It appears that NHL lockout is over. After a 16 hour marathon of meetings between Bettman, Fehr and player union reps the NHL is moving to have the current deal ratified by the players and owner's. The season, which if the deal is done in the next few days has the season starting with only IN-Conference games with a schedule of 48 games. If this deal had not been reached and negotiations had stalled much longer the season would have been bagged...which is where I was convinced it was heading. 

Perhaps Bettman and Fehr heard what I said to Jeff yesterday when I told him how much the loss of hockey has sucked for me. Sure, I love all sports but hockey is my number one and not having games to watch nightly has been a real drag, it's made this winter boring as hell and the days and nights just seem a bit longer. However it got done I'm just glad to see the players getting back to the pond where they should have been in the first place, but of course, the almighty buck got in the way, as is always the case. 

I know there are many who are miffed about the lockout, myself included, but I don't think the game will suffer as much as some predicted, hockey fans generally are a loyal bunch, but I guess you could say that about the NFL and the NBA and neither of them seem to have suffered much from their recent contract woes, in fact the NFL has never done better, they gross higher dollars each passing year. I don't know how well the NBA is faring in their actual dollar amounts per season, because I don't give a shit about tall guys slamming a ball thru a hoop. Like I've always said, you can watch the last 2 minutes of a basketball game and you've seen it all, there's not much difference between the start and finish, just up, down, shoot, slam, repeat. I'd rather get a root canal. 

I'll keep you posted as the players and owners work on sealing the deal! 

Oh, one last thing - GO IRISH!!!

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. I hope that everyone had a great end to 2012. I generally lay very low on the last day of the year and this year was no different. It is always tough for me to immediately look back to determine if the legacy of the year will be good or bad. The bad always seems to stick with us, but I will have many fond memories of 2012.

For those of you that enjoy fantasy sports, I have set up a playoff league for the Gab and others…if you send me a message with your email address; I will send you a message. There is no draft, you chose 20 players that you think will score the most points in the playoffs.

 BOB mentioned in his blog yesterday about his desire to focus on the sport and not the drama surrounding the sport. I think that this is a very interesting comment as the drama is what the media believes that fans want. Over the Christmas holidays, I watched a replay of the famous Ice Bowl of 1967, between Green Bay and Dallas. When I originally watched the game, I was just a kid. Much has changed since that cold day in Wisconsin. On that day, how many of those watching had an interest in the drama surrounding the game? My guess is very few. When you attend a sports event in below zero temperatures, you have to love the game. I suspect that we will look back at the game of the 60’s and 70s and realize that those were the “golden years” of professional football. We all realize what has caused the change…money. The very thing that allows us to watch our favorite game, has given impetus to the increase in hype. Today’s vocabulary is proof of hype…swag, and street cred are words that motivate today’s athletes. The media feeds on this and we end up with reality TV and people like Honey Boo Boo. This is not the kids fault, it is what they know. It strikes me that it is up to those of us that remember a different way to keep the memory alive. This may sound somewhat idealistic. In reality, I know the NFL will never be what it was, but should we not forget that there was a different way…just the same.

Last Sunday, the Cowboys faced an elimination game with the Redskins. Although I hoped that they might figure out a way to win, I suspected otherwise. This has been a very difficult year for the Cowboys defense, as they just have not been able to stay healthy. Tony Romo had a very good year. He won games when they were almost hopeless. Romo got the blame when receivers ran poor routes. Romo kept plays alive while running for his life. When Dallas lost, he got the blame…even when it was not his fault. It is easy to place the Redskins loss on Romo. It is impossible to ignore those three interceptions without acknowledging his poor play. But, what many fail to see is the terrific game plan of Jim Haslett and the Skin defensive staff. Washington blitzed early and often, with Dallas only sporadically able to slow the pass rush. The last interception was a misread by Romo. Blitzing linebacker Rob Jackson fooled Romo. His first two steps signaled a blitz, when in reality he was only feigning a rush. Romo thought the outlet pass to Murray was uncovered…he was wrong. Throughout his career, Romo continues to be just a bit off. From his botched handling of a winning field goal to his well publicized vacation with Jessica Simpson. There is a local sports talk guy that describes Romo as a successful child living in a very dysfunctional family. Romo’s family of course is his Cowboy team. The dysfunctional structure begins with Jerry Jones and trickles down. Would Tom Brady have three super bowls if he played for Dallas? Would New England have won those Super Bowls with Tony Romo at the helm? That is a very good question as well...

