In American society today, it is nothing new for many people to recognize a sports star before a politician. I know of many people who know more about the stats for a certain sport than they do about the upcoming election. Yet, it is slightly funny to think that with the salaries that the players are making they still have many contract disputes.
Earlier this week the National Hockey League (NHL) owners voted to implement a lockout of players, shutting down the league and nearly killing all chances to make the Oct. 13 opening day. The lockout was the owners decision after they and the players failed at reaching a new labor deal Wednesday. At the heart of the dispute is the owner's hope to implement a salary cap, the Players' Union has said that it will never accept the proposed cap.
Now hockey being on of the least followed sport in the country could be facing its doom. The game has carried a stable fan base throughout its' existence, but does not draw the crowds and television ratings that football or basketball do. The impending lockout will most likely last most of the scheduled season, neither the players or the owners will budge from their current position. Although it has many loyal fans, myself being one of them, hockey is a lost art in this country, and this dispute could cause the end of the game.
Labor disputes not only affect the players' contracts and the owners' profits, but the fans and people that work for the league are damaged in the process. How the fans lose out is obvious, the players are locked out so there is no Blackhawks' game on Saturday, but most never see that the league officials are out of a job. With this lockout, the NHL has laid off around 150 staffers, with more to come over the next month.
It is a wonder that these players are complaining about money when they make more in one year, between contracts and endorsements, than most people will make in their lifetime - and the owners to the same effect. The owners are complaining that of all the money they pull in throughout the year that they have to pay for people to play for them. The society is so revolved around money that something many people have as an escape at the end of the week is being stripped away by a selected group of people. It is an enjoyable time to go to the ice rink, sit down with your family and friends, drink a beer and watch 10 people push a piece of rubber back and fourth, and sometimes you get to see some guy get the dung beat out of him. Always a plus!
The life of a hockey player may not be as good as those of football, basketball or baseball players, but they are still living their dream. Most of these players started playing when they were children, on the ponds of their neighborhood, and they may have played from sun up to sun down. There was no money involved then, but they still played. They played throughout high school and college - still for no money.
The players need to remember why they began playing hockey in the first place - the love of the game.
Write to Steve at smbristow@bsu.edu
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