The final letter that determines the fate of the NHL season

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:33 pm

February 15, 2005

Mr. Robert Goodenow
Executive Director
National Hockey League
Players' Association
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Bob:

We attempted to reach out to you with yesterday's offer of a team maximum cap of $42.2MM ($40MM in salary and $2.2MM in benefits) which was not linked to League-wide revenues. As Bill told Ted, "de-linking" a maximum team salary cap from League revenues and total League-wide player compensation has always been problematic for us, especially since we cannot now quantify the damage to the League from the lockout. This presents the risk we will pay out more than we can afford. As you know, if all 30 teams were to spend to the maximum we proposed, and if the damage to our business is as we discussed at our meetings in New York, then the League would continue to lose money.

I know, as do you, that the "deal" we can make will only get worse for the players if we cancel the season -- whatever damage we have suffered to date will pale in comparison to the damage from a cancelled season and we will certainly not be able to afford what is presently on the table. Accordingly, I am making one final effort to reach out to make a deal that will let us play this season.

We are increasing our offer of yesterday by increasing the maximum individual team cap to $44.7MM ($42.5MM in salary and $2.2MM in benefits). This offer is not an invitation to begin negotiations -- it's too late for that. This is our last effort to make a deal that's fair to the players and one that the Clubs (hopefully) can afford. We have no more flexibility and there is no time for further negotiation.

If this offer is acceptable, please let me know by 11:00 A.M. tomorrow, in advance of my scheduled press conference. Hopefully, the press conference will not be necessary.

Sincerely,

Gary B. Bettman

Commissioner

skidmark · Post by **skidmark** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:42 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:...As Bill told Ted...

So Keanu Reeves has been behind the lockout all along.

GROGtheNailer · Post by **GROGtheNailer** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:35 pm

Very interesting.....(remember Laugh-In?)

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:37 pm

T Minus 78 minutes

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:07 pm

well?

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:11 pm

well?

skidmark · Post by **skidmark** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:00 pm

It's gone... Buttman just announced no hockey

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:02 pm

douchebags.

When the finally start a season, it'll be a while before they get any of my money.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:06 pm

Well designed, but sad, graphic leading ESPN.com:

Take care,
PK

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:07 pm

DONE:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1992793

lsdean · Post by **lsdean** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:09 pm

You have to wonder if the league will be able to make it through this. Very disappointing.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:17 pm

I'm sissed right now. That's sad and pissed. I totally blame the players for this. I know I'm in the minority but I still blame the players.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:23 pm

The onus is on the players now. Who knows what the future revenues of this league will be, so I completely agree with the owners that they must reinstate the need for a linkage between salaries and revenues.

Isn't that background picture on ESPN.com from the NHL 95 box?

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:31 pm

F THEM ALL.

dumbfucks....are they that stupid? the league will NEVER fully RECOVER.

EVER.

GO AHL.

Rob81Lakes · Post by **Rob81Lakes** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:31 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:I'm sissed right now. That's sad and pissed. I totally blame the players for this. I know I'm in the minority but I still blame the players.

Totally agree. The only thing I have to look forward to now is to hear that Goodenow has been fired. I'm fairly certain that will happen.

AcemanPR · Post by **AcemanPR** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:32 pm

I blame the players too. The owners came up with a viable solution that the players should have jumped on. As years go by, the salary cap gets bigger anyways.

Like Dave said, it is going to be a long time, if ever, that I support the NHL again. Who is next, the NBA???

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:39 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:I'm sissed right now. That's sad and pissed. I totally blame the players for this. I know I'm in the minority but I still blame the players.

I don't think you are in the minority at all. I put 100% of the blame on the players. They could have accepted the current deal and still be paid more than they will ever need. They will eventually accept a deal that won't be as good as the owners last offer. What a bunch of idiots..

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:45 pm

Can we just get rid of the whole league so it doesn't have to make it's way onto the ESPN.com homepage anymore?

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:50 pm

Why Blame the players for accepting the money the owners shovelled at them, and then refusing to take the onus on themselves to protect the owners from their own profligacy? The owners have this ridiculous notion that they are entitled to 'cost certainty'. Can anyone name any industry, business, or program that has 'cost certainty'. I can't, and it's a ridiculous notion that a business is entited to certainty concerning its future labor costs.

The NHL has shown absolutely monumental incompetence in its handling of financial issues and issues related to the quality of the game. Even if they manage to get a hard cap in hand they'll doubtless find a way to completely screw things up and end up running to the union and fans with cap in hand in a few years crying poor. Expansion, but one example, was just a goddamned ponzi finance scheme which broke down when they weren't able to find any more fools willing to poney up the outrageous franchise fees.

best wishes,

Doug

hellbent · Post by **hellbent** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:53 pm

The players are doubly screwed. Not only will they wind up accepting a cap that will no doubt be lower than what is currently being offered, but the league will no doubt contract to further assure the league's stability. Even if just 4 teams are disbanded, that equals a lot of roster spots that won't be filled around the league.

I have no doubt that the players will wind up with a lower cap number - just look at how much they waffled on their "no salary cap" promise in just the past 3 days. AND they were willing to cut their existing salaries in addition!

I'm happy that the Lightning get to hold onto Lord Stanley's cup for a little longer, because they might cease to exist by the time the league gets their way.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:53 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:I'm sissed right now. That's sad and pissed. I totally blame the players for this. I know I'm in the minority but I still blame the players.

I'm in the same boat as you, man. I also agree with Sudz that this will do irreparable harm to the NHL in the U.S. Americans cared when the NBA, NFL and MLB weren't playing. That isn't the case with this hockey lockout. The NHL simply is falling off the radar screen of American sports and joining pro bowling, track and field, pro rodeo and others as niche sports.

