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NHLPA Responds to Fans
1658 views
Sunday, 09.16.2012 | 11:30 PM | NHL
In response, the NHLPA has released their own video only hours after the lockout came in session to reach out to fans once again. In the video we see interviews from David Backes, Sidney Crosby, Gabriel Landeskog, James Reimer and our captain Jonathan Toews as they try to justify their position and, once again, point out that the owners are locking out the players and that they are prepared to play.
Their tactics are cute, but are they really as innocent as they claim to be? I don't think so.
According to Gary Bettman, the NHLPA refused to start negotiations until the Stanley Cup Finals and did not submit their first proposal until nearly one month after negotiations began. Why would they wait so long to start talking? Fehr claimed that he was unprepared to enter negotiations but the fact is, he isn't on the ice and it's his job to represent the players. The fact that they delayed negotiations is proof to me that they were prepared to enter a lockout situation and use that to promote bad PR towards the NHL. In short, the NHL lost the PR battle before they could even begin due to Fehr's tactics.
The NHLPA's demands also seem to be unrealistic, despite the fact that they claim that their proposal is at 52%, because they are asking for a fixed number and calculate the percentage based on their projections.
"It's not anything close to 52 percent, their proposal is not on percentage" Bettman stated on Friday, "it's a guaranteed dollar proposal."
It's clear both sides are very far apart due to the fact that the NHL owners want to change the definition of HRR as well as reducing the players share to 46% along with an increase in escrow. On the other side of the table, the NHLPA not only wants a larger cut but they want that fixed percentage based on their projections which is never going to happen. Of course, their projected HRR shows that the players share would be 52%, but in reality they are not proposing a percentage so the NHL has no interest in going that route.
In the video above, the NHLPA claims that both sides need to compromise in order to get a deal done, but at this point they are crying wolf as they have proposed too much change in the current CBA and have provided a situation where the NHL must gamble if they took their proposal. Simply put, the NHLPA has complicated matters even further while the owners have clearly tried to keep it simple. Some may call their ideas innovative but I call them greedy, unrealistic, and
purposely provided fans with a finger to point in the NHL's direction. It's all smoke and mirrors for the PA.
Gary Bettman has entered his 3rd lockout during his tenure as NHL commissioner. He is booed in every building he steps into and he already knows that he has zero fan support. If there's anything to take out of that, he is far removed from getting involved in the media circus and he is simply there to do his job and negotiate a new deal. You can't say the same about Donald Fehr and the NHLPA.
There is still hope out there that the season may be delayed until November or December, but coming from me, that isn't a thought that I share and can see this dragging out for another full season if things continue on this trend. The NHLPA has played dirty. They've won fan support and the only reason they have been so active in that area is to put pressure on the NHL to agree to their proposal. At this point it hasn't worked and until they decide to negotiate without a media distraction they won't be taken seriously by the NHL owners.
Try not to mistake my apathy towards the NHLPA as enthusiasm for the NHL. Neither deserve your support or attention until a deal can be resolved.
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28 Comments | Join the discussion
This is going to be an epic mess.
Not that I disagree, but don't you think the NHLPA knew that they could win fan support going into negotiations and are using the it to put pressure on the owners? They lollygagged all the way to the deadline and didn't exactly seem urgent to get a deal done either. Now they are playing the "we want to get on the ice" card to make themselves seem innocent, I don't buy it. At this point I don't support either and until the PA can get away from the media circus they created, they'll continue to fail at the negotiation table. Their focus is in all the wrong places and ultimately a big reason we are in this situation.
On several occasions, I've read that owners want to change the definition of HRR's to determine salaries but nothing on what exactly those changes will be compared to the previous CBA.
As far as I'm concerned, the NHL hasn't changed any definition in their last proposal and kept it simple and based on the past agreement.
Yah I understand all of that and I do agree. Just a little tough to ask the players to negotiate durring the season. I'm not sure if it's loolygagging or just waiting for a time that isn't busy with being on the road, playing, having to deal with family, doing charity events etc etc all at the same time. I don't know where room is durring a season to do real hard serious collective bargaining. I don't know how the players could be asked to balance all of that. I'm sure the owners are busy with other shit all the time during the season also.
This shit should have been delt with as soon as the last horn went off when L.A. win the cup. All that free agent signing and the Parise/Suter sweepstakes shit should not have been allowed to happen until the CBA was delt with. I don't think either side knew the urgency and BOTH lolygagged after the season ended...not during it.
I think both sides are now going to use the fans as they always do. At the end of the day I do actually believe both sides do care about the fans....only because both sides have shit without us. I do trust the players a little bit more though. Neither side are going to be hurt financially with this lockout. Only ones hurt financially are the people and businesses outside of the NHLPA and the Owners who depend on the game.
It's just stupid now.
+1 You giant dickbag.
But I won't take your word for it so I did a search.
http://www.torontosu...ls-latest-offer
Bettman said any proposed changes in HRR were to "reflect reality". He mentioned examples such as concession expenses and the operation of NHL Enterprises.
"They cost us money, especially in this economic climate," Bettman said,
http://www.post-gaze...r-talks-651040/
"We promised to pay 57 percent [in the CBA now in place] and we honored it, but there was no sense it was baked in perpetuity," Bettman said.
He added that redefining "hockey-related revenues" is necessitated by current economic realities.
http://aol.sportingn...nue-donald-fehr
The commissioner also confirmed that the hockey-related revenue share for players would be about 46 percent under the current definition, but that the term needed to be redefined to reflect economic realities—and, simply, that the league needs to pay players less.
Now your statement was last proposal. Did Bettman specifically say that HRR is not going to change in their latest proposal?
Not saying that they did not, but please point out the change.
Isn't Fehr suppose to be there on behalf of the players? I don't buy that it would be anymore of a distraction than it was if they are sending someone out to the meetings to represent them anyway. Owners are busy during the season too, that's why they have Bettman.
The only change I am aware of is that they want to reduce the percentage and cover it in escrow. Bettman stated that in their last proposal that they kept it simple and according to familiar terms, I am assuming that means it is according to the current HRR but that is speculation. It's unclear all around, no one really knows what each proposal involves unless they are in the room. They (NHL and NHLPA) haven't really released much detail at all, despite all their efforts to cater to the media circus.
Edit: I've seen 3 lock-outs in my adult lifetime and can't see this ending soon. Rockford? Here we come.
I agree.
I'm hugely ignorant on the subject, and what you say makes some sense, but at the end of the day, doesn't that all boil down to more money going to the players?
I mean, if the players were really interested in "sharing" revenue, then a fixed number just isn't realistic. It means you get paid no matter what happens to the league. "Sharing" means you get paid when the league does well, and you take a hit when it doesn't.
This is how I feel as well. However, if I were in their situation I'd probably think differently. Think about going into any job and taking a pay cut and how pissed you be. Sadly even if you cut every players salary by 75% they'd still make way more than the average person.
The worst part of the situation is that no matter what the mob "of fans" say on the surface, fans will always come back, give in, and support the teams when they start playing games again. I would be showing too much false conviction if I said I will be able to not participate in the NHL fandom anymore, but I can at least be comfortable in saying that I will be doing my best to not watch NHL anymore.
I wish it could be done for the masses to show both the players and owners that their precious business doesnt exist without us.
For businessmen, they sure know how to ruin their business when it shows record returns.
Right now they are acting like attention starved babies. For that reason... I will not visit their website, will not watch NHL Network, and I also encouraged everyone to "dislike" their Facebook page along with an unfollow on Twitter. I won't give them an ounce of attention until this is resolved. Once it is, game on. I'm ready for it.