Message from Trevor Linden

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ResidentAlien*

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Crazy_Ike said:
I would want to see an apology.

I don't see one from Linden in that letter.

I don't think the players believe they should have to apologize, despite being mostly at fault for the lockout in the first place.

They have learned nothing.
Can't always get what you want.

I don't think Linden(or any player) owes me anything, except getting back on the ice and playing hockey, which is what they will do.
Fact is, they dont have to say they are sorry to get you back, you being here and all heated up about it is proof to that.
I dont think you can say they were at fault for the lockout in the first place. They may have had the ability to stop it, or make it a shorter lockout, but it was the owners fault for the lockout.
Most of you who make these arguements like to spout how stupid the players are.."they dont get it" "they havent learned" So why are you surprised when they couldnt figure it out?
Seriously, you want the players to be negoiators, lawyers, GMs, agents, financial advisors AND elite atheletes..again...can't always get what you want.

Like I said, the fact that you guys are here, Saturday and sunday mornings, from 6am on, is all the proof I need to say that they don't need to apologize to you, you're back.
The apology is for the casual fan..my wife( typical casual fan) read both letters and even after listening to me whine and complain and putting up with me all these months, her response to those letters was, "It's about time..so whens the first game?"

Thanks Trevor, you did a hell of a job, I appreciate it.
 

GagneScores12

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What a turd burglar. Good way to start off the partnership by ripping your partner a new one. Guess we're gonna wait for battle of the NHL, part 3, coming to you in four years (don't forget that after year 4, the NHLPA has been given the option to decide whether or not it wants to continue under the current agreement for two more seasons)
 

NHLFanSince2020

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For comparison, here is the link to Bettman's letter to the fans:

http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/cba/bettman_letter072205.html

"While it may be said that the greatness of hockey, and the NHL, is best measured by the character and tenaciousness of its players, I would add that the greatness of our game is also reflected by the character and tenaciousness of you, our devoted fans. I thank you all for that passionate support and I apologize to all of you, on behalf of everyone involved, for testing that support as severely as we did."

I guess Bettman felt the need to apologize to the fans for the players too, knowing they are too f'ed in their collective heads to do it themselves (Avery, Iginla, Legace etc. and any other player who personally apologized not included).

Hey, where is Goodenow's letter to the fans?
I won't hold my breath waiting for it.
 

Larionov

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Surely to God most people realize that the letter wasn't written by Linden, but rather by a fourth-down-the-pecking-order communications guy at the 'PA.

This is really no different from the end of a bitter labour dispute in any other field in that there are always hard feelings left over. What's more, the union has to rally the troops with a little rah-rah, and a dose of revisionist history, in order to keep everyone united. Regardless of whether it is the 'PA or the dock workers, it's the same movie.
 

GSC2k2*

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Larionov said:
Surely to God most people realize that the letter wasn't written by Linden, but rather by a fourth-down-the-pecking-order communications guy at the 'PA.

This is really no different from the end of a bitter labour dispute in any other field in that there are always hard feelings left over. What's more, the union has to rally the troops with a little rah-rah, and a dose of revisionist history, in order to keep everyone united. Regardless of whether it is the 'PA or the dock workers, it's the same movie.
A fair observation, but I have a slightly different take.

I do agree that Linden probably never even looked at it.

However, I think the letter is too hamfisted for any PR person. Even the most junior of PR people would look at that and say "If your communication strategy is to reach out to the paying customers and entice them to resume spending their money on your product, this is not the way to go."

My guess would be that it probably started out as a version of Bettman's letter and got rewritten by the PA officers/staff - the "true believers", if you will. It ought to be a customer relations letter, since it has no other purpose. However, it is riddled with backhanded shots at the NHL (i.e., the "owner's lockout", "the season being cancelled by the owners", "OUR attempts to save the season"). Whether or not one believes those things to be true, it is not a topic worthy of introduction in a letter to your customers. I can only deduce that those kinds of hings were put in by some bitter guys who are not behind the deal.

If you read Bettman's letter, THAT is a polished effort. Sincere or not, it sends the right message.
 

Hoss

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gscarpenter2002 said:
A fair observation, but I have a slightly different take.

I do agree that Linden probably never even looked at it.

However, I think the letter is too hamfisted for any PR person. Even the most junior of PR people would look at that and say "If your communication strategy is to reach out to the paying customers and entice them to resume spending their money on your product, this is not the way to go."

My guess would be that it probably started out as a version of Bettman's letter and got rewritten by the PA officers/staff - the "true believers", if you will. It ought to be a customer relations letter, since it has no other purpose. However, it is riddled with backhanded shots at the NHL (i.e., the "owner's lockout", "the season being cancelled by the owners", "OUR attempts to save the season"). Whether or not one believes those things to be true, it is not a topic worthy of introduction in a letter to your customers. I can only deduce that those kinds of hings were put in by some bitter guys who are not behind the deal.