I was reading a bit of the Sports Pickle this afternoon. I don’t read it much, but usually find something sports related that is pretty damn funny. As most of you know, I am not a big hockey guy. Even so, I still have watched the hockey lockout with some interest. Radatz wrote a great blog last week about the hockey lockout and what the long term prognosis of the NHL might be. I found this brief report to be very amusing:

News from December 28^th

"The NHL made a new offer to the NHL Players' Association on Friday in hopes of saving a season on the brink of cancellation.

The league's proposal increases limit on player contracts to six years from the previous offer of five years and increases the year-to-year salary variance, among other things. The main sticking point, however, remains when the owners and players will cripple the sport again with another lockout.

"The NHL insists, and will not budge on this, that the next lockout be in 2017-2018," said deputy commissioner Bill Daly. "However, the players want it no earlier than 2021-2022, which is not something we are comfortable with. More than eight years of labor peace? Not on our watch."

Commissioner Gary Bettman insists that any more than seven consecutive full seasons will cause the NHL's revenues, ratings and popularity to grow too large, leaving the league with "difficult decisions on how to share the wealth."

Bettman, and the owners, believe it is better to "essentially shut hockey down every few years to reset our fiscal books and keep everything nice and small."

I read this and think that Bettman and the owners are complete idiots if they think that fans will continue to follow the game with built in lockouts. Then I read this next report and now think that it is a put on?

News from December 27^th…

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald snagged a pass on a slant pattern in practice today, avoided a defensive back and turned into open field towards the end zone. He then picked up speed at about the 20 yard-line and sprinted right through the end zone and out of the team's practice facility and off down the road.

He was last spotted on I-10 heading west, still carrying the football and running full speed, a few miles from the California border.

"I wish he hadn't decided to run away forever, but I actually expected it to happen a long time ago," said head coach Ken Whisenhunt. "The fact he stayed here this long shows what a great guy he is. I wish him nothing but the best. And it can really only get better for him away from here."

Reminds me of Forrest Gump…run Larry run!

So…what do you think that Aaron Rodgers got for Christmas? It would be something really cool, right?

Here is news from December 26^th…

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers came to practice the day after Christmas showing off a brand new football he had received as a gift.

"Check it out, guys," said Rodgers, as his teammates gathered around. "My mom got it for me. It's an official NFL ball. The same size and everything used in the NFL. But it's my very own."

Green Bay backup quarterback Graham Harrell said the football was "awesome" and that it made the junior Nerf football he had received from his parents "look lame."

Rodgers said he didn't even ask for the football or put it on his Christmas list, but it turned out to be his favorite gift.

"My mom knows how much I like football," said Rodgers. "I've played on a team for a lot of years now. I guess she just assumed I'd like a real, official ball. And she was right. I love it!"

I got the same gift…when I was 11. Hilarious!

That’s all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey…

In my opinion anyone interested in improving himself should not rule out becoming pure energy.

"Why is it that we will laugh at a man in a clown outfit, but we won't laugh at a man just walking down the street carrying a clown outfit in one of those plastic dry-cleaner bags?"

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own…

So why write about hockey? It's football season. Baseball's Hot Stove is heating up. The NBA somehow is attracting crowds. The NHL? It exists right now only in name. Oh, sure, there's a new proposal out. More talks are scheduled. The remaining short-term question, should there actually be a stortened season, is how much interest will remain in what is the quintessential winter sport. But there's a much bigger question: does the NHL really have any long-term prospects of success, regardless of how this season pans out?

First of all, why is the league in its current standoff? Bettman is a popular scapegoat. The owners are the target of class warriors everywhere. You hear "It's not a strike, it's a lockout!" That's pure spin. Of course it's a lockout. Uncontracted players can't be allowed to use team facilities in this lawsuit-driven era. And no one who can read or hear could be missing the elephant in the room, Donald Fehr. It's all pretty complicated until you boil it down to an unappealing but accurate scenario --- the billionaire owners and millionaire players are all trying to make more money. That money comes from the customer base, as in any industry. We call them 'fans'. That's short for 'fanatics' in old-time baseball lore. They may have to be fanatics (rich fanatics at that) to support what emerges, if anything does.

But as for the current absence of hockey, it's all about Fehr, the guy who torched baseball, the sport now almost universally acclaimed to have the most unworkable contract structuring. Nothing is about long-term sustainability. It's all about a raid on the cash box while it lasts.

