NHL Lock Out Question (1 Viewer)

[gk5717]

Can someone in layman terms explain this portion of the lock out disagreement.
The owners want more of a percentage of the income. I believe the players are getting 57% now. I don,t understand what that means. Does that current 57% represent the salary cap, if so most teams are not at there salary cap tops so what difference does it make. Someone please explain.
Gary

 

[Combat]

Can someone in layman terms explain this portion of the lock out disagreement.
The owners want more of a percentage of the income. I believe the players are getting 57% now. I don,t understand what that means. Does that current 57% represent the salary cap, if so most teams are not at there salary cap tops so what difference does it make. Someone please explain.
Gary

Per ESPN:

NHL revenues have grown from about $1.9 billion in 2004 to $3.3 billion last season. The good news is that they’re not fighting over the imposition (or removal) of a salary cap. The bad news is that they are fighting over how to split up the $3.3 billion pie.

From the league’s perspective, 18 teams lost money last season, the growth of league revenues was in large part fueled by the Canadian dollar, and the deal they struck in 2005 “turned out to be more fair than maybe it should have been,” which is a bit like Seahawks fans saying regular refs would have made that play more fair than it should have been. In other words, despite locking out the players for an entire season, the league believes they gave the players too much by guaranteeing them 57 percent of HRR. The league now wants to scale back the players’ share of revenue to about 49 percent next season — which is actually up from the 43 percent they offered earlier in the negotiations — and down to 47 percent by the end of their proposed new six-year deal.

From the players’ perspective, the league has experienced unprecedented financial growth — an average of 7.1 percent per year since the previous agreement — and they feel as if they got hosed during the last negotiations. The NHLPA is thus seeking (according to their latest proposal) "small, but fixed" increases over the course of their proposed five-year deal. In the first three years of the CBA, the players are seeking $1.91 billion, $1.98 billion, and $2.1 billion, which would amount to 54.3 percent, 52.5 percent, and 52 percent of projected revenue (that assumes that revenue will continue to grow 7.1 percent per year). In the final two years of the deal, the NHLPA has proposed that the players get $2.1 billion plus 54 percent of the growth in revenue in the fourth and fifth years of the new deal. According to the NHLPA’s projections, their proposal would save the owners nearly $900 million. And, rather than taking money exclusively from the players to pay the owners, the players believe that many of the owners’ financial woes can be resolved by sharing greater revenue among themselves. The PA has therefore proposed $260 million per year in revenue sharing, with $120 million earmarked to assist troubled teams.

At this point, according to the latest reports, the two sides are still about $1 billion apart.

 

[Combat]

I thought this would be long resolved. From what little I understand the players were offered a decent deal by the owners and declined. Games cancelled through November including the winter classic. Now the entire season might go down the tubes. A real shame.

 

[gk5717]

Just read on TSN that the league has offerred another new proposal that the players wanted earlier. Maybe this is the break through.
But what a shame cancelling the winter classic. Along with that the HBO 24-7 series featuring the two teams playing in the classic I,m sure will be cancelled. I look forward to that every year.
I really don,t know who I,m more disgusted with, the players or owners?
I would like to tell them to stick my season tickets, but I know I would regret it as I would not be able to get my regular seats back.
I guess the bright side is, and if they play again this year, I,ve saved about $50 for every game cancelled. Also I,m sure they will have "specials" to try and woo the fans back.
Gary

 

[Warrior]

The people who run hockey are dumber than the people who run any other major sport and that's saying something.

They keep whining about teams losing money; maybe they wouldn't if they didn't keep trying to put hockey in places like Carolina, Florida, California, etc, etc, where the fan bases only care when the team is in the finals, then all the bandwagon fans come out of the woodwork.

The money is up in Canada, they should relocate more teams up there.

Morons.

Fact is nobody cares that they are out on strike/locked out.

Nobody.

 

[gk5717]

The people who run hockey are dumber than the people who run any other major sport and that's saying something.

They keep whining about teams losing money; maybe they wouldn't if they didn't keep trying to put hockey in places like Carolina, Florida, California, etc, etc, where the fan bases only care when the team is in the finals, then all the bandwagon fans come out of the woodwork.

The money is up in Canada, they should relocate more teams up there.

Morons.

Fact is nobody cares that they are out on strike/locked out.

Nobody.

As much as I love hockey and the NHL, George is right. Nobody outside the hard core fanatics could care less. It,s hardly ever on the news here in St Louis.
And I agree, why not move teams like Phoenix to somewhere in Canada, Moosejaw, Sasachuan, would draw better!
Gary

 

[Warrior]

As much as I love hockey and the NHL, George is right. Nobody outside the hard core fanatics could care less. It,s hardly ever on the news here in St Louis.
And I agree, why not move teams like Phoenix to somewhere in Canada, Moosejaw, Sasachuan, would draw better!
Gary

Hockey is a sport like no other in that there are two kinds of fans; diehard, hardcore fans who grew up with hockey in the 60's and 70's, and casual bandwagon fans who get involved when their team is in the finals.

Canada needs more teams; but that said, someone needs to explain to me how Winnipeg and Quebec lost their teams in the first place............

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Hockey is a sport like no other in that there are two kinds of fans; diehard, hardcore fans who grew up with hockey in the 60's and 70's, and casual bandwagon fans who get involved when their team is in the finals.

Canada needs more teams; but that said, someone needs to explain to me how Winnipeg and Quebec lost their teams in the first place............