If you read Bettman's letter, THAT is a polished effort. Sincere or not, it sends the right message.
I totally disagree. IMHO, there is nothing Linden could have written to "fans" with such a black and white view of this whole debacle that would have appeased them. It would be viewed by those with such a polarised viewpoint as insincere, the same way I felt after reading Mr. Bettman's letter.

The executive was given the mandate by the membership to pursue a non-capped, non-linked CBA because they didn't believe the ownership group's numbers. After a season lost that mandate was changed to get the best deal possible without prolonging the labor crisis.

You don't like the letter, that's fine, I do.
 

JimmyPage

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Hoss said:
I totally disagree. IMHO, there is nothing Linden could have written to "fans" with such a black and white view of this whole debacle that would have appeased them. It would be viewed by those with such a polarised viewpoint as insincere, the same way I felt after reading Mr. Bettman's letter.QUOTE]

Whether the situation is polarised and whether a fan-base will view it cynically, the point is the NHL made an effort to bridge a gap with the fans and to promote PR for the game. Meanwhile, the NHLPA continues to use the dogma and rhetoric of the lockout by continuing with the "owners lockout" mantra. Both sides have contributed to the reduction of the industry and embarrasment of the sport (first sport gone for a year/championship due to labour strife) as well as the displacement of it's workers and it's fans. Only one side is willing to claim any responsibility to this, the other side continues to yell "they started it" like children. Now that is what I call leadership. :shakehead
 

Hoss

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JimmyPage said:
Whether the situation is polarised and whether a fan-base will view it cynically, the point is the NHL made an effort to bridge a gap with the fans and to promote PR for the game. Meanwhile, the NHLPA continues to use the dogma and rhetoric of the lockout by continuing with the "owners lockout" mantra. Both sides have contributed to the reduction of the industry and embarrasment of the sport (first sport gone for a year/championship due to labour strife) as well as the displacement of it's workers and it's fans. Only one side is willing to claim any responsibility to this, the other side continues to yell "they started it" like children. Now that is what I call leadership. :shakehead
The best apology the PA made was by signing a CBA that was clearly not in thier favor.
 

GSC2k2*

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Hoss said:
I totally disagree. IMHO, there is nothing Linden could have written to "fans" with such a black and white view of this whole debacle that would have appeased them. It would be viewed by those with such a polarised viewpoint as insincere, the same way I felt after reading Mr. Bettman's letter.

The executive was given the mandate by the membership to pursue a non-capped, non-linked CBA because they didn't believe the ownership group's numbers. After a season lost that mandate was changed to get the best deal possible without prolonging the labor crisis.

You don't like the letter, that's fine, I do.
You missed the point entirely, as usual.

I did not suggest I "liked" or "disliked" the letter. I don't care whether it was sincere. I was pointing out that as a PR gesture, it was probably tinkered with to allow some people to blow off steam about the negotiation results. As such, it was in the end not a very professional effort as a PR letter. Had the PA issued the NHL's letter, i would have nodded my head and thought "hmm, the partnership is beginning in earnest already!" As it is, the PA clearly has a ways to go before its mindset truly changes. There is still plenty of time.
 

Icey

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Some you guys are absolutely unbelieveable. It's a letter nothing more nothing less. They agreed to a CBA that went against everything they believed in. That wasn't enough?

I think most you would boo your own mothers funeral is you didn't like the way it was proceeding.
 

Timmy

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Feb 2, 2005
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Icey said:
I think most you would boo your own mothers funeral is you didn't like the way it was proceeding.

"C'mon Rev, open your eyes! This is a funeral, not tiddlywinks! Pick up the pace before we need a couple more caskets in here! I can't believe this, this calls for a review. We were robbed! I want my money back. These programs suck."


Seriously though, if a letter (published) is just a letter, why write it all? Clearly, the message is, we're sorry the owners screwed so many people out of a season, buy we're here now to repair the damage others made.

If the letter is a reflection of how they really feel, playing in a tier-two sport only rabidly followed by less than 10% of North America's collective population, then the letter and it's purported author has a right to be either criticized or defended by the fans who contribute to their salary and are the only reason this sport exists on a professional level in the first place.

Neither the league nor its employees are in a position to get cocky, snide, or sarcastic.
 

Hoss

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Timmy said:
Clearly, the message is, we're sorry the owners screwed so many people out of a season, buy we're here now to repair the damage others made.
I would have liked the letter that way too.
 

