Gnaw, gnaw, gnaw ... listen to the sound of my GI tract ...
Can anyone provide an example where the first negotiation offers from either union or management were accepted without question? Go ahead, I'll wait.
Okay, you can stop now. Here's your answer: It doesn't happen. Ever. Even when there's optimism, it's often tempered, masked or even hidden completely, because neither side wants to give the impression that they're caving in in the slightest. This is the reality of union negotiations. The negativity of observers, in the vacuum of venues like social media, only serves as pointless, dramatic chatter. It has no bearing on the proceedings, and furthermore, is rarely based in knowledge or objectivity.
Long story short: As we wait for the union negotiations between the PA and the NHL owners to come to a full stop (in any way, shape or form), I figured it would be a good idea to crank the old girl up in the interim. I want this to be a safe space to discuss what's going on in the League -- albeit with less vitriol than you're used to.
My official stance on the matter: I refuse to take sides, and there are a number of reasons for my position. Firstly, I work for the League, so it benefits me for it to be functioning. Secondly, I live with someone who is well versed in union negotiations. The chess game that takes place between the two sides makes it virtually impossible to side with someone. There is no black or white -- only shades of grey. I understand others will pick a camp and attempt to explain their reasons why to me. That's their prerogative. I am not in a position to back one party, regardless.
What I will say is this: It's very difficult to watch others casually discuss the situation with such negativity. A great number of them will be permitted to work -- after all, someone needs to cover the situation, should the League choose to lock out the players. My first year with the Ottawa Sun was the lockout season, and while I was initially concerned, I quickly discovered that there was much to discuss. However, I am in a new situation with the League -- one that solely provides coverage of the games and events themselves. No League on the ice equals no work for me. Anyone who has suddenly found themselves out of work and with very little information to go upon in regards to a return, can surely sympathize. The entire situation has already been very stressful, and indeed, emotional for me. I want to go back to work.
As we move forward, I'll continue to decide how to use this space -- and of course, we can continue to discuss our favourite topics, like bloggers, media and the continued head-bashing.
If there's anything you like to see/talk about, let me know. In the meantime ... welcome back, cynics.
Just a little something to chew on for the weekend...
Think about all the teams that have been hell-bent on keeping their collective salaries at the lower spectrum of the cap. The floor figure for last year was 21.5 million. Think about Buffalo, who likes to have a ceiling below the actual 44-million dollar cap, and the frustrations they've been dealing with involving RFAs. Think about Boston -- with a collective salary of approximately 32 million last year, and notoriously stingy. Suddenly they're shelling out for Zdeno Chara.
How are these smaller-market teams, and teams that have difficulty drawing going to be able to justify spending this money? The cap demands it now -- you've got to keep up or you'll be left by the wayside, and more and more teams are pushing the limit. Toronto and Detroit have always spent big -- they could afford to, and their ticket prices reflected that fact.
Other teams who had smaller wallets previously attempted to tread water. The CBA's salary cap gives them a chance to hook some of the bigger fishes of free agency, but some still have to get used to the idea of spending $44 million on a collective salary.
It's great if the fans show up, and can offset some of the costs. But what if they don't? The fact remains that even if they do, a number of these markets will likely be raising ticket prices again.
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