NHL Opening Night Rant
By jer
September 12, 2012; New York, NY, USA; NHLPA executive director Don Fehr (center) flanked by Vancouver Canucks player Manny Malhotra (left) and Winnipeg Jets player Ron Hainsey (right) during a press conference at the 2012 NHLPA summer player meetings at the Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE
Today was supposed to be the NHL’s openining night.
The 2012-13 season was to be launched with eight teams in four match-ups.
That was, before Bettman and the team owners decided to launch a money grab against the players and refused to offer any true compromise or participate in active negotiating. With their proposals, the Players’ Association has offered concessions and compromise, yet the League refuses to do the same. Instead, they insist the NHLPA come back to the table with more compromise and concessions, without the league having to offer any of their own.
The hopes that we might be able to salvage even a shortened season out of this mess, rather than scrap all of 2012-13 entirely, is getting slimmer and slimmer. We are facing the very real possibility of another lost season. Lost simply to greed.
Nov 21, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during a press conference at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE
And as fans, we are powerless to do anything about it. All of the “fan strikes” and pointless unfollow threats certainly won’t change any minds in the NHL or NHLPA. They’re just as aware as you are that we’ll all come back once a new CBA is inked. Even if it takes you a few months to swallow your pride to tune in.
We can vent and rant all we want (as I am currently, thank you very much), we can stage symbolic protests via social media, we can threaten to never come back even though we all know we don’t mean it, but really, in the end, all we’re actually doing is sitting around and waiting for billionaires and millionaires to figure out how they’ll split up the money we give them (and will continue to give them).
Happy opening night, everybody.
Jer is ready to start throwing his money at the millionaire and billionaire again, despite knowing better. Follow him on Twitter @JerMeansWell.