NHL Whiners Over Paid Over Paid Over Paid

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said that NHL teams lost more than $1.8 billion over the last 10 years, the period in which collective bargaining agreement was signed. NHL clubs claim to have lost $273 million in 2002-03 and $224 million last season.

Now I am not a mathematician nor am I a Graduate of Wharton School of Business but why would anyone keep a business that is losing money like that? Let’s look at the math…
1,800,000,000 / 10 (# of years) that 180,000,000 per year divide by 31 teams. Average Loss of 5,806,451 per team per year. What would Wall Street do to a company that lost that much cash every year for a decade? Would they even be listed? What a joke!!! The owners are about as honest as Joe Isuzu. To quote Isuzu They are lying.

Now add in the fact that the players don’t feel they are adequately compensated, bake at 350 degrees and viola a NHL lockout. I am not sure who I feel more sorry for the owners who can afford to amass such losses or the players who make more than in 2 games than I do in full time employment. (2003-2004 Dallas Stars Average Player Salary $1,830,126 / 82 Games = $22,318 per game Do the players pay for their own family medical plan? Free tickets not included in compensation numbers)

I used to watch hockey… why it was exciting and fun and in 85 years of play there had been only one season cancellation and it was do to influenza. Now suddenly the ability to earn an honest days wage has cancelled my favorite late winter early spring sport.

Did hockey not learn anything from Baseball, or Football or any other sport with a Union? Clearly the answer is no for if they had they would understand the loss of their fan base (for those who have been checked too many times those people who pay your salary) the players clearly only care about the fame, the money and not about the sport or its image or heaven forbid the fans. Earth to the NHLPA, You are maybe the #5 sport in America you are not the end all be all for sports fans and sports televisions come to your senses and quit whining. The NBA, NFL, MLB and NASCAR are all kicking your pathetic money groveling hind ends.

Other Interesting NHL Facts courtesy of Badbet.com
Average salary: The average player salary is $1.79 million, up from $572,000 in 1993-94. The average salary passed $1 million in 1997-98. About 400 of the 720 NHL players make $1 million or more.

CBA: The collective-bargaining agreement, or contract between the players and NHL that covers issues ranging from economic concerns to whether a player can be traded during holiday periods.

Guaranteed contacts: All NHL player contracts are guaranteed. Teams can't walk away from a five-year deal after two years, as happens in the NFL. Teams can, though, buy out a contract for two-thirds of its remaining value if the player is 26 or older, or one-third if he is under 26. Owners presumably won't try to take away guaranteed contracts.