A couple days ago I went ahead and put down my annual futures bet on the Flyers to hoist the Cup. Figuring the lockout would happen, I asked what happens next? The nice lady at the Mirage said, if there’s a season with a winner, then all slips are valid. I wonder what the people who bet on the Devils for 1996 Cup got for odds?
So it’s now September 15, 2012 and neither side could agree. The same annoying issue from the last time happened again, the owners need the players to take pay cuts because the owners can’t stop themselves from doing stupid things. What more do these rich hucksters need? The NHLPA capitulated on the salary cap to “level the playing field” and the owners claimed success due to a couple boring mid-market teams won. Never mind the damage done, namely NO HOCKEY ON ESPN since early 2004. Never mind the actual reason pushing for a cap, cheap-ass franchises belonging to “Dollar Bill” Wirtz primarily. The miracle solution failed rapidly too thanks to ridiculous long-term, high upfront money contracts to subvert the cap.
I do hope Damian Cox of the Toronto Star predicted the outcome. He thinks we’ll lose only a partial season. It took seven years for the NHL to recover from the damage done last time. Another lockout will undo all the gains the sport made in getting on TV, merchandise and most importantly, mindshare. I can’t share his optimism, the owners should’ve shown solidarity about the money matters while the CBA was in effect. If Chris Pronger wanted X from Anaheim; Anaheim said it was too much, Philly didn’t do anyone a favor by giving him X+ since Ed Snider will be the first to go public with hat in hand saying the players are killing him. Regardless, I don’t blame Pronger one bit. When another team/owner is willing to throw too much money at you, you’d be a fool to refuse.
There’s a silver lining, two really. This lockout nonsense doesn’t affect the AHL having a season. Should the NHL completely blow it like 2004-5, I get my 10 smackers back.