Now that the players have seen the light

[msweet]

it would be insane not to resolve it

"As it stands, the players have finally accepted a salary cap for the first time in their history while the league gave up on linkage. Now the two sides are separated by $12 million on their cap figures. And with the rollback, two-thirds of the league's teams would be under $40 million"

Goodenow should be thrown in a hole in an ice pond for not taking this position 6 months ago and making his stand on the pure $$$$.

It might be too late.

Imagine, if the players in August said 24% salary rollback and $52 million cap.

We'd be playing hockey right now.

To quote Melrose (he has the definitive line).... "C'mon guys, take $4 million per year instead of $5 million per year and get back to work."

If they don't settle now, I hope every NHLer gets what they deserve.... to practice the line "Do you want fries with that?" (Risky Quote)

yes, I'm really pissed now. fvck the players.

[SC Devs Fan]

They had to cave, they had no leverage. Just a question of how long it would be.

[devilsadvoc8]

I agree with your anger. to wait till this late to offer the cap is an insult to his constituancy. The 52 number was a gimick however, everyone knows that is not going to be accepted. Its just a ploy. Goodenow should return his salary for this year.

What is the latest on this? Are they thinking of a number in the 40s?

[LetsGoDevils]

@#$%@ NHLPA :angry2:

[devilsadvoc8]

While I have great anger towards Goodenow and the NHLPA management, how much should be directed at the players? Yes there are a couple of Goodenow lap dogs among the players but what about the rank and file. We all see how the union keeps the players on a short leash.

I think we should focus our hated on the lap dogs versus the entire union. Many probably didn't think that they could speak out without repercusions.

That said, who were the main Goodenow lap dogs? I think i remember an Islander and a red wing. But I am not sure.

['7']

all Goodenow did was give the finger back to Buttmunch. There was the asinine triggers last week, now the NHLPA propose a cap so high that it's really not a cap at all. but this was there response to NBA guys insult, and it was the right thing to do.

[redruM]

Hey don't blame the players... this is as much on the owners as the players...

Anyone who knows anything about negotiations knows NOTHING gets done until there is a drop dead date.... why did the owners wait till now for a drop dead date???

I know... becuase they have no intyerest in an agreement.. they want to break the union!!!

If they would have set a drop dead date of Jan 15th, this thing would be done and we would be playing hockey... but the owners do NOT CARE ABOUT HOCKEY!!!! THEY CARE ABOUT POWER AND CONTROLL AND MONEY!!!!

Don't get me wrong... the players are not with out blame....but its a 2 way street... the fans have been warned aboiut this lockout for 5 years..... so why is it that NEITHER side could do any real negiatiating until jan '05???

I HATE THEM ALL!!!

[Risky]

I blame the players for the lost season. They all knew they were going to have to swallow a cap. The billionaires can survive longer than the hundred-thousand-aires and millionaires.

When they eat a cap for next season, the question is going to be "Why didn't we play in 2004?"

"Why did Scott Stevens likely see his last game without pomp or circumstance?"

"Why will Marty never have a shot at the shutout record now?"

"Why didn't Sid Crosby get drafted in his first eligible year?"

It sucks. And Goodnow and his inner-circle (Linden, McCabe, Guerin) should be lynched for it.

[Ice Man]

You're right Risky, it's all about Scott Stevens never playing another NHL game.

You are so out of the loop.

It's both side with Bettman screwing it all up.

Never go to a game again unless the owners lower ticket prices.

[Triumph]

Don't be naive. This offer is solely aimed at the NLRB when the owners try to declare an impasse and use replacement players. It was not a legitimate attempt to save the season.

However the union is once again showing extreme idiocy. Couldn't they have seen this two months ago?

[BlueSkirt]

I blame the 300 players who are playing elsewhere during the lockout.

Allright maybe not all 300, but the ones that took other folks jobs for sure.

All these last minute proposals are too late. The easy thing to say is split the 52/40 million dollar figure in Year 1 (2005-2006) at 46 million, but that will not happen before the press-conference to cancel the season tomorrow. Because even inf a deal is made many NHLers are under contract to play elsewhere and would not even play in a a shortened NHL season. It's over, but let's get a deal done before the June Draft.

[Darwindog]

You're right Risky, it's all about Scott Stevens never playing another NHL game.

You are so out of the loop.

It's both side with Bettman screwing it all up.

Never go to a game again unless the owners lower ticket prices.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Better still --- never POST until the owners lower ticket prices, mmkay Ice?

[msweet]

Don't be naive.  This offer is solely aimed at the NLRB when the owners try to declare an impasse and use replacement players.  It was not a legitimate attempt to save the season.

However the union is once again showing extreme idiocy.  Couldn't they have seen this two months ago?

And this is exactly right... and another reason to be even angrier.

If you have to access blame it's 90% players... 10% owners.... and that 10% comes from overpaying for too long and spoiling the players.

[redruM]

. Because even inf a deal is made many NHLers are under contract to play elsewhere and would not even play in a a shortened NHL season. It's over, but let's get a deal done before the June Draft.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the players are under contract to the NHL then the ONLY way they could sign a contract elsewhere was with an out if the NHL resumed play.

[redruM]

Don't be naive.

