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A cheap Hollywood sequel is unfolding in front of my eyes. Seven years after an entire season was lost — a first among the four major American sports not caused by a World War — there is speculation that the 2012-13 NHL season could again be lost to a collective bargaining agreement dispute.
For NHL fans, there is an elephant in the room. You can ignore it. You can poke at it. You can ignore it some more. But you can’t make it go away, and powerlessness is perhaps the most depressing feeling a fan can suffer.
Let’s first acknowledge the elephant. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and NHL Players Association is set to expire Sept. 15. We could analyze the latest wrinkle in their “negotiations,”1 but why parse words during the public-posturing phase? Perhaps you can lobby your Congressman to urge the owner of your local franchise to accept concessions that would allow training camp to start on time. But that’s not the same as putting on a jersey, getting a couple seats against the glass, and screaming at the top of your lungs for a few hours while knocking back a couple beers with your best friends, is it?
Continue reading “In case of a lockout, don’t forget about ‘everyone else.’”