NHL Lockout: Overpaid PlayersFollow

hear hear

There will be a lock out. Players ARE overpaid.

If there is a season it will start in January. Remember 94 strike? 32 game season, my home team **** the bed that year.

If you guys are going to bash on sports stars for being overpaid, you're picking on the wrong sport to do it. Hockey players get played peanuts compared to even the 3rd string football players, or the benchwarmers in baseball.

I honestly do hope that they come to a desicion soon though. A winter without hockey is cold and desolate.

Twiztid

One of my biggest annoyances is the decline of popularity that ice hockey has undergone recently. Most people like going to the games, and most people admit that it's a good sport, but not many people really appreciate it.

Hockey is one of the only true team sports out there, where success absolutely depends on everyone working together. One of my favorite annoucers, Bill Clement, once called hockey "the thinking man's sport," and that has stuck with me. Forget all this "football is the greatest sport ever" crap. Give me a good hockey game any day.

Damn, I should've been born a Canadian.

Twiztid

Heh, be a proud Illini.

I just think there should be a cap on overpaid players and if comes down to management making less money for that, than so be it. In the NHL, the NHLPA won't settle for the "cap" I just think that's miserable. This is an excellent example of people doing it for the "money" rather than pride, glory and fun. Who would have ever thought that when the league was first established it would be paying players millions of dollars??? There should be more players like Paul Kariya and less players like Eric Lindros when it comes down to money.

The owners are forcing the players hands about money, so they can say "well you see, we tried to make it fair but the players wouldn't help us come to a fair agreement." That being said, the players are being greedy when you look at the fact money is being lost on all fronts in hockey.

Another factor is the weak Canadian teams. They are hurt by the Canadian dollar not being worth as much, and players demanding contracts in U.S. dollars, while revune there is mostly Canadian dollars. Hockey needs the Canadian teams to do well as they are the heart and soul of the league.

The football team salary cap is probably the fairest of any salary cap used by sports. It makes for interest each season as players don't stay put and teams rise and fall faster than then the Third Reich. It hurts fans as few players stay thier whole career with one team.

Hockey also hurt itself with the expansion into Columbus, Atlanta, Nashville, Florida in general, and also allowing teams to move to such places as Pheonix, and Dallas. These are not good hockey towns, and probably never will be.

The league needs to fold 10 teams to weed out the crap players who should be in the AHL and to get out of the bad markets.

I love hockey. I am a Calgary fan since 88. Good and bad times, go Flames, but no hockey for me this year.

Hockey has now officially become screwed much like baseball. The problem? There are just too many teams. When you have a team for every state (well almost anyways) and throw in a few from Canada the problem becomes dilluted talent. There just aren't enough good players to concentrate on one team.

You then run into the issue that any owner with an unlimited checking account can just buy up all the talent ala George Steinbrenner or Ted Turner. Players don't look for long term contracts anymore because they can have a great season and up their ante the following year or move to another team.

The other problem you run into is this.. the NHL is in trouble. The fans just aren't turning out like they used to in a lot of cities. Can you blame them? I myself can attest to the low fan turnout in Chicago. The thing people need to realize is that the fans are the ones who ultimately pay. Whether they jack up ticket prices or blackout home games (yes thank you Mr. Wirtz for Hawkvision) the fan is the one who must compensate for the fiscal change.

Strikes do a lot to hurt a league. It took Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire to get baseball back on track and that was 4 years after the strike of 94. Owners and players both take for granted that the revenue will always be there. If the fans stopped showing up then changes would be made. As long as there is money flowing, things will operate on a "business as usual" mentality.

My advice to you, find another hockey league to get into. I have been watching the AHL (used to be the IHL) and the Chicago Wolves are a great team to watch. Tickets are cheap, and the games are great. Why dwell on the fact that this lockout is looming near. It's inevitable. The sad truth is that even if this gets resolved, how long will it take untill players become unhappy and lockout again..5 years..3 years?

Thats just what I think...

Who said baseball is back on track?

How many movies did they make about Cal Ripken? I can name at least one that was inspired by McGuire...