[Elias Sports Bureau]

The best news we got was the Euro leagues saying they can't afford to do it again next year.

Maybe this season isn't resolved, but I think next year looks much much better. And not January either. Training camp... the whole nine yards.

[PeteyNice]

7 is right, this is the NHLPA's response to the BS "triggers" offer the NHL made last week. Turnabout is fair play. If the NHL can make a pathetic grab for public sentiment, so can the NHLPA.

Whoever said that Bettman showed he was not serious about playing this season by waiting until now to set a deadline is right on. Look what happened in 1995: they said "it has to be done today" and magically it was. If they had set the deadline for Sept 16 with the reasoning of "We understand the shortened season of 1995 was a mistake. If we don't play a full year then we won't play at all" I think we would have seen a deal.

[Rock]

MS I disagree, the owners could have dropped the link between revs and payroll along time ago...

Edited February 15, 2005 by Rock

[minime]

.....call me crazy, but don't you all understand the nature of negotiations? there's no way that the players could have offered this deal until the very last second - in negotiations, you have to have a DEADLINE to make a deal (most times) - that is why when the NHL made their weekend/monday/wednesday deadline, that was the best thing that could have happened to this process. it's been pretty obvious all along that the players were going to have to accept a cap, but they are going to get it without linkage to revenues. players come in with their $52 mil offer - yeah no way the NHL is going to accept that, you're right, but everyone knew that, it's part of the (unfortunately flawed) process of negotiations - NHL shoots back with $40 mil, yep players aren't going to accept that, duh.....so they'll meet somewhere in the middle. if the players came in with a $42 mil cap, the NHL would have rejected it and they would have settled on $41 mil - so you have to aim high in order to reach an effective compromise. also, it's really hard to believe a WORD anyone involved in this process says - "the players will never accept a cap yadda yadda yadda" - it's all about positioning and propoganda...you can't take what they say seriously. same goes with the media.

cap ends up in $46 mil range, no linkage, players probably get some goodies for accepting cap, lets play hockey.

unless im wrong?

[NJDevs4978]

7 is right, this is the NHLPA's response to the BS "triggers" offer the NHL made last week. Turnabout is fair play. If the NHL can make a pathetic grab for public sentiment, so can the NHLPA.

Whoever said that Bettman showed he was not serious about playing this season by waiting until now to set a deadline is right on. Look what happened in 1995: they said "it has to be done today" and magically it was.  If they had set the deadline for Sept 16 with the reasoning of "We understand the shortened season of 1995 was a mistake. If we don't play a full year then we won't play at all" I think we would have seen a deal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know if the insane wait to set a drop-dead date was an indicator that Bettman didn't want a season, if he didn't want one he would have set it earlier, no? I guess you could say waiting until two days before to announce the drop dead date is an indication he didn't want a season, if that's your point. I do think these are REAL concessions though and not just stuff for the NLRB, the owners came off linkage, the players came off the no-cap deal. Now it's just a matter of numbers.

I do also think there's a lot of truth to the last sentence of your post, I was just thinking today if the damn owners had set the drop-dead date a month earlier we would have a shot at a real season, not this 1/4 of a season that is the best-case scenario right now, since magically a day before the drop-dead date came the first real concessions from both sides.

[Darwindog]

.....call me crazy, but don't you all understand the nature of negotiations?  there's no way that the players could have offered this deal until the very last second - in negotiations, you have to have a DEADLINE to make a deal (most times) -

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

call me crazy ...but I think that's what everyone is saying... yeah maybe it's ridiculous calling a Sept 15th deadline but we're musing here - you know that... and now we all know how smart you are too (I'm teasing because I always make posts like yours! It's like a compulsion even though I know everyone knows as well as I do!)

Of course now I feel bad because you next to never post and I

Edited February 15, 2005 by Darwindog

[minime]

.....call me crazy, but don't you all understand the nature of negotiations?  there's no way that the players could have offered this deal until the very last second - in negotiations, you have to have a DEADLINE to make a deal (most times) -

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

call me crazy ...but I think that's what everyone is saying... yeah maybe it's ridiculous calling a Sept 15th deadline but we're musing here - you know that... and now we all know how smart you are too (I'm teasing because I always make posts like yours! It's like a compulsion even though I know everyone knows as well as I do!)

Of course now I feel bad because you next to never post and I

[minime]

.....call me crazy, but don't you all understand the nature of negotiations?  there's no way that the players could have offered this deal until the very last second - in negotiations, you have to have a DEADLINE to make a deal (most times) -

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

call me crazy ...but I think that's what everyone is saying... yeah maybe it's ridiculous calling a Sept 15th deadline but we're musing here - you know that... and now we all know how smart you are too (I'm teasing because I always make posts like yours! It's like a compulsion even though I know everyone knows as well as I do!)

Of course now I feel bad because you next to never post and I

[Darwindog]

.....call me crazy, but don't you all understand the nature of negotiations?

Edited February 15, 2005 by Darwindog

[Zamode]

It's Goodenow's way of telling Bettman to bend over the conference table and drop your skivvies. At this point, it's coulda, shoulda, woulda. I feel your pain but I think most of us are practically numb from it all by now. They all went too far in messing with the game and the fans.