I don't know how this will impact the Canadiens (or the rest of the league's) situation but I have read that this guy is opposed to a salary cap.
A telling paragraph about him is in the article who's link I've provided below.
"The 61-year-old Fehr, who served as director for the MLBPA from 1986 to 2009, garnered a reputation as an uncompromising negotiator during his tenure. He oversaw five labour contracts for the players and was in charge during a seven-plus month strike in 1994-95 that forced the cancellation of the World Series."
As to the salary cap situation, as a former director of the MLBPA (as below), I can see the impact of no salary cap has had on the MLB. No salary cap has made for a serious separation of 'rich' teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Phillies, etc.) & 'poor' teams (Pirates, Padres, Athletics, Rangers, etc.) When a team like the Yankees has a salary load almost 7 times higher than the Pirates, competition is seriously relegated to the area of fantasy.
Will he be a big influence in a strike at the next CBA negotiations? I don't know.
A situation could arise where 3 of the biggest sports leagues in North America could end up being on strike at the same time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sardo
The end is near.
So this ***** cost the Expos a shot at the World Series?
Actually I wouldn't be totally against a soft cap, teams like us would benefit.
The soft cap idea is cool and all for big markets, but what it means is the league will likely turn into an NBA-like league, where about 8 teams are relevant year-in, year-out and the others hope they get a super star that makes their market relevant through the draft lottery.
A situation could arise where 3 of the biggest sports leagues in North America could end up being on strike at the same time.
The soft cap idea is cool and all for big markets, but what it means is the league will likely turn into an NBA-like league, where about 8 teams are relevant year-in, year-out and the others hope they get a super star that makes their market relevant through the draft lottery.
That's what I mean about MLB. Who do pretty well all baseball fans expect to see in the playoffs in October (or the World Series)? The Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, etc.
If you aren't a fan of any of those 'rich' teams then, as soon as the first batter in the first inning of your favourite team's first game of the season goes to the plate, your team is effectively out of contention for any shot at the post season.
That's what I mean about MLB. Who do pretty well all baseball fans expect to see in the playoffs in October (or the World Series)? The Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, etc.
If you aren't a fan of any of those 'rich' teams then, as soon as the first batter in the first inning of your favourite team's first game of the season goes to the plate, your team is effectively out of contention for any shot at the post season.
Talk about exciting!
And this is why the NHL is the most exciting league right now, with the NFL being close, but with this year, it might change quickly I guess.
Just remember that no so long ago the Habs had to live with a pauper's budget in the waning years of the last Molson ownership, when they couldn't afford to hold on to their best players. The Leaf fans patronized us as poor country cousins and suggested the Habs would never be contenders again. Doing away with the salary cap wouldn't be as painful as it used to be because the Canadian dollar has strengthened and the Bell Centre has become a cash cow.
A situation could arise where 3 of the biggest sports leagues in North America could end up being on strike at the same time.
The soft cap idea is cool and all for big markets, but what it means is the league will likely turn into an NBA-like league, where about 8 teams are relevant year-in, year-out and the others hope they get a super star that makes their market relevant through the draft lottery.
I agree that it would turn into something similar to the NBA, but you also have to consider there are almost 3 times more players on a NHL roster than a NBA squad, meaning that it would take a greater effort from those 8 teams to corral all the best players, whereas in the NBA, we're talking of only a few players that move around between the best teams.
The hard cap should stay as it is, for the economic sake and survival of the league. A few tweaks here and there, but no soft cap, I agree it would be a recipe for disaster in the long run.
Anyway, Fehr is in for a surprise as I don't think Bettman and the board of governors are about to let their baby go. League-wide revenues have gone up close to 150% since the lockout. That's good for the owners, and the players.
I think there likely will be a lock out, but I expect it to be a much shorter lock out.. Maybe just a month or something.. there is NO WAY the Players/Owners/League will let another full lock out go out.. it would hurt the league way too much.
**** this Donald Fehr guy, the Expo's would have won the world series no doubt in my mind about it.
They certainly were one of the very best teams that year.
I was extremely disappointed at the time. I even thought that it might have been some sort of 'collusion' by the other teams so as to prevent another (a third in a row) World Series championship by a Canadian baseball team.
I still tend to think that way - not as hard but the feeling is still there. Would the owners have gone that way if the Yankees or one of the top teams were in the same position as the Expos that year...? I don't know. But, being the Yankees (Bosox, etc.), the pressure to settle with the players association might have been much greater.
I don't see a chance that the NHL is going to back off on a Cap and I'm sure the players get that. Most players have done just fine under the Cap and they are the guys that vote. I think most players will know that to fight for a no Cap structure will mean they will be off work and not getting paid until they once again agree to a Cap, so why fight the issue ? Probably most likely they will fight the % of revenues and anything else to tweek the Cap. Then again, who knows, I was surprised how long the NHLPA faught the Cap last time even though it seemed clear as day a Cap was needed and that the NHL wasn't going to back-off.
The NHLPA has their heads so far up their ***** sometimes its not even funny.
Fehr's appointment has the league hurtling towards a lockout.
