Winter Classic to be cancelled at 2 pm
ESPN has sources that have told them the announcement comes this afternoon.
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:21 PM ^
Fire Bettman. I don't care to know the specifics of this situation, just fire him.
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^
It's not his fault. He's just a puppet of the owners
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:34 PM ^
That doesn't really mean this is all Bettman's fault. That just supported what is already known. A few teams (BOS, ANA, CLB, FLA, NYI, PHX, STL, WSH and DAL) are driving this thing and Bettman is just a puppet for them.
November 2nd, 2012 at 5:43 PM ^
Stop it. Bettman is the worst commish by far, and it will be laughable when all the talent signs in comparable Euro leagues. The players have tried to bring reasonable offers only to be immediately shot down. If I was a top player I'd sign in another league. Bettman will kill the NHL or die trying.
November 2nd, 2012 at 6:18 PM ^
There's no doubt that Bettman is the worst commish in pro sports, definitely one of the worst of all time, but this lockout is being driven by the owners.
To say anything else is just foolish
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
Assassinate bettman!!! I'm so pissed right now. Was looking forward to the two days of the GLI and of course the WC itself
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:33 PM ^
You poor hockey fan.
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^
I follow college hockey a lot closer than I do the NHL. All I cared about was going to see the two days of the GLI and being able to bring my mother over to see her fav team (Toronto) play in an aMAIZEing venue with what was expected to be just crazy atmosphere
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^
In fact after this game being cancelled I hope the just cancel the whole season. I'm tired of having to hear about how the NHL might die. Just fucking die already
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:18 PM ^
Well, that a little—you know—extreme...
November 2nd, 2012 at 3:32 PM ^
There's always curling.
EDIT: What are the odds that Chip Kelly would see those pants and think, "Hmmmmm...."?
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:28 AM ^
getting any ideas from those pants. Are those guys even aware that they're wearing Ohio colors?
November 3rd, 2012 at 8:51 AM ^
calm down buddy... it is just sports. no matter how important you think it is you need to calm down.
jdon
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:45 PM ^
Worst commisioner in the history of sports.
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:27 PM ^
I hate everyone. Everyone in the whole world.
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:30 PM ^
Jim, you back on the liquor yet?
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
Dammit, Jim, you're drunk again!
Alas, I also hate everyone... everyone named Gary F'ing Bettman!
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
So you are tellin me there's a chance!
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^
thats too bad. not really a surprise though
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^
The NHL is so well run.
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:50 PM ^
I dont get why they keep coming out and putting a deadline on when it will be canceled. We all know that no deal is going to be done anytime soon
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
Had to do with an increase in money owed for cancellation.
November 2nd, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^
Not really, all fees except the 100,000 were refundable. So they could cancel it December 31st, and still get all of their money back from UM
November 2nd, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
They could be wrong, but-
If it doesn’t do so by Friday, the league will be stuck with a $250,000 bill from the University of Michigan.
After Friday, the next payment deadline for the NHL is December 7 at which point the league will owe Michigan another $1 million.
I guess it depends on how much "out of pocket expenses" would have happened by that point.
http://www.annarbor.com/2012/02/20/NHL%20AGREEMENT.pdf
But I wouldn't put it past AA.com to have the contract and misread it.
November 2nd, 2012 at 1:56 PM ^
Players & Owners try to negotiate a settlement once again...
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
I don't care anymore. College hockey has always been more enjoyable for me anyways.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:28 PM ^
because getting the Wings on TV is hard enough as it is, but college needs more TV exposure to completely replace the NHL in the way NCAA football does with the NFL for me.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
The Bud Ice Penguin would do a better job than Bettman. He hates the players, the Red Wings and orphans.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:07 PM ^
Isf you wanna get in the boys hole
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:14 PM ^
It's truly amazing how the NHL is the only league that can't fucking figure out how to play a fucking season in a bargaining year. It's not like the other leagues don't have basically the same labor issues.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:29 PM ^
Supposedly, this would have brought $75 to $80 million in mainly tourism revenue to the I-94 corridor between Detroit and Ann Arbor, but revenue all the same for the area, so there's that as well. Thanks, NHL...the fact that you and the NHLPA haven't spoken in two weeks but have "tenatively agreed to resume bargaining" gives me so much hope.
