Complex CBA could turn fans away from the NHL

[eye]

The NHL/NHLPA would be well advised to keep the CBA as simple as possible. Fans do not want to be lawyers/accountants. If the new CBA is too complex I can see it turning fans off and away from the game. We don't want formula's to figure out our favourite teams roster!!!!

Shoaltes of the G & M said it will be a very complicated agreement, possibly the most complex in sports. IMO the last thing the NHL needs.

He said 36 million hard cap which includes about 5 million per team in player costs and a floor of about 22 million which also includes up to 5 million in player costs so in essence we have a 31 million hard and a 24 soft cap with luxury tax at 100% on spending over 24 and a floor of around 17 million. IMO, too complex. Scrap the floor and KISS.

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[Levitate]

i don't know about turn fans away but it could certainly be annoying as hell. plus IMO the more complex the CBA, the more potential loopholes you can run into

 

[Goldthorpe]

99% of all fans don't give a damn about the CBA and only want to see hockey. I don't think that's going to be a problem.

 

[ryz]

Most fans don't give a flying f*** about how the CBA's finer points work. As long as the on ice product is in good shape that's all the fans will care about.

 

[Jester]

The NHL/NHLPA would be well advised to keep the CBA as simple as possible. Fans do not want to be lawyers/accountants. If the new CBA is too complex I can see it turning fans off and away from the game. We don't want formula's to figure out our favourite teams roster!!!!

Shoaltes of the G & M said it will be a very complicated agreement, possibly the most complex in sports. IMO the last thing the NHL needs.

He said 36 million hard cap which includes about 5 million per team in player costs and a floor of about 22 million which also includes up to 5 million in player costs so in essence we have a 31 million hard and a 24 soft cap with luxury tax at 100% on spending over 24 and a floor of around 17 million. IMO, too complex. Scrap the floor and KISS.

yes... a complex salary system has absolutely RUINED fan enjoyment of the NFL.

i think a complex salary system actually increases interest and following of a league. look at the NFL, what that system does is make the offseason crazy. players moving left and right, teams making hard decisions on players based on their cap situation... the league will be MUCH more of a year round thing to follow than october to early june, then two weeks when all the UFA's sign with the different teams they are going to be with.

and as noted... most people that aren't "die-hards" do not sit around following the transaction wire during the offseason anyway.

 

[MarkZackKarl]

Its pretty ignorant to say that the CBA agreed upon doesn't matter. The CBA proposed by the league, and unfortunately at least semi-accepted by the PA will make NHL hockey far less enjoyable for any rational fans in North America. What is scary is these same fans are anticipating the new system as some type of utopia, when the exact opposite will occur.

 

[vopatsrash]

To the NHL/NHLPA

1) Take your time and get a good deal done, but try to be done by July 1st, if possible, so marketing can be done and goodwill can be built.
2) Make it as complex as you'd like. Maybe even do it in Vulcan or some language no one understands. Bring in NASA if you have to. It doesn't matter.
3) be on the ice with regular season games by early October without fail.

To me it's that simple. We are all caught up in the day to day semantics of this soap opera, but once the deal is signed and the draft happens and free agents are signed and training camp begins, the "business of hockey" section will hopefully be reduced to hot dog prices, tv deals, and how Don Cherry's suit buying affects Canada's GDP.

imo, most people just care about seeing some NHL hockey played.

 

[Levitate]

well they'll care about the CBA when they have to start understanding why so-and-so was traded because they didn't fit under the cap this year because some obscure trigger in the CBA did one thing or another to it...there's definatly reasons fans will want to know how the CBA works, but it's probably not enough to really drive them away just based on its complexity alone

 

[WC Handy*]

Its pretty ignorant to say that the CBA agreed upon doesn't matter. The CBA proposed by the league, and unfortunately at least semi-accepted by the PA will make NHL hockey far less enjoyable for any rational fans in North America. What is scary is these same fans are anticipating the new system as some type of utopia, when the exact opposite will occur.

The duration of the CBA is going to be very enjoyable for anyone that thinks you or DR is full of it...

