Jack Edwards on the NHL Lockout: The rocks might melt and the sea may burn before we see Hockey return

The trip reporters in this latest suicide attempt by the NHL don't get. It. They don't get it. Hockey's leaders failed they failed the sport. They failed the fans. I can this be happening were almost at Thanksgiving. And the movement. Not much between the players association and the owners of the National Hockey League. And I can tell you that our guy Jack Edwards is very depressed. Jack I hold on a body. Well Mel it's great to be back -- -- it's good to have you X that the they and Michael -- 200 other Brooklyn to try to figure out how they're gonna ensure order a hockey rink into that building could not looking at the seating chart Barkley shatter it sure looks that they got one goal line up against one of the walls. Yeah I don't know how to gonna do it pay at the arena -- -- -- up like you do it -- Lockett down mystery yet. Dean street here Brooklyn and bam there it is an edge -- it is the right way of describing it. And it's an it's an avid basketball arena but maybe. You haven't I don't know which NHL arena you would describe that -- but this would be yet. And a property under the property that they built on haven't seen it since has been built -- It literally is one bowl right my right one block and it fitted at. But -- right. Why didn't they anticipate. Epic about the NHL what you think about the possibility there might be ice shows and other things that you could actually bring that thing. -- what are you know obviously I haven't been that building yet but you know the owners. So they're gonna move and there are a couple of years. And when I looked at the -- sort of reminded me of America west arena which is where a coyote used to -- -- that that thing out in Glendale and one end. You could not see well there were no ice level seats and there was an upper deck just as there's going to be a part which senator and and war and you could not see -- from the faceoff dots all the way to the goals and they couldn't convince product. Get people buy tickets are so that's -- beer for a walk. And so they -- both sections out first -- most people couldn't see out the goal that was scored the game but you know by its on the goals are scored their relating care. They solved that problem. -- how is it -- we just don't have movement here and it's certainly seems like Donald Fehr is being resistant on one side. And the owners and some say it's Jeremy Jacobs. Who has been adamant about not moving on the owners' side. Yeah you know when you don't like -- I talked about this way back in September and we said that really -- scary thing about. Starting out with a lockout as a tactic. Is that you're gonna get tit for tat and what's gonna happen is to lock the players out early. And then you're gonna miss preceding games which are cash cow for a lot not all of a lot of voters like for instance -- -- -- Montreal. The players don't get paid during the pre season that's 21000 seats are paying premium price for a hockey game and the owners what. So then the owners say well we're gonna make the players their -- organ that make them this couple paychecks and then. You get this -- escalation Norma. While that the factors that seem to be playing out right now. I'm I'll make it court so we don't for people are not just the money that they're gonna divide up but now we're talking about. Player contract terms winning contracts of five years you can't have that. Dive off the end contracts to go way down. But what really what the players are now saying it's for guys like. I would say -- a guy like -- it's -- guy like Patrick Kane. We're still early in their careers and you -- project and how easily another fifteen years with the way players states. And last longer. If their star players these days. If you all through their career earnings trajectory now. At this stage in their careers and give up the contract rights that the NHL as far as we know is currently demanding. Your altering their cover things like fifty. Fifteen million dollars. For these guys. Over the course of their careers and that's not -- that just like they'll which has been so don't go that's what that don't go to they're going to the owners of their teams. And and they're saying what happened to that word partnership that was generic. With the -- live with the last collective bargaining agreement is coming out of that. Coming out about lock out there was all this talk about what we want control -- to -- And you -- what the deal and after they broke the deal. Well -- -- growth player out we will ought to Colgate. But. You know the players are gonna take all the rest of the downside. And the Porter cup the start Albert giving back 44%. -- in non starter in the negotiations -- absolute non starter and they haven't gotten even to squirt who. After that square one. Was stitched up that's the the initial offer. Well any time there's a it'll lock out or a strike in professional sports we always say there are lots of entertainment options out there and if people who don't have hockey they will go somewhere else and focus on -- and also what what do you think hockey fans. Like you are focusing on now. Well you know during the NFL season it's pretty easy to find again because they're playing. Sunday Monday Thursday and they'll start when insiders in the summer. The NBA's actually start to get a lot of our attention you know it. The green thought it was a beautiful thing -- I was actually listening that this Charlotte back with the Maxwell so that I would drove off the orders tremendous but. I think a lot of people are looking at the NBA I know a lot of an original fans watched some College Hockey but they're not quite as passionate about that what they're committed to a certain school. Or they're they're just they're just pick in the past all of sports -- just -- elect. Receives it would imagine that committee. I'm sure people -- perhaps. I don't -- -- -- sports fans who don't think about sports at all they -- crazy but if you're -- that -- -- -- that you are about hockey and all sports. You imagine. Just taking a pass on sports. Altogether you know a lot of people who do that. I know a lot of -- hockey sense you just feel that something's missing that are wondered you know. Their. There's really for the committed -- shelf and and those of the people who were really. Getting calls the worst here because those of the people who had a terrible economy dug deep in their pockets and priest that 3.3 billion dollars is -- a corporate revenue streams get past the longer the hockey and who you know buy those products and and are are drawn to those products by the -- A lot of those people are just that something's missing in our lives right now. And there's nothing that really can replace you can watch cage -- games can be bored after a few minutes. Have violated that pretty much put to rest this notion of we ought to have a bigger rights are. In fact. Anybody who's watched some of those kids don't get you don't get the contentiousness