For those who care, Hockey's back

[TofuNinja]

SI.com story (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/hockey/nhl/07/13/bc.hkn.nhllockout.ap/index.html?cnn=yes)

THe NHL and Players association reached a deal today.....

I guess that means Hockey is back....... well both sides need to raitfy the agreement.... joy... hockey ;)

I know there are huge Hockey fans out there... but did anyone really miss the NHL? I know I didn't.... but then again I am not a hockey fan

[zero2dash]

The greedy @$$ players have left such a bad taste in my mouth ~ at this point, I don't give a crap about hockey. It's going to take A LOT for them to make me a fan again, and there's a whoooooole lotta other people who feel the same way right now. Prior to the lockout - hockey was my favorite sport...yes, even ahead of football and baseball. Now...I'd rather watch fishing. (Or any one of the numerous 1+ year old poker tournaments ESPN airs now instead of hockey games.)

[raimin]

so the players demands of noever agreeing to a slaary cap, and wasted a year, and ended up getting a salary cap
and salary based on revenue
waste of a perfectly good year



Bettman warned in February that the offers the union passed up were better than any it would see once a year of hockey was lost.

Just days before the season was wiped out, the players' association said for the first time it would accept a salary cap if the league dropped its desire to link player costs to revenues.

[zero2dash]

so the players demands of noever agreeing to a slaary cap, and wasted a year, and ended up getting a salary cap
and salary based on revenue
waste of a perfectly good year

Yep. And what's worse for the players - the deal they turned down was better than the deal now (which they'll certainly accept because if they turn this one down, the next one will be even less). :stupid:

[mcs328]

Don't really care anymore since they've been gone so long. If I'm bored I might go see it if the price is right.

[zenbooty]

The greedy @$$ players have left such a bad taste in my mouth ~ at this point, I don't give a crap about hockey.Um, it wasn't the players who started the lockout. And there's nothing greedy about a player wanting to sign for as much money as he can get. That's the American way, and you or I would do the same, and (hopefully) do just that in our own careers.

Again, its idiot owners who can't use their brains and say no to throwing s***loads of money at the next potential superstar that is causing hockey's problems. That and ownership's huge mistake a few years ago of trying to expand hockey and raise prices and aim it at the wealthier demographics, when traditionally their fanbase has always been more regional and blue-collar. They priced out their true fans and the richies they wanted to try and get to buy skyboxes were never really interested in the first place. This has nothing to do with the players.

[zero2dash]

Um, it wasn't the players who started the lockout. And there's nothing greedy about a player wanting to sign for as much money as he can get. That's the American way, and you or I would do the same, and (hopefully) do just that in our own careers.

The lockout was done by the owners because they couldn't reach an agreement with the players. Why couldn't they reach an agreement? Because the players are greedy; they want all this money and they want raises and the owners are losing money that they can't give to the players, so the players threw their proverbial temper tantrums and said "we won't play" and the owners said "we won't pay" (rhyme not intended) and neither side acted mature.


Again, its idiot owners who can't use their brains and say no to throwing s***loads of money at the next potential superstar that is causing hockey's problems. That and ownership's huge mistake a few years ago of trying to expand hockey and raise prices and aim it at the wealthier demographics, when traditionally their fanbase has always been more regional and blue-collar. They priced out their true fans and the richies they wanted to try and get to buy skyboxes were never really interested in the first place. This has nothing to do with the players.

True, the owners made it worse on themselves by throwing more and more money at the players, who then became accustomed to it and said "hey we can take them for all their worth and they'll pay up". The owners didn't have the money at the time so they did what they thought would work...they raised ticket prices and started throwing out their own demands. Unfortunately, hockey lost its fanbase (especially after referees started all the obstruction calling) so the owners went broke and took the players down the toilet with them when the players wouldn't take less money.

It all boils down to both sides being wrong; the owners have been wrong up until the labor talks started and the players were wrong when they showed their greed. They can rebadge the NHL all they want and come up with new slogans...they've got a lot of rebuilding to do when it comes to the public's opinion on the league. And I agree with many people who say that Bettman and Goodenow should both resign after the agreement is signed; both of them have ruined the sport of hockey. :disa:

[DarkFury]

What is hockey?


Oh yeah.. "Rugby on skates"... :heh:

[DaFunkyUnit]

but the facts remain the same:

Poker gets higher ratings than hockey.

****, probably even the Spelling Bee gets higher ratings than hockey.

[zippyjuan]

One thing I don't quite understand about professional sports is that the owners (who pay the player's salaries) negotiate with an individual how much they are going to pay them to play, but then complain about paying them too much when it is what they agreed to in the first place? The NFL salary cap has forced some players to take pay cuts (Oh dear! Now they will only make three million this year!) if they want to keep playing.