Fairly soon, "to lock out" will be "to Bettman". For example - I left my keys in the car and Bettmaned myself.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^
I had tickets to the Winter Classic...so seeing as how now I don't plan on spending any money on the NHL again any time real soon I would love to purchase a Michigan hockey jersey. I've been a fan for a while (since starting undergrad in 2006) but have never put my meager (now medical student) funds towards a nice jersey. Anyway, the problem is that I really do not like the "block M" Michigan jerseys that have been worn recently. Is there anywhere I can find a regular men's large/XL of the older maize with a giant blue Block M hockey jersey? I will buy it today with my now recouped winter classic funds if anyone knows where to get one online. Help me mgofriends!
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:35 PM ^
You can get a vintage 80s-90s jerseys and be the talk of the town.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:34 PM ^
on hockey altogether. Second major workstoppage in recent years is just frustrating as all hell. This is annoying because I'm a Blackhawks fan and they've finally seemed to have gotten great again, it had been hard to root for them from 1995-2007. I'm used to hating the owners though, because former team owner Bill Wirtz was a cheap douche much hated in the city for being a cheap douche (seriously, the fans booed at the moment of silence after his death). I'm not surprised that the owners are being greedy (not that the players aren't as well) but I wish they could just get their crap together like the other sports and avoid major labor issues for a change. Oh well.
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:20 PM ^
Good news: You can give up on the NHL without giving up on hockey. There is lots of other hockey being played that you can focus on.
Trust me; there are a lot of people who will be doing just this if the NHL blows up the season.
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:35 PM ^
I meant to say *NHL* Hockey in my original post, didn't notice my mistake until you pointed it out, my bad. I enjoy Chicago Wolves games, they're fun and cheap. And obviously if I can get back up to AA in the winter I try and take in a game at Yost.
November 2nd, 2012 at 2:43 PM ^
According to SI.com, and assuming the labor dispute will be settled by next season, the plan is to have the Winter Classic still occur at the Big House, just a year later.
November 2nd, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
while now because of all this. Also FYI I have two NHL jerseys left. Both size XL one LA Kings black mid 2000s and Carolina Hurricanes red. Both CCM and in great shape. Drop me a message at [email protected] if interested.
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:07 PM ^
How to kill a league in 90 days...
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 PM ^
May Bettman and the owners take flying leaps at rolling doughnuts.
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 PM ^
The saddest/most ironic thing about Bettman? He majored in Industrial and Labor Relations in college (Cornell).
November 2nd, 2012 at 7:16 PM ^
Donald Fehr: 6 labor stoppages
Gary Bettman: 3 labor stoppages
Let's stop pretending the NHL is 110% at fault. The writing was on the wall when the players hired Fehr.
The reason the owners walked out of the last meeting is because while the plans were "reasonable" from a percentages stand point, the players association was attempting to redefine what constituted hockey related revenues. Essentially, they said sure we'll do 50:50 if we can redefine revenues such that 50% new revenues > or = 57% old revenues. HRR had already been agreed upon by the NHL and PA and the owners refused to start from scratch with those negotiations.
The owners certainly aren't perfect, far from it, but the players aren't giving a fair effort either. So can we stop with the Gary Bettman sucks worst commishoner ever? NHL revenues doubling over the past 7 years and unanimous support from the owners (i.e. his boses) would strongly suggest otherwise.
November 3rd, 2012 at 1:07 AM ^
at least they plan to do it next year.
We deserve to see many, many drunk Maple Leafs fans in Ann Arbor.
November 3rd, 2012 at 8:48 AM ^
Blow the whole thing up. Have the players make their own teams, then they can keep 100% of the money!
Seriously though, get rid of PHX, Tampa Bay, Florida, Anaheim. Fold 2 of them, move 2 to Canada.
November 3rd, 2012 at 11:11 AM ^
The NHL is on the verge of another cancelled season while the NBA resolved its dispute last year just in time for the nauseating Heat to win it all. There is no God