usiel said:
unions, in history, have performed an admirable role. Though I question the tactics of the NHLPA union not keeping in context the big picture regardless of the petty arguing about the NHLs numbers. Not that I would completely release the NHL of responsibility...but clearly the more delirious of the sides was goodnow. He didn't care about the game at all. It was about the most money for the players and LEAGUE be damned.
The main problem is about perception.
Perception from the fans that think the players owed them an apology, that the PA should defend himself when it's criticize by the owners/Bettman/Daly/Media but like it's been often said , the NHLPA already knowledge that this part of the war was not possible to win.
Why ? Because Joe Fan see salaries of the players, they are not related to them anymore like 10-20-30 years ago.
Owners lose money (perception because they are BILLIONNAIRES) vs Players winning money without having any risks involve in the business.
Like I said , even me, I understand the fan to see it that way & add to that, if you're a small market fan, you get a bigger perception that you're team is not competitive enough to go in the playoff & this is regardless of the management the team may have, the coaching staff the team may have. All they see is (Put your rich team here) with a (put your max payroll of the rich team) spend.
That being said , the Joe Fan is not looking really deep because they prefer it like that. It's like people being revolted with the Wal-Mart's of this world , saying it kills the small retailers that are trying to survive in 2005 but in the same time they still go there because a pair of socks is 2$ less than elsewhere.
Like it's all the players fault if there's a lockout but the owners are ready to war with a 300M$ war chest. A superb 300M$ war chest that can't prevent them to FIRE EVERY SMALL WORKERS in the hockey team adminstration like they didn't have to save 30-40 job @ 20-30K$ per year.
I can go on & on but I will seems to point too much into the misperception of so many people.
