I’m not taking sides in the NHL lockout. As in, at all. As in, ever. As in, I may not even notice if the season actually returns in January. Well, okay, at least until I try to get somewhere in Ottawa and half the damn city shuts down for the evening. But even still, you kind of have to wonder what the hell goes through some owners’ heads during situations like this.
This is the second lockout in a decade. The last one ate the 2004-05 season. During that lockout, it was the fans who pretty much got the shaft. The players still got off pretty damn nicely if you ask me, even after you factor in they didn’t actually get their way. But the sequel? Oh, now the gloves are off. You kind of tend to think that way when you’ve got ownership personnel pretty much admitting they’re out to screw the players.
“The owners can basically be viewed as the ranch, and the players, and me included, are the cattle,” Devellano, 69, told the Island Sports News.
“The owners own the ranch and allow the players to eat there. That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s the way it will be forever. And the owners simply aren’t going to let a union push them around. It’s not going to happen.”
And this after the union didn’t exactly push them around in 2004-05. But, hey, at least we know the screws are in for this round. Ah, but the 6 of you who’ll still actually watch the games don’t need to worry. They’re not aiming to screw you. Just the players. Feel better yet? Yeah, me either. Hey, Bettman? How’s about taking that $250000 fine you just yanked and putting it towards a tiny little decrease in the price of tickets? Yeah, was worth a shot. When’s baseball come back, again?
2 responses to “Why I don’t miss the NHL this year (Hint: it’s not the players’ fault).”
Make that the 5 of you that’ll still watch the games. I was number 6,but after this latest round of horseshit I’ve had enough, at least for a while. If there’s any sort of a season this year, you can count me out. If I’m somewhere and a game is on I’m not going to complain, but I’m certainly not going out of my way to watch on my own. The last 20 years have shown that the NHL doesn’t care about me, so why should I keep caring about it? Only way I’ll watch a game by myself is if I find out that Bob Cole or Joe Bowen is retiring.
Bowen and cole *not* having retired was pretty much what kept me watching the games I managed to catch last year. this year? Yeah, if it comes back, I’d probably be right there with you. Might even DVR that game. Yes, I know, illegal, violating copyright, yada yada blah. suck it, Bettman.