 

[MarkZackKarl]

well they'll care about the CBA when they have to start understanding why so-and-so was traded because they didn't fit under the cap this year because some obscure trigger in the CBA did one thing or another to it...there's definatly reasons fans will want to know how the CBA works, but it's probably not enough to really drive them away just based on its complexity alone

The CBA's complexity alone won't be what drives fans away, it will be the horrible system and team 'development' (ie. none) that will arise in the new CBA that will turn many diehards into casual fans or no longer fans at all.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

Most fans dont care about the CBA, they dont care who it favors, or how complex it is. It's about their team and the overall product of the game that matters most.

 

[MarkZackKarl]

Most fans dont care about the CBA, they dont care who it favors, or how complex it is. It's about their team and the overall product of the game that matters most.

It is quite evident that the overall quality in the league, and the average 'quality' of their teams will go down in this CBA, thus they will care about it, only when its too late though, then they will start wishing that the system returned to the old one... which of course will not happen, at least not for the forseeable future. I would be feeling dirty right now if I was someone who support the owners quest to destroy this great league.

 

[WC Handy*]

The CBA's complexity alone won't be what drives fans away, it will be the horrible system and team 'development' (ie. none) that will arise in the new CBA that will turn many diehards into casual fans or no longer fans at all.

No team development? The ability to draft and develop players internally will be the biggest factor to success with a cap.

 

[tantalum]

The only thing a fan wants to know is how much can my team spend and does it include bonuses?

It doesn't matter how it's calculated the only thing that matters is my team can spend $X on payroll and there will be many people in the media and front office that say exactly what that number is.

This is a non-issue.

 

[LordHelmet]

The only thing a fan wants to know is how much can my team spend and does it include bonuses?

It doesn't matter how it's calculated the only thing that matters is my team can spend $X on payroll and there will be many people in the media and front office that say exactly what that number is.

This is a non-issue.

Agreed.

 

[gobuds]

this post is absurd. Fans care about 1 thing, and 1 thing only- GAME ON- play the game...that's it.

 

[MarkZackKarl]

No team development? The ability to draft and develop players internally will be the biggest factor to success with a cap.

Sure it will. Thats why they are lowering the UFA age right, to let teams hold on to the players they draft for less time. Thats exactly going to help teams that draft and develop talent.

Unless a team consistently drafts average NHL players with average NHL salaries to follow, they will continually (read: every year) bleed off any elite players that they develop after they reach a certain quota (lets say 4 per team) because quite frankly a salary cap will not allow any team to assemble a bunch of great players, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY DRAFT THEM

Even if the teams that can continually produce players have an advantage over those who cannot, it will be small. Since the cap acts as a centralizing type magnet where teams evenly spread out their dilluted talent with a near identical amount of elite players, this means that the SC champion will be decided by the luckiest team, not the best team, irregardless of any drafting greatness that a team may have.


Stop trying to think this CBA will do anything but help the larger markets with a lot of open roster spots and SEVERELY hurt the smaller markets like Tampa and Ottawa with several elite players. I cringe at the thought of Tampa trying to retain their well deserved talent for a 35 million dollar cap... LOL. Good luck with that one, Lightning fans.

 

[tantalum]

Agreed.

Thanks.

Now can you change your avatar?

I live near the area where that ******* decapitated a 70 year old man and stabbed his 70 year old wife to death a few weeks ago.

Perhaps I'm just overly sensitive but seeing that guys face makes my skin crawl.

 

[WC Handy*]

Sure it will. Thats why they are lowering the UFA age right, to let teams hold on to the players they draft for less time. Thats exactly going to help teams that draft and develop talent.

Unless a team consistently drafts average NHL players with average NHL salaries to follow, they will continually (read: every year) bleed off any elite players that they develop after they reach a certain quota (lets say 4 per team) because quite frankly a salary cap will not allow any team to assemble a bunch of great players, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY DRAFT THEM

Even if the teams that can continually produce players have an advantage over those who cannot, it will be small. Since the cap acts as a centralizing type magnet where teams evenly spread out their dilluted talent with a near identical amount of elite players, this means that the SC champion will be decided by the luckiest team, not the best team, irregardless of any drafting greatness that a team may have.


Stop trying to think this CBA will do anything but help the larger markets with a lot of open roster spots and SEVERELY hurt the smaller markets like Tampa and Ottawa with several elite players. I cringe at the thought of Tampa trying to retain their well deserved talent for a 35 million dollar cap... LOL. Good luck with that one, Lightning fans.

