There will be a strike

[Potatoe1]

Colour me over-optimistic but I smell a tentative agreement within days!

Yeah the lack of press and shots across each others bow through the media probably means the NHL and NHLPA are truly getting down to business and making progress on talks.

A season that starts before December begins would be nice.

These negotiations just make clear what complete and utter bull shit the previous "bargaining sessions" were.

Neither side had made a legit proposal and both sides were simply putting on a show to increase their current position.

The fact it's the no2's from both sides meeting and neither side is talking is fantastic news. That is how the deal got done last time and probably exactly how it's going to get done this time.

[ukcanuck]

Colour me over-optimistic but I smell a tentative agreement within days!

Yeah the lack of press and shots across each others bow through the media probably means the NHL and NHLPA are truly getting down to business and making progress on talks.

A season that starts before December begins would be nice.

These negotiations just make clear what complete and utter bull shit the previous "bargaining sessions" were.

Neither side had made a legit proposal and both sides were simply putting on a show to increase their current position.

The fact it's the no2's from both sides meeting and neither side is talking is fantastic news. That is how the deal got done last time and probably exactly how it's going to get done this time.

Or it could be that Bettman's bluff is getting ever closer to being called? The idea that the players have too much to lose to sacrifice the season over their ideals is becoming increasingly harder to believe and the owners are becoming more serious about making a deal because they actually have more to lose and can't gamble that Fehr will lose player support much longer?
I ain't saying just asking

[Blob Mckenzie]

Or it could be that Bettman's bluff is getting ever closer to being called? The idea that the players have too much to lose to sacrifice the season over their ideals is becoming increasingly harder to believe and the owners are becoming more serious about making a deal because they actually have more to lose and can't gamble that Fehr will lose player support much longer?
I ain't saying just asking

Yes it's just Bettman that's been given a timeout here.

Oh wait it isnt !!!!!!!!

As a person who doesn't care for the count, the one guy that might be more of a prick than he is Donald Fehr. He shitcanned the MLB season halfway through 1994 without batting an eye.

And if you think the billionaire owners have more to lose than the players I have a chunk of swamp land errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......... waterfront property you might be interested in.

In the end MOST of us just want to see NHL games again.....hopefully we soon will.

[Potatoe1]

Or it could be that Bettman's bluff is getting ever closer to being called? The idea that the players have too much to lose to sacrifice the season over their ideals is becoming increasingly harder to believe and the owners are becoming more serious about making a deal because they actually have more to lose and can't gamble that Fehr will lose player support much longer?
I ain't saying just asking

Well that may be what you want to believe but it's highly unlikely to be true.

You think the owners would decide to cave a few days after canceling the winter classic? Odd timing no ?

More likely that the players finally agreed to take a pay cut under a deal which includes linkage, so the ball started rolling.

[ukcanuck]

Or it could be that Bettman's bluff is getting ever closer to being called? The idea that the players have too much to lose to sacrifice the season over their ideals is becoming increasingly harder to believe and the owners are becoming more serious about making a deal because they actually have more to lose and can't gamble that Fehr will lose player support much longer?
I ain't saying just asking

Well that may be what you want to believe but it's highly unlikely to be true.

You think the owners would decide to cave a few days after canceling the winter classic? Odd timing no ?

More likely that the players finally agreed to take a pay cut under a deal which includes linkage, so the ball started rolling.

I'm thinking that it goes something like this in Bettman's head..."I need a cut in payroll across the board to keep my handpicked new owners in the south happy but how can I get the PA to agree to another 24% like last time? hmmm, I know I'll lock them out at the start of training camp, they will fold when they realise I am serious....

Okay that didnt work, I guess I'll offer them another version of the same thing but I'll threaten them with a best case take it or leave it offer conditional to cancellation of regular season games ....I'm sure they will fold when they realise that they will lose the start of the season...

Okay that didn't work, how about I give them a slightly better but still favourable to me offer and tie it to the last chance for a full 82 regular season and a full paycheck cause these guys got lives and bills and surely they want to keep the party going...

Ok that didn't work Damn It!.. well pretty soon is the deadline for the Winter Classic, they will never let that game go by, its a big payday for everybody, plus they are fans of the game themselves surely they will fold nefore losing the winter classic....