[raimin]

One thing I don't quite understand about professional sports is that the owners (who pay the player's salaries) negotiate with an individual how much they are going to pay them to play, but then complain about paying them too much when it is what they agreed to in the first place? The NFL salary cap has forced some players to take pay cuts (Oh dear! Now they will only make three million this year!) if they want to keep playing.

but that s the problem. they are forced to, when competing with other owners. However unlike basball and football, the revenue and tv deals are no where as good. thats why the owners wanted a salary cap, to restrict costs, and make overall cost of players related to revenue generated. The players of course did not want that, so they refused to come to an agreement.

[ialsohaveadream]

but the facts remain the same:

Poker gets higher ratings than hockey.

****, probably even the Spelling Bee gets higher ratings than hockey.
:stupid: And rightly so. Hell, soccer might even be more popular than hockey at this point.

[MikeD]

There was a pro hockey league? Hmmm, never realized it...and I bet most of America feels the same way.

:sleep:

[zero2dash]

Hockey players are dumb. :bonk:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-nhllockout&prov=ap&type=lgns

I think Goodenow's job security was just shown to be "safe" (why, I'll never know).


``We had to stand up for what we thought we could get and that's the nature of the business. Now we have to move on,'' Doug Weight (St. Louis Blues) said.

Players' association executive director Bob Goodenow took on the NHL and vowed not to take a salary cap or have player compensation linked to league-wide revenues.

By all accounts, this deal contains both.

``As far as I'm concerned, he's done what we asked him to do,'' Jeff O'Neill (Carolina Hurricanes) said. ``He's led us and I think he's done the right things.

:stupid:

[baggio248]

Sad when a major sport is bannished to OLN.



NEW YORK (AP) - NHL games will air on Outdoor Life Network for at least the next two seasons.

The league finalized a two-year deal with Comcast Corp. - the owner of OLN - late Wednesday night after ESPN declined to match the agreement that will pay the NHL $65 million this season and $70 million in 2006-07.
The agreement between Comcast and the NHL was approved by the league's board of governors last week. ESPN, which resumed regular broadcast of NHL games in 1992, had until Wednesday night to match the contract but decided to pass.

"Over the years, thousands of great NHL moments were presented to our fans through the lenses of ESPN cameras," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "ESPN was a supportive partner, and both the National Hockey League and ESPN enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. We wish ESPN continued success."

The new deal can be extended up to six years. For the 2007-08 season, Comcast would pay the NHL $72.5 million but that number could go higher based on contingencies.

OLN, best known for providing live coverage of the Tour de France, will show between 58 and 78 regular-season games, as well as conference quarterfinals and the entire conference finals - with the exception of some weekend windows that could move games to NBC in both playoff rounds.

OLN will show Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup finals before NBC takes over for the remainder of the series.

The deal with Comcast goes beyond just television rights. Comcast will bring the NHL Network to cable systems in the United States, and provide on-demand game broadcasts and computer streaming of live games.

This is the second time in recent months that ESPN has declined a deal with the NHL. In June, ESPN passed on a $60 million option under the previous contract. The network tried to retain the rights for less money in talks with the league.

ESPN contended that the value of NHL games had dropped substantially following the lockout that wiped out all of last season.

"We worked very hard to build and sustain our relationship with the league and would have liked to continue," George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports said in a statement late Wednesday night. "However, given the prolonged work stoppage and the league's TV ratings history, no financial model even remotely supports the contract terms offered. We wish the NHL all the best."

The NHL will begin a two-year deal with NBC for over-the-air broadcasts beginning with the upcoming season. That is a profit-sharing arrangement, a deal similar to what the network has with the Arena Football League and the National Lacrosse League in which it pays no rights fee to televise games.

[BigJon]

What is hockey?
:stupid: Is that the thing we had about 2 years ago with the ice?

[ialsohaveadream]

Did hockey leave again yet? Anybody got an ETA on that?

[Jihforce]

but the facts remain the same:

Poker gets higher ratings than hockey.

****, probably even the Spelling Bee gets higher ratings than hockey.

Now that NHL will be on the "Outdoor Living Network", we can safely say the rating will tank even further.

[guiseppewv]

I can't wait!!!! :) The Penguins have signed a bunch of great veterans and the #1 pick in the draft. :) This is going to be a great season.


The greedy @$$ players have left such a bad taste in my mouth ~ at this point, I don't give a crap about hockey. It's going to take A LOT for them to make me a fan again, and there's a whoooooole lotta other people who feel the same way right now. Prior to the lockout - hockey was my favorite sport...yes, even ahead of football and baseball. Now...I'd rather watch fishing. (Or any one of the numerous 1+ year old poker tournaments ESPN airs now instead of hockey games.)

I disagree. A lot of players are making less now than they did before the strike. And a lot of veterans have signed with teams who weren't the "highest bidder". Not all players are greedy and just b/c a player wants more money when most of the owners are raking the dough in doesn't make them greedy...more like wanting their fair share.

I do think that for the most part all pro athletes are overpaid. The cable channels, the owners, broadcasters, the coaches, etc...... are all overpaid too, though.