2012 - Page 37 of 114 - Last Word On Sports

CBA Talks Heat-up: NHL vs NHLPA and Fan vs Fan

Posted on September 15, 2012November 5, 2021 by Maksim Vasilyev

CBA talks seem to be getting us nowhere as of right now. We have many issues at hand that some of us understand and some of us do not (Ben Kerr takes a look at some of the issues in his piece). By “we” of course I am referring to the fans. We are the ones that pay for all of it – all of the NHL and NHLPA – it all depends on us showing up and paying for tickets, food and beverages, and of course memorabilia. All of their disputes are about us spending our money – our hard-earned money – and there seems to be another battle that is currently being waged. We have NHL vs NHLPA and fans who are for the NHLPA and those who are against it.

The battle of billionaires vs millionaires has turned into a battle of regular folks who refuse to sympathize with the millionaires (aka the players) and taking the side of the billionaires (aka the owners). What are the arguments between the fans? Well, they can be summed up in two opinions.

The mantra of one side here is that “They get to play hockey for millions of dollars, stop bitching and get on with it, you are lucky/blessed to do something we would all do for way cheaper”. The tune of this song is that most fans of the game also play the game. The fans have to pay to play sometimes up to 500 dollars per 20 games and the NHL players get paid to play an average of 2.4 million a year. The fact is that most of these fans feel that they would indeed play for mere pennies on the dollar just for a chance to compete at that pro-level.

If I can quote a passionate fan wrote on Reddit:

“I pay $300 to play hockey each year out of my own pocket, to play at most two times a week. I do it after work, late at night, where an injury could put me out of a job for months at a time.

These guys are paid more than any of us will ever make in 10 years for each year, to play a game that we all love. I’d be happy to get my salary to play full time in a junior league. It doesn’t matter how much the company makes – just because McDonalds is a multi-billion dollar company doesn’t mean that the employees ‘deserve’ to make $25 an hour. The people who run the company have the full right to pay whomever they choose whatever salary they deem acceptable.

Why? Because it’s their company. Don’t like it? There are other hockey leagues to play for. Fill your boots.”

So the anti-player sentiment is drawn from the fact that this is just a game and players get paid way too much to have out there. Is this something that you agree with?

I do not.

My opinion is that McDonalds is not the same field as Pro Sports and, therefore, is a poor example. The fact is that in pro sports the real entity is the talent on the ice. People who can play sports at the highest level and dominate at times are the ones who bring value to everything the NHL stands for. NHL is nothing without its players and replacement players will not do. We go to watch the best play, not to watch college kids or AHL level players (not that there isn’t a place for them, too).

This is evident in every sport. The best players get paid the most money because they make revenue, and as well know, money makes the world go ’round. Soccer, NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL are all part of the same culture of players being worth their penny on the field.

The prime example of this is Alexander Ovechkin. The Washington Capitals were in the dumps after declairing that they are in a rebuilding phase.

Average attendance for Washington Capitals after Ovechkin:

05-06 – 13,905

06-07 – 13,929

07-08 – 15,831

08-09 – 18,097

09-10 – 18,277

10-11 – 18,397

Now, Ovie was not the only piece to that puzzle, but winning had a lot to do with how many people came to watch the Capitals play each game and most had a number 8 jersey on. His talent brought value to this franchise and that is why he is the highest paid player on the team. The revenue stream that Ovie generated was not only coming from ticket sales but from multiple streams.

“Number 8” merchandise was not limited to jerseys but to everything from bumper stickers to coffee cups, and league-wide exposure generated new fans not only in Washington, or the whole of North America, but world wide. The impact? Ovechkin became the face of a video game and the NHL as a whole. He was a new, young, bright talent that wowed fans and sold the sport, while getting rewarded for it with a hefty contract.

So what value does he really have? Who was it that created this value and why did he get paid that much money for Ovechkin’s latest contract? Actually, it’s quite simple – the owners did. But the talent and exposure he brings to the sport makes the investment worth it. Don’t believe me? Here it is from the horses’ mouth:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlJ4tgxJJeU&w=560&h=315]

So, while I can see why the fans argue that players should just “shut up and play”, I think that it is important to understand that it is not the players who demand higher paychecks – it is a matter of market value.

Players want a fair deal with the league because they are the ones who bleed on the ice for this game and for the fans. The players want a fair share of what they do out there on the ice. We, the fans, pay to watch the players play because they are the best, not because they play hockey. We pay to watch the best athletes play from every sport, be it hockey, football, soccer or basketball.

