriott Marquis, a non-union hotel, as the Fortune Limousine service idles outside. A black SUV displays an NHLPA sign and this license plate: "FORTUNE1."
   
5. If it's evident to me that they can't respect each other on the ice with constant intent-to-injure hits, why should I believe they are so arm-in-arm in brotherhood now?

So, that's the way I see things. NHLPA does not get my sympathy.

NHLPA Gets Help from Fehr

While the state of the National Hockey League is in disaray, retiring MLBPA union leader Donald Fehr has made himself available to the new commitee trying to find a suitable leader as well as revising the Union constitution.

"Hopefully, my experience at the MLBPA will be of help as the NHLPA members consider the reorganization of their union," Fehr said. "You have an organization of professional athletes who are in a period in which they can use some help, and if I can be of some assistance to them in the process, given the long experience I've had, I'd like to try and do it."

Fehr, according to the CBC article, boasts his long tenure in baseball's union. His track record with the MLB brought on large escalating salaries, something that the NHLPA was always concerned about during the recent 2004 lockout.

"I didn't represent professional athletes for 32 years because I thought that was not the thing I wanted to do," Fehr said. "Hopefully, I'll be able to give them some assistance which will make this task a little easier for them."

Since the NHLPA heads have since rolled on the chopping block quite frequently, Fehr would be a great model to measure any future candidate.

[Via: CBC]

NHLPA Leader Kelly Fired in the Dead of Night

When stories of what happened to Jimmy Hoffa become legendary lore, the third NHLPA leading spokesman has reportedly been axed unceremoniously. And just like the speculation of Hoffa that took on a life of it's own, the hockey media is left scratching their collective heads as to what was the reason why Paul Kelly had been fired.

On Monday, the NHLPA's executive board voted "overwhelmingly to relieve Paul Kelly of his duties as executive director, effective immediately."

I suppose at the top of the list of speculative reasons was the affable nature of Paul Kelly and the presumption that he was getting too comfortable with NHL Commish and the Board of Governors BOG. If that is the reason, then the NHLPA insiders have more problems then they realize. They now run the risk of presenting the media, fans, and general public of a serious issue of destabilization. The third head of the union to be dismissed in 5 years.

Kelly succeeded Ted Saskin, who was let go in May 2007 amid allegations of monitoring players' email. Saskin had taken over when Bob Goodenow stepped down under pressure from the players on July 28, 2005, only two weeks after a collective bargaining agreement was signed to end the lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.

The article explained that the pressure to have the matter settled was critical before the NHL 09-10 season began.

[Sportsnet.ca]