Mothra

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Resolute said:
And yet, Linden still could not bring himself to apologize for his union's part in the cancellation of the season.

Exactly....this is just PR nonsense. He puts all the blame on "the owners lockout". There were two side and plenty of blame to go around....yet I dont read that he feels that way. In a nutshell it sounds like its all the owners fault, and the PA deserves all the credit for it ending....yea, thats a pretty stand up guy :shakehead
 

NHLFanSince2020

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Mothra said:
Exactly....this is just PR nonsense. He puts all the blame on "the owners lockout". There were two side and plenty of blame to go around....yet I dont read that he feels that way. In a nutshell it sounds like its all the owners fault, and the PA deserves all the credit for it ending....yea, thats a pretty stand up guy :shakehead
Concur with this post.
 

Mothra

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Renholder said:
I don't need anyone giving me advice for what I can and cannot do, or say in a message board.

Forgive me but I find it funny that in this very same thread you said

"Give the guy a break. The lockout is over, it's senseless to put blame as both sides were equally responsible for the lockout . You know what? It's over now, let's all move on."

Isnt that giving advice for what can and cannot be done, or said in a message board
 

CarlRacki

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Hoss said:
The best apology the PA made was by signing a CBA that was clearly not in thier favor.

So that's why they did it.
Silly me, I was under the impression they ratified the CBA because they finally came to grips with the fact they were fighting a losing battle.
But now that I see that the players did it for sake of me and all fans, I have a far greater appreciation for them.
Yay players!
 

Mothra

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CarlRacki said:
So that's why they did it.
Silly me, I was under the impression they ratified the CBA because they finally came to grips with the fact they were fighting a losing battle.
But now that I see that the players did it for sake of me and all fans, I have a far greater appreciation for them.
Yay players!


HOORAY BEER!!!
 

Hoss

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CarlRacki said:
So that's why they did it.
Silly me, I was under the impression they ratified the CBA because they finally came to grips with the fact they were fighting a losing battle.
But now that I see that the players did it for sake of me and all fans, I have a far greater appreciation for them.
Yay players!
While I never said that it was the reason for the signing, it is (perhaps) all the apology you're going to get.
 

Resolute

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Mothra said:
Exactly....this is just PR nonsense. He puts all the blame on "the owners lockout". There were two side and plenty of blame to go around....yet I dont read that he feels that way. In a nutshell it sounds like its all the owners fault, and the PA deserves all the credit for it ending....yea, thats a pretty stand up guy :shakehead

Agreed completely.

Incidentally, the NHLPA took out a full page ad in the Edmonton Journal and attached a letter that read virtually the same as Linden's, except with a few Edmonton specific statements thrown in, and photocopied Ryan Smyth's signature on the bottom. I would presume that the union did this in most, if not all cities.

Also not surprisingly, Smyth didnt apologize for his union's part either.

For those of you questioning what it will take for those of us who "see this as black-and-white" and would "boo at our own mother's funeral", I would state that for me, the answer of what it would take is for one of the union's ringleaders to come out and say just two words:

"I'm sorry."
 

me2

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NJD Jester said:
Extorting? Operating within the system the owners gave them.

Are you saying that, for the good of the game, the players shouldn't have taken the money the owners were more than willing -- even with their financial hardship -- to give them?


Perhaps "for the good of the game" the players should have made a deal like this in July 2004 instead of chasing more $$$ and forcing a season into oblivion. "the good of the game" didn't seem to enter the players vocabularly until after they lost the "the good of the wallet" battle.
 

NJD Jester

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me2 said:
Perhaps "for the good of the game" the players should have made a deal like this in July 2004 instead of chasing more $$$ and forcing a season into oblivion. "the good of the game" didn't seem to enter the players vocabularly until after they lost the "the good of the wallet" battle.

If the owners wanted a season, they could have had a season. Let's stick to reality here...
 

me2

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NJD Jester said:
If the owners wanted a season, they could have had a season. Let's stick to reality here...

Sure the NHL could have had a season if they really wanted. They could have given the player 10% raises on their 2003-04 salaries too. It wouldn't have fixed the problems though, would it! It wouldn't have been "for the good of the game" if the NHL caved into the NHLPA and went broke, would it? No.

The players could have had a season if they really wanted too play that much as well, obviously they didn't.
 

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NJD Jester said:
Extorting? Operating within the system the owners gave them.

Are you saying that, for the good of the game, the players shouldn't have taken the money the owners were more than willing -- even with their financial hardship -- to give them?
Meant to reply to this before, but forgot.

For the good of the game? No.

For their own good? Yes, that is what I mean.

Anyone with a business clue knows what I am talking about.

Oh, and the owners were not willing to give it to them. They were forced to by collusive agentry.
 
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