(Image courtesy of theprovince.com) Apparently, the player’s union has indeed come up with not one, not two, but three counter-proposals as talks resumed today in New York. And guess what? Gary Bettman rejected all of them. My hope meter is non-existent so I won’t be bothering with that anymore. Let me break down exactly where we as fans should stand at this stage.
In the last CBA, ratified all those years coughsevencough ago, the players got a pretty sweet deal with 57 percent of the revenue going straight into their contracts. This latest CBA proposal, the owners are now asking for a 50/50 split, up from their original offer to cut revenue sharing down to 49 percent immediately and annually decrease the percentage down to 47.
The players need to give it a rest and we as fans need to let them know that. Now, I know this may sound like I am pro-owner and have bought into the greed but there are a couple things you must consider. What the players have got to realize is that the owners have essentially backed them into a corner, much like they did to them the last go-round. It’s either they lose a few million as a part of this new contract, or they and the league lose billions with the loss of a season. Karma’s a bitch, ain’t she?
The other key component to this is that momentum is being blatantly shifted to the owners in this seesaw circus act of litigation and the fans have caught on. Players, take comfort in the fact that this is really the only major change you will have to deal with. Sure there are a few tweaks in contract lengths and salary caps but overall isn’t it worth saving a now 82-game season? I can’t imagine those commies over in the KHL are paying THAT well.
However, a deal is not to be reached before October 31st. That would just ruin everything. I have my costume on lock if you catch my drift.