Baseball rides its sadly diminishing status as the National Pastime, but even a quick look at old newspapers and tv shows (e.g. Ted Williams' appearance on What's My Line) tells you that it's not in the public imagination at that level anymore. The market is just bigger. Kind of like Def Leppard's albums out-totaling the Beatles at one point, or nearly everybody outselling Bing Crosby, who dominated the pop music culture like nobody before or since. People just have gotten more access to recordings and to media on which to play them as technology has increased. Sports are in the same boat of entertainment and media. Hence big markets. But 'big' doesn't mean 'too big to fail'. They rise faster --- and they disappear faster. Just like corporations, they have their bubbles. It's a business. Baseball rides revenue sharing right now (more on that below).

Which brings us back to the NHL. Why are the owners suddenly so adamant on lowering the cost of being an owner? And why is the union entrenching itself with an infamous character like Fehr?

The ultimate answer: not enough revenue. See this article. It's informative:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/09/18/nhl-lockout-is-all-about-the-benjamins-and-who-doesnt-have-them/

The article also explains how MLB is using revenue sharing with success to prop itself up. It doesn't explain that a huge amount of revenue comes now from cable. The Yankees' YES network props up a lot of stuff. The Red Sox own NESN. That's something hockey doesn't have. The Bruins get $22M/yr. from NESN (and the Red Sox) in return for broadcast rights. These days that ought to pay for Carl Crawford's spikes.

Looking deeper for particulars doesn't take long. For actual details, take a look at these breakdowns of team value, profitability, cost, revenue etc. in Forbes for the 2009 NHL season. Newer listings are available, but this one is easier to decipher. Here's the link to the first team in the chain. Look at all of them. The vast majority operate at a loss and are kept above water by the few that do not.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/31/hockey-values-09_Toronto-Maple-Leafs_312012.html

So the culprit is over expansion, right? Everybody knows that folks south of the Maxon-Dixon line aren't ga-ga over hockey. Yet the population of the US is headed there, so it makes demographic sense to instill interest in a sport you could never play on the local pond. That seems to have been the thinking back in the late '60s and '70s when the great over expansion got its impetus. But those were recession years. Barrooms, TVs and arenas traditionally get a lot of attention when a lot of people don't have anything more pressing to do or yearn for escape from reality, and absolutely every sport was in a state of uncontrolled expansion back then. Seemed the thing to do, and it worked monetarily. There's also no coincidence that it came immediately on the heels of Curt Flood, Andy Messersmith et al shattering the age-old structure of sports contracting. The leagues suddenly needed more money. That means more customers. That means more cities and more TV contracts.

The NHL, however, had something working for it, if for no one else. That was Communism. With the spread of Canada's sport overseas, Northern and Eastern Europe had become a bastion of major-league talent. But... most of it was cooped up behind the Iron Curtain. Only the rare defector got out. As doctrines like peristroika and glasnost came around in the '80's more Euro-Slavic talent became available to the NHL, giving the over expanded league more quality. But then the Cold War ended. It has taken a while, but the dust has largely settled and Europe now includes the old Soviet Bloc. That is a huge number of people, almost all of them seemingly hockey fanatics. Per-capita income may not yet be huge, but numbers can help offset that. The KHL becomes more of a force every year, and other leagues exist. Western Europe's trend toward socialism is about the only thing that keeps them from becoming yet another more tempting destination for home boys (and maybe for Canadians and Americans?) than the NHL.

In other words, the NHL now has competition it didn't anticipate some 25 years ago. It doesn't have the national appeal (in the US) for huge network contracts. Outside of Canada, the local cable revenues aren't propping anybody up. It's mostly gate. And the few truly profitable franchises don't make sufficient profit to want to prop up an entire league. Toronto is the most profitable. It is owned largely by the unionized Ontario teachers. If they don't want to help their NHL union brethren in a heartwarming show of solidarity (or, as owners, perhaps philanthropy), then who does?

The markets of true hockey fandom are concentrated in Canada and the extreme northern US, just as they were in the six-team heyday. The great experiment for creating legions of new hockey maniacs under palm trees has largely failed. Canada and the northern US can't match the power of hundreds of millions of Russians, Byelorussians, Latvians, Poles, Finns, Swedes, Germans, Czechs, Slovaks etc. etc., and as their economies grow, especially in the still-rebounding eastern zones, the situation becomes worse. Note that Europe doesn't rely on success in places like Spain, Italy or Greece. The South, in other words.

30 years ago Zdeno Chara never would have returned to his homeland to play during a work stoppage for fear that he might never leave except on heavily-guarded road trips. Now he's there. He'd probably prefer to be here, making more money, but how long will even that lure remain? As we sit and twiddle our green thumbs, the liberated Communist world catches up by leaps and bounds every year. They can't get enough of it. It's understandable, considering what they've been through. And the Far East is now sprouting hockey leagues. China, Japan, South Korea and the Pacific Rim going nuts for hockey? With billions of people and huge economies? Champing at the bit to have Canadian/US talent to showcase? Game, set, match.

