PRO HOCKEY NOTES
Jacobs remarks a thorn in Thornton's side
By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell | December 26, 2004
Bruins captain Joe Thornton was less than thrilled when he read comments by team owner Jeremy Jacobs in this space last Sunday in which Jacobs said he thought one of the reasons for the sport's malaise is that the top players don't give 100 percent every game.
"There's a whole body of thinking by a lot of people within the sport who feel the high-priced players don't necessarily play every day," Jacobs said. "They play intermittently and that has added to some of the dullness. When you pay a lot for a player, you expect him to play a lot, so we're playing a lot of guys who maybe we shouldn't be playing, who aren't really giving it the kind of interest that needs to be shown in this game.
"They're comfortable, they're presumptuous, they know they're going to play and they don't have to fight for the position. There should be a way of handling that. There should be a way of perhaps sending them to a Providence for a couple of games or so until they build back the energy and the desire to play. That's the view of some, I don't say it's Jerry Jacobs's view, but it's been suggested that perhaps the game would be a whole lot more interesting if people skated harder every game as opposed to just mailing it in."
Thornton, currently playing for Davos of the Swiss Elite League during the lockout, was taken aback by the owner's comments.
"I was offended," said Thornton, reached by phone in Switzerland. "You've got to be offended. Personally, I think we're the best-[conditioned] athletes in the world. In my mind, I was thinking, `Wow, I can't believe he's saying that.' He's obviously not coming to the FleetCenter enough. I pride myself on working hard every game. You see [top] players getting hacked and whacked and having to play through that. You work hard for 82 games and it's the toughest grind in pro sports. That takes a lot out of you. It's the quickest and the best game in the world and it's a shame the owners won't let us play."
Thornton has followed the labor negotiations during his stint overseas and said although he's disappointed there is no NHL hockey, he -- like so many others -- isn't surprised.
When asked if he would accept a salary cap in order to save the season, Thornton said he agreed with the NHL Players' Association and that his answer was a resounding no. He even took it a step further, saying he wouldn't accept a salary cap even if it meant saving his career as an NHL player.
"We're not going to take it," he said. "They're trying to break the union and it's not going to happen. What, are the Providence Bruins going to be the Boston Bruins now? I don't know. I don't see no NHL in the future."
Thornton said Jacobs's criticism of the best and brightest players doesn't make him remotely hopeful of a resolution.
"With him saying stuff about the star players, it's not going to help," he said.
Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic didn't take kindly to Jacobs's comments, either, telling the Denver Post: "Here in Denver, we want to thank Jeremy Jacobs for the way he runs his business," said Sakic. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten Ray Bourque and won a Stanley Cup. Other than that, I don't pay much attention to what he has to say."
The NHL's Board of Governors has a meeting scheduled for Jan. 14 in New York, at which time it's expected what many have suspected for months will be made official -- the 2004-05 season officially will be canceled.
Oates takes a stand
For a vastly different view of the union's position, look no further than former Bruins star Adam Oates, who retired last spring and now lives in Palm Springs, Calif. Oates went through the lockout in 1994 and although he was sympathetic to the union's position, he was an alternative voice from the hardliners. At that time, Oates publicly wondered what good the loss of income was doing the middle- and lower-tiered players who were never going to recoup that money. Oates still feels that way.
"The biggest thing for the players is we talk about how we're solidified [as a union] and you've got 300 guys making money [playing in Europe] and that is not solidified in my eyes," he said. "We talk about the union and [it's] always looking after the little guy and how the big guy is always going to be looked after. Well, we're not looking out for the little guy because the big guys are still making money in Europe. Or you've got a bunch of guys who can afford to go a year and a half without hockey. The little guys on the totem pole, they must be dying right now, panicking. I've got enough money, I'm not rolling in it, but I could take the $600,000 I lost [in '94] and give it to my brother and sisters. Everybody could. It's a joke to say otherwise."
