idahophilly

Typical "sky is falling" talk. Lets just see how it works out eh? You do need a few vets for the younger guys...

Pls tell me you are joking... Is that a trench coat????

And now Streit... Good god. Holmgren must doing lines today to be so jacked up....

Geez... I barely was able to type that before the Flyers started. Briere will be missed...

It would be nice for once. I'd like to hear nothing from the Flyers this summer however I have a feeling we will be hearing much....

I have this crazy idea!!! Can we just stand pat!? Offer sheet bernier , release Bryz and Breire and call it good. That's it. Sign Read for about 3.5 million and see which way the wind is blowing on the cap going up next season (and it will go up). Sign G, Couts and Shenn and call it good. With Breire and Bryz off the books we can aford Bernier. Ok, never mind the defence but with a relativaly heathy line up we are way better than we think.... (just a side note... NOOOOOO player is worth what malkin just got... so don't judge what G should get based on that)

Aziz, your insite is alaways well....in sightful.... You answered your own question. He brings fire power to the blue line and leadership. End all be all???? No. I use the plug a hole idea littery. If your ship is sinking then you plug the hole with anything. The alternative is to say" Geez, we are taking on water but if the ship was buily better we wouldnt be is this shape." And then the next idea" Geez, I really want a solid fix on the hole but I'd rather take on water and sink than take a small fix now". Let Streit be Sreit and l lets see how the d developes....

I have not read through all 88 responses but my take is this ( if anyone came up with this point my apologies) : If your ship is sinking then plug the hole! Streit plugs a hole without giving up your cannons (Coots, Schenn, Reed, ect...). I don't mean to say the Flyers are sinking by any means... If ... IF... Mez and Grossy are healthy next year the Flyers are underateted on just how well they are stacked on defence. Big "if" yes... But if you are GM then you gotta be a gambler to some extent. To the point: Pay Streit what he demands (with in reason) , let the young d-men a big time chance and dont trade away ANY of the young fowards (except if Berneir (sp) is available). Butout Briere and Bryz and go with Mason and/or Bernier. Forget about a Yandle like trade. What you have to give up is to much. Anyway... Just my thoughts on the matter. And the cap hit makes much more impossible anyway. Idaho

Here is the link to a Pittsburg writer (a Pittsburg writer!!!!!!!!) http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/ron-cook/ron-cook-penguins-stars-at-their-worst-690297/ I could see myself saying " I'm loving the Penguings self destructing" but I also regonize their talent level. What the heck is up with the them??? Goaltending? Crosby/Malkin not stepping up? The series isn't over by a long shot but what the heck? The Penguins should be dominating, not out scored 9-1. Do they need to do a complete rebuild? Idaho

Oh no worries on the move. I have a long way to go to get up to speed!!! I just look for OT's because I don't have to worry much at all. They are fun when your team isn't involved.

OK, I'm back.... So, this is a little late considering Chicago is already up 2 games but... who do you want coming out of each conference? Tough choices so have your say below and in the poll. For me, I'm going with Boston out of pure hate for Crosby and company. In the west I'm going with LA for 2 reasons. First, it was the Blackhawks that defiled the logo at ceter ice in WFC when they won the cup by putting their flag over our logo. Second, why not want a team to repeat when it has no impact on us. Yes, Carter and Richards would get their second rings but maybe that's just karma??? Just sayin'. What you all think...? Idaho-

Hello Canoli, I don't want to get involved in much but wanted to comment, if the mediators spent just a few days, less actually, and determined there was no common ground then I'm sure they made that determination based on what ever they saw. We can only speculate but it must have been ugly.... Regards....

We could aways crunch the numbers ourselves but I think we all would be in the funny farm before we finished.

Thats why they get paid less....

Damn, Jack you WOULD make a vaid point when I can't respond... Stay tuned my friend... as said before, you deserve a response and a clear clarification on what i beleive..... Then the ball will be in your court...

Sorry Jack... I was typing when you replied. You deserve a response to that question. A good one... I got a few things to do before that but I will get that written up. It's worth the effort. Thanks... (Jack, we are actually on the same side, we are just deciding on how to get there, but you and I are not gonna have much say on that)

You would be suprised how close we are in our thoughts except for the basic point... Your current position is because he doesn't NEED to earn money from the Bruins then he forfeits his right to run THAT business. I do not. The very point is made by yourself. He has investors and thus REQUIRED to maximize their return... Anti trust is a facinating and valid issue but also pointless. Who gonna sue who over that. The players and owners have a better chance at PA decertification, and that was put a 50/50 (go figure)... You know, fundamently you can call that apples and oranges and you would be right. But I want a world of Candy Canes and lollipops with a good dental plan. I'm not going to get one... keep it real and not what you wish. So, lay out your finances. Who and from where are you making your money? Did you earn to much? Come on jack, throw down the financials. (seems absorb? I'm just trying to make an illustrastion...)

