As I'm sure many of you know the NHL is in the midst of a lockout. Meaning the NHL and their teams have locked out the players to try to coax the players into agreeing to a new controlled bargaining agreement. This new controlled bargaining agreement if the NHL had their way, would cut players salary by a sizable chunk therefore freeing up more money so the league and the owners could make a larger profit. This lockout affects a lot of people in a lot of ways and I won't pretend I know everything that's going on in this lockout, because I honestly don't. But I'm going to try to give my honest opinions and express what this lockout means to me and how it affects me.
First off I want to say that I hate this lockout and I'm quite pissed at Gary Bettman and all the owners that pushed for this lockout. Because first off it's forcing some clubs like the Florida Panthers to layoff some of their employees, but secondly it's just ruining this season for me every year I look to hockey to pull me through school and it gives me something to look forward to. But now what can I look forward to? The almost weekly updates of the CBA meetings and constant media output telling which side of the argument is in the wrong? No thanks. Bottom line this season is always going to tarnished for me when ever I look back on this season I'm just going to think one thing "Man that lockout ruined an entire year of hockey." And it's my senior year in high school after this who knows how many Jacket's games I'll be able to get to? I was ecstatic about the All-Star game coming to Columbus I thought what a way to end my senior year right? Wrong! This season is going to be tarnished all because Gary Bettman and some of the owners want more money and to get out of the terrible contracts THEY SIGNED AND PROPOSED IN THE FIRST PLACE!
Now the city of Columbus might not even get the All-Star Game until 2015 if this season is eliminated due to the lockout. Because 2014 is a Winter Olympics year so there won't be an All-Star Game which means that the earliest possible time we'd get the All-Star Game if the lockout lasts the whole season is 2015. Which just ticks me off because the city of Columbus made a lot of preparations and renovations for this All-Star Game and now they are going to take it away from it just so the owners don't have to be on the hook for the lucrative contracts they signed. This just shows me that the NHL couldn't care any less about small market teams like the Blue Jackets, it shows me that as long as the big markets like Toronto, Detroit, New York etc. are doing well then they don't care what happens to the small market teams. This lockout is hurting small teams even more because they really aren't making any money at all and this lockout hurts the Blue Jackets because it leaves them at the bottom of the barrel league-wise and they aren't being given a chance to change that.
Not only does this lockout hurt fans, but it also hurts the cities that have small market teams, and it will really hurt the city of Columbus if the lockout lasts the whole season. The lockout's affects will be felt almost globally with all the players going over seas to play. Bottom line this lockout is putting people out of work, making players bide time playing in other leagues, damages the NHL's view in the public's eye, tarnishes the season in the eye of hockey fans, and it needs to stop I don't care what it takes at this point the owners and the players need to cowboy up and get this CBA done.