One thing's for sure, even without an Asian nightmare... the NHL won't continue anyway unless the league comes up with a miracle cure and the union agrees to it. Hint: the union will never agree to a contracted league. And even if they do, that will raise the question of whether even a contracted, more northern league will have the economic clout to lure European talent. Maybe it will. Maybe it won't. Maybe it can't. Maybe their guys should stay there and our guys should stay here. There's plenty of talent to go around from Canada and, increasingly, from the US. But you can't ban players from leaving, nor ban imports from coming. What's that, the Aluminum Curtain? Is there really a sustainable long-term solution now? The end will come quickly when and if the owners calculate that their time will be better spent focusing on less expensive, perhaps less litigious, and more profitable ventures. At the moment, that prospect must look tempting. The value of NHL franchises has multiplied hugely since the bulk of expansion took place. That boom has stagnated and profits have evaporated (if they ever were a factor). What do you do with an investment, say a stock, that made you rich on paper and has now flat lined? You get rid of it before it tanks --- if you can find a buyer. If worse comes to worst and it's an industry (which hockey is), you lay off the workforce and liquidate property to cut your losses.

I don't pretend to know the answers to the NHL's issues, but I suspect I may have the $64K question down at least. Hockey is succeeding as never before --- worldwide. But the league that could be said to have made it all happen is in trouble. Players like to use the cliche "It's a business" to explain team-hopping. Caveat Emptor, fellas. That, ultimately, is just what it is.

 
Well, yesterday I covered some of the college football highlights, but I have to start Monday Moaning off with the news that broke last week about Notre Dame...I wanted to write about it then, but I had my hands full with the kids, and the wife out of town...

For those who didn't hear, Notre Dame will be joining the ACC in 2014, for all sports, except Football...Now, while they aren't joining for Football, there are stipulations regarding Football...The Irish must schedule 5 ACC opponents each season, and must play each ACC team withing a 3 year period...It's as close as anyone was going to get ND Football to commit, right now...I feel this is just a stepping stone for the Irish to join fully...I'll get to that in a minute...

This is huge for the ACC...ND fans travel, so those ACC schools that aren't really Football schools will have packed houses when the Irish come to town...Also teams like Maryland for example, will face ND at a larger stadium like M&T Bank Stadium (home of the Ravens)...Which means more ticket sales...

Also in the deal, if ND doesn't qualify or get selected for a major BCS bowl, the ACC can use them for one of their automatic tie-ins with certain bowls...Which is good for the bowls, and the ACC, because the Irish travel well...

This deal also makes the ACC the elite Soccer and Lacrosse conference, already having a number of schools that are strong in those sports...Two sports the Irish have been doing very well in...Plus, with Pitt and Syracuse joining the ACC in 2013, and the Irish in 2014, it becomes an even bigger monster in College Basketball...Which will bring in more money from ESPN and their contract with the ACC...

The Big Ten went hard after Notre Dame, but made it clear, it was all or nothing...If the Irish didn't get in with football, then they weren't welcome...Great stand by the Big Ten, which can afford to make enemies since their conference makes the most money...Yes, SEC guy, you may kick them all over the field, but they manage to make more money then you...

The Big 12, also went after ND hard, and most likely would have given them a similar deal as the ACC, but Notre Dame wanted to stay East-ish...

Before I mentioned this being a stepping stone for Notre Dame eventually going all in, with the ACC...It's my opinion that within 5 years or so, we will see 4 "SUPER CONFERENCES"...We'll see Louisville, USF, Rutgers, and Cincinnati taken from the Big East...I would guess mainly by the ACC...Louisville possibly by the SEC...

The Big-12 will get chopped up and spread among the Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-12...Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, West Virginia, Kansas State, Kansas, (because of basketball) Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech...Maybe even Iowa State (built in rivalry with Iowa in the Big Ten)...And then a few others will find their way in, like Boise State, Fresno State, and BYU...Possibly a few others...

I know Big-12 people don't like what I just said, but I think that is where we are heading...I think we were on our way when Nebraska, Texas A&M, Colorado, and Missouri all split, but the conference came out swinging, and managed to keep itself alive...But I think the men hold the power will convince the conferences that there is too much money to be made with 4 "SUPER CONFERENCES" and a sexy playoff system, that many fans have been clamoring for...

I'd love to hear what you think about this...