There is no McDonald’s without the hamburgers and there is no NHL without the players. Players are not employees, they are the product, and this product is worth every penny.

Find me on Twitter – @LastWordOnNHL

For a more light-hearted read, check out my column, “NHL Happy Hour”

Coaching to Win: Instant Packers vs. Bears Analysis

Posted on September 14, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

On Thursday night I watched Lovie Smith throw Chicago’s already slim chances of winning a game at Lambeau field right out the window of a moving vehicle into on-coming traffic.

With eight minutes left in the 4th quarter and the Bears trailing by 20 points, Lovie Smith sent out the punt unit with the Bears at midfield. It doesn’t matter that it was 4th and 21, a punt at this point virtually ensures the Bears will not have enough time left to win the game even if they get the ball back scored two td’s followed by an on-side recovered kick and a third td. It was a classic case of a coach giving up and switching his focus towards keeping the margin of defeat low. When a coach gives up on a game how can he expect his players not to do the same?

Improbably the punt paid off when the Bears got an interception off of Aaron Rodgers and quickly turned it into a TD. The score had them down 13 points with just under 7 minutes left and all of their timeouts remaining. This left Lovie Smith with another “tough” decision, which I am certain was not even a decision in his mind. Do the Bears kick deep and try to get a quick stop or do they go for the onside kick now?

With the way the Chicago offense had been performing on the night, the Bears needed to try an onside kick and keep the momentum riding high. If you kick deep, or if you fail to recover an onside kick, the result is the same – the defense needs to get a stop. However, going for the immediate onside kick has many benefits. Doing so with seven minutes left will allow the Bears to lineup with a regular formation and go for a surprise onside kick – even if Green Bay is half-expecting it. But the key element to onside kicking early is giving your team the ability to control the clock. If the Bears kick deep and do get a quick stop on the Packers they would be looking at having about five or six minutes left, enough time to drive the field for one, score maybe, but without a quick strike the Bears would be left with little time left on the clock and be forced to onside the ensuing kick anyways.

An onside kick recovery, however, would allow the Bears to at least somewhat control their own end game. If the Bears were able to score quickly without burning through their timeouts then they would have options. They would have the opportunity to kick deep and use their time outs on Green Bay’s final possession, leaving themselves with enough time for one final drive. If they are unable to score quickly then they would be forced to onside kick a second time – but this would leave them in no worse of a position than kicking deep on their initial kick-off.

Needless to say the kick boomed deep and any chance the Bears had of winning went out the window with it. For shame. The Bears did get the stop they were looking for but it took all of their timeouts and there was only four minutes left on the game clock. The game was essentially over. That is to say, Lovie Smith’s plan went almost perfectly according to his plan (Green Bay picked up one first down on their possession) and the Bears still did not have a chance to win. I am unsure if Lovie Smith cared though. He had accomplished his goal of keeping the losing margin to a minimum. Time to go home after a good day’s work and re-group.

I welcome you to check out “3rd String NFL” and “Last Word Fantasy Football”.

Chasing the Scudetto – Week Three

Posted on September 14, 2012November 5, 2021 by Frank Giuliano

The first set of World Cup qualifiers have past, so now it’s back to Serie A action this weekend starting with AC Milan versus Atalanta at the San Siro in Milan.

This is the so-called “Lombardy Derby” as both clubs represent the same region. The Rossoneri are fresh from their first win of the season and are looking to obtain their first win at home as well. The Diavoli have struggled in their first two games and things are certainly not getting any easier with the injuries they have. Robinho, Boateng and Montolivo are all out this for this fixture.

Atalanta are heading to the San Siro with questions of their own, hoping that goal keeper Andrea Consigli will be able to play after the heroics he displayed last game saving two pk’s in a single game.

In the last nine meetings between these two teams, Milan has won six, drew once, and lost twice. Although, Milan has many key injuries, the Rossoneri are expected to still bag the three points and continue to inch closer to the top.

Genoa will do battle with Juventus at the Marassi in Genova. The Bianconeri have looked impressive this year so far even though they find themselves benefiting from a few controversial calls. Nonetheless, the Old Lady has been doing well even without some key players who will be returning to the starting line-up, namely Buffon, Chiellini and Giovinco.

