from Steve Milton of the Hamilton Spectator,
So if the owners caved in to end the 1994 lockout, despite Bettman's urging to the contrary; and we're now figuring out that they tied, or even lost, the 2005 lockout because of the unintended consequences of that CBA, it casts a different light on the uncharacteristically overt emotions that the NHL commissioner and owners displayed earlier this week.
That wasn't exasperation at talks breaking down that made those voices crack and nearly break.
It was fear. (without the ‘h').
Fear of losing yet again. Fear of having their self-satisfaction revealed as truly baseless, a modern-day emperor's new clothes. Fear of becoming the only big sport to strike off a championship season twice. Fear of no one outside of Canada caring, which is one of the NHL's major paranoias.
Fear of someone deep on the inside pointing out that the only real constant in the three NHL lockouts (there are all new players, a new union head and about two dozen new NHL owners since the 1994 lockout) was the one man who should have been most motivated to prevent them.
And a fear of memory. The NHL prefers us not to remember anything before today, because it always comes back to haunt them....
Like their constant insincere references, until the final year of the CBA, to the players as “partners,” a word that has not been uttered in public since.
Create an Account
In order to leave a comment, please create an account.