Fans sound off on NHL labour negotiations
Asked "whose side are you on," majority of fans say they support neither
On Thursday, we asked you to vote for who you supported in the current collective bargaining agreement: the NHL players association or the owners. The top response in our totally unscientific poll? Neither side.
As of 11 a.m. ET on Friday, the question "who do you support?" garnered 1,382 votes. Here's a breakdown of the numbers and your comments on why you feel the way you do about the current labour snafu:
19.68 per cent, or 272 total votes went to the owners
Top response in favour of the league:
MyDogSpenser: "Don't the players make enough as it is? One player earns more in a year than I earn in 5. Is it greed, or what? Is there ever going to be enough money to keep the players happy?"
38.71 per cent, or 535 total votes went to the players
Top responses in favour of the NHLPA:
Scratch22: "If they would stop handing out huge contracts we would not be in this situation.If the league is making too much money that they have to fight over it maybe they should lower ticket prices and give the fans a break."
Improbi: "The players bent over backwards & took many concessions to the owners in the last owner induced lockout. Now the owners want the players give up more financially to make up the lack of self-control the owners have with their finances. Doesn't make sense. I hope the players hold firm on their position even if it's cost another NHL season. The owners need a hard, cold slap of reality to wake them up out of their indugent fantasy world."
41.61 per cent, or 575 total votes went to neither side
Top responses in favour of neither side:
Maxie66: "Why should anybody be on either side? Are either of the sides thinking of us, the fans? I love my hockey but this is making me angrier, every article I read."
Steve in Victoria: "I'm on the side of the fans. You know them. There the ones who pay all the money with tickets, merchandise, sitting through crappy commercials, and the money is what goes to paying for the salaries of everyone involved in this 'dispute.' It's too bad that neither of these sides is on the side of the fans."
Oiler-Esque: "A pox on both their houses."
SpidersNSnakes: "My choice isn't there: 'Neither — and I think both sides are greedy and overpaid already, so maybe they need a year or two off.'"
Tango29: "…As far as I'm concerned, hockey fans are being held hostage by both sides, even though the fan base is the fundamental source of the money that pays both sides. I suspect that a threatened total boycott of games, teams, sponsors and television networks would bring these two groups of spoiled brats to an agreement by five minutes ago."