Juve has shown great strength in midfield and will try, and probably succeed, in dominating the middle of the park against the Grifone. Genoa will most likely depend on quick counterattacks in order to capitalize on possible blunders from the Juve defence. The loss of Rodrigo Palacio is tough to handle for the Genoese, but have brought back Marco Borriello to strengthen the attack. The ex-Roma striker will be partnered with up-coming star, Ciro Immobile, who is looking rather impressive these days. Vargas, Seymor and Jankovic will try to slow down the Juve midfield, but it will be extremely difficult to accomplish as the Bianconeri boast perhaps the strongest midfield in all of Serie A. Juventus are favoured to claim yet another three points against Genoa, who is normally very tough on home turf against the big clubs.

Inter will travel to Turin to take on newly promoted Torino at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. The morale is riding high for the Granata after week 2’s domination of Pescara. Torino are expecting new buys Alessio Cerci and Ante Vukusic to be in the line-ups this weekend. Torino’s Rolando Bianchi and Sprigna have been connecting very well with each other. Their back line has played well led by Italian international Angelo Ogbonna.

Inter is coming from a 3-1 slap-in-the-face defeat to AS Roma who was able to stop the Nerazzurri’s trident attack of Antonio Cassano, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito. Inter struggled all over the park especially defensively. Stramaccioni’s men are hoping the return of goal keeper Samir Handanovic will help to tighten up the backline. A little difficult to choose a winner here, so my pick for this game is a tie. I believe Torino will try to attack Inter the way Roma did which will cause problems at the back for Cassano and Co. The Torino defence will be tough to be beat and will certainly not make life easy for the Inter attack.

Week 3		16 Sep 2012
Chievo		Lazio
Fiorentina		Catania
Genoa		Juventus
Milan		Atalanta
Napoli		Parma
Palermo		Cagliari
Pescara		Sampdoria
Roma		Bologna
Siena		Udinese
Torino		Inter

2012-13		Overall						Home					Away
	Pts	P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A
Juventus	6	2	2	0	0	6	1	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	4	1
Napoli	6	2	2	0	0	5	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	0	0	3	0
Lazio	6	2	2	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	1	0
Sampdoria (-1)	5	2	2	0	0	3	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	0	0	1	0
Roma	4	2	1	1	0	5	3	0	1	0	2	2	1	0	0	3	1
Catania	4	2	1	1	0	5	4	1	0	0	3	2	0	1	0	2	2
Torino (-1)	3	2	1	1	0	3	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	0
Genoa	3	2	1	0	1	4	3	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	2	3
Inter	3	2	1	0	1	4	3	0	0	1	1	3	1	0	0	3	0
Milan	3	2	1	0	1	3	2	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	3	1
Fiorentina	3	2	1	0	1	3	3	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	1	1	2
Chievo	3	2	1	0	1	2	2	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2
Parma	3	2	1	0	1	2	2	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2
Cagliari	1	2	0	1	1	1	3	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	2
Udinese	0	2	0	0	2	2	6	0	0	1	1	4	0	0	1	1	2
Bologna	0	2	0	0	2	1	5	0	0	1	1	3	0	0	1	0	2
Palermo	0	2	0	0	2	0	6	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	1	0	3
Pescara	0	2	0	0	2	0	6	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	1	0	3
Atalanta (-2)	-1	2	0	1	1	1	2	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	1
Siena (-6)	-5	2	0	1	1	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2

Game Of The Week: #20 Notre Dame at #10 Michigan State

Posted on September 14, 2012November 5, 2021 by Lindsay Higgins

The Irish Passing Game: Sophomore QB Everett Golson will be the starter. He was replaced by Tommy Rees late in the game against Purdue last week after suffering a thumb injury. Through two games, Golson has thrown two TDs and one INT, with a completion percentage of 67.3%. However, the Spartans have a far superior defense to Notre Dame’s two previous opponents. TE Tyler Eifert has been Golson’s favorite target thus far; he is expected to play after sustaining a mild concussion against Purdue. Sophomore WR DaVaris Daniels has also been heavily involved in the passing game and should be again this week, possibly even moreso as the Michigan State defense will likely key in heavily on Eifert.

The Irish Running Game: Senior Theo Riddick and sophomore George Atkinson III have both been productive thus far. Michigan State has held their first two opponents to under 100 yards rushing, but neither of those schools was of the Irish’ caliber. The Spartans’ defensive backfield is talented- with a fairly inexperienced QB, it will help the Irish tremendously if they can lean on the running game and maybe use some play-action once a run threat is established. The return of RB Cierre Wood, suspended for the team’s first two games, will be helpful in that department. QB Golson is a rushing threat as well.

The Irish Defense: The front seven are experienced and solid, allowing just 239 rushing yards through two games. My colleague (and noted Golden Homer) Ben Kerr is worried about the defensive backfield, the cornerbacks in particular. Allowing nearly 200 passing yards each to Purdue and Navy would seem to lend credence to his concerns. Even if the Irish can stop the ground game, will they be able to prevent the Spartans from scoring through the air?

