Comments on: Orr: “Shame on” players, owners if they can’t end lockout

By: valoisvipers

valoisvipers — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:17:58 +0000

I can remember Bobby Orr appearing on the Johnny Carson show and Johnny asked Bobby about his new NHL contract that made him the highest paid player in the league and Bobby blushed and sheepishly told him it was true that he signed for 100 thousand dollars a year. My oh my, have times ever changed.

By: capesouth

capesouth — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:31:05 +0000

I know that is true to a degree but to think the owners are okay losing an entire season, just because they could, is false. The longer this goes on, the more intense pressure is put on everyone, not just the players. If this goes a full season, they will be just killing themselves. If it goes even longer? The NHL will be a wreck. They can certainly weather the storm financially if that happens but to suggest they will, and risk destroying their product, is just not correct. They’re not sitting back there saying “we can wait as long as we want”…because they can’t.

By: nothanksimdriving123

nothanksimdriving123 — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:37:48 +0000

Being “shamed” by the greatest player ever is the modern equivalent to a Colonial Era public dunking or being put in the stocks. I vote we put Mr Orr in the room as mediator.

By: id4joey

id4joey — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 18:45:35 +0000

Why waste more time? Because from the owner’s perspective they have time to waste. And the more time they do waste, the more pressure the PA will feel. Now it’s about a power struggle between the owners and the players. Seriously, who has more to lose from a cancelled season? Players!

By: capesouth

capesouth — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:54:54 +0000

Exactly, they are the decision makers in all this but they aren’t the only ones effected. They need to remember that. It is about more than just a product and the financials behind it. My problem is this: we all know this is going to get resolved, whether it is a week from now or a year from now. When they resolve it, it will be because both sides made compromises. They are working towards that right now but there is nothing stopping them from making the right compromises today. Why waste more time? The only difference between now and 6 months from now is that more time has passed and both sides will be compromising more and more because of pressure from everyone watching this. They’re trying to win this lockout but, in the end, it will be a CBA that both sides are satisfied with but maybe wanted more…

By: ducksk

ducksk — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:19:17 +0000

U may b right. Back in the day, I watched on 19″ b&w tv and read about the NHL every week in the sporting news. Heard nothing of the behind the scene stuff. I think it was better that way. God, I love the game and want it back!

By: rainyday56

rainyday56 — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:48:52 +0000

Buddy, if you have been around for over 50 years you should realize that there were no “simpler” times. Greed and averice know no era. Sure, back in the day, things were simpler for the owners. An uppity player could be taken to a back alley to be worked over to come around to the owner’s point of view. Who would ever notice an extra black eye or a missing tooth on a player back then? Or, in the case of player who could take care of themselves like Ted Lindsey – trade them to Chicago.

By: ducksk

ducksk — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:29:46 +0000

The greed mongers on both sides should listen to Bobby and The flower. These guys help build this league and are the reason I have been a fan for 50 years. True ambassadors for the game, and speaking for reason. Which I could turn back the clock to simpler times.

By: id4joey

id4joey — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:13:49 +0000

Yep! Indeed, Bobby. I posted the following yesterday;

The league is dictating the timeline of this labor dispute, which is their right since they are the employers. The league has already cancelled all games until the end of November. So, the earliest the season can start is Dec 1st, which would come at least 1 week after the start of a shortened training camp. In essence the NHL has given themselves and the PA until Nov 20 to find a compromise to start on Dec 1st. I’m no genius, but I’m willing to bet the NHL will NOT cancel the whole month of Dec if there is no agreement by Nov 20. They will probably will cancel games on a weekly or bi- weekly basis to slowly put pressure on the players. Now, assuming they start sometime in January, this would mean the owners would have saved a boat load of money by not having a full training camp, and no hockey operations expenses throughout the slow month of November.

Now is a time to sit back and let the negotiators come to a compromise. As you wrote, losing something is better than losing 100%. Fehr and the players know this, so now it’s a matter of loosing as little as possible.