The NHL Lockout
Ehn. You are correct.
But the players have been shown undeniable proof (an independant professional analysis) of the league's horrible financial state, and yet they STILL won't give in, simply to save the league, and their jobs.
Why?
Because maybe they are greedy?
Perhaps, perhaps not. But it sure seems that way...
Seriously, the league presented SIX different, unique proposals (all of which contained a cap) that would save the league and still allow the players to earn ALOT of money (over two million on average), and yet they still would not agree. And Goodenow has said time and time again that he believes the league is in fine financial shape and is just trying to make more money for the owners by cutting the player's salaries.
Maybe it's about time that the Union steps forth and explains why they won't accept a cap.
Uh, you're wrong Vodo. The league average salary, right now, is $1.7 million, so there is no way the league offered a deal that would increase that number.
The reason a deal can't get done is that both sides don't trust the other side's numbers. The numbers Forbes did painted a much different picture then the Levitt report, and personally, I'd trust Forbes. Every independent sports or business source says Bettman is a bad owner. The primary problem isn't really rising salaries but falling revenue. Even if they cut the salaries, if the revenue continues to fall the league is dead anyway, which makes the owner's comments about "I'll lose less money if we take a year off" stupid and completely short sighted.
Salaries need to go down, but honestly? The league average salary is the lowest of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, and the closest team sport comperable is the Arena Football League, THAT is saying something.
The reason a deal can't get done is that both sides don't trust the other side's numbers. The numbers Forbes did painted a much different picture then the Levitt report, and personally, I'd trust Forbes. Every independent sports or business source says Bettman is a bad owner. The primary problem isn't really rising salaries but falling revenue. Even if they cut the salaries, if the revenue continues to fall the league is dead anyway, which makes the owner's comments about "I'll lose less money if we take a year off" stupid and completely short sighted.
Salaries need to go down, but honestly? The league average salary is the lowest of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, and the closest team sport comperable is the Arena Football League, THAT is saying something.
Maybe you were right about the average salary. I'll have to double check my facts...
First off Vodo I wasn't saying the NHL shouldn't agree to a salary cap, it's worked for other sports but for one key reason. The reason the NHL is trying to add a cap is so that players can only earn a certain amount of money thus saving the owners millions. Ahnk is absolutely right and he's basically saying what I was saying before... that the NHL is in horrible shape right now not due to high player salaries but because the league is not very profitable right now. Many networks have no interest in airing NHL games.
I was waiting for you to speak up and say something Ahnk you silly canuck... NOTE: I have no fucking clue what a canuck is other than an NHL franchise..
I was waiting for you to speak up and say something Ahnk you silly canuck... NOTE: I have no fucking clue what a canuck is other than an NHL franchise..
Professional sports provide jobs for a community as well. People can get jobs working up at the stadium and such which is a plus. Another big bonus to professional sports is the amount of revenue it brings to those nearby it. OS, because you live near the buffalo bills, your house value increases significantly.
The salaries for professional football players work in a manner of over time. If you have a seven year contract to be paid 50 million over those seven years, first of all, you would be a hell of an athlete, secondly, that means the team owns you for seven years. It means your eating and drinking must be healthy for football, your free time is football time, your hard labor is smashing into 300 pound guys trying to rip your head off. Finding people with these capabilities isn't very easy.
The salaries for professional football players work in a manner of over time. If you have a seven year contract to be paid 50 million over those seven years, first of all, you would be a hell of an athlete, secondly, that means the team owns you for seven years. It means your eating and drinking must be healthy for football, your free time is football time, your hard labor is smashing into 300 pound guys trying to rip your head off. Finding people with these capabilities isn't very easy.
I just punched some numbers into the windows calculator, and came up with this.
Next year Randy Moss will make $10 every time he takes a breath.
Next year Randy Moss will make $10 every time he takes a breath.
What's your point? None of this justifies being paid millions of dollars for playing a sport.
You do realize that they cannot get health insurance, and that if they are injured they make 0 money?
Athletes... I'm talking NFL players specifically, but it applies to MLB too as both have outrageous salaries, get no benefits, cannot get insurance, and are not paid when disabled. Can you say that of doctors? Of teachers? Both are allowed sabattical time, something not offered to atheletes.
Deimos makes a good point about the athletes bringing in jobs for the community. While the lasting impact of a teacher or a doctor is much higher, athletes generally tend to be people who are very supportive of their community and local economy. Some are assholes and hate the fans. I'm sure that applies to doctors as well.
Simply put, being an athelete is not as easy as "fuck around and marry J-Lo". The benefits suck, the unions are spineless, and the physical injury rate is high. Add in the fact that the average career span is under a decade, and that the amount of athletes making $100,000 a year compared to the amount of doctors making $250,000 is about 1/1, and it's not the cakewalk you make it out to be.
An arguement I found compelling, when discussing the exorbated salaries of NHL players, was the comparisson to the swelling salaries of actors. Generally about 20-30 times even the most elite athletes and yet, very few people complain as long as they are entertained. Is the big budget atmosphere ruining movie going? Sure. Look at all the crap they ask you to pay for. Yet no one talks about it.
Are actors useless too Demo? Musicians? Writers?
Athletes... I'm talking NFL players specifically, but it applies to MLB too as both have outrageous salaries, get no benefits, cannot get insurance, and are not paid when disabled. Can you say that of doctors? Of teachers? Both are allowed sabattical time, something not offered to atheletes.
Deimos makes a good point about the athletes bringing in jobs for the community. While the lasting impact of a teacher or a doctor is much higher, athletes generally tend to be people who are very supportive of their community and local economy. Some are assholes and hate the fans. I'm sure that applies to doctors as well.
Simply put, being an athelete is not as easy as "fuck around and marry J-Lo". The benefits suck, the unions are spineless, and the physical injury rate is high. Add in the fact that the average career span is under a decade, and that the amount of athletes making $100,000 a year compared to the amount of doctors making $250,000 is about 1/1, and it's not the cakewalk you make it out to be.
An arguement I found compelling, when discussing the exorbated salaries of NHL players, was the comparisson to the swelling salaries of actors. Generally about 20-30 times even the most elite athletes and yet, very few people complain as long as they are entertained. Is the big budget atmosphere ruining movie going? Sure. Look at all the crap they ask you to pay for. Yet no one talks about it.
Are actors useless too Demo? Musicians? Writers?
No hard work alone doesn't justify being paid millions. The fact that people pay $50 a pop to come watch them play does. It's basic economics..
And Deimos you brought up another great point, not only do the franchises and players contribute back to their own community but they also create thousands of jobs.
To make the blanket statement that athletes don't deserve to get paid what they do with little reasoning at all just doesn't make sense. Sure doctors and teachers are as important a part of any community as there is. The fact remains that nearly anyone has the capacity to enter one of these positions while becoming a professional athlete is something that people work literally their whole lives to do and in most cases fail. Should that alone guarantee them millions of dollars for the rest of their careers? No. What justifies them making exorbitant salaries is the fact that millions of people follow their careers. Professional athletes are celebrities now and that's the bottom line. I'm sure you disagree with celebrities making a lot of money also but they do and they will continue to as long as people drop $10 to go to the movies.
We live in a capitalist society where private corporations are able to pay their employees as much as they want. As long as the owners of these companies keep making billions they'll continue to pay their employees millions and that's the bottom line.