The Spartan Passing Game: Against Boise State in Week 1, QB Andrew Maxwell passed for 248 yards. 6’5″, 285-lb. TE Dion Sims should be a mismatch against most defensive backs; he’s tied with WR Bennie Logan for the team lead in receptions with 10. Maxwell is a first-year starter, taking over for Kirk Cousins, so the Notre Dame front maybe be able to harass and hurry him into bad throws.

The Spartan Running Game: Le’Veon Bell is clearly the Spartans’ bell cow (no pun intended). At 6’2″, 238 lbs., he’s a bruiser and tough to bring down. Last year, splitting time with Edwin Baker (now in the NFL), Bell rushed for 948 yards and 13 TDs. He’s spelled by 5’11”, 221-lb. Larry Capers. Capers may give Bell a breather, but he certainly doesn’t do the same for defenses.

The Spartan Defense: With eight returning starters from what was an excellent defense a year ago, Michigan State continues to have one of the best defenses out there. LB Denicos Allen led the team with 11 sacks last year, LB Max Bullough led in tackles with 89, and S Isaiah Lewis had four INTs. All three return, along with 6’7″, 275-lb. DE William Gholston. Everett Golson is going to have to get rid of the ball accurately and quickly or it will be a long day for him.

Prediction: As it so often does in Big Ten and Notre Dame games, defense will be the deciding factor. Notre Dame is improved on both sides of the ball, but I can’t see their defense containing Le’Veon Bell all day. With such an inexperienced secondary, I don’t think the Irish will be able to handle the Spartans’ passing game either. Michigan State 27, Notre Dame 20.

Why are Canada so Poor Away From Home?

Posted on September 14, 2012November 5, 2021 by Mitchell Tierney

In the comfort of their home stadium, BMO Field in Toronto, the Canadian National Men’s soccer team is quickly becoming one of the best teams in the region of CONCACAF. Since September 7th, 2010 Canada has not lost a game at home, starting with a 2-1 victory over Honduras, then considered one of the best teams in the region. Canada has followed that match with more impressive results including a 2-2 draw with Ecuador, a 0-0 draw with the United States and most recently a 1-0 victory over Panama. In between these games Canada has managed to string an impressive streak of eight matches unbeaten, a streak that has carried into a their recent World Cup qualification cycle in which they have not lost at BMO Field.

However, when Canada is in the left column of the score sheet and have to travel away from home things change completely. In the same period of two years in which Canada have gone 4-4-0 at home they have only won twice in a meaningful road tie (aka not against a tiny island), those victories came in a friendly against Belarus and earlier this year World Cup Qualifying against Cuba (who could be considered a tiny island). While Canada have been able to get some results against top teams on the road in the past the majority of the time they have struggled to put together the same kind of effort demonstrated while playing in their home and native land. Part of this is tied down to home field advantage which has been a big advantage for BMO teams in the past, until recently when Toronto FC decided they don’t know how to win anywhere.

Probably the best example of the two faces of the Canadian Men’s National team has come in their most recent fixtures as part of the qualification process for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In the first third of the cycle Canada began their conquest against Cuba. Cuba was the source of a lot of excitement from Canadian supporters when Canada drew them into their group for the third round of World Cup qualifiers. This is because while Cuba are ranked as one of the top six teams in CONCACAF they have done very little in recent memory to prove that ranking. Canada’s 1-0 victory over Cuba to begin the round was seen as a huge success considering the sweltering heat and overall quality of the Cuban pitch. However, the overall performance was not very impressive and a team that Canada should have beaten handily, they struggled the full 90 minutes to finally come out on top.

Fast-forward to this week and the second of three international breaks that decide this third round of CONCACAF qualification. Canada are playing Panama at BMO Field in a must win game with plenty of reason to be confident. They have had plenty of success recently on their home grounds including a 0-0 draw with the United States in their Centennial match. That success continued as Canada not only out-played the best team in their group, but were also able to hold them without a goal winning 1-0 and providing plenty of hope for the historic pro-Canadian crowd of just under 18,000. It was a monumental occasion for Canadian soccer that also included a ceremony celebrating the success of the Canadian Women’s National Team at the London Olympics.

