The NHL and the league’s players association made a huge breakthrough yesterday, in that they figured out a way to reward both sides with longer vacations and the fans with more time to watch other sports. Basically, after yesterday’s labor talks, both sides are farther apart than ever in this NHL lockout, and the season is in serious jeopardy.
Talks broke off quickly between the league and NHL Players’ Association on Tuesday morning and deputy commissioner Bill Daly emerged from the meeting saying he didn’t have “any progress to report.” For the first time, he also revealed the extent of the damage the lockout has inflicted so far — “close to” $100 million after the cancellation of the entire pre-season schedule.
“That is not going to be recouped and that’s going to cost both sides,” Daly told reporters in New York. “That’s unfortunate but it’s a reality of where we are.” (Via the National Post)
And there are no immediate plans for both sides to meet, because hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs in two countries are hardly a priority when rich people are upset about percentages. But just like in the recent NFL and NBA lockouts, the fans are the true victim as far as we’re concerned, and the NHL’s fans are plenty upset about the prospects of no season.
NHL fans are fiercely loyal, almost cultish at times, when it comes to defending their sport from Jaromir-come-lately fans like me, and I respect that immensely. So I searched and scour the Intertubes for some fan reactions, and boy did I find plenty. You know what I learned more than anything? NHL fans want commissioner Gary Bettman to go far away. Like H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks away. In fact, some even wish his mom had… well, I’ll let you read for yourself.
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