Prominent NFL writer's take on NHL Lockout

[jcpenny]

You'd be surprised at how many good NHL players are drafted late. We all know the NHL draft is a huge crap shoot. Alfredsson was a 6th round pick. I think the NHL draft is one of the most important drafts because thats how you get your core players together to build chemistry and win the Stanley Cup. Devils, Avs, Red Wings. Most of the core players are drafted by that team or the players are traded for early on in their careers.

I'm taliking about 7th rounder playing on their first year and even starting! You will never see that in the NHL.

 

[CarlRacki]

I have to agree with my fellow Sens fans, theres nothing better than watching your team be simply atrocious and evolve into a top calibre team. It was so fun to watch the evolution of the team as a whole. That is definitely one thing that perturbs me about the NFL is you can really squeeze a 6 year rebuilding plan into like a year.

So le me get this straight ... you'd rather live through a six-year rebuild than a one-year rebuild? Are you, by chance, a masochist?

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Thats definitely true but I see the NFL's rebuilding phase being so quick cause you can assemble so many new parts to your team through free agency in such little time. I don't know its just the one thing that really irks me with the NFL's system. There can be very little growing pains, unless you're a Cardinals fan or something then it's just pains in general.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

So le me get this straight ... you'd rather live through a six-year rebuild than a one-year rebuild? Are you, by chance, a masochist?

If the 6 year rebuilding allows me to follow the players and watch them grow for 6 years on a single team. Then I would say yes definitely. Instead of having new players fly in and out for a single year. See it also works both ways too though. The 5 or 6 or how many ever years of rebuilding would hopefully benefit on the other side of the coin too. Such as 6 or 7 years of having a great team. As opposed to lots of instances in the NFL where you're great one year then you fall off the face of the earth the next. Thats my opinion anyway i'm sure theres many people who like that method of having the chance to be great one year and suck the next then be good again too. I like the slow process I guess.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

In fairness, NFL players do seem a little underpaid given the numbers (though that will likely change in the next CBA). That said, the NFLPA has traded short-term riches for labor peace and a long-term partnership with ownership that has made both very rich and the league wildly successful. Is it a wonder the NHL wants to follow the NFL model?

When Illitch, Comcast, want to share money like Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones and Wellington Mara then you might have a point.

The NHL wants to take bits and pieces of the NFL model.

 

[CarlRacki]

When Illitch, Comcast, want to share money like Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones and Wellington Mara then you might have a point.

The NHL wants to take bits and pieces of the NFL model.

Are you talking NFL money or NFL formula. There's a huge difference.

Anyone with a dozen brain cells knows it is impossible for the NHL to share the same percentage of revenues as the NFL. The national TV money just isn't there to do that. National TV money supplies NFL teams with more than 60 percent of their total revenue. Even under the old ABC contract, it was closer to 7-10 percent for the NHL. Now, with the new deal, it will be more like 5 percent or less.
The question is, would the pro-PA contingent be happy with shared national television contracts (which already exists), merchandise and 40 percent of the gate? Because that's what the NFL shares.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Are you talking NFL money or NFL formula. There's a huge difference.

Anyone with a dozen brain cells knows it is impossible for the NHL to share the same percentage of revenues as the NFL. The national TV money just isn't there to do that. National TV money supplies NFL teams with more than 60 percent of their total revenue. Even under the old ABC contract, it was closer to 7-10 percent for the NHL. Now, with the new deal, it will be more like 5 percent or less.
The question is, would the pro-PA contingent be happy with shared national television contracts (which already exists), merchandise and 40 percent of the gate? Because that's what the NFL shares.

If you wanted to make it equitable to the NFL revenue sharing program the NHL would have to:

Share 100% of National TV deals
Share 100% of all local TV deals
Merchandise
40% of the gate

 

[Roots73]

When Illitch, Comcast, want to share money like Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones and Wellington Mara then you might have a point.

The NHL wants to take bits and pieces of the NFL model.

I guess there's give and take when you consider that the NHL has guaranteed contracts while the NFL doesn't.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

I guess there's give and take when you consider that the NHL has guaranteed contracts while the NFL doesn't.

Yes, and in the NFL there is no ELS system, and you can become a UFA after 4/5 seasons.

 

[CarlRacki]

If you wanted to make it equitable to the NFL revenue sharing program the NHL would have to:

Share 100% of National TV deals
Share 100% of all local TV deals
Merchandise
40% of the gate

The NFL doesn't share its local broadcast rights (i.e radio, pre-game, post-game, coach's show, etc.).

 

[CarlRacki]

Yes, and in the NFL there is no ELS system, and you can become a UFA after 4/5 seasons.

The NFL has a rookie salary cap, so there is indeed something similar to the ELS system (which is a joke, by the way). The NFL also has franchise and transition player tags.
Lastly, most good NFL players are 27-29 years old by the time they become UFA and they have significantly shorter careers than most NHLers, so the age discrepancy among UFA isn't that great when you take into consideration their career lengths.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

The NFL doesn't share its local broadcast rights (i.e radio, pre-game, post-game, coach's show, etc.).

The NFL doesn't have local TV broadcast reveues for games.

I didn't say share local radio money or coach's show's etc. The NFL shares ALL TV broadcast $$$$. To make it fair all NHL local TV revenues should be included for revenue sharing.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

The NFL has a rookie salary cap, so there is indeed something similar to the ELS system (which is a joke, by the way). The NFL also has franchise and transition player tags.
Lastly, most good NFL players are 27-29 years old by the time they become UFA and they have significantly shorter careers than most NHLers, so the age discrepancy among UFA isn't that great when you take into consideration their career lengths.

They have a rookie salary cap, but it isn't restrictive at all. Top picks get huge money and huge signing bonuses, something that would be forbidden in the NHL.

I prefer the NHL's free agency rules, but IMO if the owners are going to get a salary cap the age should be dropped to 7 years of NHL service or 25, which ever comes first.