Oh fuck they didn't fold over the winter classic! maybe they are serious about not folding! what if they are committed to losing the season to make a point, what if the younger players are looking at an example like Iginla who is losing 7 milllion in order to hold the line and find renewed determination to stick it to me? oh fuck, maybe I better start thinking about what can really happen here?

Holy shit we could really lose the whole season here! that would make it the second time any pro league has lost a full season and this is my third lockout since I took over, oh fuck this might turn out bad! I better make a more significant offer before the season is a total write off and I lose control and the confidence of my most powerful owners, the ones that can fire my ass...

shit I better get on the phone with that rat bastard Fehr, where the fuck is that brown noser Daly?"


something like that anyway

[ukcanuck]

Or it could be that Bettman's bluff is getting ever closer to being called? The idea that the players have too much to lose to sacrifice the season over their ideals is becoming increasingly harder to believe and the owners are becoming more serious about making a deal because they actually have more to lose and can't gamble that Fehr will lose player support much longer?
I ain't saying just asking

Yes it's just Bettman that's been given a timeout here.

Oh wait it isnt !!!!!!!!

As a person who doesn't care for the count, the one guy that might be more of a prick than he is Donald Fehr. He shitcanned the MLB season halfway through 1994 without batting an eye.

And if you think the billionaire owners have more to lose than the players I have a chunk of swamp land errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......... waterfront property you might be interested in.

In the end MOST of us just want to see NHL games again.....hopefully we soon will.

I hope you dont think I wont be every bit as happy to have hockey to watch and talk about and read about again as you, because if you do, you are sadly mistaken.

just cause my politics and yours arent on the same page doesn't mean shit blobber!

[Tiger]

LOL.. more likely both the players and owners realized it was a mugs game and neither could "win".. Or maybe both the NHL and NHLPA realized 1/4 of the players were playing elsewhere.. Not contributing to either side in this dispute..Of course the owners are divided on the issue .. the 11 profitable franchises are not as motivated to continue pressuring for more concessions as the bottom feeders.. the ones in the middle are the ones that will ultimately make the decision..If the continued existense of the teams losing money and expansion of the league is the main reason for this lockout then they cannot settle for less than the 50/50 split..

[Reefer2]

Until the fat lady stops singing I ain't buying anything.

To many egos in this game to believe that it will go smoothly.

[the Dogsalmon]

we need to commission a new poll....who would you kill first and how would you do it??? bettman or the fehr brothers...tough choice for me...

[ukcanuck]

we need to commission a new poll....who would you kill first and how would you do it??? bettman or the fehr brothers...tough choice for me...

Lol all that has to happen to kill Bettman is for a Canadian team to win the Stanley cup

Why any Canadian would choose Fehr over The little dick tater is beyond me...I guess you must have to really hate Fehr to be torn huh Dog?

[Tiger]

we need to commission a new poll....who would you kill first and how would you do it??? bettman or the fehr brothers...tough choice for me...

Dress them both in bear suits.. let Booth loose

[the Dogsalmon]

we need to commission a new poll....who would you kill first and how would you do it??? bettman or the fehr brothers...tough choice for me...

Dress them both in bear suits.. let Booth loose

with a pocketfull of $1 American bills for bait...

[Tiger]

we need to commission a new poll....who would you kill first and how would you do it??? bettman or the fehr brothers...tough choice for me...

Dress them both in bear suits.. let Booth loose

with a pocketfull of $1 American bills for bait...

and a bounty prize ...

[nuckster]

you missed it...again...

RATS... is right, lightening up would be a good under-taking for me... and quite frankly, every now and again, `lighting up' has it's benefits too!! Problem is though... there's this whole dynamic of missing it. Does anyone remember the old Dr. Hook song, 'I got stoned and I missed it'?? yep yep yep.. i remember. Not much to miss right now though...

Got a kick out of Obama getting back in. I don't know if he's really a great great leader so much as there really isn't much in the alternative in the all white upper income tight ass no anal but very anal republican party. While floating along in my digression here, I wonder too, is there really any difference between the american republican party and the canadian republican party (Harper and his neo-cons) ??? I mean really??

[rats19]

atta boy nuckster...(secret>)..because there is no strike, this thread isnt real....so yah do what ya gotta do...THC level waaay to high for this rodent nowadays.....just sayin