Lockout Podcast #4: Hockey Kicks Cancer

The NHL may be dormant, but hockey fans have continued the fight against cancer!  Adam and Meesh lead off this week’s podcast with the results of the Hockey Kicks Cancer Charity Event from this past weekend.  The rest of this episode is a hodgepodge of updates on the CBA, players in Europe, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and a few lengthy tangents.  The lawyer co-hosts finish off with a “Where Are They Now” that updates you on a player with a lengthy criminal record.

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Lockout Podcast #2: The Lockout Song

Lost in the madness of figuring out Russian and learning the KHL, a new CrosbyFTW podcast was recorded on Saturday!  Adam debuted his highly anticipated lockout song, "We Want It Our Way (The Lockout Song)."  Listeners can find the podcast, along with the song, under CrosbyFTW on iTunes!

This week's podcast discusses CBA discussions, more player movement overseas, Malkin's KHL debut, the whereabouts of current Penguins, and some NHL 13 talk.  In the spirit of the NHL Lockout, this week's "Where Are They Now" brings back memories of a former Penguins player who also refused to play hockey numerous times.

Corrections:  Please excuse the editing gaffe, the podcast is only an hour long followed by 20 minutes of dead air (blame Adam).  Also, Meesh accidentally says Swiss league instead of Swedish league numerous times.  Please allow him a pass!

Thanks for listening!!

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Lockout Podcast #1: And So It Begins

After a HAPPY opening to the podcast, Adam and Meesh slowly descend into the reality that is the NHL lockout.  This episode is filled with a plethora of signings and player movement as teams scrambled to prepare for the lockout.  Meesh covers the details about many of these players while Adam struggles to pay attention (as he prepares to debut a new twitter name).  Both co-hosts proceed to point fingers at both the players and owners and rant about who is to blame for everything and how this could be fixed.  Finally, they take a quick look at how the fans are affected and fall into a deep depression as the Lockout commences with Lockout Podcast #1.

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Hockey Kicks Cancer - Click here for details or just sign up now: Hockey Kicks Cancer Form

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Day 1: Lockout Underway

What Happens Now?

Worst case scenario...and not close to happening yet.

As we all counted down in a pointless fashion on twitter, the NHL and NHLPA rested comfortably in their beds.  There were no last minute negotiations, nor any negotiations on the last day before the CBA expired at all.  But here’s a question, does it make a difference? 

As of 12:00am on 9/16, teams can no longer use players as marketing devices.  Teams also cannot perform any transactions (signings, trades, etc) at all.  Players can no longer use team facilities and are not getting paid right now (though I believe everyone receives at least $100,000 in escrow payments to get them through such tough times, we could all be so lucky).

What changes though?  Nothing happened so far and nothing is happening now.  Training camps will be delayed…but they haven’t been yet.  No games have been cancelled yet.  Nothing has changed.  This artificial midnight deadline means literally nothing and will continue to mean nothing until something important (read: a regular season game) is cancelled.  Just remember that as you freak out about how there is currently a lockout.

Other Lockout Thoughts:

The Essential Problem:

The owners want the players to give up some of their share of revenue.  The players refuse to accept such a fate, whether it be via revenue splits or a salary rollback.  Even the definition of hockey related revenue seems to no longer be at issue; it’s just a matter of honoring contracts that have been signed and paying out revenue to the players.  The NHL and NHLPA both have taken the stance that there is no point in negotiating until the other side backs off of their desires a bit.  So how will this be resolved?  Either the owners have to honor everything as is or the players have to accept less money.  Once that happens, there will be a middle ground to create a common framework and then things will fall in place quickly.  This part will take a while, especially because Fehr will keep the players united.  The owners still have the upper hand though, so this could last a while for that reason.

Who’s At Fault:

This is a messy question and answer that most hockey fans seem to screw up.  The answer is EVERYONE.  Players aren’t budging, that isn’t good for the game or the fans.  Owners aren’t budging, same thing.  Fehr is representing his side properly, as is Bettman.  They are both doing their jobs and trying to get the best for their clients.  Personally, I think both sides are being absurdly greedy.  One side gets paid to play a game and other side makes money off of people playing a game.  If you can side with either group there, I question your logic a little bit.

