Fans must snub greedy professionals

The 1994 hockey season is stillborn. There are no players crashing the boards or fans going crazy over goals and punches. No pucks flying into the crowd and no singing of the national anthem. All these events should have occurred in the Great Western Forum and other arenas throughout the United States and Canada on October 1.

Due to negotiation disputes by two strong-headed individuals, the National Hockey League has officially postponed the beginning of the hockey season. Players call it a "lockout", owners call it a "postponement."

Regardless of the term, hockey arenas were silent except for the shouting of the negotiators.

On one side of the rink is NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who represents the owners of the hockey league. On the other side is Bob Goodenow, the executive director for the NHL Players Association, who represents the players and their union. Both men are determined to have matters favor their side. Meanwhile, the fans suffer.

Not surprisingly, the disagreement deals with money matters. Bettman wants to implement a policy of pre-negotiating player's salaries depending on the league's revenues. Teams exceeding set limits would have to pay a levy which would go to smaller-market teams.

Goodenow and the players consider Bettman's proposal a threat to their union benefits. The union unquestionably rejected this levy proposal because it would therefore set payroll restrictions for the players.

The season may start on October 15 if some concessions are made by the two factions. As of now, the hockey player's association has turned down at least two proposals by Bettman.

The NHL has been around for 77 years. It has just started to be accepted as a "major," major league sport, rather than as football's bastard little brother.

Hockey in Southern California was blessed in August 1988 when "the greatest hockey player to ever play," Wayne Gretzky, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. His trade was geared toward increasing fan appetite for hockey in the California market and it did! The successful addition of the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks added spark to the already-lit flame in California.

When Bettman called for the postponement, he literally slammed the door on all the hockey players and the millions of hockey fans.

Baseball fans have already been buggered by the cancellation of the Major League Baseball season. Those fans might have taken an interest in the hockey season and it could have been a very successful year for the NHL, however, now it is very doubtful.

Have Bettman and Goodenow forgotten about the fans who contribute to the player's salaries? Fans supply the money, yet, we have no voice.

Eager hockey fans must wait until negotiations can be finalized between Bettman and the NHLPA. Once resolved, the fans should use the only voice that both the players and owners seem to hear. Stay home and watch the games on television; let their wallets empty before we, addicted fans all, begin pouring money back into the game.