Australian Rules football is a very simple, exciting, and fast paced game. It's pretty much a more exciting, less strategic game of American football. I would get into it if it was televised and not played at insane hours, given the time zones.
My dad was born and raised in Australia for the first 10 years of his life and went to a bunch of ARF games. Said it was the craziest **** he watched in person. I think he rooted for the Adelaide Dragons.
Devils players = Part of the Union holding out for more $$$
Devils owners = Part of the League trying to get $$ more rational
They Devils are the same as anyone else.
I was really just speaking about the franchise itself but I can highlight the players a bit.
For the players, I'd say at this point only Henrique, Larsson and Zajac stand to really benefit from holding out on issues involving long-term deals.. They're the ones who had the most potential of having longer term mega-deals deals in the future.. Kovy also loses some decent money from the drop in HRR % but his last contract has been signed so that's the only issue involving him, and he's losing considerable money this season due to the lockout continuing.. Marty and Patty are older, with Patty maybe signing another short deal that is hopefully lower cap hit.. For other players, I applaud them trying to get a good deal for future NHL players but at some point they may have to become a little selfish and just get a deal done so they can get back to work
As for the franchise, let's look at revenue sharing.. I'm not sure that the Devils will gain much of anything here.. We're a high revenue team (only $1 mil less in revenue than the Flyers last season) in a heavily populated market.. In reality, we shouldn't need revenue sharing so I'd be interested to see if we'll get it
Jeff stands to gain by having shorter deals (especially with that extra 2 years you get if you sign a player you currently have) so that we don't lose another Parise to a team that can throw out cash much easier than Jeff can.. That said, the other owners are pushing for this as well.. But his franchise is coming off of a tremendous boom in revenue, ticket sales, and general fan interest from the playoff run.. As shown by even the most passionate the fans (like those in this forum), he will be losing at least some ground in all 3
Jeff needs money now.. He refinanced to get by but he'll need money soon to pay his loans and revenues/profits to get some good investors.. It'll be tough to go to an investor and say, "Sales, revenues, and TV ratings are down since the lockout. Wanna get in on the action?" A lack of games or even just decreased fan support only accelerates us towards bankruptcy
I think if you're going to be fair you have to say the Devils are at best and probably at worst only tacitly complicit in this lockout. While I agree with 731's point that a new CBA probably helps JVB get some more value in the franchise (especially with the lack of long-term deals on the books 'now') and the Devils - like every other team - voted for the lockout, I don't think of JVB as a hard-liner in the sense that:
A) He's an actual fan and doesn't seem to care about losing money
B) He's not speaking out publicly or one of the 'big four-six' owners in the negotiating room at all times
C) Hard-liner to me infers you're willing to risk losing a season. JVB might not mind a couple of largely down attendance months off the books (though it's done a lot to cancel out the momentum from last Spring), but push comes to shove there's no way he wants to miss an entire season
And thankfully the players aren't speaking out 'at all' other than generic quotes from Hedberg-Clarkson when they've been a part of negotiations. I do think - like most everyone else in the union - they're willing to follow lockstep with Fehr (at least until d-day arrives next month) but thankfully they haven't made public a**es of themselves like many others have.
Well maybe Lou couldn't have contact with Barch but there's nothing that says he couldn't have said anything to Mrs. Barch
His rant wasn't even that bad really - certainly not compared to most of the other nonsense that's been done and said by the PA, we just look at it cross-eyed because A) it isn't normal for any Devil to do and B) the guy's been here five minutes
Well maybe Lou couldn't have contact with Barch but there's nothing that says he couldn't have said anything to Mrs. Barch
His rant wasn't even that bad really - certainly not compared to most of the other nonsense that's been done and said by the PA, we just look at it cross-eyed because A) it isn't normal for any Devil to do and B) the guy's been here five minutes
Honestly if you just want my opinion personally I just HATED the signing. After buying out Boulton, and re signing Janssen, and the 4th line in the playoffs. On top of a legit offensive threat compared to goon 4th lines, and competent defense, and losing Parise, and needing all the scoring we can get. Then the overuse of Kovy, because they can't handle more than 4 minutes of ice time a night.
That's why I can't stand Barch. He really hasn't been as much of a big mouth, I'm just a biased opinion really. I wouldn't be surprised if he went the way of Peters, and Boulton after this year, and to a buyout. Hopefully there's a chance we can send him the way of PL3, and get a 5th rounder for him!
It's okay there were others too! Haha. I think I've exceeded my goon rant quota for the day.
I think the reasons for not liking them are legit though. The whole board was complaining about Boulton, and Janssen by mid season during GDT's last year. The Kovy factor is also a big deal too.
That his wife took away his blackberry? It's been a month! She hasn't given it back yet?
Well, I know I wouldn't
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bleedred
Honestly if you just want my opinion personally I just HATED the signing. After buying out Boulton, and re signing Janssen, and the 4th line in the playoffs. On top of a legit offensive threat compared to goon 4th lines, and competent defense, and losing Parise, and needing all the scoring we can get. Then the overuse of Kovy, because they can't handle more than 4 minutes of ice time a night.
Honestly, it looks like both Lou and Pete love their tough guys. There's always going to be one.
And I think they're both knowledgeable of the fact that Cam Janssen is bad at hockey.
Both Boulton and Barch were/are signed for the intention of having a guy who can drop the gloves AND play a bit of nhl-level hockey at the same time.
No one could have expected just how bad Boulton would play this season.
I think Cam's contract might have been nothing more than a pat on the head for the guy and Barch will be the go-to guy for some of the Rangers/Flyers sideshows.
Honestly, it looks like both Lou and Pete love their tough guys. There's always going to be one.
And I think they're both knowledgeable of the fact that Cam Janssen is bad at hockey.
Both Boulton and Barch were/are signed for the intention of having a guy who can drop the gloves AND play a bit of nhl-level hockey at the same time.
No one could have expected just how bad Boulton would play this season.
I think Cam's contract might have been nothing more than a pat on the head for the guy and Barch will be the go-to guy for some of the Rangers/Flyers sideshows.
I hope that's the case. I don't think Pete really loves them as much as people think. When Zajac, and Josefson were both healthy last year which was just for the last two weeks of the season, he stopped playing them. They played a few games, but only when someone sat. Clarkson sat a couple times, and the game after sausage nose broke Josefson's wrist. I think Pete just preferred them to Zharkov. Seems he didn't like Zharkov the way Jacques did. I just think we didn't really have options other than to play Boulton, and Janssen nightly when Zajac, and or Josefson were out.
I didn't mean they like playing them every night - I mean they like having having 1 or 2 of them at their disposal.
For those gritty games against Philly, or when ever there's a score to settle and so on.
When you have a shot to go for it and get home ice advantage... you do what you can to get those knuckleheads out of the lineup.
Nobody likes having a Janssen/Boulton as an 82 game fixture. But guys like Pete & Lou seem to enjoy having a **** starter around for when they need one.
I wonder how many people have signed a petition to end the lockout on the White House's web site. I'm pretty sure at 25k signatures, Obama has to address to the issue even if it's just an official statement.
With a likely compressed schedule, Moose will have to play at least double digits although there's less of a worry in overworking Marty during a shortened season, there are still going to be times where you have to give a 40-year old guy a breather.
I'm not sure what to do with Marty. Work the rust off early? If he doesn't play as consistently as he was did leading up to last playoffs though he might not be as good as he was last year.
You know Lou didn't shut him up. He isn't allowed to have contact with the players!
