Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow, take a seat. Bill Daly and Ted Saskin, go get coffee for a few minutes. Please welcome to the negotiating table the two people who should be battling out the CBA for the NHL and the NHLPA. Straight out of Phoenix, Arizona, here are Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull.
Gretzky has several distinct traits that make him instantly credible to the player's association. First, he wasn't just a member of the PA -- he was the greatest player to ever partake in the PA. He lives the game -- his hockey mind is so keen that his selection for director of Team Canada wasn't just a token job. He understands the game and he understands what players go through. When he talks, people -- players, owners, and media -- listen. He is respected by everyone involved with the game and is smart enough to recognize the pros and cons of the current CBA.
On the league side, Gretzky is part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes and understands how day-to-day operations occur for a cash-strapped franchise. He understands the PA's desires and goals -- and can be a voice of reason to say, "Listen. We're really not kidding. The NHL's not in great financial shape."
Gretzky's opponent is the straight-shooting, cocky, and brash Brett Hull. Hull is also one of the few players in the NHL who actually has a personality, along with the guts to say what he thinks. He has bluntly told reporters that he thinks the CBA battle is stupid since both sides have valid points but both are two stubborn to listen to the other.
Many players and coaches hate Hull's loose cannon, but he is the one player who won't mindlessly go along with what Bob Goodenow wants to further bog down the negotiations. Nor is he going to cave in to Bettman's politicking and league pressure. He likes the game, he cares about the game, but he could walk away today if he really wanted to -- and that's the best attitude for an objective and honest negotiator to have.
What conclusions would Gretzky and Hull come to in their negotiations? First off, they'd probably agree that starting a season immediately is a good idea since their Phoenix Coyotes have made impressive offseason moves and are one good goaltender away from producing a high-quality squad. After that, they'd probably look at the valid points from both the league and the PA. That's not that hard, right?
The league wants "cost certainty" -- a relationship between league revenues and player salaries. Hull is smart enough to realize that that's a reasonable goal for the league. But his player instincts will tell him that a hard cap will not work to reach that goal, as that is prohibitive against any player salary growth.
The PA wants an open market, or the closest thing to it in professional sports. That is, the market dictating what players of certain caliber can take home as compensation. Gretzky's been there before and he knows that that's only fair for men who have devoted their entire childhood and adult lives towards this sport. But his business sense will tell him that there has to be checks and balances to ensure that salary growth kept to a controlled rate -- and that one stupid Glen Sather move doesn't destroy the league for everyone involved.
What could their ultimate solution be? It might look something like this:
To appease the players association, a luxury tax system will be put in place with a starting point of $40 million. This allows some flexibility in the marketplace for teams to spend as they please.
To appease the league, the luxury cap limit will move up or down based on an independent arbitrator (agreed upon by both the league and the PA), ensuring that 61% of league revenues goes towards players salary. If it is less than that, then the cap limit moves up and vice versa. This will come into effect during the 2006-2007 season, based on the revenues analyzed from the 2004 -- 2005 season (which will start on time, darn it!).
The luxury tax system will be unique in the world of professional sports in that it will be a two-tiered system. The first $10 million will be a one-for-one dollar tax that goes into a revenue sharing pool. Any other salary spent above that point ($50 million to start) will be a two-for-one dollar tax for the revenue sharing pool. This two-leveled penalty system allows teams some flexibility in spending a little over the cap, but severely punishes idiot owners who recklessly throw their money away.
And, of course, Gretzky and Hull have the perfect opportunity to hammer out this agreement immediately following the World Cup of Hockey final. After all, Gretzky's the director of Team Canada and Hull's a key component of Team USA. So both men will already be lurking around the tournament and ready to go.
Bob Goodenow and Gary Bettman, I hope you're listening. The solution is obvious. Go with the men who can work this out without any of your stubborn agendas. Do it for the fans of the game, who are the only real losers in this battle.
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