Amateur Sports
2 Play Or Not 2 Play
It’s all about the game – or so we like to think? Big ticket teams, players getting “mega dollars” all in the name of sport? What’s wrong with this picture?
OK – so I’m dating myself now when the game was about entertainment, the fans and letting the kids know they have a shot at playing a sport they love.
The entertainment value has increased, the sport has changed whereby far too much pressure is placed on today’s youth to take up a sport that dear old Dad couldn’t excel in and make the Parents the talk of the town.
Watching today’s players following a game, they (some do) seldom sign autographs for fear of these getting them will sell they to owners who have a sports store.
Several NHL, AHL and other pro players clearly love the game and you can tell that by the way they talk to today’s youth not to mention the smile on the faces of the youngsters they sign autographs for.
Living on the West Coast we have the luxury of watching Canuck games plus Abbotsford Heat games and while it’s a sport for entertainment value, it’s become over priced for today’s families.
Don’t get me going on “Scalpers” and what they do for sport, cause the answer is NOTHING!
They have the luxury of selling tickets to Families at an increased cost and pocket the money. Never paying taxes like the common working man does.
Great gig if you can get it!! While the fans ponder the upcoming season, greed takes to the bargaining room of both the NHL and the NHLPA.
The ones suffering will be those who work at the facilities, bars, and restaurants or even sell souvenirs in or near the rinks. They are simply trying to make a living and would love to sign a contract for $1 million per season or an extension to what they are currently making.
Teachers spend more time with today’s youth than most parents but get little or no respect.
The world has and continues to change, and not for the better.Lack of respect from some seems to filter down to today’s youth and how they act when around others.
We recently had a situation in Vancouver (UBC) where a Coach (and I use that term very loose) tripped a player during a hand-shake. The video went viral and the world watched as an Adult committed an act of sheer stupidity.
Check out the video and you be the judge? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu9jt8UQXfQ
Why do Parents allow a Son or Daughter to play for such an individual, who has no respect for the game let alone himself? So while the NHL ponders what to do; so do the fans?
This lock-out won’t help the game and it will clearly held Minor, Female and Junior in all areas of the country. Let’s stand to support the teams that still want to play for the love of the game and get sport back into Canada’s National Winter Sport!
The NHLPA Union Chief Donald Fehr stated “the NHL and NHLPA remain far apart in the CBA negotiations”.
The League presented a counter-proposal that reportedly cut the players’ share of hockey-related revenue to 49 percent (eventually 47 percent) from its current take of 57 percent.
Fehr conceded the NHL lessened its demands today; however, those demands still aren’t close to acceptable for the players.
Fehr also doesn’t believe the owners’ revenue-sharing plans are progressive enough to help the small-market clubs. The CBA expires Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
QUESTION IS – WILL THIS LOCK-OUT HAVE A BLACK EYE ON HOCKEY???