Mood: Headachy
Music: Someday, Nickleback
Game: World of Warcraft (53 Rogue)
Book: Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson
Muffin: Pumpkin Apple Walnut
Punchline: "I'm Positive."
ESPN.com is now reporting that the NHL will officially cancel the season on Friday.
Anyone who's been following any of this could have predicted this outcome way back in October...and you can read my blogs about that, as well in my archive, if you so choose.
So why am I even writing about it?
Because I am absolutely furious with this situation. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how a group of moronic people who, for the most part can't even skate, managed to completely grind my way of life to a halt.
You will never convince me, ever, that "cost-certainty" placed in a collective bargaining agreement is anything other than an attempt to legalize behavior that, in any other business anywhere in the US, is illegal.
It's idiotic. You expect your workers to guarantee that you will not lose money, and return money that is due to them in their contracts if you fail to run your business successfully.
And, if the league, who has unquestionably and repeatedly lied (or just plain doesn't know due to incompetence) about their revenues, cannot convince a very pissed off fanbase that hockey is worth watching again after being treated like this, then it's the players that get to pay the price by lowering their salaries.
I'll say it again and again. I do not know any business that has an organization around it that guarantees that it cannot lose money due to incompetence.
The concept of cost-certainty is one of discipline...not enforcement. If you don't have a thousand dollars, don't spend a thousand dollars. If you do have it, you should be able to spend it, not be forced to pocket it, or worse, be forced to give it to someone else who doesn't spend it as wisely as you did.
The idea that someone is going to give owners what effectively amounts to a bat to not spend money on their employees is ridiculous. Couple that with a cap ceiling that basically says "If we make x amount, you make this percent, but if we make 10 times that, you make this percent...up to this much money."
This is me saying I will lower your salary if I make less money than I promise, but if I make MORE money than I promise, you don't get that...you get what you're getting now plus a bit more.
Oh, did I mention that all this includes only on-ice revenues? Which means that concessions, franchise fees, licensing, parking, and other related revenues don't count when determining if a team made money or not? I love that.
At the end of it all, what it really means is that I don't get to watch hockey, and whatever happiness me and millions of others got on a daily basis has been stolen by people who can't balance their checkbooks.
The NHL is fond of posting that picture of those two kids who were holding up a sign that says "Mr. Bettman, we'll play for free."
Here's one for you: "Mr. Bettman, I'll run a team for you for free." Give me a team, and I guarantee you I'll make money.
Because I can count.
At least Madison Square Garden and that fucker Dolan will be returning my season ticket money. Which they've been earning interest on. Lovely.
Posted by Glenn at February 3, 2005 03:19 PM