Just three days later the result seemed almost forgotten. September the 11th, after the success Canada had on the 7th was supposed to be a sort of coming-out party for the sport in Canada. The match would be broadcasted on City TV coast-to-coast and would give all Canadians an opportunity to tune in. Not only that but the match was also getting widespread coverage from top Canadian media outlets especially because of antics of Panamanian supporters who had attempted to disturb the Canadian team’s sleep prior to the match. Canada had an opportunity to show to a record audience that they were no longer a team that the majority of Canadians considered to be of comically poor quality.

However, during the match itself Canada would do very little to prove any different. Panama’s supporters may have done their job of keeping the Canadians up late into the night. Panama dominated the entire match after a delay caused by a power outage within the stadium lighting. After the delay it became apparent the hero of the home tie, Dwayne De Rosario, could not continue. Canada looked entirely different from the previous match as their confidence was reduced to hopeful longballs, which were easily picked off by the Panamanian defense. Furthermore, the defense that had looked almost impossible to break in recent memory, was responsible for both Panamanian goals in the 2-0 Canadian loss.

So why can Canada dominate almost anyone and home but look poor and unorganized on the road? A large part of it has to do with confidence. Canada just does not seem to play the same style away from home opting for long balls and little possession versus the possession based passing game they seem to have adapted at home. It does not make sense that the hostility of playing away from home in CONCACAF could be any different from some of these players playing away from home in the European leagues in which they play their club football. Away ties are very difficult in CONCACAF, but it often seems that Canada are making them out to be harder than they should be.

This is a phenomenon that cannot continue for Canada at any level of competition. If Canada makes the Hex (the fourth and final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers) they will need at least one, maybe two victories away from BMO Field in order to have any chance at stepping into any one of the three and a half World Cup births in the region. Moreover, the opposition is not going to get any easier. Currently primed to advance to the Hex are Panama, Mexico, El Salvador, The United States and Guatemala, all of whom provide incredibly difficult venues to attempt to gather away points. If Canada cannot win away to a team like Panama there is no chance they get any sort of compensation for an away match in Mexico.

If Canada ever want to be considered a major team in International football, or even in the region of CONCACAF for that matter, they must become more confident when playing away from home. Dropped points on the road against Honduras in October could end what was at times a very promising qualifying cycle for Canada. If the country wants to go anywhere with this program that fate cannot, must not, be realized.

NFL Fantasy Week One Wire Value

Posted on September 13, 2012November 5, 2021 by Bobby Scott

The difference from a good fantasy player and a great one is all in how someone uses the waiver wire. The great players will look for value all the time, while the less effective owner will only look for home runs. Having looked extensively at who is available in many fantasy leagues, I have a few suggestions of players who are still available in some if not most, that you may want to pick up if only on the short-term. They may not be “keeper-worthy”, but they should fill in adequately and post some good numbers.

Alfred Morris RB WAS – He looked good in the pre-season and just before their first game against the Saints, Shanahan showed his cards by naming Morris their starter. Even though his YPC was only 3.4 he was a big reason for their win. Look for him to get the start in week in week 2 against the St. Louis and put up some decent numbers, because after all, it is against the Rams. Morris should be owned in all fantasy formats, but if he has snuck under the radar, grab him.

C.J. Spiller RB BUF– With Fred Jackson being out anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks CJ is likely to see to get a lot of touches. He looked good against the Jets’ defence (really, did anyone besides him look good?) putting up an amazing 169 yards on 14 carries and a TD. Look for him to have another good week against Kansas City. Spiller should be owned in all formats until Jackson is back and getting the brunt of the workload again.

Stephan Hill WR NYJ – I followed him through training camp, as I do with most receivers that come out of Georgia Tech. It’s interesting to see how many former GT players become super stars. But I was unsatisfied with his production, whether he was to blame or the QB’s who were supposed to be getting him the ball. I watched the game and admit that he was doing a great job of finding open space and racking up some nice yards after catch. His athleticism makes Sanchez’s not so accurate throws, manageable. Due to his production you need to pick up Hill as soon as possible as he might end up being Sanchez’s go-to guy.

Jonathan Dwyer RB PIT – Redman isn’t the answer to the loss of Mendenhall. Redman hasn’t demonstrated the ability to get first string touches in the backfield. Apparently the coaching staff are now talking about handing-off to Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer looked good against Denver’s defence putting up a respectable 4.8 YPC. If Dwyer can put up decent production this week against the Jets he might be the go-to guy even when Mendenhall returns. If you have a roster spot available you need to add Dwyer.

Randal Cobb WR GB – Just an all-around great athlete with great skills. Green Bay was lining him up all over the field on Sunday. He is going to be a big part of a high scoring offense. This will be a bonus if your team awards return yards as well as PPR. He will be a nice flex play this week against Chicago Bears.