I'm not sure why I'm wasting my time with this as you haven't comprehended how wrong you are for the past year so I doubt you will now, but what the hell....

The cap means every team has a limited payroll.

With this limited payroll, the best teams in the league will be the ones with the most cheap talent.

Now, how do you get cheap talent?

Young players that haven't hit their payday.

What teams are going to have more of these guys?

Teams that develop and draft the best.

Will these players eventually hit their payday and go somewhere else for that money?

Sure.

Would have Tampa been able to retain all their players under the last CBA?

No.

Not only would have they had a limited payroll to prevent it, but other teams had no limit on their payroll.

So the cap is going to INCREASE the chances of the players staying because the cap will DECREASE player salaries and DECREASE other teams' payroll.

It's amazing what you can come to when you use a little logic and common sense...

 

[SPARTAKUS*]

99% of all fans don't give a damn about the CBA and only want to see hockey. I don't think that's going to be a problem.

I agree with you Goldthorpe fans don't care, we just want to our game back.

 

[Montrealer]

I heard that the complicated CBA negotiations at Coca-Cola caused many Coke drinkers to switch to Pepsi.

 

[MarkZackKarl]

The odds of a younger team being broken up are far more likely under a salary cap system than under the old, ingenious system.

If you readily admit that the players will leave no matter what , when they hit their prime, something that didn't happen under the previous CBA, than you are readily admitting that this CBA is far worse for fans and smaller market teams. That much is obvious to anyone with common sense, and congratulations on finally realizing it.


You actually think a cap ENCOURAGES teams to stay together? Are you that moronic?

THE PLAYER TURNOVER WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY UNDER A SALARY CAP SYSTEM, AND EACH TEAM WILL BE LIMITED IN THE AMOUNT OF ELITE TALENT THEY CAN CARRY, INCLUDING THE SMALL MARKETS. UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM, THE SMALL MARKETS COULD BECOME ELITE IF THEY DRAFTED AND DEVELOPED TALENT. NOW THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

Only someone with no clear understanding of cause and effect relationships would believe that this CBA will decrease player movement and make the league better for fans.

 

[Jester]

THE PLAYER TURNOVER WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY UNDER A SALARY CAP SYSTEM, AND EACH TEAM WILL BE LIMITED IN THE AMOUNT OF ELITE TALENT THEY CAN CARRY, INCLUDING THE SMALL MARKETS. UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM, THE SMALL MARKETS COULD BECOME ELITE IF THEY DRAFTED AND DEVELOPED TALENT. NOW THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

you think so? i'd question how much the roster turnover can increase from where it previously was...

there was ALWAYS a lot of roster turnover... now the turnover will be more equal. the top UFA will not just be picking between Detroit, NYR, Philly, Toronto, Dallas... they will be picking from almost any team with cap space.

THAT is the difference, and it is a significant one.

 

[Digger12]

In regards to teams like Ottawa and TB supposedly getting gutted because they wouldn't be allowed to spend what it took to keep them...why wouldn't they?

If every team is under a 36 million dollar cap at the top end, wouldn't that reduce the likelihood of players getting a 'jackpot' contract once they obtain that coveted UFA status? Sure, it wouldn't get rid of one team outbidding another for a player's services...but it won't be as easy to do without some forward thinking.

And if the monetary bids are similar, wouldn't the player be more likely to stay where he is vs. uproot his family and head somewhere else? All things being equal, of course. If a player wanted to move because he doesn't buy into what his current team's direction is and wants to go to someone with a better 'work environment', he'll go...and I have no problem with that.

I guess the way I look at it, even if the UFA age lowers to 28 I don't think we'll see teams that draft well, run an efficient ship and treat their players with respect suddenly see them bolt for the hills. If their current team can compete with what other teams are offering in terms of dollars, doesn't that reduce the chance that player leaves?

 

[Digger12]

You actually think a cap ENCOURAGES teams to stay together? Are you that moronic?

You know, it'd be a lot easier to have a civilised conversation if you didn't feel the need to personally insult anyone and everyone that would have the audacity to disagree with you.