WHA - Bid for Crosby

[Lard_Lad]

If Sid was to come to Halifax that is 1 less franchise Bobby Hull has to worry about.

Halifax as of now is destined for Failure in my opinion. If they bring Crosby here i can actually see this team selling out most games.

I'm curious, what's the Halifax reaction to the WHA been like so far? Anyone you know talking about season tickets, or going to WHA games instead of QMJHL ones? How seriously are the local sports media taking the team? And any word on how are they going to work out schedule conflicts with the Mooseheads - who gets the good weekend dates?

 

[LaLaLaprise]

I'm curious, what's the Halifax reaction to the WHA been like so far? Anyone you know talking about season tickets, or going to WHA games instead of QMJHL ones? How seriously are the local sports media taking the team? And any word on how are they going to work out schedule conflicts with the Mooseheads - who gets the good weekend dates?

Most people here dont like the idea. My Moosehead season tickets cost 306 bucks for 35 games 10 rows up from the ice. WHA tickets there would be 6 for 300 bucks.

I dont think it can compete. Plus Junior hockey here is big, and has a big following. It is more a family thing because for 50 bucks you can take your family to a Mooseheads game, where as 50 bucks is the price for 1 ticket for the WHA.

 

[Gumby]

Maybe Sidney has heard rumors that some 'guy' named "foppa_rules" is spreading rumors and talking smack about him, so he wants to show he can light it up against men as a 17-year-old.


:lol

In all honesty though, I don't see any reason for Crosby to stay in the Q....he's totally dominating it already and another year of the same isn't gonna help him in anyway.....he needs to take the next step in order to continue developing. I really think the WHA is gonna be a big disaster (expecting people to shell out $40 to go to a 2nd rate league....morons) and will go the way of the USFL, XFL, and WHA's first run and if Sid can get a nice payday before the WHA folds next year and get to keep his development going by playing against better competition he'd be dumb not to.

 

[Gumby]

I can tell you Crosby isn't driven by petty things like a quick monetary gain. He is above those sorts of things. Crosby knows 5 years from now he will be worth millions and millions of dollars.

You know, I'm just gonna take this as the extreme sarcasm it sounds like (and if so is quite funny), OTOH, if anyone actually felt this would be really pathetic.

 

[Gumby]

Some of you have touched on this but why is Crosby [or anyone else] who signs with a WHA team. not considered a professional since he is getting paid. Why would he still have to go through the NHL Entry Draft?

Guys play in the RSL, and SEL and get drafted.....no difference. The WHA has nothin to do with the NHL.

 

[Beatnik]

In all honesty though, I don't see any reason for Crosby to stay in the Q....he's totally dominating it already and another year of the same isn't gonna help him in anyway.....he needs to take the next step in order to continue developing. I really think the WHA is gonna be a big disaster (expecting people to shell out $40 to go to a 2nd rate league....morons) and will go the way of the USFL, XFL, and WHA's first run and if Sid can get a nice payday before the WHA folds next year and get to keep his development going by playing against better competition he'd be dumb not to.

He have'nt won the memorial cup and have'nt dominate the WJC. Also he had some difficulty at the end of the years with defensive specialists on his back.

The caliber would have to be very good to make it interesting for him. he have nothing to win by playing agains Link Gaetz and other clowns.

 

[Gumby]

Let's say there's a rookie cap of $800,000. Not exactly peanuts but nothing compared to what Sid could draw in extra revenue. If Sid took the NHL AND the NHLPA to court for restraint of trade would he have a case?

As we just saw in the Maurice Clarrett case, things agreed to in a CBA by the players union aren't subject to a lawsuit.

 

[Gumby]

I don't think anyone doubts the WHA will crash and burn eventually. But still, $5 million dollars a year, what does Crosby care if the league goes kaboom in a year or two? Besides, if it does, he can pocket the $10 mill over 2 years and go play in the NHL.

EXACTLY!! and get to develop his game at a much better pace than staying and playin against kids who he already dominates.

If the WHA actually does get off the ground I think he'd ba dumb not to go.

 

[Gumby]

He have'nt won the memorial cup and have'nt dominate the WJC. Also he had some difficulty at the end of the years with defensive specialists on his back.

The caliber would have to be very good to make it interesting for him. he have nothing to win by playing agains Link Gaetz and other clowns.

I think a $5 payday will take away the sting of not winning a junior league title . As for his competition, it's perfect timing....with a work stoppage almost certain he'll be playing against alotta NHL'ers. Even w/o a NHL work stoppage he'd still be playing against better competition than the Q would provide.

 

[Gumby]

LOL......All this talk is pretty dumb considering I just looked at my calender and remembered it's the middle of June and the WHA doesn't have one coach, GM, player, TV contract, and probably not even a friggin skate sharpener.....it'd be a friggin miracle if they actually even have a season.

BTW, puttin teams in Orlando and Jacksonville are unbeleivably stupid. The rednecks around there could give 2 cowpatties about hockey.......certainly not enough to put 5k in a building for a game at $40 a pop (theres much better things to do around there to do with $40 than go to game half of 'em prob never even heard of).

 

[Crosbyfan]

As we just saw in the Maurice Clarrett case, things agreed to in a CBA by the players union aren't subject to a lawsuit.

So if the NHL and the NHLPA agree that players with 6 toes on their left foot cannot make more than $800,00 per year then anyone with 6 toes on their left foot is out of luck then!