What does that have to do with anything? Once again, we are back to the envy thing. He makes billions. You don't. Neither do I. See, my point is he could make a trillion dollars. I don't care! Good for him. So, if you were a billionaire you should just automatically give another one of your business away and overpay for your help? Like I said, he could own BP and that means nothing to me. What's the threash hold for you personally??? Does the local dunkin Donuts owner owe you and everyone a job? How much is that? How about the million dollar guy? What does he/she owe? How about the 100 million guy? Did we cross the threash hold there? Did we say, because you make xyz amount of money you are gonna be treated way different than everyone else... Different tax rates already apply. That's not enough? Where do YOU draw the line? Maybe that shop owner should close up shop or the millionaire should liquidate his/her business then. Pocket the money.

Ok, i agree that I would like a better approach but if you think that was bad you should have been in the meetings I have been in. Both recieving and giving (no jokes! LOL)... That is childs play compared to what I have been through, and in one instance, involved a Senator slamming his fist down while screaming at me.... I digress though... As far as Jacobs and the Bruins go: I don't know this dude but I know his type. He a blow hard. He's probably a whole bunch of other things to, fill in the blank. I can assure one thing he isnt though... Dumb... He is a business man. If he is willing to lose serious money short term so do you think it isn't after considerable thought, and an entire room full of VERY well paid advisors telling him what HAS happened, what IS happening and what WILL happen given each scenerio. This question is for you to chew on but: What would drive a big time business guy to risk what it seems like he is at this point? For further fodder, what would drive 30 such business men to the same conclussion???

I work for someone else and run my own business. I worked in big industry before that and goverment before even that. In each and EVERY one of them, you slash expenses where ever you can. If you are not, then you have zero business being in business or being a manager. Pay your valued employees well but keep an eye on that %... You can't pay your valued employees if you drive yourself right out of business (or department or grant, ect...)

No one said that. You are reading that into things. Why is it such a bad thing to try and let them change things. You know it's a broken model. I do. So let them try. That's like telling the alcoholic "screw you, you are a drunk and you can't change, never will. Here is a fresh bottle and go chug it"...

I havn't read through the rest of the posts yet... But I agree Rod. The HRR thing is really screwed up and needs to be definative and understood by all. The current HRR does not seem to indicate the true income. I suspect it is different for each team as to how they account for that and that's a seperate issue all together. The problem is that the 57% also isn't a true labor cost. It's just the player salaries. So if we increase the HRR to cover "more real world income", then each team has the right to factor in ALL salary costs... That WILL change the formula big time...

It doesn't matter what problems we think we have. We can fight or struggle among ourselves but damn... he better beat this. You know what, he will....

I worked for a world wide corporation. IF 57% of our money was consumed in JUST labor costs (hell, throw in benefits also), then we would have been out of business so fast that they would have had to visit me in utero before birth to lay me off for the health care cost of my birth that had not happened yet... (lol) I won't and don't have the time to list out just an average business's expense list! But let us say it is 35-40 % of operating income. Can you tell me how a corp absorbs another 57% after that, unless you have the belief that an employer is a chartitable cause in which the owners and investors have no intention of making any money. I know you dont Rux... No arguement... However, someplace tonight I heard that idea floated. (lol) One final note before this turns into a thesis, you mentioned this "I also suspect that 57% is lower than what it actually is for hockey owners when you add in other player/employment-related costs." You hit the nail right on the head!!! But backwards... 57% is not disputable. They are negotiating off that number right? The 57% is of HRR (yeah, fight that battle another time) and the costs you suspect are in ADDITION to that 57%. 57% labor costs??? Thats just the players. Some one with more energy and time will add up the following and even more : Coach, Asst Coaches, Goalie coach (we need one), GM, Scouts, trainers, medical staff, guy taking tickets, asst GM. lawyers, hot tub guy, equipment guys, front office, gal making hot dogs, sales reps, web site designers, planners, facility workers, the zamboni driver, the mascot, and finally , the gut who has to do (something) to Bettman... And I for got a whole bunch of people there, so excuse me.... But... here we are, with the players skiming off 57% before we even get started. It makes it sound like Bettman was over OV's house ripping the turkey leg out of his mouth. No one is going hungry. I suspect OV would have just bitten him anyway... (lol)

It was in the past 6 yrs right? Should have looked that one up....