This man is worth $2 billion.
Take a second and blame him.
Bet you didn't even know he existed.

While I do blame both the owners and players, both Bettman and Fehr, one thing is increasingly clear:  the top owners based on net worth in the NHL are ABSURD.  Jeremy Jacobs owns the Boston Bruins.  He is a billionaire and he is the leader of the owners.  He was at all of the meetings talking about how the owners needed lower salaries or more revenue.  He then signed Brad Marchand, Tyler Seguin, and Milan Lucic to long-term and lucrative deals in the week before the lockout.  Ummmm, what?!?  Other owners have done it to (Washington, Dallas, etc lately).  THAT is the problem.  The owners that can flex their bank accounts are doing so, but arguing that things need to change for the low budget owners.  Meanwhile, look at those low budget owners – Tampa Bay, New Jersey, etc – no long deals right before the lockout, they know what they need to fight for right now.  Owners like Jacobs are the ones hurting the NHL by arguing for the little guy but then bullying the market and spending like a big guy.  It should be one or the other, not both.  (With that being said though, the players are not in the clear either, taking 10-20% less to play a GAME is not nearly as unreasonable as one might have you think).

The owners will remain united though because if the top owners get what they want, the low budget ones will still get what they need as well.  This is a staring contest now.  Who is going to blink first and when will it happen?  My guess is the players will have to concede first, but I wish I could tell you when.  (I’m still thinking a Nov 23^rd start date, but I waiver on that constantly).

What Now for Fans?

GET A LIFE.  NHL 13 is a favorite for people to turn to as hockey seems to disappear.  Don’t forget in this internet age, you can watch and stream hockey from pretty much anywhere.  AHL, OHL, NCAA, WHL, KHL, etc. – name a league, find it online, follow it, watch it, stop complaining and remember that you love HOCKEY.  The NHL is one product.  What happens when a product disappears?  YOU REPLACE IT.  Want the best way to protest the NHL?  Do nothing and move on.

Podcast will be recorded tomorrow with a ton of transactions and hockey angst.  Pens AHL roster updates to come soon as well.  Thanks for reading!

Offseason Podcast #8: The CBA Debate Continues

Welcome back for Offseason Podcast #8!  As the NHLPA has now presented their "counteroffer" to the owners, the bulk of the podcast is devoted to that topic.  Adam and Meesh attempt a 15 minute simulated debate as Donald Fehr vs. Gary Bettman, respectively.  The debate begins at the 21:30 mark FYI.

Also on this week's podcast: A reference to the Big Bang Theory, signings and injuries around the NHL, a statement to Meesh's music tastes, some discussion about Eric Tangradi, and a "Where Are They Now?" segment that leads us to wonder...wait, where are they now, we're a little worried about them.

While we were recording, Wayne Simmonds signed a 6 year deal with the Flyers. The deal is worth roughly $4 million per year.  Ummm, too much money.

Listen below or get it on iTunes!

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Can't find a Staal shirt at the Pens store?  Try Haiti.

Who is this Gary Bettman Scapegoa...errr Guy?

Gary Bettman.  The name itself causes a sharp (99% negative) reaction from fans.  It’s almost as if people enjoy booing the NHL’s commissioner.

Oh wait, they do.

Why though?  Why do hockey fans love to hate this man?  Reasons vary all over the place, and I suspect many do it without reason just to join the crowd.  Here are some reasons that people hate Bettman:

• Two lockouts so far, with a 3^rd possibly on the horizon. (I’m sure that’s completely his fault)
• Receiving a salary in excess of $8 million. (He certainly does less than Wade Redden making over $6 million in the AHL, right?)
• Expanding the NHL from 26 to 30 teams (How dare you grow the sport!)
• Allowing franchises to leave Minnesota, Quebec, Winnipeg, Hartford and Atlanta. (Why don’t you buy the franchises and keep them there!?  You’re making $8 million!!)
• Adding teams in Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Columbus. (Okay, Atlanta was a failure, clearly Bettman is a failure.)
• I’m sure plenty of other reasons that I don’t know or care to list. (comment below if you feel necessary)

Not pictured: 30+ management people above Bettman.

