Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
But all of that is not to say that either side is worth supporting. The players, however, should be aware of this: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman played an integral role in league financial matters during a 12-year career at the NBA. And he shut down his league for a year in 2004-05.
You can be sure that Stern, Bettman’s old boss, knows all the background information on that NHL work stoppage, and it is a certainty that Stern and Bettman have conversed at length.
Since losing a season because of the labor dispute, the NHL has steadily grown. In 2005-06, it had a $39.4 million salary cap per team. This season, the cap is $64.3 million.
Hockey’s revenues pale to the NBA’s, but the point is that league has been healthier since it was shut down. The NHL contended that some teams lost less money by not playing than playing. And the owners of the big market teams likely had other businesses that made significant revenues.
Put it this way: Anyone on the Forbes list of wealthiest people in the world did not lose a place on that list because of one season of missed hockey. And the same will be true in basketball.
The players, on the other hand, lost a year of salary and ended up with the same system they would have had without missing a year.
My perception of the NHL lockout is that it damaged the league for years. But upon further review, at least according to this columnist, it set the league on the right financial path.
If the owners are going to follow this model… we are screwed.
The rest of the links:
Globe – Lost Celtics games means lost business | CBS Sports – Like clockwork, Stern sounds off with owners interests in mind |
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