littleHossa said:
What would be the true reason most people are siding with the owners? The envy goes both ways like you said.
Simply put, I believe many fans think the product is way more enjoyable when there are no off-ice issues for players to whine and complain about.
No holding out, no demanding trades, no coaches having to perpetually bend over when the whip should be cracking left and right. No Gaborik, Havlat sitting for more money, no dumping of stars just because you might not be making the playoffs in a few months. No prospects that are ready for the NHL but sit on their ass taking less money to play in inferior leagues and no stinking, disruptive bonus clauses.
I think people want more continuity in their teams and players that are more straightforward and do not get agents while in diapers and proceed for the rest of their lives to ask them permission before they go take a ****ing leak.
We had way more consumate, loyal NHLers and teams that had real, stable identities when the players were getting screwed than we have today as the owners are getting screwed. It wasn't perfect and there were incidents but they were not nearly as frequent as they are today.
Fans can moan about price ticket or the fact these guys are being paid sometimes 6-figure salaries a night but those things aren't really
the problem IMO. It's not that much about the perception the fan has of him VS the player but more the perception he has of the player VS the product we get right now.