How to get to a New CBA - Eagleson Speaks (GAG)
I almost lost my lunch when Allan Woods published a story with extensive quotes from Alan Eagleson on how the CBA should be settled.
See:
http://www.canada.com/national/nati....html?id=985d9cb5-66fc-469b-abac-986c471b669e
Eagleson is quoted as saying:
"When [NHLPA head Bob Goodenow and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman] knew what the issue was a year ago, and there was no resolution then, why they didn't put their minds to meeting every day ...in an effort to negotiate in good faith? I blame both of them for that," he said when reached by telephone at his Clarksburg, Ont., home.
"If I were in either Bettman's or Goodenow's shoes I would say, 'Gentlemen, let's get in a room together, maybe with a couple of people we can trust -- one or two of the owners and one or two of the senior players -- and tell each other our problems and see if there's not a mid-road.' If sounds like the average salary is US$1.8-million, the owners want US$1.2-million, so we're talking about US$600,000 per year times seven hundred players. So it's pretty obvious that the mid-ground is about a million-five."
And Eagleson has the unmitigated gall to say this:
"The big problem seems to be there's no trust between the players and the owners," Eagleson said. "As long as that exists you'll get the hardliners on both sides."
Excuse me and who is the single person most responsible for poisoning relations with the players and owners?????
If you answered
"Alan Eagleson" - convicted felon, liar, cheat, thief, disbarred lawyer and just all around scum (not to mention Booby Clarke's buddy) who sold out the players for years while lining his own pockets, you get the gold star.
This coming from the scrote who deceived the players to whom he owed a duty of utmost trust, looted the piggy bank, climbed in bed with the owners and President John Zeigler and sold the players out during negotiations. Here is what Gil Stein (former NHL chief legal counsel and NHL President) had to say about CBA negotiations conducted while Eagleson headed up the NHLPA:
"It does not take a great stretch of the imagination to believe that when Eagleson, Ziegler and Wirtz led their respective troops into collective bargaining negotiations, the results might have been pre-ordained. Owners, players and players' wives then celebrated at a posh dinner party hosted by the owners. Everyone would attest to how difficult the negotiations had been, and how fruitful the hard-fought gains for both sides. To us, it appeared the players never suspected the scenario might have been scripted in advance." Gil Stein, the former NHL executive and briefly president, is quoted as saying in the recently released book by Bruce Dowbiggin called 'Money Players: How Hockey's Greatest Stars Beat the NHL At It's Own Game.'
Here is a translation of Eagleson-speak into plain English as taken from the article and what he really was saying:
"If I were in either Bettman's or Goodenow's shoes
(and I was often in both pairs of shoes as owner and player rep at the same time while happily selling out the players in the past) I would say, 'Gentlemen, let's get in a room together, maybe with a couple of people we can trust -- one or two of the owners and one or two of the senior players
(of course we'll make sure we get the two dumbest, most gullible players we can lay our hands on and send then out of the room to get coffee and doughnuts at the local Horton's while we make our deal) -- and tell each other our problems and see if there's not a mid-road.'
(of course the only real problem for me and my owner buddies is to discuss how we can fleece the players and still have them think they got a good deal - mid-road for me is so the owners can keep making money, steal pension funds with my help and keep lying to the players so I can line my own pockets) It sounds like the average salary is US$1.8-million, the owners want US$1.2-million, so we're talking about US$600,000 per year times seven hundred players. So it's pretty obvious that the mid-ground is about a million-five."
(Of course I get the players to take about a million-two and I take a commission of say US$300,000 times seven hundred players for brokering the deal and everyone is happy - right?)
"Good Old Al" a prince among thieves.
Did anyone else want to puke after reading that article?
For those of you not around for this disgaceful episode and who do not understand the profound mistrust the players have for the owners as result of Eagleson allow me to summarize.
Some players had been complaining for years that Eagleson was wearing too many hats. He was head of the players' union and an agent that represented both players and management. He was involved in a lot of business dealings in hockey as well. Those players hired Ed Garvey, former head of the National Football League Players' Association, to look at Eagleson's dealing as head of the union.
Garvey issued a scathing report in 1989, saying that
"The conflicts of interest are shocking, but even more shocking is a pattern of sweetheart agreements with the NHL over all these years...."
At issue were Eagleson's relationship with NHL President John Ziegler and Bill Wirtz, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors. Those relationships led Garvey to call the NHL's collective bargaining process a "charade."
In essence, Eagleson worked with the league and owners to keep player salaries down. It was pretty easy to do since in those days the union was reluctant to reveal what players were making. Eagleson was basically selling out the very players he was paid to represent.
The year after Garvey issued his report, player agent Rich Winter filed a complaint with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He alleged that that Eagleson breached his trust as players' union leader and took secret commissions from the sales of advertising at the Canada Cup tournament. Canadian authorities would eventually decide to take no action. Big surprise since Eagleson was in tight with the power elite in Canada.
Fortunately a US reporter, Russ Conway got on the story and exposed Eagleson resulting in the FBI opening an investigation which finally forced the RCMP to do something. Eagleson was convicted in the US and in Canada and went to jail (not near long enought IMHO). Conway was in the Boston courtroom when Eagleson offered his guilty plea. The small town newspaper editor received a round of applause from NHL players for his work to bring down Eagleson.
Eagleson - just the guy you want to listen to in the best way to solve the CBA impasse, would you not agree?
I would of been real disappointed if someone like you two didnt put this in perspective.
