Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Learn From The Experts

This is absolutely hysterical:


The team that hasn't made the playoffs since... well let's just check the counter:

...ok let's just say it has been a while and leave it at that.  But they're going to help other coaches select their Tim Hortons' or something!  You could write a whole comedy routine about this: "Yes, Mr. Coach, welcome to the Leafs Coaching Clinic.  First, could you show us how you are doing things so we can see... erm... uh... what to correct?"

The only way this would be more hysterical would be if it was announced just after a coaching change.  (Update: it was, kinda.)

Tune in next week when the Leafs host their clinic for General Managers!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Economic Impact

There was a lot of hand-wringing in the Ottawa Citizen on the weekend about the NHL strike, and the spin-off economic impact that said strike was going to have.

Personally I don't see the problem in the larger picture.  I have faith that my hockey fan citizens can dig deep and find other things to spend their money on: different bars and restaurants, gadgets, family, whatever.  I seriously doubt that the typical hockey fan will save their money or reduce their debts this year.

In the large view, all that money will get funneled into different parts of the economy, parts that will undoubtedly experience a return to long term norms once hockey returns.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Chirping The CBA: Selling Cap Space

So one fine idea which will never see the light of day in the actual CBA was an idea in one of the offers by the players that rich teams which found themselves in need of hockey talent but with a shortage of cap space could undertake to buy unused cap space from another team for actual cash money.   This I thought was an interesting idea.  It would be a ready-made mechanism to transfer an unused asset from a poor team in exchange for the cash money that a rich team is making hand over fist.

Of course I'd want to limit it.  Say that at opening night, your cap hit had to be in line with the regulations for the season.  Say that said cap space had to be purchased at the full year rate, even if it was only used for a third of the season.  So if you needed to hire a guy who got $3 million a year, you'd pay at least $3 million to some other team to use their cap space for the rest of the year.  And oh yes you still have to pay the trade and pay the guy.  And then find some way to be legal before the next opening night.

Of course people won't go for it.  It would let rich teams like Toronto buy their way out of their terrible management, and while I agree that's bad, something like this would be a market to permit teams with unused cap to get money from the richer teams.  And the rich teams would be getting something for their money, unlike revenue sharing.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

McKenzie on the CBA

TSN's Bob McKenzie considers the CBA negotiations.  Although I disagree with his conclusions, it is a pretty good detailed survey of the situation today as we head into the lockout.  I agree with his assessments of both the league's and the PA's relative offers: they both totally miss the point.

Unrelated: The last time we had a strike, poker made its big splash into our collective attentions.  While poker has definitely had its last gasp as a "mainstream" "sport", I wonder if something else interesting will make its appearance in the gap that hockey will leave.