Yeah, It does appear Bettman now has somebody he just can't push around at will to get what he wants.
- ob18
Oh please. Bettman has never had somebody he could push around at will to get what he wants. If he has, why don't you tell me who he pushed around and got everything he wanted?
This is just more of the Fehr "hype" . If there was audio i'm sure somebody would've played "bad to the bone" in the background.
The lockout in 94 was over a cap and the owners didn't get what they wanted because they weren't prepared to sacrifice a season. Oh yea, Bettman just steamrolled those guys.
Lest we forget Goodenow told the players to prepare for a 2 year lockout in 2004 if they wanted to avoid having a cap. He never waivered from his mandate until the players revolted on him when they were staring down a second lost season. The 57% and a lost season was the price the owners had to pay. Man that Goodenow just rolled over and begged on that one when Bettman beckened?
So let's be clear, the owners have had to claw for every concession they've gotten from the NHLPA. I don't get where the NHL has had it easy in the past.
The only purpose of that article was to build up Fehr and to tell the NHL to give up on ever getting a concession from him.
I have no doubt that Fehr would rather see the NHL never play again than give in. What's it to him? He restructured the NHLPA so he isn't vulnerable to a player revolt like Goodenow was so he can sit on his throne, set meeting dates that he never intends to show up for and watch basketball because it makes no difference to him. He get's paid.
There's no method of negotiation that the owners could be using that put's them in a better situatoin than they are now.
This is why i think there will be no hockey this year.
