NHL Lockout

And I’m tired of the whiny tweets from players and agents including some things parise has said. Shut up and only speak when you are ready to announce it is over.

Tweet? Really? don’t read them then!

What is wrong with people, do we really care why some yahoo has to express his instant thoughts over and over again.

Oh wait a minute is that what you guys and gals do on here?

Only read one tweet my whole life. The Manning/Brady one a week or so ago. Any updates on that pizzing match. NHL players need to understand they are not in the NBA,NFL or MLB. Every time they start to build interest they do something stupid like this. Seems that with the still limited following the owners are better sitting one out than overpaying. Hard to feel sorry for someone ONLY making a few million a year playing a game they would probably play for fun if they were not in the NHL. Do feel for the event staffs and folks that count on the NHL to make $10 or $15 an hour. Need to let a product mature before you try to harvest,or over harvest. Hope someone pulls their head out of their…..pocket before another year is lost. Along with fan base.

I’m not saying that I don’t also despise the owners as well. And it isn’t just Tweets, Russo was quoting Parise in his article yesterday.

But when it comes to the players I know they are just pandering, trying to get public opinion swayed in their direction, exploiting the fans.

What they don’t realize is that as fans we have no stake in this we don’t care about the offers, counter offers and why the other side isn’t playing fair. They both make money off their league. Fans just get to watch the best play the game they love.

I guess some fans pay, but personally I don’t and this lockout is precisely why. But I do invest my time.

I guess I should also point out in fairness that it isn’t all the players. A lot of them have not said boo about the lockout publicly. I know a lot of them are doing it because they know too that pandering is going to backfire.

You need a Hug Pug?

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I’m not saying that I don’t also despise the owners as well. And it isn’t just Tweets, Russo was quoting Parise in his article yesterday.

But when it comes to the players I know they are just pandering, trying to get public opinion swayed in their direction, exploiting the fans.

What they don’t realize is that as fans we have no stake in this we don’t care about the offers, counter offers and why the other side isn’t playing fair. They both make money off their league. Fans just get to watch the best play the game they love.

I guess some fans pay, but personally I don’t and this lockout is precisely why. But I do invest my time.

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If you want to talk about swaying public opinion, the NHL took it to a whole new level.

NHL Focus group

While I agree this whole thing is a bunch of BS from BOTH sides, it should be noted that the NHLPA said they would sign a 50/50 proposal right now if it includes the owners honoring all previous contracts. That’s what Parise was saying, owners knew this lockout was coming, so signed players to contracts they never intended to pay…

Heres the deal. If you think for one second that these ubber successful owners are losing money you should really sit down and think about it some more. There have been no franchises going broke.The ones that are in poor financial shape have brought it on themselves. By not allowing realignment the owners are paying higher travel costs. It doesn’t appear to bother them. They are willing to go against the juggernaut of the NFL rather then cut the season back, thus saving more money.

The NHL is not the NFL. They don’t belong in the South. They belong on the East Coast, Canada, select West Coast cities. Why isn’t the NBA in Winnipeg? Montreal? Hamilton? Because nobody there cares about the NBA. Why is the NHL in Florida? Nashville? Atlanta (before they moved AGAIN)Nobody down there cares. Realign the divisions. Contract a couple of teams. Reduce the schedule to 60 games. Get the play-offs over in late March. If you feel you have to compete, pick on the NBA and not the NFL for crying out loud. That’s plain stupid.

Oh, One more thing.

FIRE BETTMAN. The players hate him. The public thinks (or actually know) he’s a buffoon. He’s a Stern wannabe with 1% of the knowhow & respect needed to lead a professional league.

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If you want to talk about swaying public opinion, the NHL took it to a whole new level.

NHL Focus group

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Ya think the NHLPA doesn’t have focus groups? That’s my exactly my point. They are trying to sway the public in their direction as if it matters. It doesn’t. If both sides were so concerned with the fans, they’d have a deal by now. Its about them. That’s why I wish they would all STFU until they get a deal done.

Another example is some of these clown players who say, “Were are not on strike. We are willing to play right now under the current (old) CBA”. It insinuates that it is all the owners fault. Of course they would love to continue under the old CBA, they don’t give anything up if they do. They also take away any bargaining leverage the owners would have.

“Hey, lets meet in NY and work out a new CBA” – NHL

“Hmm, naw we are good” – NHLPA

Yes Bettman has to go. But when was the last time you saw a commissioner of any sport forced out unless there was a controversy. By the same token, the players need to fire Fehr.

Like I said, both sides need to just STFU and quit running to the fans like we are mindless idiots choosing sides, as if it even matters.

I also “follow” a couple of players on Twitter who haven’t said boo about the lockout. I consider these guys classy and that they get it.

Don Fehr will beat Gary Bettman like a rented mule and the players know it.The players are more scared of Fehr then they are of Bettman. The NHL has NO LEVERAGE, Fehr will take his star players to Europe. The first time one of the stars get hurt over there the lockout will end in 20 minutes.

How exactly is Fehr going to take his union to Europe???

The players are trying to use the fans as pawns more so than the owners. But the fans can’t take their anger out on the owners once all is said and done, because the owners faces don’t appear during games. The owners have already shown they are willing to sacrifice a season, although obviously it didn’t get them very far since we ended up with a lockout 10 years later.

He doesn’t need to take the whole union to Europe, just the star players. Let Crosby or Malkin get hurt over there and see the reaction of season ticket holders in Pittsburgh. Or Koivu or Parise here in Minnesota. Kovalchuk in New Jersey.

Point is the players maybe as guilty, but the ticket buying public will blame the owners. Always have, always will.

There is ZERO bad press that can hurt the players, but bad press will kill the owners.

Anyway, it’s just my opinion.

BTW, you will need to keep me up to speed on any twitter, Facebook, on-line gossip going on. I only read newspapers to get my news.

#1… Betman is an Idiot
#2… Owners hired the Idiot
#3… Then they got together and decided to lock the players out.

Pi$$ on em

You reap what you sow.

Actually there has been a lot of vitriol aimed at the players and their speaking out. I think they are getting sick of it like me. Sure you’ll have hero worshiper who think they can’t do any wrong either.

The stars aren’t playing here anyway, so it is not like if they get hurt overseas it will matter. Fans are already dropping their season tickets by the boatload.

In any event, its neither here nor there. The length of this thread is counter-intuitive to my point. I’ll just say I can’t stand either of them. If they lose another season, I hope the see a ton of empty buildings. That’s kind of the kicker here too, no matter what gets signed, players money will be guaranteed. Owners ticket and merchandise sales won’t be. Good luck to all of them. Fehr vs Bettman. [censored] vs Douche

That’s what they say everytime the owners lock the players out of work which is like 4 times in the last 20 years if I’m not mistaken.

You and the rest of the sheeple will come crawling back to the game you love regardless ..

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You and the rest of the sheeple will come crawling back to the game you love regardless ..

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I’m not the one they have to worry about coming back. I’ll be back regardless. Its mostly corporate sponsors and businesses that buy suites and season tickets. Also the fringe fans that just started getting into hockey.

They don’t make much money off me directly.