Negotiation

Have I mentioned lately, or at all, that the fact that the NHL owners and NHLPA dragged through both the 2011-2012 season and summer of 2012 in this negotiation to the point where they're regrouping with nothing a week before the CBA expires is a total insult to the fans (i.e. paying customers)?

I don't know if one side is more to blame for the schedule of negotiations over the past year than the other (assuming there's blame for both side on that front). But the fact that they'll even let it get down this close, and I'd heard a while back that they'd let this drag into the season and really step it up once the Winter Showcase Classic is in jeopardy, is just insulting to us fans, who are there for the Entire 6 month season, and even more.

In my 20 of so years of being a passionate sports fan, I've lived through (and maybe I don't remember every one of these)

1. an MLB season cut short in 1994 with no World Series
2. an NHL season that had the first half cut out that same fall and into the winter (1994-95)
3. an MLB season that started a little late and had replacement players ready to go (1995)
4. an NBA season that didn't start until January (1997-98)
5. an entire NHL season lost in 2004-05
6. an NFL season that was thought to be in jeopardy, last year, and turned out to only miss 1 preseason game and a small part of training camp
7. an NBA season that didn't start until the Christmas Day showcase (2011)
8. an NFL season going on with replacement officials (ongoing in 2012)

In 4 major sports leagues in US/Canada, that's 1 full season lost, 3 seasons that were approximately half lost, 1 more that started a few weeks late, 1 season that was cut short with no championship, 1 that came very close to having something significant chopped off (preseason doesn't count), and 1 with replacements.

And it always make things cost more money for us (either in ticket prices, parking, concessions, souvenirs, online media, or paying for TV rights from our cable TV bills. When do we go on strike and stop showing up? Well, I don't think that'll happen.

And who loses the most if there's a work stoppage? Those that work for these teams. Those that work the individual game-events that have been and will be cancelled. Ushers, security, ticket takers, office staff, ticket sales, cooks, maintenance crew, TV production crews, vendors, and many more. We just lose the entertainment value, both live and on TV/radio/internet. Those people lose jobs.

Settle already. Split the shit 50/50, and keep it that way. If you don't like that, get out and let someone else in.


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