Greed Hate Envy

So, who is to blame for the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season?

There are 3 parties which people could say are involved in this situation:

1. The League and its' owners.
2. The players
3. The fans

Now, I know most people would question any blame put on the fans, but I'll get to it later.

The owners have been in a position for years to curtail salaries and make the league more profitable. At the same time, they needed to put pressure on the league commissioner to ensure that the NHL was marketed properly in the U.S. --which it hasn't been since network televised games have dropped virtually each season since the mid-1990s. Instead, they encouraged rule changes that made the game boring and unwatchable. They expanded the league into regions where ice is non-existent outdoors. And they thought it would work. Then, they go overboard in spending. Signing players to huge contracts. 15 years ago, the salaries were small, players like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Patrick Roy could expect to bring in a million dollars or so. And that (in the case of Gretzky and Lemieux) meant they were socring 150+ points a season. A few years back 30-point players were getting $3 million a season.

And how is that the fault of the players? The owners decided to sign players at such high rates. Picture yourself in a similar situation: You're working to the best of your ability and suddenly your boss is recommending a 30% raise in your salary. And it's not just you, it's all the other hard workers in your office. Suddenly, they hire someone new and see the average salary and know they have to pay a comparable salary. 3 years later, everyone starts getting 30-40% raises. Again. Even though the cost of your products has also increased exponentially, customers are still buying it regularly. And then, a few years later, the boss realizes that they're paying too much. But how to convince you and all your co-workers that a pay cut is necessary?

Now, the fans have been paying increased prices for tickets. No, not everyone has been paying that price, but even if just a few people buy single game tickets, then there's obviously still demand for the game. The Vancouver Canucks sold out 40+ games last season. And tickets max out above $100 per seat. Where's the protest to increasing cost to see a game?

So, who is to blame for it? The players for accepting what the owners are offering to pay? The owners for paying too much, charging too much, and then asking for a return to something cheaper to make more money? (and then, the audacity to offer a 5% rebate to season ticket holders for next year. 5%? Yay.....)

It's the fans.

The fans haven't protested what the league has done these past few years. The fans haven't boycotted, the fans haven't complained properly. The fans have come out in droves to watch the game. But now is the chance for fans to sit back and realize the problem they've had with the game. When the NHL starts up again, stay away.

Just stay away.