Not that key though. First she said that things are not looking great. Then just 20 minutes or so later that they have made strides in major areas, but a deal isn't imminent. Hell, all that means is that they aren't expecting an announcement in the next 5 minutes. That's pretty great news.
Methinks she got a piece of pizza or a cookie that was being passed around which changed her mood.
Some details leaking out about contract term proposals -- i.e. things that fans actually care about. Elliotte Friedman has reported that the owners wants to limit deals to five years to sign a free agent from another team, but teams would be able to go up to seven years to re-sign their own players. That would obviously eliminate the artificially long deals we've seen increase in the past few years that have been used as cap loopholes.
That's going to remain a pretty big sticking point for the union. And no idea how it would affect existing deals (if at all) like the one Crosby just signed.
* * * * *
More from McKenzie:
Arbitration and UFA rights would remain the same (age 27 // 7 accrued seasons).
Less interesting for us fans, but critical to getting a deal done: League has upped "make-whole" to players by ~$90 million, which basically splits the difference between the last offer by both sides. In other words, it would be a terrible god damn travesty if they're not able to work out a compromise from here and give us a season. Things just aren't that far enough apart for them to quit now.
Last edited by shureshot66: 12-06-2012 at 01:39 AM.
Make Whole:
NHL Offering $300M on make whole (half way), $50M of which goes to pension funds. Meeting players half-way, not really a concession.
UFA and RFA rules to stay the same under most recent NHL proposal. Concession to the players.
Contract Rules:
Max 5 year term, 7 years for teams wanting to re-sign their UFA. 7 year part a concession and a reasonable solution IMO.
Max 5% variance from year to year (also seems reasonable -- these two will kill back-diving contracts).
HRR:
Presumably lack of discussion means the "reduction over years to 50%" the NHLPA proposed a couple weeks ago is still intact / what the owners are willing to go to. This is also technically an owner concession as no one in their right mind expects players to earn well over 50% of revenues indefinitely.
Term:
10 years (good), with year 8 "opt out" clause (why -- just say no to opt out clauses because they'll always be used if even one side wants more).
Anyhow, my hatred for the NHLPA is growing. I don't want to hear any NHLPA or NHLPA supporters whine about 'what if they just lock us out again next time to gain even more concessions?! We need to make a stand!' The owners have offered a CBA term that will allow 95 %of the NHLPA to play out their careers without having to even worry about another CBA negotiation. But, the NHLPA is insistent on a 5 year deal....yet they say 'we just want to play'. Bull.
The owners have given in on all the contracting rights issues other than the ones needed to control front loaded back diving contracts and insurance issues. They are no longer just taking contractual rights away as an exercise in over reaching. They upped the make whole.
The NHL has offered the NHLPA clearly the most favourable player friendly CBA in all of the salary capped sports, despite the players in the other sports generating much more revenue and profits for their owners, yet, still not good enough to bring to a vote?
I wonder how many would vote yes in the NHLPA if they were given a chance to accept the latest owners offer.
Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
I can tell you there's a hugely negative vibe emanating from both sides right now. Keeping this process on rails today will be challenging.
Everything I continue to read points to the contract limits as the huge hang up. Players hate the 5/7 max contracts but are willing to give on the 5% variance. This could get ugly again, as the NHL does not want to budge off the year limits.
Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
I can tell you there's a hugely negative vibe emanating from both sides right now. Keeping this process on rails today will be challenging.
Beat me to it. Ridiculous. Bettman and Fehr return to the table and what happens...
The NHL has offered the NHLPA clearly the most favourable player friendly CBA in all of the salary capped sports, despite the players in the other sports generating much more revenue and profits for their owners, yet, still not good enough to bring to a vote?
I wonder how many would vote yes in the NHLPA if they were given a chance to accept the latest owners offer.
This is what gets me. The NHL is much, much less profitable than any of the other major sports in NA yet the NHLPA seems blind to this. It's not even close either. All the big money is in tv contracts and the NHL's is just laughable compared to the others. There was a big fuss over the latest NHL tv contract showing how strong the league was now, but just compare it to the other sports and you'll see how bad it is. There really is no reason for the NHL players to be making as much money as they do compared to the other sports when you consider the amount of money they generate.
Do the NHLPA really think they deserve 10 year, fully guaranteed contracts? Come on, stuff like that should of been some of the first things knocked off the table by the NHL, let alone be a sticking point.
Beat me to it. Ridiculous. Bettman and Fehr return to the table and what happens...
...them retuning had nothing to do with this negativity. They are returning because of it. Things were going off the rails yesterday. They haven't even met today.
Maybe they're trying to give me hockey as a homecoming present? As it stands the 24 MEU that has been in the news as recently as 5 minutes ago are trying to go home (a month late at that). All we need for our plan to suceed at this point is for Syria to not use chemical weapons on it's own people, doesn't seem like so much to ****ing ask for but you know those crazy Syrians. If all goes well I should get back and go on post deployment leave just in time to be back in PA and possibly catch a game while I'm there. Here's to hoping......
