NHL’s proposal seems so neat and tidy
PITTSBURGH — It seemed so neat and tidy.
The NHL made a proposal in the labor dispute that would allow the players to sign, get to a week-long training camp and start the season on Nov. 2.
One problem, though: When the union sat down and ran all the numbers, they found it was the same package of givebacks in a new wrapper.
So the union offered several counter-proposals, which were almost instantly shot down by the NHL.
The end result is we’re nearly two months into the stalemate with no real progress. The NHL has officially canceled another week’s worth of games, and any hopes for a full-season schedule are fading fast.
The owners want the same kind of whopping concessions they won in the last labor deal, and the players seem disinclined to go that route.
What is the end game? Does the NHL think that the union will crack as the dispute lingers and paychecks are missed? That’s happened in the NFL in the past. Pittsburgh Steelers stars Mike Webster and John Stallworth were among those who crossed the picket line and came back to play on replacement teams.
The NHL stars probably have enough money socked away to endure a couple of months with no income. Sidney Crosby still has endorsement deals that bring in money. Most players don’t have that extra income. Does that make them more likely to break ranks?
For now, it looks like both sides are digging in. Any conciliatory feelings evaporated with last week’s exchange of proposals.
If there are moderates on either side, they’ve yet to identify themselves. Past NFL labor disputes have been settled because Dan Rooney came off the sidelines to settle things down and steer talks toward a compromise.
Is there a Rooney-like figure in the NHL? Could the Penguins ownership of Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux fill that role?
Someone needs to step forward, because it seems as though negotiations are stalled.
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The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the final four teams in MLB again, and that’s no fluke. They run a model organization.
Last year the Cardinals had Albert Pujols, who batted .299 with 37 home runs, 99 RBIs and .906 OPS. Their No. 1 starter in 2011 was Chris Carpenter, who gave them 237-1/3 innings, winning 11 games while posting a 3.45 ERA.
Pujols signed with the Angels. Injuries limited Carpenter to 17 innings in three games this year. That didn’t keep the Cardinals from reaching the postseason.
Compare and contrast with the Pirates, who fell apart after Barry Bonds and Doug Drabek departed following the 1992 season. Not coincidentally, that’s when the franchise started a 20-year losing streak. The Cardinals spend, but not recklessly. Their payroll is $82 million less than the Yankees; they’re barely $16 million ahead of the Twins, who had the fourth-worst record in baseball.
The Cardinals’ situation is not directly comparable to the Pirates. St. Louis routinely sells a million more tickets than Pittsburgh, and the Cardinals have significantly higher prices. The Cardinals are generating much more revenue.
But their formula is sound: Back intelligent decisions with a realistic mid-range payroll, and it’s possible to be a regular presence in the postseason.
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Delmon Young of the Detroit Tigers was named MVP of the American League championship series.
Jackie Autry, widow of Gene Autry, presented Young with the award on behalf of the league. In making the presentation, she proclaimed Young “a class act.”
In April, Young was arrested in New York at 2:40 a.m. outside the Tigers’ hotel. He was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks to a man he then pushed the ground. The police report said Young was highly intoxicated. He was suspended for seven games, and faces a Nov. 7 hearing on those charges.
As a minor leaguer in 2006, Young was suspended for 50 games for throwing his bat at an umpire.
That’s not the kind of behavior that makes anyone think “class act.”
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If someone could invent a remote that would mute only Tim McCarver, that person would be hailed as a genius.