Well, if you were hoping that the NHL and PA would provide a bounce to your holiday weekend, you can forget it.
While the initial buzz about only being $182 million apart after this latest offer made it seem like things could change, it was what was burning under that smoke that should have led us all to believe this wasn’t going anywhere.
Because the PA still is getting to 50-50 far too slowly, no matter how they dress it up. Asking the owners to bare all the risk for down-turning revenues after his mess is a non-starter. These two things may be totally fair when viewed through logic, but fair and logic were never part of this negotiation and are never going to be. The PA would do well to finally recognize that, no matter how well they’re organized or transparent this time.
No contract limits? We went over this yesterday. If you’re brethren in the NBA have ’em, and they’re by far the more popular league with far more marketable stars, then you better get on the train that you’re going to have contract limits. Again, it’s almost certainly not fair. But fair and reality are often not drinking buddies.
Quite simply, the union has to decide which one it really wants to hold onto. Does it want to fight over the revenue structure or contracting rights? Because now they’re doing both, and that’s just not going to fly.
On the other side, it’s dispiriting and disrespectful to everyone who has any interest in the game for the owners to not even begin to try and talk off this proposal. Yes, we’re quite aware that they’re beyond pissed the Fehr wouldn’t negotiate off theirs, even though they gave him no reason to do so. It’s clear it’s about winning, not getting a deal. But this is going to be a pyrric victory, and there has to be some moderates on that side who recognize that. But they’ve been marginalized.
There’s a deal here. People with a clue could find it. But not when everyone hasn’t got the necessary plate of glass over the belly-button so they can see while having their head up their ass. And that’s the end of it.
