The NHL has now canceled games through November 1st. After the recent round of proposals, the NHL lockout is now the fault of the players, not the owners.
I recognize the argument that players are taking a significant salary cut by reducing their share of revenues to 50%. I understand that the work stoppage was enforced by the owners and the league. I realize this likely could have been avoided, and that Gary Bettman has turned to a work stoppage each time the CBA has expired under his watch. It was funny to me (in a sick and horrible way) that owners were complaining about the monster contracts they voluntarily handed out as the main inhibitor of profitability.
I was squarely on the side of the players before last week’s proposal from the NHL. After the recent swap of CBA proposals, however, I’m on the side of the owners.
Many have told me I’ve been fooled by a publicity stunt by the evil NHL owners. I agree that they’ve been sneaky, titling their proposal one to “save the 82 game NHL season”. This move was certainly designed to gain public favor. A 50/50 revenue split was bound to encourage the public and turn them against the players. After all, it’s hard to argue the “fairness” of an equal split of revenues. However, after reading the details of the new agreement and watching as the players again refused to play this season, it’s hard to be on their side any longer.
It pains me to say it, but the players are in the wrong at this stage of negotiations. Not only were these threats applied because players refused to negotiate, but turning down a reasonable offer and demanding money up front from a “financially unstable” NHL is illogical. Every major sports league operates under a revenue split that is at or very close to 50/50 except the NHL. The players got away with an exorbitant 57% of revenues in the last collective bargaining agreement. By signing contracts that extended beyond the CBA agreement, the loss of a portion of those salaries had to be considered – particularly in the wake of NFL and NBA lockouts (or, you know, the NHL lockout that cost us a season not so long ago).
The NHL offered an escrow fund that would be used in an effort to protect player salaries if the league continued to grow and be profitable. As small market teams struggle, it is apparent that revenue needs to be divided differently. It seemed, at first glance, that most of the players’ key concerns were addressed in a good faith offer from the NHL.
Many point to the fact that NHLPA proposals, all three of them, were rejected swiftly and with no intention of negotiating. That’s likely because the players’ proposals made so little sense. They either demand the lost salary money up front from a league that doesn’t have the money, or made proposals that only go to 50/50 splits if revenue projections hit. Why should the NHL consider additional risk? Why not just agree to 50/50 if the NHLPA is so certain that their proposals will end up there anyway? Why not play the season (which will produce more than 12% of their salary anyway), and trust the NHL to follow through with promises to protect current salaries?
Because the NHLPA has no interest in playing this season under a fair CBA.
The players responded to a reasonable offer from the NHL with demands for money up front and guarantees that all contracts will be honored. Admitting that a 50/50 share is fair, yet demanding all 57% revenue based contracts be honored, is a paradoxical negotiation approach. By walking away from a straightforward 50/50 split designed to salvage a full season, the players cost us the 2012-13 season.
In the end, all I’ve wanted all along was hockey. I’m certain I am not alone in this stance. The owners made a reasonable proposal that I thought could lead to hockey, which brings me back to their side. I expected some tinkering to the proposal and a deal to be in place by now as reason prevailed. I wanted to see greed fall to some sense of obligation to the NHL fans that provide the league’s revenue and pay the players’ salaries. It’s amazing to me that they’re fighting over our money again after a lost season ended the last CBA.
What I’ll get from the 2012 NHL lockout is confirmation that all I am to the NHL is a consumer that is unlikely to ever go away. I don’t think I’ll attend a single hockey game this season. If lockouts don’t damage the sport, lockouts will never go away. It’s a shame, but maybe we all need to walk away from hockey a little bit – if it ever comes back.
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