Well, I was clearly wrong. They would pull the plug on the season, and possibly the sport. This thing likely will never recover. Yes, baseball survived a similar plight in 1994, but it took years and it was baseball. Baseball means a bit more to the fine people of the United States of America than Hockey (if you don’t mind me speaking for the country).
I assumed that when push came to shove, there was no singular issue worth more than the sport to the supposed “stewards of the game”. But I was clearly wrong. I gave irrational men too much credit, and now I feel like the dope.
The “Smug Midget” proved what he is worth, by being the guy to who pulled the plug. He cannot be forgiven, and he cannot be anything short of ridiculed by the lovers of this game. He proclaimed his objective was “cost certainty” and the only way to achieve this was through a salary cap. He then won his salary cap and was not happy with a simple win. He made it personal to crush the union, and while they are no angels, they did not cancel the season, and in doing so cancel any chance for hockey relevance in the next decade. He did. And I for one cannot wish for his firing soon enough.
The Smug Midget did not offer any negotiation. The Smug Midget did not show any urgency. Every correspondence he sent to the union was condescending and inflammatory, as if he did not want to accomplish anything but to make a bad fight worse. He is supposedly holding a position in his sport in which he could bring the sport together and on the rise to new heights. He showed no urgency, until it was time to cancel the season, only 36 hours after the players had come around to his way of thinking. Cancel the season if you must, but only after both sides reach a standoff that cannot be resolved. To cancel it hours after the latest proposal is insulting and embarrassing. It proves what we knew along, he never had the intention of letting this season happen, without a complete and total annihilation of the players.
The Smug Midget could not carry out his one obligation: To preserve the sport for the generations of players, coaches, owners and fans who have always made sure this game carries on for the future enjoyment of those who come after them. He needed to grandstand and show his power. He needed to accomplish his mission and then some. He needed to not only win, he needed to crush his opponent. He needed to continue his audition to succeed David Stern as NBA commissioner.
But in doing so, he has done damage that may never be recovered from. Hockey is a joke. And we have the Smug Midget to thank. Sure, there are others who deserve blame, too, but only one guy killed the game. Because only one guy had the power to save it. Nice going.
Links:
In lieu of FirethatSmugMidget.com, here is Remove Bettman.com …
Not a good start in Minnesota for Reggie Fowler …
I watched a documentary last night that I really enjoyed. It is called Power, Passion, and Glory: The Real Story of Texas Football Madness …Or, the story of Celina 2002. Man, I am not into high school football at all (I recognize it is great, but I don’t have the time), but now I am rethinking that stance. It was a really well done film, and I now consider Celina my team, and I am quite curious about what became of those players, and what Celina has done since then. So, if you are a Bobcats know-it-all, send me an email, and maybe buy the film no matter what team you might like…
I was thinking this the last few weeks, but now I will say it after last night: The Aggies still have a lot of work to do, after scoring 40 in a 35 point loss in Austin …The knee jerking of how quickly Gillispie would turn that program around was only surpassed by the knee jerking of how quickly Franchione would get the football program around…
Chan Ho Speaks! …
"I've had some difficult times," said Park, who along with 17 other pitchers will throw today during the first day of spring workouts. "But maybe that will help me be a stronger pitcher emotionally. I hate that I had those experiences, but I'm happy I've learned from them. I think it can be very positive."
Revo on the hockey mess …
Nash settles in at the Valley of the Sun , and talk about the MUST-SEE-TV event of the night, Mavericks at the Suns, tonight at 9:30 on TNT…
Speaking of TNT, if you are a Mavericks fan, you can make yourself crazy by gathering around the set to hear Barkley slam your team again. Here is the latest from Chuck …
As for the Mavericks, Barkley said they have earned a little more respect from him.
"Dallas can beat Seattle and Phoenix," Barkley said. "It wouldn't be an upset if they beat Seattle or Phoenix. But San Antonio's the best team."
However, Barkley is not willing to put Nowitzki, who is averaging 26.9 points and 9.9 rebounds, in the same category with San Antonio's Tim Duncan or Minnesota's Kevin Garnett.
"The problem I have with Dirk – and don't get me wrong, he's a really good player – is that if he doesn't score, he doesn't put an imprint on the game," Barkley said. "If I couldn't make shots on a night, I was going to get 20 rebounds. Karl Malone could do that. Tim Duncan doesn't have to get 25 points to make a difference in a game. But if he [Nowitzki] doesn't score, he doesn't make a difference in the game. That's the only problem I have with him."
6 comments:
Where have you gone Mario Lemieux? Hockey fans turn their lowly eyes to you.
The half-life of my interest in the Texas Rangers for each of the past few seasons has been about two Chan Ho starts. My interest slowly recovers again between starts, which mean his lengthy "injury" last season was the only reason I was able to have the energy for the pennant race at the end.
It's sad when this year's Westminster Dog Show had higher tv ratings than last year's Stanley Cup Finals.
For those fearing we've seen the last of Yzerman, Messier, Chelios, etc..., here's hoping we'll at least get to see them in the World Championships in Austria April 30-May 15.
www.icehockey2005.com
With every NHL player available and well-rested, this has the makings of an amazing tournament. I hope every NHL star comes out for this (esp. Mario). And ESPN should pick up the feed for this.
Does anyone know when rosters get announced for this?
Mario Lemieux has been in an interesting position as a player and owner... Here's his take on the situation:
"I've been on both sides and a few years ago before I acquired the team I thought the owners were hiding money and all that stuff," said Lemieux. "But once I got on this side I saw the losses this league was accumulating.
"The Players Association never looked at our books at any time. They were offered many times to come in."
BUCK FETTMAN!Think about the Canadian fandom for a moment, they had a 3-2 series lead last June with Game 6 at the Saddledome and now we have the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING as your NHL Champion Team for two years running now.
I hate to say that hockey doesn't belong in Florida, because that viewpoint implies that it doesn't belong in Texas either. I wouldn't have become such a puck-head had the likes of Russ Courtnall, Dave Gagner, Darcy Wakaluk, and Mark Tinordi never arrived in Texas in the year of 1993. Nevertheless, over-expansion murdered this league. Good luck in the resurrection process...in Crosby we trust?
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