Here’s the question I would love to ask those that hate Gary Bettman: What do you know about him and his position?

Did you know Gary Bettman is the only commissioner in the history of the NHL? In 1993, the NHL shifted from the idea of a president and created the position of commissioner, for which they hired Gary Bettman. According to the NHL Constitution:

“The League shall employ a Commissioner selected by the Board of Governors. The Commissioner shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the League and is charged with protecting the integrity of the game of professional hockey and preserving public confidence in the League. The Board of Governors shall determine the term of office and compensation of the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall be elected a majority of the Governors present and voting at a League meeting at which a quorum was present when it was convened.“

As you can see, Bettman’s appointment came from the Board of Governors. At this point, a lesson in the league structure is necessary.

The NHL itself is led by a Board of Governors. This Board consists of representatives from all 30 NHL teams. Each team appoints a governor and two alternates, with the governor usually being the team owner. One of the governors also acts as chairperson for the Board (currently Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs). Among the duties of the Board of Governors: 1) review and approve the purchase, sale, or relocation of member clubs, 2) hire and fire the NHL commissioner, 3) there’s a bunch more, but it’s unnecessary for this post.

Take note of the previous few paragraphs. Gary Bettman is an employee of the NHL, and his boss is the Board of Governors, which is essentially the NHL’s 30 team owners and their friends. So let’s address some issues here.

LOL Gary, I'm not even gonna be in the league for that lockout talk.
Wanna grab some Chik-Fil-A tomorrow?

Bettman is the reason for these lockouts.

Do you know what would make Gary Bettman’s job incredibly easy? If both sides agreed to terms. The terms do not even matter to him personally; he is just doing his job. His job is to represent the owners and their wishes at the negotiating table. It’s not Bettman that wants 57% revenue, shorter term contracts, and a rollback of salaries; it’s the 30 NHL owners.

Bettman makes $8+ million.

Are you unhappy that he makes too much money? Maybe you should start questioning his employer(s) instead of him about that. I know it’s crazy, but he doesn’t just decide what he wants to make. As stated in the NHL Constitution paragraph I quoted above, “The Board of Governors shall determine the term of office and compensation of the Commissioner.” The NHL owners are paying him that money, and they have a good reason to do so. Not only does he represent them and pursue their wishes, but he is also the ultimate scapegoat for the public to throw under a bus while the owners take very little flak. It’s much easier to attack one name than an organization, and that one name is worth $8 million to the owners. Especially when you almost never see those 30 owner names (see below!).

Despite all of these things, there is a trend amongst fans. People either make a statement about the players or Bettman. Here is the hierarchy though: Donald Fehr represents the players. Gary Bettman represents the owners. It’s either Fehr vs. Bettman or the players vs. the owners (and truthfully, it’s very much the latter since the former are just representatives). Somehow public perception is generally the players vs. Bettman though, why let facts get in the way of a good rant after all?

So with all of this, I say the following: Blame Bettman if you want, but know what you’re blaming him for and what he actually does. If you’re upset about a potential lockout though, your effort is wasted on blaming Bettman, the NHL as a league, or a myriad of other options. Take a look at the 30 NHL owners who have lined their pockets with your money. They hand that money to Bettman, they hand that money to players, and they hand it off to their bank accounts all over the world. Now after spending all of that money, they are complaining and throwing a hissy fit. Why?