Kevin Ogletree WR DAL – I’m sure after his amazing performance last week against the giants he is already been picked up in most fantasy formats, but if not he’ll be a nice addition. He has great open-field speed and good hands that will help Romo find a target besides Dez Bryant.

Flying under the Radar

Andrew Hawkins WR CIN – I watched this game and was amazed by the speed and quickness. He looked like the Tasmanian Devil cutting through and around blockers gaining yards after the catch. He was a video replay away from adding another 20 yards to his total which would have game him 8 catches for 106 yards. If those were his final numbers you could almost guarantee that there would be a lot of hype this week about him. Hawkins could become a PPR monster. If you have a spot on your roster to stash him it might not be a bad move. If you don’t have a spot you need to monitor him this week to see how he does against Cleveland. You can almost guarantee if he puts up similar numbers he’ll be all over next week’s waiver wires.

There you have a few considerations for fantasy wire pick-ups. Some will already have been taken, but they are certainly worth checking because they have been undervalued until now, and there is the possibility of them being available. If so, gram ’em up!

Divide and Conquer: The Strategy of the NHLPA in this Labour Dispute

Posted on September 13, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

The dreaded day is about to occur! Everyone, under your desks!

On Saturday, most analysts, fans, players and owners are expecting that the NHL will lockout the NHLPA in this latest round of their on-going labour war. At this point we’ve heard the reasoning from both sides, we’ve heard the rhetoric from both sides, and we’ve heard the offers.

I’m not going to get into who is right and who is wrong because ultimately CBA negotiations are never about who is right and who is wrong. The “winners” in any work stoppage are almost always the party with the most leverage. The party who is able to weather the financial losses that any work stoppage brings, and who has the least to lose by continuing to hold out for a better deal. That’s just the way it is, and the way this works in industry. The only certainty is that the losers are the fans.

In the last lockout the players were able to hold out for one full season, but the owners’ pockets were apparently deeper because they were able to hold out longer. The union eventually caved, and the players gave massive concessions to the owners, and subsequently fired most of the union executive within months of reaching the new deal.

Some will say that the last NHL negotiation was fair and was an equitable contract between parties. While this may be true in theory, it ignores the simple fact that the owners got nearly every concesssion they wanted from the players. In fact, when you compare the opening offer from the owners in the summer of 2004 with the actual deal signed in the summer of 2005, the two are nearly identical. There is no doubt about which side caved in that negotiation.

The owners are certainly fighting a strategy involving a war of attrition. They realize that players’ careers are short, and the majority of NHL players will be missing large paycheques, paycheques they will never recoup even in a new CBA. This is the reason that players caved last time, and this is the reason owners think they can ask for such big concessions again.

There are few options for the players if they don’t work in the NHL. Some may go to Europe, but for the most part the European Leagues do not pay at the same rate as the NHL (with a few exceptions for some players, of course). This means that as long as games are missed a player is giving away part of his potential career earnings. The owners are counting on players arriving at the fact that a pay cut is better than no pay at all, resulting in the players folding like a wet suit. Realistically the owners are correct. The players will eventually cave, and it’s just a matter of time until that happens.

So then what can the Players Association do? The PA’s strategy must be to divide the owners; to create tension in Board of Governors meetings and create in-fighting between the owners. They need to plant a seed in the owners’ that they, too, are losing money during the lockout, and that they will not recoup the fixed costs that all teams have. They must force enough owners to agree with the PA proposals to end the lockout.

How to go about this? Divide and Conquer.

A major factor in all NHLPA proposals has been to increase revenue sharing between teams – increasing the shares that big market clubs pay towards subsidizing the small market clubs. This is obviously something that will be attractive to the small market clubs and will be something that they will like when they discuss the proposals in a Board of Governors meeting. Meanwhile, the big market clubs will hate the proposal and oppose subsidizing the league’s weaker franchises. In this way they create tension and disagreement in the BoG, and maybe even gain voices that support the NHLPA’s proposal.

The NHLPA has also asked that teams be limited in how much money they can spend on management and scouting. This would again be an issue that small market teams would be strongly in favour, while big market teams would vehemently oppose. There has been much talk that having a bigger and better scouting staff is a way that a big market team can use its financial muscle to gain an advantage in this CBA. The PA is proposing to take away that potential advantage.

