For the other guy who cares...

It looks like this weekend will finally make official what anyone who has been following the ongoing trials and tribulations of the NHL (No Hockey League) knew months ago; there will be no professional hockey played in North America this season. This would be far worse news for me if Comcast had gotten off their asses and made the Centre Ice package available in my area. As it was I was doomed to watching the Bruins and Rangers play on their own private networks along with every game the Red Wings played on their own private network (you know it by its other name; ESPN) so it's not as bad as it could be.

It is not a strike. It is a lockout, meaning that the owners have taken the initiative in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement and chosen to close the league's doors. It's hard to feel much sympathy for either side in this instance of millionaire vs. millionaire. The owners want ''cost certainty' (salary cap), the players want the same deal that baseball players have (enormous salaries). Of course the difference between baseball and hockey is that, in the US at least, people actually watch baseball which leads to revenues generated from television ratings which is something hockey does not have. In fact, as embarrassing as it seems the replacement programs on ESPN2 (poker, reruns, WNBA) are getting better ratings than their NHL fare did. With the end of the NFL's season and a complete lack of interest in the NBA, it looks like I'll just have to look forward to the spring when I can break out the clubs.