Game On; Lockout Over

Being a Canadian citizen, there are a few things I enjoy that would make me identifiably Canadian. Maple syrup, Canadian whiskey, Canadian music, flannel, the word "eh", and of course, hockey.

Generally, I am not a fan of sports at any level, but I have a soft spot in my heart for twelve toothless guys firing a black rubber bullet across a smooth ice surface, all the while pummeling each other into the boards.

And the fights -- which probably is the second-best part of hockey. The best part, of course, is watching your favorite Canadian team win the Stanley Cup in overtime, while you and your friends are obnoxiously drunk, screaming at the television.

Sadly, due to contract negotiations between the NHLPA and the National Hockey League, and the subsequent lockout, there was no hockey for us fans to enjoy over the past year. All that changed last Wednesday, when the League and the Players Association reached a tentative agreement. It looks like there will be hockey this fall.

The major issue surrounding the lockout was over a salary cap, which was meant to keep player salaries from spiraling out of control, and help the small-market teams, like Edmonton and Calgary by giving them a fair shot at hiring some of the better players. The players association, of course was dead-set against this, as the superstars would be getting a massive pay cut.

To all those pro hockey players who have been crying about their pay cut, I have four words for you: Get off the cocaine.

The superstars make ridiculous amounts of money. Not only do they make incredible amounts playing for their respective teams, but they also hold endorsement and sponsorship deals in which they earn boatloads of money, highly discounted or even free equipment, plus all kinds of other perks. I have no concept on how these athletes have such a high standard of living that having their pay cut by 24 percent is going to hurt them so much that they will be visiting the food bank on a weekly basis.

What really made my head spin was learning that the salary for a rookie would be capped at $850,000US per year. WTF is that about? Paying an 18-23 year-old kid a salary like that is dangerous. I bet that CFL players (not to mention professional athletes of other lesser-known sports) would step over their own mothers to get a comparable salary. Most professionals (doctors, lawyers, and most businessmen) don't make that kind of money in a given year. In fact, most of us will never see that much money in our lifetimes.

I just see no justification in paying anyone that much money. I really don't care if they are admired by millions. I really don't care what they had to go through in order to get into the League. If they live their life properly, and spend one year in the NHL as a rookie, they could be set for life. Screw the Porsches, forget the hookers, and stay away from the coke -- they will never have to work another day in their life.

It seems to me that Athletes are held in too high a regard in first-world nations such as the United States and Canada. We call them professionals -- as they are "the best" at what they do, and should be paid accordingly. I agree that they should be paid well -- but what they are currently making is astronomical. Some teams are paying their players more than the gross domestic product of some third-world nations.

Most professionals don't make near what the NHL athletes make -- including those who have careers that put them in the limelight. I consider myself a professional musician -- and this goes beyond my attitude towards the instrument. There were a few years of my life where making music was my only source of income. I toured the country, I recorded albums, and played in front of thousands of people. I have the pictures to prove it.

But I sure wasn't living the high life. I barely made enough to survive. Those few years, I would have considered myself a "rookie" professional musician, but in actuality, I made less than minimum wage. Myself and countless other musicians fight for years for the chance to make it to the big leagues, and earn a decent living. Actors and fledging producers move to Hollywood, and live off ramen noodles and Kraft dinner for years, trying desperately to land the break that will propel their career into the stratosphere. We are all professionals by definition, but we aren't so lucky to get a starting salary of $850,000 per year.

Show me a job that I can earn that kind of money, immediately after graduating high school (even college for that matter), and I'll sign up in a heartbeat. I'll work for four years, put 3 million in the bank, and retire.

The bottom line, is that the NHL athletes, even with the salary cap, are still making far too much. People would argue that if the athletes were paid substantially less, then the team owners would make stupendous profits. I feel they shouldn't make so much either. Charitable organizations could benefit from these incredible sums of money. Profits could go into third-world debt relief, massive immunization campaigns, feed the starving or even educate the world. Even us hockey fans could sleep well at night, knowing that the money we spend on tickets and copious amounts of beer are going to a good cause, instead of lining some asshole's pockets.

There is enough money to go around that we can all live comfortably, and no one needs to go without the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, or education. Greed has, unfortunately, upset the balance of wealth, a trend that has continued since the beginning of civilization.

Caveat: I will admit that I know little about the economics of professional sports. But I certainly believe that if these athletes are making these kinds of salaries, there would be financial leeway that could be allocated to a better cause.