Hockey?

[smokeyjon]

I was going to ask about the possibility of a Caps / NHL subforum before this season started, but Donald Fehr is busy peeing in my Cheerios soooo...

 

Don't know what kind of hockey interest there would be here...something we could look into when these clowns get back to work?

 

Thanks!

[thesteelhurtin]

LETS GO PENS!!!!!!!! This idiots need to get this shit signed didnt they learn from the last one. They were just starting to be back in the mainstream and boom no more hockey.

[Spen]

I was going to ask about the possibility of a Caps / NHL subforum before this season started, but Donald Fehr is busy peeing in my Cheerios soooo...

 

Don't know what kind of hockey interest there would be here...something we could look into when these clowns get back to work?

 

Thanks!

 

I'm a huge fan, or I was. I love NHL Center Ice and watch a ton of games each week. I might be close to being done with the sport. Every CBA negotiations turns into a work stoppage. Its a joke with enough blame to go around.

 

At this point I want a deal done so next year can start on time, I don't think I want a 40 game season or something like that.

[smokeyjon]

 

I'm a huge fan, or I was. I love NHL Center Ice and watch a ton of games each week. I might be close to being done with the sport. Every CBA negotiations turns into a work stoppage. Its a joke with enough blame to go around.

 

At this point I want a deal done so next year can start on time, I don't think I want a 40 game season or something like that.

 

I really got into it a big way when I moved down here and started buying blocks of Caps tickets off a friend that has a full season package. I was planning on getting Center Ice this year too. This stoppage is insane on both sides...yes they have a great product, but you don't sign a massive TV deal to finally get a serious push getting the product out there and then cancel a season. The owners were greedy and Fehr is a cock who is perfectly content to destroy a game in the name of a salary cap crusade. I'm really hoping that some sanity breaks out soon.

 

I won't complain if they manage to get back on the ice this season but I won't kill myself if not. Actually have rinkside seats to see the Hershey Bears and Norfolk Admirals at VZ Center in a few weeks

[papasmurfbell]

LETS GO PENS!!!!!!!! This idiots need to get this shit signed didnt they learn from the last one. They were just starting to be back in the mainstream and boom no more hockey.

 

Yeah they learned that they can push back hard on the players and get more money. Their lead was used as an example by the NBA and NFL to keep more money.

 

All things being equal I am not a hockey fan. The game is not condusive to TV.

[smokeyjon]

 

Yeah they learned that they can push back hard on the players and get more money. Their lead was used as an example by the NBA and NFL to keep more money.

 

All things being equal I am not a hockey fan. The game is not condusive to TV.

 

Pre-HDTV I'd agree with you, but not anymore. HD fixes the biggest problem which is tracking the puck. I wouldn't bother trying to watch hockey in SD.

[Spen]

 

I really got into it a big way when I moved down here and started buying blocks of Caps tickets off a friend that has a full season package. I was planning on getting Center Ice this year too. This stoppage is insane on both sides...yes they have a great product, but you don't sign a massive TV deal to finally get a serious push getting the product out there and then cancel a season. The owners were greedy and Fehr is a cock who is perfectly content to destroy a game in the name of a salary cap crusade. I'm really hoping that some sanity breaks out soon.

 

I won't complain if they manage to get back on the ice this season but I won't kill myself if not. Actually have rinkside seats to see the Hershey Bears and Norfolk Admirals at VZ Center in a few weeks

 

Yep, when the players brought Fehr on a few years ago everyone knew at best there would not be a full season.

[smokeyjon]

 

Yep, when the players brought Fehr on a few years ago everyone knew at best there would not be a full season.

 

Yeah, I was holding out hope but when the NHLPA rejected the realignment plans earlier this year I accepted it was going to get ugly.

[Spen]

 

Yeah, I was holding out hope but when the NHLPA rejected the realignment plans earlier this year I accepted it was going to get ugly.

 

Its gotten ugly and its gotten silly how much time the sides are often taking between talks. Games are being cancelled and money is being lost but there seems to be no hurry. I knew when Fehr was hired there was going to be a work stoppage. I know from the players perspective the owners "won" the last stoppage but looking at salaries and contracts over the last 7 years I am not sure they did.

If the players 'win' and the salary structure becomes anything like MLB (rumors persist that the ultimate goal of Fehr /the players is the cap being removed - so far I think its just rumors but we'll see) I will not watch any more even though my favorite team would be one of the "haves". I have been a fan for 15 years so I can remember when I wasn't a fan. I stick with baseball even though i hate the economics (How about the Dodgers TV deal huh?) because I grew up a fan and it would be hard to ignore the sport.

[papasmurfbell]

The issue is the fans have never punished a sport for doing this. Until they do these owners and players will do as the please.

[smokeyjon]

Bear in mind that this is coming from someone who only started following the league seriously 2-3 years ago -

 

I don't get most of the Bettman hate that I see. Not to even remotely suggest that he doesn't fuck up (the whole disciplinary system with Shanahan last year turned out to be a joke), but by and large the stuff I've read about the last 20-ish years basically looks like him trying to drag this league and the players, kicking and screaming, towards mainstream relevance.