(Credit to canucksarmy.com)

Here’s why.  Some of those owners (Nashville, Florida, Tampa, etc.) are not lining their pockets with money anymore.  Their accounts are dwindling while they pay players at an increasing rate.  They legitimately do need help to survive.  Meanwhile, other owners (Toronto, New York, Montreal) are laughing on their way to the bank because they don’t even need a Stanley Cup run to line their pockets with cash.  They don’t need help at all.  The initial proposal from the NHL is a wonderful idea for that first set of teams.  It helps them save money and brings them back into the game.  Oh, the second set of teams loves it too because they can make a second lining of cash in their pockets.  All of the owners win…just at a detriment to the players.

The players are aware of this and have suggested a different solution.  Hey Toronto, how about you help some of your board members out and give some money to Tampa, since, ya know, they actually make the playoffs every so often unlike you.  Hey Philly, how about you pay some of Shea Weber’s contract for Nashville after you tried to bully them with your big market money (Idea from Jeff Marek of Sportsnet). Etc.  Small market owners will love it, big market owners will hate it, but we’ll have to see how that dynamic turns out on the owners’ side.

So finally, to bring this full circle, do you know who will be indifferent to both offers?  Gary Bettman.  He will react and counteroffer with whatever the owners would like to do, because that’s his job.

By the way, here are 30 names that you have not seen enough media coverage on.  Some of them need help, some of them don’t.  I have a feeling you can figure out which ones fit into which category (hint: look at their team spending habits).  Here are the majority owners or chairperson for each team:

Anaheim – Henry Samueli

Boston – Jeremy Jacobs

Buffalo – Terrence Pegula

Calgary – N. Murray Edwards

Carolina – Peter Karmanos

Chicago – Rocky Wirtz

Colorado – Stan Kroenke

Columbus – John P. McConnell

Dallas – Tom Gaglardi

Detroit – Mike Ilitch

Edmonton – Daryl Katz

Florida – Cliff Viner

Los Angeles – Philip Anschutz and Edward Roski Jr.

Minnesota – Craig Leipold

Montreal – Geoff  Molson

Nashville – Predators Holdings LLC (Thomas Cigarran)

New Jersey – Jeffrey Vanderbeek

NY Islanders – Charles Wang

NY Rangers – James Dolan

Ottawa – Eugene Melnyk

Philadelphia – Comcast-Spector (Ed Snider)

Phoenix – The NHL

Pittsburgh – Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle

St. Louis – Sports Capital Partners (Tom Stillman)

San Jose – Sharks Entertainment Enterprises (Kevin Compton)

Tampa Bay – Jeff Vinik

Toronto – Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (Larry Tanenbaum)

Vancouver – Canucks Sports and Entertainment (Francesco Aquilini)

Washington – Ted Leonsis

Winnipeg – True North Sports and Entertainment (Mark Chipman)

Offseason Podcast #7 - CBA? Anyone?

After an extra week off, Adam (@PolishHMR) and I (@HockeyMeesh) have returned with Offseason Podcast #7!  We catch up on 2 weeks of signings, including that of Jake Voracek, Alexander Semin, and not including Shane Doan.  We also take the time to reminisce about Sidney Crosby in honor of his recent 25th birthday.  After a frustrating discussion of the lack of CBA movement, we finish off with a "Where are they now" that includes our new favorite ECHL team (sorry Wheeling).

Search for CrosbyFTW on iTunes or listen below!  Feedback is welcome!  Thanks for listening!

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Offseason Podcast #5 - Pens Development Camp/New CBA Terms

Welcome back for Podcast #5 of the summer. Free agency is still at a crawl, but we discuss the latest about Shane Doan, Pens Development Camp, and the first attempt at a new CBA by the NHL owners (cough cough, lockout, cough cough). Also, we look into what Konstantin Koltsov is up to nowadays (or at least we try to).

Listen here and/or subscribe to the CrosbyFTW podcast on iTunes (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crosbyftw/id542573263).
Feedback is encouraged and thanks for listening!!
Tweet us: @HockeyMeesh and @PolishHMR, or e-mail us: CrosbyFTWpodcast@gmail.com

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One quick correction - entry level salaries are now at $925k + bonuses, not $870k as I had said (which is what it was a few years back).