NHLPA answers to Beliveau's comments

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=104342&hubName=nhl

interesting article. yes, i agree that both the player and the team sign the contract. however, thats like arguing what came first, the egg or the chicken. its a stupid argument to make when you have a CBA to negotiate. instead of pointing FINGERS how about actually trying to sit down and talk more often?
i also found it amusing to see DAMPHOUSSE of all people trying to defend the NHLPA. DAMPHOUSSE is the one who would not sign with the AVS last season because he only wanted to sign a long-term deal. if it was the rangers, they would have gave Damphousse some 4 year deal at 4 mill a year. and he wants to talk about how its the owner's fault that they get into bad deals? its everyone's fault of course but the main problem is that the current CBA does not work and both sides need to stop *****ing and start offering more conscesions.

 

I'll copy a quote from the "Hockey News" issue for Nov 9 2004 of a comment by Gary Bettman in 1998. "The collective (Bargaining) agreement allows a team to spend whatever it can afford to spend...If anybody is spending more than what they can afford,they shouldn't be complaining about the CBA."

So what changed????

 

Size of payroll for one. The Forbes article states "as salaries have gone up 1.4 times as fast as revenues have since 1999.". What might have been affordable in 1998 might not be affordable now.

 

They neglected to account for human nature and that for every action, there's a reaction. Suppose they removed all the speed limit signs and you could drive as fast as your car could go. Would you continue to drive at a prudent speed? If you did, wouldn't people with with faster cars be whizzing by you making your "prudent" speed dangerous? I would drive faster to stay with the traffic flow. Unfortunately I'd either blow the engine on my economical car, or have to invest money in a fast car I really can't afford.

 

Heh. Touché. But if you want to drive on the autobahn, better get an 8 cylinder or stay on the minor roads.

 

Did anyone expect the NHLPA to say "Yeah, Beliveau's right." I don't think so.