The timing of the cancellation only will exacerbate the disappearance of the NHL from America's sports radar. The NBA playoff drive is on. Pitchers and catchers are reporting. NASCAR starts this Sunday. March Madness is three weeks away.

Will anyone in the U.S. even notice hockey is gone other than a few hardcore fans like me? Nope.

Take care,
PK

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:58 pm

I've been a huge basher of the owners in this one (bottom line: they signed the checks that created the mess), but I've believed all along the players union had to cave. And *if* the cause for the lack of a last-minute deal is the (approx) $12 million per team discrepency in salary cap value then the last mistake goes 100% on the back of the union.

Their proposal of a $52 million cap made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Hell Nashville's payroll last year (the league low, I believe) was under $30 million, according to the Detroit papers. And regardless, with the season cancelled you have to believe the owners when they say the deal will only go down from what they offered this week. I absolutely believe the players will make less when they do come back than they would've if they accepted the $40M cap.

(Disclaimer: that's based on the figures and proposals being reported as I understand them. If I'm not getting my "facts" right, someone let me know.)

I hate this. How many great careers just ended today? One outlet had a list that might include Lemiux, Messier, Hull, Chelios, etc. It's almost a certainty that Yzerman is done, which just kills me. I don't want my last memory of him on the ice being helped off after a deflected puck shattered his eye socket.

Angry? Depressed? Resentful? Disappointed? None of the words do justice.

---Todd

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:04 pm

dougb wrote:Why Blame the players for accepting the money the owners shovelled at them, and then refusing to take the onus on themselves to protect the owners from their own profligacy? The owners have this ridiculous notion that they are entitled to 'cost certainty'. Can anyone name any industry, business, or program that has 'cost certainty'. I can't, and it's a ridiculous notion that a business is entited to certainty concerning its future labor costs.

Uh, the NFL. They have a salary cap in place which rises depending on revenue brought in. That brings them cost certainty that they will not be paying out more than is coming in. Blame the owners all you want Doug but the fact of the matter is a salary cap is needed to save the NHL. The players know this which is why they eventually accepted it. The problem is they wasted 7 months in Greedytown trying to get their paycheck. To my understanding the last deal the NHL offered would cover the overall total of salaries the players made last year. There's no doubt in my mind that the owners are greedy, but the players are just as greedy and apparently very stupid.

Jackdog · Post by **Jackdog** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:09 pm

pk500 wrote:
ScoopBrady wrote:I'm sissed right now. That's sad and pissed. I totally blame the players for this. I know I'm in the minority but I still blame the players.
I'm in the same boat as you, man. I also agree with Sudz that this will do irreparable harm to the NHL in the U.S. Americans cared when the NBA, NFL and MLB weren't playing. That isn't the case with this hockey lockout. The NHL simply is falling off the radar screen of American sports and joining pro bowling, track and field, pro rodeo and others as niche sports.

The timing of the cancellation only will exacerbate the disappearance of the NHL from America's sports radar. The NBA playoff drive is on. Pitchers and catchers are reporting. NASCAR starts this Sunday. March Madness is three weeks away.

Will anyone in the U.S. even notice hockey is gone other than a few hardcore fans like me? Nope.

Take care,
PK

God that's so true. Hockey has fallen off the radar. Sad day for all us hockey fans. Damn I don't think I will ever get to see Stevie Y play again.

Man the people that owned resturant's and bars in the arena district here in Columbus have taken an asswhipping during this lockout. Many will go under. Columbus has an arena football team,but they don't have enough dates to bail those poor folks out. Damn shame that 7 million bucks will cause people to loose eveything they invested. Greedy bastards.

You know what really ironic. Most of the players will be getting paid a lot less to play in Europe. DUH!!!!!!

PK sorry I missed your call. I'll call ya back sometime this afternoon.

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:38 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:
dougb wrote:Why Blame the players for accepting the money the owners shovelled at them, and then refusing to take the onus on themselves to protect the owners from their own profligacy? The owners have this ridiculous notion that they are entitled to 'cost certainty'. Can anyone name any industry, business, or program that has 'cost certainty'. I can't, and it's a ridiculous notion that a business is entited to certainty concerning its future labor costs.
Uh, the NFL. They have a salary cap in place which rises depending on revenue brought in. That brings them cost certainty that they will not be paying out more than is coming in. Blame the owners all you want Doug but the fact of the matter is a salary cap is needed to save the NHL. The players know this which is why they eventually accepted it. The problem is they wasted 7 months in Greedytown trying to get their paycheck. To my understanding the last deal the NHL offered would cover the overall total of salaries the players made last year. There's no doubt in my mind that the owners are greedy, but the players are just as greedy and apparently very stupid.

Ah, good point about the NFL (DOH!). But other than the NFL, or possibly the NBA, I really cannot think of any business or industry that expects 'cost certainty'.

I won't argue with you that the players are greedy, simply that the owners are the ones who determine how much they want to pay a particular player. If you want to reduce or control the amount that the players make another solution would be to ensure that all of the teams were equally wealthy (or poor!). So, instead of a salary cap how about enforced revenue sharing, where all the money gets pooled together equally amongst the teams. Then we wouldn't have the situation where The Rangers, for example, are able to buy a ton of high priced (and underperforming

) talent at the expense of the smaller budget teams. So let's have a cap on revenues as well as costs!

Best wishes,

Doug

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The final letter that determines the fate of the NHL season

The final letter that determines the fate of the NHL season

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