And yeah, that's exactly what I said and alluded to in my post. Players should play with toy equipement and drive themselves from state to state to play the game.
You can't be serious.
There's a difference between hockey equipement, medical attention and luxury hotels/private masseuses.
Give the players free food, free housing and million dollar cars too.
See what I'm doing?
Free food might be a good idea, if I was an owner I'd definitey have my training facility stocked with an unlimited supply of protein shake, etc. What it comes down to is necessity. The players get great equipment, great facilities, charter flights, etc because that is necessary to have a good product on the ice.
A good gym and training staff for a pro athlete is exactly equivalent to a great computer and system administrator staff for a software developer. I don't see any difference at all.
Are massages important? I don't know, ask someone with a kinesiology degree. People often say that massages are important.
Free food might be a good idea, if I was an owner I'd definitey have my training facility stocked with an unlimited supply of protein shake, etc. What it comes down to is necessity. The players get great equipment, great facilities, charter flights, etc because that is necessary to have a good product on the ice.
A good gym and training staff for a pro athlete is exactly equivalent to a great computer and system administrator staff for a software developer. I don't see any difference at all.
Are massages important? I don't know, ask someone with a kinesiology degree. People often say that massages are important.
1- The poster I quoted compared the necessity of great computers to computer technicians and luxury to NHL players. By getting free food I meant the owners paying ultra expensive restaurants for every meal (not the same thing as supplements and sports shakes).
2- I agree that if you want the best product on the ice you have to invest accordingly. The owners do so and it's not an issue in this conflict.
3- NHL players are paid by owners for what they bring to the ice, to think that owners owe them something for what they do outside of it is silly.
4- I suppose massage does help, I'm no expert. But I believe a team doctor and therapist is much more vital.
Now, I know that you're gonna take what I just posted and twist it around saying that I said that massages should be cut from players and they're useless, and that I think the owners pay for ultra expensive meals for every player.
Everything that is deducted from the HRR is not completely about job requirements and should not be taken for granted.
Then why does the NHLPA oppose contract limits and owners support it?
Contract limits: advantage owners.
You are the PA fanboy, you tell me.
The players are not chattel.
And fans are not a bargaining party.
Follow your argument to its ultimate conclusion and there is no draft, it is then all free agency, all the time.
Not really, a front-loaded 40 million dollars is worth more than an evenly-spaced 40 million dollars due to the time-value of money. Front-loading is also more immune to future rollbacks. Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, etc are all thrilled they got front-loading, as the front-loading is not subject to rollbacks.
As for steady income stream, players are allowed to request that.
[B] Long-term contracts are designed to circumvent the cap. This only helps a very small percentage of players. Short-term contracts ensures both sides get value for their money, that players are less overpaid, and less underpaid. [B]
The inflation rate for the NHL is about 8%/year.
Real world?
Reality check, millions of manufacturing jobs have left for places where employees make less, but are almost as efficient. Companies are now leaving China because it is too expensive. Reality. I don't necessarily like it. If, as an employee, you want to prevent that, get less, keep your job.
I need to take a break, thus, I'll take a break. I'll end up on a positive note by writing out what I think would be a fair CBA.
1) Owners want the players to take 50% rather than 57%, over an 8+2 year term.
OK.
As this is still a financial concession worth ~1 billion dollars from the players; the NHLPA would be compensated with temporary exclusive renewal power over the CBA once it is over. It would be an 8+2+2 term, with the NHLPA having the power to renew the CBA up to four years. This would also allay's Fehr's concern that kids now 13 years old should not be ruled by the current CBA.
Further, the NHL would increase revenue sharing. It should, at a minimum, scale with total league revenue.
2) Owners want to rollback existing contracts
If the owners do not agree to a 100% make-whole, then players on rolled-back contracts should be entitled to walk away from their contracts and declare themselves UFAs.
3) The NHL wants 5-year contract limits and salary variation limits.
In return, the players need to get something else. A good idea might be a trade limit, that a team can average no more than 1 outgoing and 1 incoming player per year, with some reasonable limits in case of injuries. Alternatively, the no-trade clause can be made universal for contracts of duration 2 years or shorter.
Contracts longer than 5 years would be allowed with the caveat that it would be 5 UFA years; so an RFA could sign a 9 year contract if it is his second contract, as in 5 UFA years and 4 RFA years.
4) Owners want the UFA age to be 28 rather than 27.
OK, but players no longer on entry-level contracts are grandfathered to the age 27 rule. For players who end up on the age 28 rule, they will now receive better salaries as RFAs -- the NHL should agree to reduce the outrageous compensation packages for offer sheets.
ETA:
On salary variation limits. If it becomes impossible to front-load contracts, then the age 35 retirement rule should be dropped as it would no longer be necessary and all it does is encourage discrimination against 35+ players.
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Overall, I think such a package would be a generous balance of give and take by both sides. It would be good the growth of the game, induce more stability, good team-building, and be good for parity.
Last edited by DAChampion: 12-08-2012 at 09:52 PM.