On the issue of a salary cap, Oates said he can't understand the union's vehemence, provided the payroll number is high enough.
"It's ludicrous that with no TV deal we don't have a salary cap, but I think the numbers should be very flexible," he said. "We have to admit there is no TV deal, so there should be a cap, but the league should be flexible in agreeing that certain markets do better than others and there should be a luxury tax in those markets. I don't have a problem with a salary cap. We've got six or eight teams making money because they've got a great fan base and a great ownership situation. So, have a luxury tax on them and give that money to the other teams."
Oates said he's always been a strong proponent of a hard salary cap for rookies, something the union accepted in the last collective bargaining agreement, but it was circumvented by owners, in general, and the Bruins, in particular, who loaded up Thornton's contract with bonuses that became the model for entry-level players.
"If [a team gives a first-year player] a couple of million bucks and he turns out not to be a player, you just lost a couple of million," said Oates. "That's a lot of money in hockey. Because he got so much, he's in the NHL. If you're allowed to pay that guy reasonable money -- a couple of hundred grand and a couple of hundred grand [as a signing bonus] -- and he goes to the minors, learns to play hockey and he gets better, then he's up in five years and he's making $2 million because he's earned it. We didn't want to give in to a salary cap for rookies [in 1994] and I was like, `Well, why not?' "
Oates said he watched as one former teammate -- forward Stanislav Chistov, who was taken by Anaheim with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2001 draft -- signed a lucrative deal as a rookie and was pressured to develop faster than he was ready to because of his salary. Oates said the youngster didn't have to fight for what he had, was playing in situations he shouldn't have been in, and didn't really learn the game. Then he was criticized in his second season. Ultimately, he ended up demoted to the minors, where Oates believes he should've started.
"He can go back to Russia with $3 million in his pocket," said Oates. "It's good for him, but is it good for hockey? Obviously, the answer is no."
Oates said he blames both sides for the predicament, but he said if he had a message for players now, it would be to look after yourself -- whether it be in on-ice battles or union battles. In the end, he says, you're the only one who'll be supporting you and once you're out of the sport, no matter how much you've sacrificed, you'll need a ticket to get into a game just like everybody else.
"It's a job. What matters is when your kids have food on their plates. You know what matters to me? My family. We can all say we care about winning. But how many guys who have their name on the [Stanley] Cup would trade the ring for another year's salary? I bet you 80 percent. [A fellow player] told me, `The ring is everything,' and I said, `No, it's not.' I pointed to his son and said, `That's everything.' Yeah, you want to win, but it's not everything. Take care of your family."
Issue in Bertuzzi case
The attorney for Steve Moore of the Avalanche wants an inquiry by the attorney general in British Columbia into why his client wasn't able to appear in court during Wednesday's sentencing of Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi. Last March 8, Bertuzzi mugged Moore during a game and Moore suffered serious injuries. Attorney Tim Danson said when he learned of the court date, there wasn't enough time to get his client to Vancouver. "Steve is not passing judgment on the plea bargain, he's not passing judgment on the sentence," said Danson. "All he asked was to be heard. I don't know what impact it would've had, but it was a real simple request. Victims have the right to face the accused. He had a right to look at Todd Bertuzzi if he chose and let Todd Bertuzzi understand what impact this has [had]." Bertuzzi, who pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm, received a conditional discharge, a sentence that could carry no criminal record . . . Notice of the Board of Governors meeting rankled Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe. "Do they really need a meeting?" said McCabe. "I mean, [commissioner Gary Bettman] has been poised to throw away [this] season for the past five years. I think he's known this was going to happen for a long time now." If [when?] it happens, it will mark the first time in history that one of the four major pro sports leagues in North America will cancel a full season. On that upbeat note, Happy Holidays.
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Well, first off, let me give a big f-u to Thornton and McCabe...whiny b!tches. :|
Also, a huge :thumbsup: goes to Adam Oates!
Cheers,
Insane3D
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