We also see the NHLPA bringing legal actions to prevent the lockout in Quebec and Alberta. If these are successful, does that mean we’ll have a 3-team league? Of course not. There still won’t be any games played. But what will happen if the NHLPA is successful in its arguments, is that the owners of the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will be unable to lockout their players and be forced to pay them their full salaries despite there not being any games. They will also be forced to keep the arenas and practice facilities open as usual and accessible to the players. This will increase the expenses for these teams, while not providing them any of the revenue they normally receive. As a result, the owners of the Canadiens, Flames, and Oilers would become divided from other team owners and want to end the lockout.

The third issue is regarding contract lengths. The NHL’s proposal is to limit contract lengths to a maximum of five years. However, since July 1, 2012, to today, 10 NHL teams have signed a total of 15 players to contracts or contract extensions of six or more years. Clearly there is already some disagreement amongst owners as to an appropriate length of a contract to a good, young player. Is this an area the players can exploit to create further dissension among owners? It will be something to watch.

Wait, is there dissension amongst owners already? I can almost guarantee that tomorrow you will hear from that NHL that its BoG voted 30-0 in favour of a lockout. Ridiculous. The league’s owners will not publicly want to show any sign of weakness. But make no mistake about it, if you see the vote may be 30-0, but that is just for appearances sake. There are some teams who do not support this lockout, but who, and how many?

We don’t know, but there is discussion behind closed doors about playing hockey. If enough voices turn to this, we will see the owners cave, the players get a decent percentage of HRR and other favourable contract terms and importantly for us, a return to hockey. If too few fans’ voices are heard, we will see the lockout continue until the players cave.

As fans it would be great if both parties would negotiate a fair resolution to this issue, meet in the middle, and get the season started on time. It’s what’s best for the game. At the end of the day most fans just want their hockey. But coming to a “fair” resolution is what this battle needs to be about. The pessimist in me is worried, as it’s not the way the owners have acted with their previous proposals, and therefore I don’t believe it’s the way this will go down either. The lockout will end when one side wins and the other side loses, when one side caves, and the other stays strong. Now its just a matter of us waiting for that to happen.

Don’t hold your breath.

Follow me on Twitter – @LastWordBKerr

Top Four: Essential Notes on the Premier League Table

Posted on September 13, 2012November 5, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Editor’s Note: The Premier League’s Top Four is a weekly column new to LWOS for the 2012-2013 column. The goal of the column is to provide critical information, analysis, and diatribe about whichever four teams occupy the top four spots in the Premier League during that week. Each team’s profile will include rankings from the week past, present and projected, and will provide readers with team highlights that we anticipate have effected and will affect in the team’s upcoming match. We welcome you to make this column a part of your weekly reading material each Monday morning (unless there are scheduled Monday matches) for the duration of the season.

Now that the interlull is finally over, let’s get back to some footy chat, shall we?

Chelsea (Last Week #1, This Week #1)

Everyone expects Chelsea to be a fine squad this year, given some very important acquisitions. None is more heralded and welcomed to the Bridge than Eden Hazard. The Belgian international has been in fine form, proving his price tag a bargain. He has provided fantastic stability in the middle of the Blues’ line-up, something that many supporters feel was very much-needed. Fernando Torres, who, to put it mildly, was absolutely putrid considering his price tag, has woken up ever since Spain’s Euros run. Finally, on the backs of Torres and Hazard, Chelsea can score again. Happy day!

With three wins already, the Blues have flown right out the gate, and look to knock it right off its hinges this weekend in what might be a bloody affair. Okay, I might be embellishing just a little, but it is football we’re talking about so you should be used to it, no? Anyway, you will all remember the match last season where both Drogba and Bosingwa were sent off, forcing CFC to play with IX. With a healthy XI (well, almost – more on that in a minute), and the key addition of Hazard the revival of everyone’s “favourite” Spaniard, look to Chelsea to control, score and, well, dominate.

An interesting note: Peter Cech is still bothered by a nagging elbow injury. Don’t be too surprised if they play it cautiously this weekend and let him sit in bed with his milk and cookies.

Let’s go ahead and pick the obvious – Chelsea 2, QPR 1.

Swansea (Last Week #2, This Week #2)

Do Swansea realize they’re Swansea? I mean really, do we expect some swans to play like lions? I can see some ducks, those things can be vicious, but swans? Okay, back to football. Who could have expected Swansea to put on a goal-scoring clinic? While no one currently alive and of relative mental health would expect this to continue much longer, I just wonder if they have another match in them? Certainly last match was (and the week before, and the week before) unexpected, but many around the footballing world took notice. Are they legitimate?