for the plot that's part of every second of the NHL -- -- -- Think it was a its absolute. Ultimate it'd made more money than it ever made more teams from making more money than ever before and they intentionally drive off the track like this it's just missed the. You're right have watched a little bit of -- on on the Internet and it does have a different feel and look to its specially behind Google around a goal it just seems like. A different game hit the one issue that it. I don't think we've got the desperation on each side Jack and I don't think we're gonna get a deal done. Until we get to that desperate mode 'cause it's pretty obvious. That neither side respects the other side because of your respective the other side. You believe what they're telling you so there's no trustee -- so the owners it's only the players. We got to come up with a new business model even though we thought. The business model that we gave you the deal 06 was pretty much we were going to be be dealing with the conditions change we can't do that anymore for. The players don't believe that I'm not sure the owners believe the other orders. So if you've got a lack of trust. In the room when you're dealing. Until we get to the point where the players finally say. My life's nagging me I can't make my monthly payments we've got to come back to work or the only owners finally say hey guys. I I've got to lease on the on the arena here I gotta I gotta make payments or whatever we got to do something we get to that what Jack. I don't think we'd come close to getting it. Yeah I agree with England and and you know the players association has not blameless here and you know I've I know I've spoken passionately about the first shot. That was fired that. Official negotiations. That point 4% rollback which. Which was a non starter and -- got it -- -- in completely the wrong direction. But the -- -- efficient vehicle blameless here and they've been stubborn and they've tried view. Exert their leverage or they've perceived. That they've had what. You know you know and also what what it throws into and all looking quite packed by. You alluded to. To Jeremy Jacobs. -- assembly all the Boston Bruins. There have been stories that he is he is so hard -- I don't know you know and maybe years. Maybe it's a number of guys. Maybe there -- arguments they're going on within the orders other than. Reports probably speculative that there's disagreement among the owners like. Yeah there's. Yeah it is is beginning ticket chisel away on both sides. And really that the saddest thing of all is that. The hard core fan is the one that takes a pounding in the -- and and something that I threw in the commentary you guys use this. Believe -- Two missiles segment. Is that. You know. What failed to return and they will return is not an endorsement of this lockout it is it is not an endorsement of this strategy and it is not an endorsement of either party. Or their tactics and what it is is -- says that they want to get in spite of these fools. Who have driven them away. Those were trying to drive them away in who've tried to ruin the game because you know part of the responsibility of of of the the leaders of this game and the players association as well as to deliver to hardcore fan. National Hockey League action on the second Wednesday of October every single year. Well this is to -- on that they want and as it stands -- there were to go back to work two weeks ago striking an agreement tonight. They will missed 14%. Of the games. Over the last nine years if this goes all season it'll -- 20%. Of the games over the last nine years. Yet economic and I don't know -- they could lose and and and another in hires season you know I truly believe that certainly in this market if they come back even the middle of January. And we have a condensed season it'll be the toughest ticket to buy -- the -- -- because like I think. First of all people -- thirsty for it. Second of all it's a team it's only a year removed from winning this gimmick up -- you think that they were in the mix to do what again -- so people are gonna buy it I think some of the other markets. Are gonna get lacked in this in -- -- Jack but if you miss the entire season you might even hurt your fan base here in Boston. There it can happen you know of which we thought about a -- you know we're that Tom patty were here and my daughter told ministers out but -- Now the -- -- -- -- return the the Iraq might not -- a bird and that you'd never know he's your -- you're not sit around that you're sort of golden -- right now we know that's. The fair parade or -- well in excess of 3.3 billion dollars. Hockey related revenues for this season there were right. They were ready they couldn't wait for the beginning of the season. Now it's not gonna come close to that end we talked about condensed season. If they construct an agreement now the players are gonna say wait a slightly different -- -- you're talking about a 38 game regular season but for eight weeks of playoffs. -- the players don't get paid their salaries during the playoffs. So what you're gonna for -- regular I. You know I think that's a great point. Yeah that is a great -- that's a great point because of our players come back in a condensed season. Art might be fun for the fans the fans may say OK that's enough games most look at the playoffs. But if you're a player what are you gonna do you're gonna demand that those games in the post season resolutely out early part of your -- And I just it is just another wrinkle -- this -- that and asked you this. If you take away fear. -- -- And you take away takeaways on -- -- that you take Kuwait Gary Bettman gives me somebody if it's possible. So powerful voice some powerful. Person who could change the course of things here. And possibly in the lockout is that person exist or influential lockout and put pressure people. Well yeah I mean if we're up to me that there were up to me I think I would. I would take Brendan Shanahan. To represent the league centrists. And I would take Mark Recchi. To represent the players' interests now that they haven't done by sundown and it's certainly here in economic it has SP it. At that wreck wreck he's comets were quite interest they were they were quite often very strong after. But but what if you guys those are two guys who put hockey book everything. And clearly people on both sides have put something else that at a hockey and that is what. It is. The deepest wounds to the art portrait that that somebody's port. So we're now ahead of the game that they love and they have given so much of their disposable income to such a terrible economy -- -- you'll -- to about. Jack will continue to check in with you and hopefully they get this thing resolved to get you back here in studio we can actually. Really talk about some -- -- -- us. -- appointed secretary catharsis for me I can't thank enough. I'd rather take take carries -- no paycheck no sharp objects in the house okay. Yeah an IQ what the result you now. At the act at Jack but I near the village.