Sunday, February 20, 2005

Time to take it all in

So the past couple of days have been a little crazy. Let's take a step back and soak it all in. With all this conversation about "un-cancelling" the season and then "re-cancelling" the season; some people have gotten plenty crazy about the situation. But from all this, we have some good, some bad, some ugly, and some reflection.

The fact of the matter is that both sides have kept the communication open. They have talked and brought in some other outside opinions like a mediator and even the help of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in to see if they can jumpstart the talks and get some players to see that there is truly some peril with the financial state of the game.

Yet, since they have done nothing in accordance with the talks and getting something going, they made a mockery of the game and make it in worse shape when it comes to the state of the game in the US. Not only that, the NHL and NHLPA has toyed with the fans emotions to the point where they don't care if the season comes back or not.

People like Mats Sundin said there is an outside chance that the NHL is going to come back this season. Plus, former USA assistant coach Greg Poss said that Jochen Hecht, Sven Butenschon and Cristobal Huet have played their last game for Adler Mannheim of the DEL, the team which is coach's. Could there be an outside chance that the NHL could come back for some sort of a season?? Maybe, if the two sides agree to something in the next week. Since neither side has anything schedule and that neither side wants to get anything going because they have nothing to gain-- you can write this one off.

Of course, the good in all this is that all the other league benefit. From the Juniors to the AHL, the attendance and the level of play is up. People are coming out and enjoying the game even though the pros are out debating over money. These kids are playing for the love of the game and in order to develop their skill further more, so when the NHL comes back, some could achieve their dreams of playing in the NHL.

In the long term, if the NHL were to come back by some kind of divine force making it so, then they have much more damage control aside from getting fans back. The fact ESPN has said they probably won't carry the NHL anymore because of this and most the mainline sponsors have given up on the NHL, they have to get to the big fish and sell harder than they ever have before.

In the end, the fans are the ones that lose out. They haven't had a voice and even if they did, you can bet that neither side wants to hear about their voice. Even though, they are the ones that are paying the owners and players alike, they don't get any say when these millionaires battle the billionaires in a stupid game of chicken.

Like Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan said: "Cash Rules Everything Around Me, CREAM, get the money; dolla, dolla bill, y'all." Well said Meth, well said

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

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