 

It's why I have such a hard time getting behind the players on this, other than that the owners should be held fully accountable for all those ridiculous contracts signed over the summer. The league as a whole made slightly more last year than the value of the Redskins franchise. That's insane And even under this last CBA the players were extremely well compensated in terms of their slice of the pie versus the other leagues. It's like they're looking at player compensation in the big 3 but entirely ignoring how much more money those leagues are making. I understand with the league seemingly getting close to hitting it big they don't want to get suckered out of potential money a few years down, but they're acting like it's a sure thing and the money is already there.

 

Whatever, there's obviously way more too it than that, but the players just seem to be incredibly short-sighted here, and I honestly think that Fehr would be more than happy to just burn the whole thing down if the players let him. Here's hoping the mediators actually help.

[Spen]

Bear in mind that this is coming from someone who only started following the league seriously 2-3 years ago -

 

I don't get most of the Bettman hate that I see. Not to even remotely suggest that he doesn't fuck up (the whole disciplinary system with Shanahan last year turned out to be a joke), but by and large the stuff I've read about the last 20-ish years basically looks like him trying to drag this league and the players, kicking and screaming, towards mainstream relevance.

 

It's why I have such a hard time getting behind the players on this, other than that the owners should be held fully accountable for all those ridiculous contracts signed over the summer. The league as a whole made slightly more last year than the value of the Redskins franchise. That's insane And even under this last CBA the players were extremely well compensated in terms of their slice of the pie versus the other leagues. It's like they're looking at player compensation in the big 3 but entirely ignoring how much more money those leagues are making. I understand with the league seemingly getting close to hitting it big they don't want to get suckered out of potential money a few years down, but they're acting like it's a sure thing and the money is already there.

 

Whatever, there's obviously way more too it than that, but the players just seem to be incredibly short-sighted here, and I honestly think that Fehr would be more than happy to just burn the whole thing down if the players let him. Here's hoping the mediators actually help.

 

I pretty much completely agree with you.

[smokeyjon]

So glad the lockout is over, just waiting to find out how many tickets I'll be getting. Spen (or anyone), do you have any experience with their online product, Gamecenter Live? I've been reading some negative stuff about the quality of some of the Center Ice feeds on Comcast (big surprise), and since I have an HTPC hooked up to my TV I'm considering trying Gamecenter instead, depending on what kind of "please don't quit us!" offering the league makes to the fans with pricing. I'd love to be able to pull up clips/games/etc. on my phone as well.

[papasmurfbell]

You need to stop enabling them.

[smokeyjon]

I'm an addict. Been to two Hershey Bears games this season and watched most of the World Juniors games on NHL Network.

 

Don't get me wrong if there's no "we're sorry" discount on top of a partial season discount it's not happening.

[papasmurfbell]

Yeah a quick kiss and then they will do it again in 4-5 yrs.

[smokeyjon]

It's a 10 year CBA this time. Not sure if the option will be at 8 years (what the players wanted) or 9 (what the league wanted).

[papasmurfbell]

Is there an opt out? The reason all these lockouts have been going down is because the NHL owners were so successful rolling the players yrs ago. It is time to punish a league once and for all by never going back and making them lose everything on their financial investment.

[smokeyjon]

I was close...the opt-out is year 8, which is what the league wanted. The PA wanted a 5-year CBA initially and then a year 7 opt-out on the 10-year CBA.

[Spen]

I never used Gamecenter Live before. I have had Center Ice with both Comcast and Verizon and thought both were good. Some of the games are not in HD but each year they added more. That's the main problem but I can live with that. No word on pricing yet. It needs to be a good price or I may skip a year. With NBCSportsnet and NHL Network there will still games I can watch.

 

The players destroyed the owners in 94 and the owners won in 2005 (though one could make the case that those 7 years were financially the best ever for the players). I think this deal seems fair. Hopefully Bettman and Fehr are retired in 10 years and the pissing contest can be avoided.

[smokeyjon]

Spoke to a friend this weekend who had it last year and spoke very highly of it. I'll probably give it a try this year, I have HTPCs on my both of my TVs and a big fat Internet pipe, and the mobile options are appealing.

 

I'm very glad the league got 10 years. I think both sides got most of what they wanted, but the league definitely put itself in a better financial position going forward.

 

On a very positive note, the Sports Junkies were broadcasting from Kettler this morning, and apparently yesterday and today the open practices have been completely packed with fans. I'm probably going over to VZ Center on Thursday for their little "please come back" night.

[Spen]

Center Ice is $50 this season. Decent price as its more than half off and technically there is more than half a season.

[smokeyjon]

Nice...I just checked, and Gamecenter will also be $50. I'm gonna try that one first for the interactive stuff. And it's nice to see it's an actual discount and not just "we won't charge you for the games that didn't happen"....courtesy of a poster on sbnation:

 

--

 

Using Gamecenter Live pricing:
Last year cost $160 for 1230 games, $ .1300/game
This year cost $50 for 720 games, $ .0694/game

This results in approximately a 47% discount
If they were pro-rating the cost for 720 games would be $93.60 for this year.

--

 

Center Ice is actually a slightly larger discount since it was $172 last year but same $50 price as Gamecenter now.

[smokeyjon]

And good lord I had forgotten how gorgeous Kathryn Tappen is.

[Spen]

I agree.

 

The good news is Center Ice has more HD channels than before. The bad news is I need a new cable box to decode the new way they are transmitting the signal. Its no huge deal as its free but I have a bunch of stuff on my DVRs. Oh well high def hockey!