The simple answer is greed. Lured away by the chance to move to bigger markets and possibly arena deals. Trouble is, the bigger markets weren't hockey markets and the big TV deals never materialized. Only about 5 teams make money - Toronto, Montreal, NY Rangers, Edmonton and Vancouver. In Canada, Calgary, Quebec City, Ottawa and Calgary (and Buffalo) have been nearly bankrupt at times so can Canada support more teams?.

I think the league is simply too big and in too many non-hockey markets to pay the salaries they pay. With lower salaries and travel expenses, that might allow a few more teams to set up in Canada and survive. Ottawa and Calgary and Winnipeg would do better and Quebec City and Hamilton could support teams. But no hope for Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, Dallas, Anaheim,Columbus, Nashville, San Jose.

Terry

 

[gk5717]

Terry, I agree about most those U.S. cities. But doesn't SanJose draw well. I,m talking regular season. And I think Nashville really isn,t that bad.
Do you remember in the early eighties when St louis came within an eyelash of moving to Saskatoon, yea Saskatoon! How big of a city is Saskatoon?
Everyone blames Bettman, but all he is is a spokesman for the owners.
George I read where the owner of the Bruins is a major force in this cluster.
Gary

 

[Warrior]

.
George I read where the owner of the Bruins is a major force in this cluster.
Gary

Yes he is, the owner of a team that sells out every game and has a rabid fan base.

Naturally.

 

[Combat]

Holtby is now 4-6 with the AHL Hershey Bears. It's time to settle the strike so he can move up to his true calling as a Bruin killer. The Caps must have played one h-e-double hockey stick of a series to beat Boston with him in the goal.

 

[Combat]

Finally had a chance to watch some hockey on TV tonight. The AHL classic baby. Hershey vs Norfolk. Holtby in goal leading the Bears to a 2-1 win at the Verizon Center. He thought he was playing the Bruins. Words do not suffice for the NHL situation.

 

[gk5717]

All this time I had hope for at least a partial season this year, after the break up of meetings last night I think all hope is gone.
I think what I loath the most during this is seeing that minion Bettman and that arrogant Fehr faces on tv.
Someone said this which is true after the negative fallout to the fans over this, water polo will be more popular!
Gary

 

[jazzeum]

I don't think you can blame the players. I think the owners want to break the Union. I think the deadline for a season is about two weeks away.

 

[gk5717]

Brad, in my mind one word should summerize "OWNERS". They own the teams, they pay the salaries, they take the financial risk. Before I retired I didn,t go in and tell my bosses I want this, that & the other. They paid me, I did what they said. The only thing I agree with the players is any contract signed before this mess began should be honored 100%, other than that as an employee you are at the mercy of your boss (owner), are find a new line of employment.
I remember when the players hired Fehr, my first thought was this is going to cause problems. Remember last year when the league wanted to realign teams to save travel time and expense and Fehr blocked it saying the league should have contacted the players association first! Again "OWNERS", They OWN.
Gary

 

[Combat]

I don't pretend to understand every issue involved with the negotiations but it seems clear that there is bad blood on each side that has resulted in no progress. They really should have let someone else give it a shot and sent Fehr and Bettman packing weeks ago. How much money and good will have both sides lost by cancelling half the season and maybe the entire season? Do they believe they will recoup that in concessions made by the other side by holding out? It seems to be a policy of mutally assured destruction at work based on the egos and personalities of those in charge. I would say its 60-40 that the season is over and I'm likely being optimistic for once. A guy told me one of the Caps players was in his store recently loading up on winter gear because he was heading for Sweden to play. Basically confirmed that it was unlikely to see a deal to save the season.

 

[jazzeum]

Brad, in my mind one word should summerize "OWNERS". They own the teams, they pay the salaries, they take the financial risk. Before I retired I didn,t go in and tell my bosses I want this, that & the other. They paid me, I did what they said. The only thing I agree with the players is any contract signed before this mess began should be honored 100%, other than that as an employee you are at the mercy of your boss (owner), are find a new line of employment.
I remember when the players hired Fehr, my first thought was this is going to cause problems. Remember last year when the league wanted to realign teams to save travel time and expense and Fehr blocked it saying the league should have contacted the players association first! Again "OWNERS", They OWN.
Gary

Gary,

They may own the teams but there is no team without the players. If I go see a Ranger game, it's not because Dolan owns it but because I want to see Brad Richards and company.

The difference between you and I having a say and the players having a say is that hiring another policeman or lawyer is not that hard. There are a lot of them. However, there aren't that many who can do what athletes do; that is whey they are highly paid.

You may not like Fehr but he fights tooth and nail for his people. He did that in baseball and he's doing that here. After MLB closed down in 1994 baseball has not had another strike because MLB and the players union work together. That is what the NHL owners don't want to do: work together. Sorry, I have no sympathy for the owners.

Brad

 

[gk5717]

Brad, I agree I have no sympathy for the owners, I just feel they should be calling the shots, maybe not 100% but the majority.
I would bet the average NHL player, given anonymity, would vote yes today to go back playing.
Since this whole thing started I still can,t figure out what revenue sharing actually means are the make whole term. The teams have a salary cap, each player has an individual contract, I just don,t get it.
Gary

 

[Warrior]

The owners have had it with all of this, might as well call it a season at this point.

I find it funny that several months ago they were handing out 6, 8, 10 year contracts like candy, now they want to limit them to 5 years, 7 if you resign with the same team.

And to tell the players this agreement will be ten years long; forget it.

The season is over, second time in 8 years, they are losing fans faster than I can count.

 

[MapleLeaf]

George
Hockey is not a sport anymore
It's a bussiness and money is the bottom line
like everything else
The days of Pride and Honor are long gone my freind
This year i just hope Brady and the boys go all the way
It will be very interesting monday night