Kahran Ramsus 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2005 February 10, 2005 TORONTO (Ticker) - The NHL is heading into its final weekend. Commissioner Gary Bettman told the Players Association that a framework for a collective bargaining agreement must be in place by the weekend to prevent the 2004-05 season from being canceled. The NHL and the Players Association met for more than three hours on Thursday before talks broke off. On Wednesday, the league made a new collective bargaining agreement proposal that immediately was rejected by the union. Bettman and executive vice president Bill Daly represented the league, while union executive director Bob Goodenow and senior director Ted Saskin were present for the union. After three consecutive days of talks last week, the NHL introduced a plan in which it would implement the proposal made by the union on December 9 until it became obvious it did not work economically. At that time, the league's February 2 design, which masked a salary cap as a "floating team payroll range," would go into effect. "The proposal, in effect, was a compromise," Bettman said Wednesday. "We believed that this was something that we should do to try and save the season. The union's response was that this was not a framework that they were interested in going forward. The proposal made by the union in December contained rollbacks of player compensation by 24 percent, reduced qualifying offers, a payroll tax and a revenue distribution plan. In order for the CBA to convert to the league's plan, one of four conditions must take place - league-wide player compensation exceeds 55 percent of revenues; the average of the three highest club payrolls becomes 33 percent higher than the average of the three lowest payrolls; three clubs exceed a $42 million payroll; and average team compensation per club exceeds $36.5 million. Should no agreement be reached by the weekend, Bettman is expected to cancel the 2004-05 season early next week. "It is clear to me that if we're not working on a written document, memorializing our agreement this weekend, I don't see how we can play any semblance of a season," Bettman said. "That was a message I conveyed to the union. "I believe that I owe it to our fans, our business partners, all the people that work in and about the game, that I'm going to have to make an official announcement. But in some respects, I'm sort of doing that now because I think everybody understands the timetable." The lockout is in its 147th day. No major North American sports league ever has lost an entire season due to a labor dispute. A Stanley Cup champion has been crowned every year since 1893 with the exception of 1919, when the Finals were canceled after five games due to a flu epidemic. Updated on Thursday, Feb 10, 2005 3:50 pm EST http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylc=X3oD...ov=st&type=lgns With Bettman giving it the weekend, its over now. Oh well, time for the 67s to take down those Petes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2005 What are they going to etch on the Cup if nobody wins it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Man in Blak 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2005 "For Sale - (555) 555-5555" or whatever Gary Bettman's number is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 Once upon a time, there was a league that played hockey. It started with 6 teams and expanded to 30. There was a team coast to coast. From the Los Angeles Kings to the New York Rangers. From the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the New Jersey Devils. The league and teams prospered for awhile but then it fizzled. New arenas were built but empty they were. The new owners did not want to invest money in something that would not make money. Who would? Was Jaromir Jagr really worth the 10 million? But it came down to two men. Gary Betteman and Robert Goodnow. Gary, the NHL's first commisioner, came from the NBA. Bob, the head of the union, came from Hell. Gary handed out teams like candy and moved them from Minnessota, Hartford, and Winnigpeg. Bob smiled. Gary had nothing to worry about as long as Gretzky, Roy, Lemieux, and Yzerman were around the people would watch. But they got old. Who is Paul Kariya and Martin St. Louis? The expansion worked, didn't it? Florida, Carolina, and Tampa Bay made it to the Finals. They went on strike in '94 and this should have foreshadowed today. Bob hates Gary. Gary is too stupid to hate anyone. How is this going to end? The NHL is dead and somewhere there will be a Canadian to start it all again. It all started with six. Maybe it should have stayed that way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 You're in no position to lament overexpansion, Duck Boy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 Nice free verse poem though. Funny how talks seemed to be progressing, then the Midget and Bob (since they need to be around for any agreement to be ratified) step in and the shit hits the fan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 anyone heard about the one guy's obituary, blaming the NHL strike for the cause of his death. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 anyone heard about the one guy's obituary, blaming the NHL strike for the cause of his death. That was awesome. I love that dead guy. It's really sad that an NHL season would have happened if they had just chained those two guys together in a basement somewhere like it SAW. Somewhere away from the talks and just handled it without those two twits. At the very least, one of them would be missing a foot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 It'd be great if Linden and Daly came up with an agreement, got both sides to approve, and then forced them to sign it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Young 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 This sucks. I finally got interested in the sport during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, so of course they never play again afterwards. At least I can watch Ducks and Kings classic games on FSN West. