Wednesday, November 14, 2012

NHL Lockout

I'm having a terrible dilemma. I love hockey, the NHL and specifically the Buffalo Sabres. The league reportedly made over 3 billion dollars last year. The TV contract is the most lucrative in league history. More fans are watching NHL games than in a generation. The Winter Classic is an unqualified success. The NHL is doing great business these days.

But the NHL is locked out. Again. The players and the league are fighting over how to divide the revenue. As people like to say it's millionaires fighting billionaires.

As I said above the league doesn't face the systemic problems it faced in 2004. Most of the teams are doing fine. 10-12 teams are doing amazing business. The game itself has some issues. Predatory hits and fighting are still causing players to suffer brain injuries. The league has some issues but nothing that justifies burning another season in a lockout.

So my dilemma is this. How do I not run back to the NHL after it resumes? Watching Sabres games is one of my favorite things to do. Since my childhood I've loved watching my team. I have a Sabres mini pack. I have their logo tattooed on my leg.

How do I get my hockey fix and tell the NHL it is NOT OK to lockout again? When the NHL fights its players like this it's the fans who get hurt. Yet they do it because they know we'll run back with our wallets open.

They won't stop until the fans take money from the owners. 

No comments: