CapnSmitty

http://www.sportsnet...wn_nhl_spector/

This part made me laugh out loud.

The players are equally at fault. They and their agents -- in orchestration with the NHLPA -- never missed a chance to sign a ridiculous deal, to prey on some GM whose job was on the line if he didn’t improve his roster to win some games, to drive salaries through the roof.

Yes, those poor poor GM's, who with their approval of their owners extended ridiculous contracts to the players, which the players then signed.  

The economic model of the NHL was not sustainable, which is why a cap was installed.  The owners drove contracts up amongst themselves.  Of course players (and certainly agents) were happy to take advantage of that.  It's not realistic to think a player would pass up money for the good of the league, as if they gave up $3 million, the owner would use that money to somehow benefit all of the NHL instead of just putting it in his pocket.

The responsibility of running a successful franchise ultimately is on the owners and GM's.  We're lucky enough with Detroit to have a great owner who knows what he's doing.

As Fehr pointed out, what's in it for the players in any of these offers from the NHL?  The concessions the union is mainly asking for is a less insane reduction from the league.  They're not asking to get rid of the cap.  The league is so fixated on ratcheting down players salary that it seems like they haven't even discussed things like contract length.  And that's where I think the union can do some giving. Length of CBA. Length of player contracts.

Here are couple other things players can offer to the league.
- Make the cap number to equal actual salary (kill the front-loaded contracts)
- Remove players option for the 5% cap inflator

I finally get it.  frankgrimes is Jim Balsille.  One of the 3 people left on earth who use a blackberry, and has a total hate hard on for Bettman and the owners to the exclusion of everything else.  Still mad they wouldn't let you buy the Pens or Predators, or circumvent everything for the Coyotes?

Seriously, we get it.  The owners should be forced to give 99% of the revenue to the players, pay for all other costs out of their own pockets, and let the players pick what nights they play and who their teammates are.  Hell, lets dismantle the front offices, and let the players have a multibillion dollar beer league.  Screw the owners who pay for the buildings, staff, insurance costs, medical, etc.

It is really simple. If the owners don't want to spend as much as they do they shouldn't offer it in the first place, now they want to renege on their offers and are locking the players and us (where the revenues come from) for their own stupidity.
There is a lot more I would like to say about your reply but I will bite my tongue

Because its not a known fact that since Bettman gave ESPN the finger and went to Versus (now NBCsports) that ESPNs budget for hockey coverage became $43.25 in a calendar year.

I agree with everyone here.  Its ESPN.  ESPN is the same network that would delay or cancel showings of hockey on their network for golf back in the day.  One day, I turned on a scheduled game only to find professional poker on instead.  ESPN is not the destination for hockey news.  It never was, and it probably never will be.

I like our team. We kicked the tires. Darren Helm is our big acquisition; remember, he wasn't available to us when we faced the Predators. We have to think long-term, big picture. We can't just go out and add a couple big names, that's the reality of the cap era and parity. We only have so much spending money. Danny Cleary. Certainly we have gotten bigger, tougher, younger, faster - and there's still a whole lot of time left and a wealth of options. The CBA means we're not going to see any more big deals. (Shae Weber does not exist; he is a hoax.) We like to think of our power play as our enforcer. Youth. You can't win the Cup ever year.

Semin will come to Detroit, and the season will have a happy ending in June.  

I can foresee it.

I see what you did there....Semin.....Happy Ending....

I will take big fast and nasty from any country

I wouldn't count Kenny out yet.  He had to have an alternative plan in case he missed out on Parise and Suter.  He alluded to the fact it may take the rest of the summer.  Teams are not going to just give away top players.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Kenny does.  I think any Yandle trade has to invlove Filppula going back the other way.  I'm just not sure what else Kenny would have to add to make the Yotes make the deal.

We are NOT getting Yandle.  Thats a pipe dream if i ever saw one.  We missed the boat on the parise/suter lottery.  Now we are screwed.  Simple.

The Red Wings DO NOT need fake fans like you.  Go cheer for Minnesota.

In 10 years, the Wings brass will be glad they didn't sign Suter and Parise

CAPGEEK.COM USER GENERATED ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
Zach Parise ($36.500m)
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Suter ($35.400m)
GOALTENDERS
Al Sobotka ($0.099m)

MAKE THE WHISTLES STOP

I am currently seeking a new putter and came across this beautiful specimen, it can be yours for just over a hundred bones.  I might get one just to have in my bag, though I am not sure Id use it much...but enough of that Im cuing up Happy Gilmore.

It's time to go with the youth and get bigger and stronger. Bert,Homer and Lidstrom all need to retire. Hudler needs to go play in midget league.
Howard needs another goalie to push him for the starting job.

Well I don't know about you guys but I don't understand why people keep talking about cutting down injuries & cheapshots when we all know they will never stop b/c we all know players want the other teams players to get injured b/c those teams will be easier to beat. Also fans want the teams other players to miss time due to injury b/c they get a better chance of watching their team win. Case in point I have no problem if the Preds suffer a rash of injuries or Pens, Canucks, Sharks for that matter. In the world of sports its all about looking out for #1 and just getting your team to win or the team that you have cash on if you are a bettor.

I think the league has to accept that professional sports is all about winning and the only way to put away the injury/cheapshot issues to bed is to legalize it and let the players all knock each other out until we have no healthy bodies left and then they will learn their lessons only then.

Also you have to look at the coaching and I bet if you ask any NHL coach if they would like Cindy Crybaby injured or healthy and all 29 coaches will say they rather him injured b/c he can't hurt me from the press box. It's that plain & simple b/c winning is everything in pro sports and if you have a chance to injure someone with a clean hit you do so and if you want to take a cheapshot to injure someone you do it at your own risk as there will be some retribution from the other teams players.