"If its not broke, don't fix it" - Sidney Crosby commenting on the NHL and the current economics
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=409338
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=409338
Crosby is stating the truth in some respects. The owners of the teams did not restrain themselves
and they ended up with an imbalance. Most ended up becoming victims of their own arrogance.
For one thing, the players might well have accepted the deal of fifty fifty if they honored the current
agreements until they expired.
This time I side with the players for the most part, the owners got what they deserved and now they
are going to pay for their mistakes.
Crosby is stating the truth in some respects. The owners of the teams did not restrain themselves
and they ended up with an imbalance.
What's idiotic about that? The NHL is not broke.
Sid is being an idiot. I don't even know why this KID is on the players' executive other than being the league's top star these days. He has no experience or education in business and has not really paid his dues in time invested in the league yet. The NHLPA is shooting itself in the foot by putting him in the position and he is making it worth shooting his mouth of like a moron. If the system wasn't broken we wouldn't have half the teams losing money every year. Don't these guys realize sustainability should be forefront in their consideration of bargaining positions.
The league is offering to maintain existing contracts.
Correction, some owners didn't restrain themselves. The only way the smart owners can restrain the idiot owners is through collective bargaining. To do it outside the agreement would be collusion.
Twelve teams made money last year and eighteen teams did not. The system is clearly broken when over half the league is losing money. If you magically moved PHX, CAR and TBY to profitable locations, you would still have half the teams losing money.
The system was broken the moment Bets and the Owners decided to prop up teams who couldn't raise sufficient revenues of their own to support their teams. That is just illogical. They gave it a try.......it obviously hasn't worked........get rid of those teams or send them North to Canada where we actually have hockey fans.
What's idiotic about that? The NHL is not broke. They are greedy. If they want to make more money, cut out Betman's wet dream franchises like Phoenix and Carolina and Tampa Bay and focus more on the US north and Canada. Instead they want to ram something down the throats of the players. Not that they aren't also greedy little bast-ards too. Billionaires fighting with Millionaires.
The owner's won't really start negotiating until January when they start losing NBC TV revenue. The players know this. Don't expect any resolution until the winter.
The fact is ....
The main problem with the N.H.L. is they think it's all about them. I bet for every job there, there are 4 or 5 spin off jobs- like zamboni operator, hot dog vendor, motel owner, hockey equipment manufactures etc. etc. etc. who are going hungry and no one gives a sh*t about.
Don't get me started on the equipment manufacturers. Ever since my oldest boy played AAA bantam I have had issues with them. In the last 4 years he played we spent $2500 on sticks and about $4000 on skates and other gear meanwhile all the millionaires get all they want for free. I was not happy about subsidizing guys making hundreds of thousands and more every year.
Forget it, we should have northern US teams, more Canadian teams and then open
the road to a European division of the league.
If I were the players I would hold out too the non profitable owners are going to have to sell
to someone if this keeps up.
most owners believed the players would cave in and that is not happening the owners appear
to be looking for answers they are losing too much especially the profitable teams and the
cracks are beginning to appear. The players they are not budging so far at all.;
The fact is the system is broken. Sid's an idiot.
Forget it, we should have northern US teams, more Canadian teams and then open
the road to a European division of the league.
Costs would be extremely high to accommodate that kind of travel. In addition, the European league(s) have really not taken-off the same way as the North American league.
The public's support just isn't there in the same manner (read: revenues) as evidenced by all of the teams selling advertising space on the players' jerseys.
As for Sid being an idiot, I don't think he's any more an idiot than any other player: they ALL think that the owners are making enough and the players deserve a bigger cut than what is on the table.
Sid is losing 7 figures a year in direct salary and likely a pail of cash on the endorsements
I really don't care if Crosby or the other players ever earn another dime playing hockey,and I don't care if the owners all go bankrupt. The only sympathy I have in this fight is for the arena staff and part-timers making an average wage or less. There are far more of those people affected more severely than the players or owners.