There are other more level-headed options that would've been better
Enjoy your hockey now folks, cuz you will be without for awhile
This can't be good for hockey. He didn't ruin baseball on his own, but he played a large part in making it a 3 tiered sport, with the big markets contending each year, the middle ones contending every 2-3 and the small markets as also-rans that hardly ever factor into anything.
Damn it - this guy killed the Expos and will kill hockey. I wonder how much of this is a response to the Kovalchuk thing.
The NHL players are idiots. If they think this will help them, they could not be more wrong. This will ensure a work stoppage and ultimately the demise of the NHL in its current state. The NHL is just making headway, which will increase revenue. Instead the NHL will go backwards and salaries will ultimately go down and teams will fold losing players jobs. DUMB, DUMB move.
I hate what this action did to screw the Expos. But I still firmly believe that all of big money owners like Steinbrenner had just as much to do with forcing this mess as anyone
I can still recall hearing that these owners were acting in the best interests of the "small market teams". Did that ever turn out to be a load of bs
A brief extract from wiki covers the lack of trust issues. Interesting to see whose name crops up smack in the middle of it. Our favourite used car dealer, Bud Selig, who would later be commissioner
Quote:
The dispute was played out with a backdrop of years of hostility and mistrust between the two sides. What arguably stood in the way of a compromise settlement was the absence of an official commissioner ever since the owners forced Fay Vincent to resign in September 1992. Vincent described the situation this way:
"The Union basically doesn’t trust the Ownership because collusion was a $280 million theft by Bud Selig and Jerry Reinsdorf of that money from the players. I mean, they rigged the signing of free agents. They got caught. They paid $280 million to the players. And I think that’s polluted labor relations in baseball ever since it happened. I think it’s the reason Fehr has no trust in Selig."[1]
On February 11, 1994, the owners greatly reduced the commissioner's power to act in "the best interests of baseball."
Odd that the labour politics are so sensative in pro sports. I suppose the stakes (revenue/profit) are very high.
Allow me to make a social commentary, I can't fathom how these guys don't seem to be able to work out their problems so I can enjoy hockey/pro sports as a stable source of entertainment.
Both parties act like they are solely responsible for the success/winfalls. They are self-agrandizing that way. In reality, it is the fans that have pumped up pro sports.
It's so annoying to me when these dumbasses start going on about what's fair for their fantasy-land workplace. A reality check is needed. Although I do sometimes get a chukle out of the union rep's and owners. (Ryan Millar, springs to mind). It's more of a resigned and stunned chuckle though.
From an NHLPA and player agent perspective, he's an excellent choice. From an NHL owner and fans perspective, a work stoppage is inevitable and that won't be good for the game. Fehr is an excellent negotiator. He'll also difficult and will probably cut off the nose to spite the face when it comes to getting what he wants. The 1994 MLB player strike is good example of this.
From an NHLPA and player agent perspective, he's an excellent choice. From an NHL owner and fans perspective, a work stoppage is inevitable and that won't be good for the game. Fehr is an excellent negotiator. He'll also difficult and will probably cut off the nose to spite the face when it comes to getting what he wants. The 1994 MLB player strike is good example of this.
Actually, since there is no real salary cap, and players are making as much as they are, I have to say Fehr accomplished his mission in the long run. The was no face spiting involved in 94
I hate what all this did to teams like the Expos, but MLB is just as much to blame. Clearly MLB showed they did not give a crap about Montreal or other small market teams like Pittsburgh and KC. The big money teams called the shots. Now the Yankees can spend as much as they want to. The salary tax is a joke. Once proud teams like KC and Pittsburgh have become perpetual jokes. The Expos became extinct
When the Commissioner's role was rendered toothless is when the big money teams took over control of mlb. That was just as much to blame as anything Marvin Miller or Fehr did
Let's all calm down. Fehr has to be somewhat intelligent and has to understand that another strike would mean the end of 5 or 6 markets. Unless that's the goal behind it, I don't see it happening. And he's getting older, probably not as interested at going in hard and tough battles like he used to do.
Let's not jump to conclusions even if CLEARLY it reads way more confrontation than negotiation.....but I still believe that he's not stupid and the players around him won't be either.
Though again....unless the goal is to once and for all determine which markets deserve to survive or not......and then replace them by others.
Let's all calm down. Fehr has to be somewhat intelligent and has to understand that another strike would mean the end of 5 or 6 markets. Unless that's the goal behind it, I don't see it happening. And he's getting older, probably not as interested at going in hard and tough battles like he used to do.
Let's not jump to conclusions even if CLEARLY it reads way more confrontation than negotiation.....but I still believe that he's not stupid and the players around him won't be either.
Though again....unless the goal is to once and for all determine which markets deserve to survive or not......and then replace them by others.
It's about % given to players.
It has to be determined wether the cap is better for the players than not having one.
While teams like the Rangers will be able to afford a 70M$+ payroll, some teams will basically have a 20M$ payroll. The floor forces teams to pay a minimum.
The only thing I think he'll end up fighting for in the cap area is to install a soft cap (similar to the NBA, with trade exceptions, taking additional cap hit in a trade, a similar rule to the Bird rule, etc.).
