So what's up with the NHL?

[dealforme]

I have to slightly agree with Rometiklan since both parties are at fault.

My thoughts to the player: How much $$ do you really need to get paid to play a sport. It's not like your a doctor that spent 7-10 years of further education after post secondary and saving lives. An athlete should be more than happy to get a 6 figure salary to play, I know I would.

My thoughts to the owner: It's your own damn fault in offering the high salaries in the first place. Obviously you need to take a course in ROI (return on investment).

Like what Temp said, imagine if I told my boss that I refuse to do my job unless I get an 30-50% increase in salary. You got it, I get shown to the door and somebody else would take my place.

Personally I think the players has to realize that they're an employee of a business. Also, I think the owner has to take a tougher stance if a player refuses to play then them him sit or walk. It's better to take a small loss than having to pay for a player who doesn't want to play in the long run.

I know some of you will have the marketing draw argument but this is a business after all.

I think society needs a head shake on the emphasis on the importance in sports. I still don't understand how people treat paid athletes or movie stars as gods. They're still normal people doing a job. It's not like they're risking their lives to save others or saving lives.

/rant off before I get really off track

[Carnage]

My thoughts to the player: How much $$ do you really need to get paid to play a sport. It's not like your a doctor that spent 7-10 years of further education after post secondary and saving lives. An athlete should be more than happy to get a 6 figure salary to play, I know I would.

Well the average player would take serious offense to that seeing as the average player makes a 7 figure salary.

The problem with that argument though is that in your workplace I doubt you're presonally responsable for the amount of money that an NHL player brings in. Lets face it they get paid millions because they bring in millions.

Lets say you were one of the founders of Microsoft. Would you be willing to stay with a $100,000 salary because it's already alot of money? Or would you be fighting to get your hands on some of the billions of dollars that your work was bringing in?

Just to be a devils advocate.

[Rometiklan]

I agree with what's been said in some recent posts here. Players have a very unrealistic perspective of how much money is in the pot. There is so much mistrust between the two sides, and until the players have a definitive idea of how much money there actually is, there will never be a cohesive effort towards resolution.

There is such an uneven playing field...each market does not bring in equal revenue. How does a team like the Rangers with a lucrative TV and radio contracts, compare with a team like Pittsburgh or Buffalo who are barely staying afloat. Maybe it's not a fair comparison, but revenue sharing between the owners in the NFL help keep things fair, and the salary cap is something the players and owners endorse. It's ironic that the owners are showing such solidarity now. During the off-season, they are all screwing each other by signing up all the free agents to ridiculous high salaries that it throws the entire salary structure out of whack, creating the current mess everyone is knee deep in.

I think players have to realize that the league is in trouble...deep trouble. Just look at the number of teams that almost sunk, and teams that had to relocate. With this in mind, they have to make concessions in their demands, and acknowledge that a salary cap is not the end all of their earning power. With the control on spiralling salaries, franchaises will stay more economically viable....in theory.

Before it's all over, I think both sides will have to get some independent impartial mediator in there and examine the budgets of every team. Hopefully a solution can come from that.