The other big story on my mind this week, is the NHL owners have locked out the players after the two sides couldn't agree on a new CBA...The clock ran out at 11:59PM Saturday...What I find even more ridiculous about this, is all day Friday, and Saturday teams were signing, and re-signing players to multi-million dollar contracts...The same type of contracts these owners have been bitching about...

The last lockout, the players swallowed a good deal of pride, and left a good deal of money on the table, thinking they were doing the best thing for the game...After a few years of struggling to get the media attention Hockey deserves, things started getting better for the NHL...The sport seemed to be on the rise the last couple years...

And now this happens...The mainstream media will be turning it's back on Hockey again...Fans like me will be pissed...I already canceled my Center Ice package...I was really excited to see Rick Nash playing for my New York Rangers...Now, I'm pissed...I plan on spending my money on some College Hockey and some AHL Hockey...It's going to be awhile until the NHL sees a dime from me...I don't think the players should get screwed...And I think the owners need to look in the mirror...Because they and that douchebag Bettman are the biggest problems with their business of Hockey.

Lastly, the Cleveland Browns lost Sunday to the Bengals...I'm not surprised, are you? And while the defense didn't play nearly as well as they did last week, the offense showed some real improvement...Trent Richardson rushed for 109 yards and a TD...He looked like a different guy out there this week...And speaking of looking like a different guy...Brandon Weeden passed for 322 yards, and 2 TD's...And he threw no Interceptions...He actually didn't look like a high school kid, shitting his pants...Does that mean there is hope for this team? I don't know...I stopped getting my hopes up years ago...I'll just watch and see what happens...


That's it for now...Have a week...

The Beeze.
 

I have spent my summer relatively offline for the most part.  I would check my twitter or facebook feed for tidbits of info, and I would check in occasionally to check on the lack of progress with the current CBA talks.

From what I can determine, the major sticking point with the PA and the NHL is the revenue sharing.  Now, I am going to go off on a tear here, and I personally don't care if you are offended or upset with my perspective.  I am putting it out there for you, and if it causes discussion, then I have done my job.

This whole debacle kind of hits close to home for me.  The Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, has introduced legislation to force all education workers back to work for the start of the school year.  However, my union has never stated that we will strike and have said nothing that would imply the school year would not start on schedule.  We have even cancelled our strike vote.  As a result, our contract is just going to roll over, without scheduled raises or improvements.  We are going to continue working until a new contract is in place.

And then we have the NHLPA.  They want more money.  Valid argument if they were being grossly underpaid.  However, if you cannot support yourself on $575,000 a year, which is what I believe the league minimum is, then you have some problems.  I make it work for me, and I earn much, much less.  If the NHLPA does not like the idea of employer and employee, then maybe they should go back to school, further their education and start their own business.  The owners want to make their money, and the NHLPA want theirs as well. 

I went to school.  I found a career which I truly enjoy.  I pay to play hockey a couple of times a week.  Yes, even during the summer here in Thunder Bay.  I love hockey.  However, all of this is starting to leave a shitty taste in my mouth.

We are hearing the arguments coming from the players; they want a cut of the money off of the game that was made on their backs.  Well, there came a time in life when they had to make a decision; try to make a career out of this hockey thing or get a real job.  They chose hockey.  Granted, I'm glad they did, because I truly enjoy watching it.  When is the greed going to stop.  The owners are the employers, and the NHLPA are the employees.  Get used to it. 

Another argument from the players is the fact that they beat up their bodies.  True, hockey is very rough sport and the potential for injury is there.  What would happen to someone like me if I was hurt playing the game I love?  First of all, I would not be paid for the days I miss from work.  I enjoy the game, so I take the risk.  The players take the same risk.  For those of you that know me, I am also in the Canadian military and have spent some time overseas.  I knew the risks, I chose to go.  Did I sit there and try to get more money because there is a chance I may get injured?  I'm pretty sure the risk of injury for those members of our respective forces that serve overseas are drastically different than what a hockey player may encounter.

And so now, the negotiations have stalled.  They are being recessed temporarily.  I guess meeting 3 times a week for 45 minutes at a time is a trying process.  And you have players calling the latest owners offer "a pig in lipstick."  You are not endearing yourself to the fans or to the owners at this time by resorting to insults. 

And Bettman, fuck you.  You arrogant, little wormy piece of shit.  You are a classless douche.  Coming out and stating the the NHL will be okay because you have the worlds best fans is a fucking insult.  By no means am I a fucking doormat.  You can only piss on my back so many times and tell me it's raining. 

This is one fucking fan that may not come back to your game you greedy, selfish sons of bitches.

Thanks,

Andrew