No Hockey Left

Alternate post titles: Hock-Out! National Lock-out League! Hockey Lockey!

Well you've probably heard that yesterday the NHL ended its season before it even began because of labor issues. It is the first time in major North American sports that an entire season has been lost. (Baseball played over half its season in 1994 before the players struck and thus pulled the plug on a scintillating Yank-Expo World Series). This is disappointing because I was kind of looking forward to them settling yesterday, crazily organizing a 20 game shortened-season or something and THEN starting the playoffs right away. Now that's sports!

As for the labor, I'm mixed about this. The owners want a salary cap, for cost certainty. The players don't want a salary cap, so there's no limit on how much they can make. Makes sense. In general, I'd side with the players; it's really tough to swallow billionaires telling me that I can't make as many millions as I want. But hockey teams have been declaring bankruptcy...the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators spring to mind, and these are teams that have been in very late rounds of the playoffs. If the owners can't freaking afford it, they can't freaking afford it.

Unlike the baseball strike of 94, it really seems as though the owners are going to stand firm. Possibly to the point of cancelling next season as well, as has been rumored for about two and a half years now. I even heard that one owner, in an emotional moment said that the NEXT season could go as well. That'd be three years without hockey...which is honestly about what my life has been thus far anyway. Continuous strings of three year stretches without hockey.

I imagine the players would capitulate before that happens. I think the owners win this one in the end. Gary Bettman is much smarter than Bud Selig. But hey, I know nothing about hockey. I was mad that a team from Tampa Bay won it all last year. Tampa Bay? Hockey? Come on.