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 At least I can watch Ducks and Kings classic games on FSN West. Lord knows there are plenty of both. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DerangedHermit 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 At least I can watch Ducks and Kings classic games on FSN West. !does not compute! At least I can watch Rangers and Devils classic games on MSG and FSNY...(game 7 of the 1994 E. Conf. finals is one of my favorites as is the Rangers/Panthers 1997 E. Conference Quarterfinals Game 5 with Esa Tikkanen's OT winner that they originally thought didn't go in). And I enjoyed some of the Devils' classics they showed (especially the last regular season game of the 1987-88 season in which John McLean scores against the Blackhawks in OT to send them to the playoffs). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MARTYEWR 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 anyone heard about the one guy's obituary, blaming the NHL strike for the cause of his death. Best part was his demand in the obituary to replace Gary Bettman with Wayne Gretzky. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eclipse 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 So what does this mean for next season? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted February 11, 2005 As it stands now --- NHL is effectively dead. I don't even see NEXT season happening with the current stand-off. ESPN, apparently, is getting better ratings from their 2nd tier basketball games than they got from NHL games. The arenas are going to be pissed about losing revenue. More than 50% of fans don't care if the season is gone. This isn't baseball, with tons of good will built up over the years (somehow). -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kahran Ramsus 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 It depends. If the league can get an impasse and bring in replacement players by October, I think you find the players will eventually capitulate. If they don't, then the lockout will continue. The owners are prepared to go down on this, and it is something that the players don't seem to understand. They would rather bankrupt the league than play under the current system. Why shouldn't they? These are billionaire businessmen, the NHL to them is just a sideshow. The fact of the matter is that the players need the NHL a lot more than the owners do. The owners seem quite willing to move on with their lives if they don't get what they want. The difference in MLB is that there, there are enough owners like George Steinbrenner and others who find the league too valuable to them, personally, if not economically. Even in Toronto, Ted Rogers uses the Blue Jays as cheap entertainment for his sports channels. Likewise with the NFL & NBA. The owners in those leagues aren't willing to fold it if they don't get the deal they want. In the NHL, they are. It no longer matters if the players are right or not, they simply won't win. Billionaires can afford to lose more than millionaires of which this is their primary income. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 I always tuned into Playoff Hockey in the springtime, but I'll manage. I forgot for a time this past year that there was supposed to be a NHL season... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nl5xsk1 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 If the next announcement isn't something like "Goodenow & Bettman announce that they're stepping down due to incompetence" I think I'll puke. One of their main job functions is keeping the PA and league (resp.) running smoothly, and since they're both failing miserably at that I feel both should lose their jobs as a result. I'll reiterate my guess about what happens next year: the first part of the season is missed, but shortly thereafter the players that can't afford to miss anymore time start to break ranks and cross the line, willing to play under the owners demands. Once enough cross, the NHLPA will crumble and a new, improved league will be born. /doubtful Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the max 0 Report post Posted February 11, 2005 Sigh. At least spring training is getting closer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted February 12, 2005 I don't see where the PA has a problem with the league's proposal of basically giving their plan a run and if it works great, but if not they go to the leagues plan. Hell of a compromise IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lightning Flik 0 Report post Posted February 12, 2005 Ah, but you see, the player's know that their plan ain't gonna work. Why? Because the owners can shift it in such a way to actually make it fail. Hence why they won't attempt it, even if the owners don't try causing it to fail. Not defending the PA (fuck'em, honestly), but its their mentality. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kahran Ramsus 0 Report post Posted February 12, 2005 Well, that and at least one of the triggers would go off immediately (the one with more than 2 teams with a $42 million payroll). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BHK 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2005 I miss the NHL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