 

[Gumby]

So if the NHL and the NHLPA agree that players with 6 toes on their left foot cannot make more than $800,00 per year then anyone with 6 toes on their left foot is out of luck then!

Pretty much. Of course then the union would be held liable for agreeing to such a discriminating thing, not the NHL.

BTW, comparing something as ridiculous as a guy w/ 6 toes to entry lvl pay to show you're right is bordering on pathetic.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Pretty much. Of course then the union would be held liable for agreeing to such a discriminating thing, not the NHL.

BTW, comparing something as ridiculous as a guy w/ 6 toes to entry lvl pay to show you're right is bordering on pathetic.

Just trying to get the principle across. If I had used a REAL example it could confuse the issue. If the NHL and NHLPA agree to discriminate they BOTH could be held liable. My point is that they (both NHL and NHLPA) are selling out the rookies, at least the ones that could make well over $800,00/year and are doing it in their own self interest. How much lower would they have to put the rookie cap before you could see that. Earlier I used the minimum wage as an example and someone asked if I thought guys pumping gas could sue the government for setting the minimum wage so low. Thus the "ridiculous" example in an attempt to keep the focus on the principle.

 

[Pepperoni Salad]

Agree

LOL......All this talk is pretty dumb considering I just looked at my calender and remembered it's the middle of June and the WHA doesn't have one coach, GM, player, TV contract, and probably not even a friggin skate sharpener.....it'd be a friggin miracle if they actually even have a season.

BTW, puttin teams in Orlando and Jacksonville are unbeleivably stupid. The rednecks around there could give 2 cowpatties about hockey.......certainly not enough to put 5k in a building for a game at $40 a pop (theres much better things to do around there to do with $40 than go to game half of 'em prob never even heard of).

I have to agree with you on this. It's hard to imagine a WHA 2004-2005 season considering what have been done so far. If there is one, I wonder how to can achieve success.

We all know how important season tickets and suites are and at this time of the year, they should have sold a few already. Instead, we are in complete mystery.

 

[Gumby]

Just trying to get the principle across. If I had used a REAL example it could confuse the issue. If the NHL and NHLPA agree to discriminate they BOTH could be held liable. My point is that they (both NHL and NHLPA) are selling out the rookies, at least the ones that could make well over $800,00/year and are doing it in their own self interest. How much lower would they have to put the rookie cap before you could see that. Earlier I used the minimum wage as an example and someone asked if I thought guys pumping gas could sue the government for setting the minimum wage so low. Thus the "ridiculous" example in an attempt to keep the focus on the principle.

OK, I see. I don't think that lawsuits come into play because guys have plenty of other places to go.....but that also means that if the union and league screw the rookies too much they're gonna have it blow up in their face because guys like AO and Malkin can prob make $2-3 mill in Russia now that their economy has gotten stronger and guys like Crosby could get big bucks IF the WHA ever got off he ground. The owners better be careful w/ this one. 3

 

[gb701]

Just trying to get the principle across. If I had used a REAL example it could confuse the issue. If the NHL and NHLPA agree to discriminate they BOTH could be held liable. My point is that they (both NHL and NHLPA) are selling out the rookies, at least the ones that could make well over $800,00/year and are doing it in their own self interest. How much lower would they have to put the rookie cap before you could see that. Earlier I used the minimum wage as an example and someone asked if I thought guys pumping gas could sue the government for setting the minimum wage so low. Thus the "ridiculous" example in an attempt to keep the focus on the principle.

Sorry - the idea that a rookie is being "sold out" by being capped in salary is just plain wrong. This is why the game is losing money, why we are going to have a lockout in the first place, and why if they don't sort it out they are all - owners and players - going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. No 18-20 year old coming into the league needs to make $1.3 million or $3 million or $5 million - period. They can first acheive something real, show they can fill buildings and then negotiate.

And, for what it's worth, suing before you play a game is likely a real lousy bargaining position to take. The bottom line for a kid like Crosby is that he will be governed by the CBA just like everyone else is, and will go for the ride getting paid many multiples of what he could make doing anything else in life to play a game. Along the way, he will undoubtedly deal with the salary cap in the first contract, with bargaining before and after he reaches UFA status, with salary renegotiations and bonus structuring, and with trades. He will become a millionaire, and enjoy the best that life has to offer. No cause to cry about any of this, and nothing to sue about.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Sorry - the idea that a rookie is being "sold out" by being capped in salary is just plain wrong. This is why the game is losing money, why we are going to have a lockout in the first place, and why if they don't sort it out they are all - owners and players - going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. No 18-20 year old coming into the league needs to make $1.3 million or $3 million or $5 million - period. They can first acheive something real, show they can fill buildings and then negotiate.
.

I think you can argue that noone needs a million a year whether they are rookies, veterans or owners. Certainly not owners that overspend or overestimate rookies potentials. Rookies already are limited to negotiating with one team and can only withhold their services which means no pay at all. At least until another league comes along.

And, for what it's worth, suing before you play a game is likely a real lousy bargaining position to take. The bottom line for a kid like Crosby is that he will be governed by the CBA just like everyone else is, and will go for the ride getting paid many multiples of what he could make doing anything else in life to play a game. Along the way, he will undoubtedly deal with the salary cap in the first contract, with bargaining before and after he reaches UFA status, with salary renegotiations and bonus structuring, and with trades. He will become a millionaire, and enjoy the best that life has to offer. No cause to cry about any of this, and nothing to sue about.

A lot of truth in this. However the WHA may change the equation. At least for a while.