nhlfan79
Registered User
A long article, but it's a *great* read. One of the best columns on the lockout I've yet read.
...
All the players have left now is to ruminate over words of union boss Bob Goodenow months ago, when he rolled out the old bromide about beware what happens when goading a hockey player into a fight. Well, they got the fight, but who goaded them? The owners simply and flatly stated that it was time to enter an era of cost certainty -- an era that already has served the NFL and NBA pretty well -- and the union interpreted that as a crime against humanity. The one true crime was that union leadership refused to face up to the reality of modern-day sports economics, and only kept saying no, no, no, until all that strategy did was get the players no deal, no work, and no money.
...
All these months later, feeling beaten and brainwashed, the players will sign a deal that will drastically change the game's economic dynamics and dramatically alter their own pathways to fortune. There will be goods and bads for both sides. The good news for the players is that a lot of them will still make a lot of money. The owners, finally, will have a system in place that will allow most, if not all, to make money and see their franchise values grow.
By and large, the players remained silent and entrusted their careers, finances, and general well-being to union management. The few who spoke up were cowed into taking back their words. None of the game's marquee names -- not one -- raised a hand publicly and spoke from either head or heart.
They all went along, just saying no, watching as the season drifted away and a fan base crumbled. The players forever will remember what happened to their paychecks. Will they remember the cost was directly linked to their silence and submission?
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey...ayers_own_up_to_the_fact_you_got_beat?mode=PF
...
All the players have left now is to ruminate over words of union boss Bob Goodenow months ago, when he rolled out the old bromide about beware what happens when goading a hockey player into a fight. Well, they got the fight, but who goaded them? The owners simply and flatly stated that it was time to enter an era of cost certainty -- an era that already has served the NFL and NBA pretty well -- and the union interpreted that as a crime against humanity. The one true crime was that union leadership refused to face up to the reality of modern-day sports economics, and only kept saying no, no, no, until all that strategy did was get the players no deal, no work, and no money.
...
All these months later, feeling beaten and brainwashed, the players will sign a deal that will drastically change the game's economic dynamics and dramatically alter their own pathways to fortune. There will be goods and bads for both sides. The good news for the players is that a lot of them will still make a lot of money. The owners, finally, will have a system in place that will allow most, if not all, to make money and see their franchise values grow.
By and large, the players remained silent and entrusted their careers, finances, and general well-being to union management. The few who spoke up were cowed into taking back their words. None of the game's marquee names -- not one -- raised a hand publicly and spoke from either head or heart.
They all went along, just saying no, watching as the season drifted away and a fan base crumbled. The players forever will remember what happened to their paychecks. Will they remember the cost was directly linked to their silence and submission?
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey...ayers_own_up_to_the_fact_you_got_beat?mode=PF