As the Canadian correspondent on Big Tent, I feel it is my duty to report this: Crushed Ice.
Obviously, this is hardly surprising news. There's been little chance the NHL and the NHLPA would reach a deal in time to have a season, and just about everyone knew it. From my perspective, both sides are to blame. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but it's pretty much the truth. No-one involved, with the possible exception of Brendan Shanahan and a few others, seems to realize just how out of touch with reality the league is. I'm not only talking about the state of hockey in the U.S., but also about the way the league is run. Unlike other businesses, putting the competition out of business is not a good thing. If you put another team out of business, or at least to the brink of it, you suffer too, from loss of attendance, concession, and merchandise revenue. The NHL isn't the only league with this problem. Only the NFL seems to understand that having a league full of healthy teams is better than having 5 or so healthy teams, and the rest of the league as also-rans. While revenue-sharing is not the only reason the NFL is so popular, and it certainly has its downsides, I think the NFL has shown that salary caps, balanced teams, and shared TV contracts works for both owners and players. Hopefully, the NHL and NHLPA figure that out soon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
It is pretty depressing not having a hocky season this year. It just doesn't feel like winter.
-Marine II
Certainly feels like winter where I'm at. :)
Personally, I've been loving the CBC alternative to Hockey Night in Canada: Movie Night in Canada. Ron McLean's been earning his keep by enthusing about Star Wars and Amelie. Good on the CBC for coming up with a good stop-gap in their broadcasting lineup.
I think pretty much all professional sports have become bloated, self-important shadows of the fascinating stories they once were. I don't think any kid alive today will hearken back to the NHL of the 2000s in the same way that our parents think back on the classic teams of the mid-century (tonight my dad was reminiscing fondly about listening to the games on radio, while my mom declared herself a staunch Habs fan from her youth in the 60s). You just don't really get the sense that the players do what they do for the love of the game anymore. Instead, they're in love with being sports celebrities who make big bucks. I mean, even if the "love of the game" was only an illusion in the past, at least it was a complete illusion.
I don't really have much sympathy for anyone who complains that their multi-million dollar salaries aren't in step with today's expectations. That kind of attitude needs some serious adjustment.
One good thing does seem to have come from the strike/lockout. It seems that there is a swell of interest in minor and semi-pro hockey leagues. Some hardcore hockey fans are finding that they can live with second-tier talent for a game they really love.
You mean to tell me that hockey used to have a professional league?
Post a Comment