FanPost

Anti Management, Anti Players, Pro Karmanos


I write this piece because I cannot decide who is right or wrong in the current CBA impasse and, more importantly, what I can or should do to show my discust with the whole mess. Who can I punish and how can I do it is my cuandry.

I think the players are not concerned with the fans at all. They are only interested in their paycheck and take it for granted that the fans will come crawling back to the games to adore them. They could care less what the cost is to the fans or the non-players associated with hockey. They could care less about the cost of a ticket or whether the guest services personnel, for example, have a job.

IN GENERAL, l the owners and general managers of the teams in some ways are the same as the players. They also could care less about the cost of a ticket or whether the guest services personnel, for example, have a job. In words, they say they want their team and the other teams in the league to be profitable. Their actions belie their words and indicate this is not even a consideration. They offer ridiculous contracts to the players constructing them so they can circumvent their own rules, then cry when these come back to bite them (Sheldon Souray, thls list is endless).

If the above were my only things to consider, the answer would be easy. Turn in my season tickets and if I wanted to watch hockey turn on my 50+ inch HDTV and see it. But in my case I find that this is a difficult decision to make. Mr. Karmanos is my problem. I feel our owner, Mr. Karmanos, while trying to make a profit, has treated me and my wife well, They have kept ticket prices reasonable (affordable). They have spent money on players when it would make a difference (Recchi, Weight, etc.). When I have had sickness in my family they have stepped up and made life easier. When this sickness ended in death, the team again stepped up and helped us in our time of grief. For all these reasons I find it difficult to just say "the hell with it all" and withdraw my support.

I am taking no actions right now, one way or the other. I've discussed this with several of my season ticket holder friends and virtually all have expressed what I have said above. For the present, at least, I have decided I am going to support Mr. Karmanos (not management). In return for my support Mr. Karmanos can do two things. Keep running the team as he has and BE A MANAGEMENT LEADER AND GET THIS SITUATION RESOLVED. You OWE this to the fans who you contracted with when you sold the tickets, you OWE it to the various media that you contracted with to display the games, and you OWE it to the state of Michigan and city of Detroit (where you are from by the way) where you have contracted to put on an historic event.