You my friend are wrong, not me ! It was I and “I” alone, who accurately predicted that this was nothing more than a premeditated and “contrived” plan right from the start. And now the events of the forthcoming days are about to prove me right ! Nonetheless, I couldn’t care less about personal vindication. My only hope and wish is that this idiocy now comes to a conclusion, so that we can all again enjoy the game which we love.

Bmscalise – That’s very true, just as the white man’s behavior towards the native Indians here in North America was beyond sleazy. But such is the way, as no two things in life will ever have an equal chance …

when will you get your head out of your ass and realize its not just the owners??

Look, I will support whatever policies allow for successful and sustainable small markets. I could give a hooey about either side in this negotiation.

First – the players would play without a CBA? That’s such a straw-man argument on the part of the PA. No league would EVER play without a CBA. Why would the players negotiate then? We’d just be at this point next year – without either side having budged at all during this “negotiating period.” If neither side was willing to negotiate over this past summer – what makes you think they’d negotiate during a non-CBA year. It’s a garbage argument.

I sympathize with the players argument about the pre-lockout contracts. And I can understand why they want to keep their contracting rights. But – the NHL had a substantially more player-friendly deal than any other capped sport. The percentage of revenue was better – the contracting rights were better. And a good portion of the teams in the league are bleeding money. Not to mention that a good portion of fans dislike the back-diving deals: they are as likely to lead to disaster as they are to on-ice success. On those two fronts – there was nowhere to go but down.

I completely agree that Leipold’s behavior has been beyond sleazy. But what about Nashville? They had to put their franchise at risk in order to keep their captain. They have a local ownership – not an Ed Snider. They should have been able to show their commitment to their fan base without risking bankruptcy. And they do have a fan base. I live in KY – and the only hockey gear I’ve seen is Pens, Hawks, and Preds. (Disclosure: I’m a Pens fan from Pgh.)

What did the owners give up? The players couldn’t have expected better than the last CBA in terms or either HRR or contracting. They got a 7 year gift of a CBA last time. And the owner have given up the only thing they really could: revenue-sharing. The players were right to ask for better – and they got it. I don’t know why this is never stated – because it’s a really big deal.

The players should concede to a REAL 50% share over 2-3 years – and the owners should give it. The owners should agree to let the players keep their arbitration rights and FA age – in order to get the 5% variance on contracts. After all, it’s only a few high-end players that ever benefit from this – players that will get their pay day anyway. That’s what would be fair. That’s what would allow for the success of small markets without needlessly eroding player rights. That’s what would be best for the health of the league.

If I seem pro-owner, it’s only because – at this stage – the owners seem to have come far closer to those conditions that I see as ideal than the players have. If you had asked me in Oct, my answer would have been different. But watching Fehr’s tactics – and the staunch refusal of the PA to move from their ridiculous stance of 1.8 billion guaranteed – has soured me to the PA’s message.

cmon ya’ll sing along!

The owner’s greatly miscalculated with that polarizing initial offer, which showed utter contempt for the other side of the table. I would bet the league wishes it could take it back that strategy. They clearly had no intention of negotiating until after a work stoppage was in place, with the expectation that they could bully the PA into an array of concessions. Businessmen would have made their business’s growth a priority above sticking it to their employees. And these businessmen didn’t.

The PA has behaved just as badly – but this lockout has always been less about money and more about egos.

On the other hand, I believe their insistence on eliminated back-diving contracts is completely reasonable.