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blueyezz74
11-08-2004, 08:08 AM
Cute email I just got!:

This year, Americans and Canadians have come together as never
before in our generation. We have banded together to overcome
tremendous adversity. We have weathered wars overseas,
corporate/government scandal, layoffs, unemployment, stock price
plunges, droughts, fires, mad cow, SARS, high gas prices, and a
myriad of economic and physical disasters great and small.

But now, we must come together to overcome our greatest challenge
yet. Hundreds of Professional Hockey players in our very own nation
are going to be locked out, living at well below the seven-figure
salary level. And as if that weren't bad enough, they could be
deprived of their life giving pay for several months, possibly
longer, as a result of the upcoming lockout situation.

But you can help!

For only $20,835 a month, about $694.50 a day (that's less than
the cost of a large screen projection TV) you can help an NHL player
remain economically viable during his time of need. This
contribution by no means solves the problem as it barely covers the
annual minimum salary, but it's a start, and every little bit will
help! Although $700 may not seem like a lot of money to you, to a
hockey Player it could mean the difference between spending the
lockout golfing in Florida or on a Mediterranean cruise. For you,
seven hundred dollars is nothing more than a month's rent, half a
mortgage payment, or a month of medical insurance, but to a hockey
player, $700 will partially replace his daily salary. Your
commitment of less than $700 a day will enable a player to buy that
home entertainment center, trade in the year-old Lexus for a new
Ferrari, or enjoy a weekend in Rio.

HOW WILL I KNOW I'M HELPING? Each month, you will receive a
complete financial report on the player you sponsor. Detailed
information about his stocks, bonds, real estate, and other
investment holdings will be mailed to your home. Plus, upon signing
up for this program, you will receive an unsigned photo of the
player lounging during the lockout on a beach somewhere in the
Caribbean (for a signed photo, please include an additional $150).

Put the photo on your refrigerator to remind you of other peoples'
suffering. HOW WILL HE KNOW I'M HELPING? Your NHL player will be
told that he has a SPECIAL FRIEND who just wants to help in a time
of need.

Although the player won't know your name, he will be able to make
collect calls to your home via a special operator in case additional
funds are needed for unforeseen expenses.

YES, I WANT TO HELP! I would like to sponsor a locked out NHL
player. My preference is (check below):

[ ] Forward

[ ] Defenseman

[ ] Goaltender

[ ] Entire team (Please call our 900 number to ask for the cost of
a specific team - $10 per minute)

[ ] Please charge the account listed below $694.50 per day for the
duration of the lockout.

[ ] Jaromir Jagr (Higher cost: $32,000 per day)

[ ] Please send me a picture of the player I have sponsored, along
with a Jaromir Jagr 2001 Income Statement and my very own Bob
Goodenow (Executive Director of the NHLPA player's Union) pin to
wear proudly on my hat (include $80 for hat).

Your Name: _______________________ Telephone Number:
_______________________

Account Number: _______________________ Exp. Date:_______

[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Other

Signature: _______________________


Alternate card (when the primary card exceeds its credit limit):

Account Number: _______________________ Exp. Date:_______

[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Other

Signature: _______________________


There now - don't you feel better?

juliette
11-08-2004, 08:34 AM
LOL..I would however have to change the form to "sponsor a greedy corporation/personal billionaire owner who wish to impose a hard salary cap on the players in order to ensure that THEY don't offer said players more money than will allow them to reap in 200% profit on every ticket".

I have absolutely NO sympathy for the owners on this one and can't blame the NHLPA - Yes, like all sports, the superstars make great money - but the "journeyman" defenseman for example isn't clearing 32 million a year!

Heck - I live in the hockey capital of the world - if you prick me I BLEED Maple Leaf Blue and White - but considering NOBODY in Toronto can afford to take their kids to a game, the corporations have all the seats booked up, and the season's ticket list has been closed for over 20 years...I have a hard time sympathizing that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is hard up for cash! Heck, they've even tried to buy the Stanley Cup and that hasn't worked.

I will now get off my soapbox and go grumble in a corner..... :( :crying: :sob:

blueyezz74
11-08-2004, 09:03 AM
Juliette,
I totally agree with you! Tickets to a Flyers game are crazy! If you can get them, they are $85 for lowel level and $45 for nosebleed in the very top rows where you need binoculars (which I have!) I got 8th row tickets once when they played the Avs. The guys next to me talked the whole time about business! They didn't even cheer when they beat the socks off the Avs and Roy (I still liked him though!)

I barely see any kids at the games. We have the AHL Philly Phantoms here. They have a 4 for $44 deal - 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 sodas. They are so kid-friendly. That's where you find all the kids at.

FOREVER A DAXIE
11-08-2004, 07:49 PM
We had "FLAMES" Fever last year as you know. Ticket prices are crazy! I can't be in the nose bleeds 'cuz I'm scared of heights. So pretty much I rarely get to see a game.

Orchid Crazy
11-08-2004, 08:08 PM
We just got an AHL team here, the Danbury Trashers. (Hate the logo - bad boys talkin' trash given to them by the local radio station. Think they could have done something more positive but then I show my conservative, old fashioned, protective mommy side. I even email a complaint - haha!!) They are helping to fill the void in our household. I think my husband would be having Leaf withdrawls if it wasn't for them. We dumped our cable last year for DirecTV so we can watch more than one game per night almost the entire season. Now this - no season at all!!!

Personally, I don't think it is all the players fault, but a joint responsibility. Half of it I don't even believe is related to hockey. You have sports like Baseball where the salaries in big cities like New York are ridiculous. I mean, honestly, who needs however million dollars per year to live, you honestly can't spend that amount of money in a year, it's ridiculous. But, they've gotten greedy, then the big teams in the big cities can pay big salaries. The normal teams can't compete and can't keep players whose loyalties lie with the highest dollar sign. I think that has gone over into other sports like hockey. Hockey players see the salaries other sports are getting and they want their big bucks. They aren't in the leagues of baseball players, but some of the big players want big time salaries. Again, the smaller franchises can't keep up and in the end the public pays for it all in higher costs to see the games, loss of players which results in a lower level of game played and often loss of the entire frachise. I would like to see not only a cap on player salaries but a cap on other things as well so that everyone, players, team owners and fans can all get a piece of the action. Course, that's all fantasy. Players want big bucks, owners want big bucks, public ends up paying them and when they get high enough where they can't afford tickets and the fan stop showing up, the franchise folds. Sad aye, where greed takes us. Everyone loses.

quavec
11-09-2004, 08:18 AM
We have a small hockey team down here believe it or not. The Mississippi Seawolves. This area LOVES them although the turnout has decreased but only a bit. The won the Kelly Cup a few years ago and are still trying hard to win it again. I love watching it. It is so exciting. Much more so than Football (shhh.....that's blasphemy down here). I think if I lived up north in Hockeyland, I would become one of those crazed fans.....