Yes, Bettman and Goodenow are “skunks,” as that elderly Canadian had written into his obituary. Last-minute optimism, driven by the players’ acceptance of a salary cap, wasn’t enough, as the NHL today became the first professional sports league to lose an entire season to a labor dispute.
Perhaps the dispute will eventually be solved in the courts, or one side will simply cave so the league can resume next fall. But more likely, we’re about to see replacement players.
And if they do... hey, I see an opportunity. See, I always wanted to play hockey growing up. But in Minnesota, the sport is so dominant that if you want to play competitively, you pretty much have to have started when you were five, and I didn't do that.
Now's my chance. Because if the league ends up using replacements, I can't imagine the quality of play will be much higher than that of the Minnesota State High School League. Though I would be a bit apprehensive about taking a job from one of my high school classmates.
Posted by Stephen Silver at February 16, 2005 06:43 PM