I certainly do not have them getting a sniff of the top four by season’s end, but finishing around #6-8 is somewhat possible. I am very hesitant to offer even a guess, however, as I think the Premier League is as deep as it ever has been, with a traffic jam between #3-10. There are certainly better squads than others, but you know how it goes – anyone can beat anyone. Well, almost.

Swansea have had their fair share of changes to deal with, yet they seem to have adapted very well. Aston Villa provide an excellent match-up for them because they are sitting ducks. Wait, I said earlier ducks were vicious. How about sitting partridges? That’s better. Villa has undergone a bit of adversity to start this season with their new coach still chasing a victory. It will be interesting to see how the Swans will cope without Flores (serving 3-match ban – naughty boy). Will Bent return to the form he had decades (give or take) ago? Will Tate be able to handle duties on the back line?

I like Swans (the team – the birds are annoying) in this match, though you should note that Villas has three wins in the last four against them. Swansea 1, Villains 0, with some hesitation.

West Brom (Last Week #3, This Week #3)

Okay, Swans AND Baggies? This doesn’t seem right, but good for them! I figured there would be some serious issues to start the season given some changes since season’s end, but apparently I am prone to err. Damn. With impressive wins already against Liverpool and Everton, Clarke’s squad has been in fine form, particularly in their win at the Hawthorns.

But this weekend they face the enigma that is Fulham FC. Now, what to make of this team? Will they be the Fulham that started out of the gates so strongly, or the ones that have fizzled the last two matches? It really is the tale of two teams. Fulham have made some impressive signings. Berbatov you already know about, but Giorgos Karagounis, the Greek international, has somewhat slipped under the radar. What to make of him? Will both get full minutes on the weekend?

The difficulty in deliberating on this match is very indicative of why prognosticating at the beginning of the season is so perilous. You have two teams which are the epitome of uncertainty. There are as many questions as answers. Will Fulham’s new signings meld well with their new mates? Will Clarke have Lukaku to utilize? Will Fulham be in fine form after a mid-week League Cup loss to Sheffield?

Must I really choose? Well, I really like the Berbatov transfer too much, so I’ll give them the nod. Fulham 3, West Brom 2.

Manchester City (Last Week – , This Week #4)

Manchester City is a very good squad. How’s that for stating the obvious? I know it’s hardly going out on a ledge, but to bottom it’s very hard to poke holes when City can field a second team equal to some first teams (maybe a stretch). That said, can we at least agree that they are fortunate to have made this week’s “Top Four”? They deserved to leave Anfield with nothing, yet salvaged a point. They were barely convincing in beating QPR.

City has bolstered it’s already devastating line-up with the acquisition of most football players in Europe. Seriously, it’s a job just keeping track of who they own and who they are set to own. The only problem I see in the moving forward is how Mancini will manage to get his forwards’ heads through the doors to the Etihad. With Aguero, Balotelli, Dzeko, and Tevez to manage (throw in Micah Richards and Gareth Barry for good measure) he will have his hands full. It doesn’t get any easier with a bit of a log jam at midfield as well. It could get messy. They have the talent to dominate, so long as Mancini keeps his head above water.

The weekend it is Stoke that has the daunting task of fighting this eleven-headed beast. While neither City nor Stoke have played exceptionally well thus far, only the most degenerate gambler would take Stoke to win. That said, whether it’s wishful thinking or not, I just think sometimes the model of, “Buy the best players on earth and put them on one team leaving nothing for anyone else” mentality of building a team is flawed.

I’ll bravely predict a 1-1 gutsy performance from Stoke.

I welcome you back next week as we take a look at what is sure to be a revolving door or Top Four teams early in the Premier League season.

Until next time, lads.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter – @TwoLeftCleats

Hammer Radio: UFC 152 and 153 News Updates

Posted on September 13, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Its Wednesday Night, so the Hammer Radio show is back, and available in Hamilton on 93.3 CMFU FM, and archived on the internet at http://thehammar.libsyn.com

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with another new episode and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio 110.

“It’s another slow news week, and it’s mostly bad news. Pretty much the entire main card of UFC 153 in Brazil has fallen apart, so we try to come up with ways to save it.

Also, since a three month onslaught of continuous major MMA events kicks in next week, we spend the calm before the storm analyzing the current state of each of the UFC title scenes.

Finally, we will be in Toronto next week covering UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort, so check back all next week for a ton of bonus episodes in all of the regular places, including live Wednesday night at 7pm on CFMU 93.3 FM, http://www.thehammermma.com/, Last Word On Sports, and The Itunes Store.”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012