Gary Bettman's 50/50 draw.

On any given night in an arena somewhere in Canada or the USA the local hockey organization is raising money through the ages old tradition of the 50/50 draw, a nice little split on the tickets sold with half going to the hockey team the other to the hockey fan.

It's been one of the foundations of fundraising for many a year and apparently it's such a great idea that even the Commissioner of the NHL has found the blueprint kind of helpful, all be it with a few modifications (the fan as always is left out of the thing) designed to try and break the stalemate in the current labour dispute.

The first tangible sign of momentum developed on Tuesday, with the NHL putting forward a proposal to the NHLPA outlining how revenue would be split on a 50/50 process, providing the league can get an agreement in place to resume hockey games by November 2nd.

The surprise announcement from mid October was released by the NHL, hoping to perhaps catch Donald Fehr off guard and shake some of the resolve of those who have employed him.

Such was the nature of the NHL's gambit that they even released the terms of their prospective deal, something that they haven't been particularly keen on in the past. And to make sure that they were perceived as "fan friendly" they even offered up some helpful "explanations", so helpful that you could almost picture Gary Bettman curled up on the couch with some milk and the storybook.

It also came as word leaked out that the NHL had brought into its arsenal of PR weapons a public relations firm with strong ties to the Republican party in the US. A development which we guess definitely makes the owners part of the 1% (as if there were ever a doubt), leaving the NHLPA to take up residence with the 99, all be it the rather well compensated section of the great unwashed.

At any rate, the proposal sat out there for a few days before Mr. Fehr offered up his own interpretation of the proposal with a few modifications, the obligatory expression of disappointment from the NHL followed and again we all return to the holding pattern.

The only thing moving forward it seems, being the number of games that have been cancelled since the lockout began.

With no particular say in the proceedings, those of us that are just fans or observers of the game are just sitting by, keeping an eye on those 50/50 tickets. Waiting to see which side has the winning numbers, more than aware, that the fans aren't even in the draw.

Until some new progress is reported here's a bit of a helpful time line for us to follow along with.


The Proposal

National Post-- League blinks, if only a little, in negotiations
National Post-- League's new offer could see games start in November
The Hockey News-- NHL proposal provides optimism
The Hockey News-- NHL offers new deal to players, hopes to end lockout and start season Nov. 2
CBC.ca-- NHL releases full proposal made to the players
Toronto Star-- A closer look at the league's offer to salvage full season

The Players respond

National Post-- NHL's rejection of counter-proposals irks players
Toronto Star-- Union head Donald Fehr cool to league's latest offer
CBC.ca-- Players' rep Fehr responds to NHL offer with little enthusiasm
CBC.ca-- NHL, NHLPA 'not speaking same language
CBC.ca-- Crosby and fellow players miffed at NHL's quick rejection

The Fall Out Beyond

Toronto Star-- Gary Bettman shoots down player's counteroffer
Vancouver Sun-- NHL's Gary Bettman 'thoroughly disappointed' with union's proposal
National Post-- Three NHLPA counter-proposals don't rub the NHL the right way
National Post-- League, players still cannot bridge the gap
NY Daily News-- NHL union chief Don Fehr is irritating owners with his slow-motion tactics...

And we wait and we wait

CBC.ca-- NHL labour solution could come from auto industry
NBC Sports-- Fehr's letter to players outlines union's three proposals, call NHL offer "take it or leave it"
Toronto Star--  Union head Donald Fehr outlines proposals in letter to players
Winnipeg Free Press-- NHL's last offer was 'take it or leave it'
National Post-- NHL beleives deal to end lockout is 'on the table'

Right now, Gary Bettman is ALL hat, NO cattle!

Jimmy Devellano is going to be a little lighter in the wallet today, well OK, perhaps in reality it will be the Illitch's who will be a little lighter, having to dip into the Little Caesar's pizza tip jar to cover off  the $250,000 fine from Gary Bettman, who wasn't too thrilled with Devellano's latest contribution to management/union negotiations.

Devellano, the Senior Vice President of the Red Wings provided the helpful primer to Labour 101 NHL style over the weekend with his comparison to the players being but cattle on the ranch, allowed to come on up to the ranch house for a meal before heading back off to mend fences and such we guess.

His comments provided to the Victoria BC based Island Sports News (no doubt sending their website counter into overdrive over the weekend) provided for some wonderful turn of phrases that should help don't you think?

The Detroit News made sure that the talking points got a little wider distribution than the British Columiba based website, dedicated mostly to university and high school sports on Vancouver Island.

Among his helpful contributions:

"The owners can basically be viewed as the ranch, and the players, me included, are the cattle," Devellano said. "The owners own the ranch and allow the players to eat there. That's the way it's always been and that's the way it will be forever. And the owners simply aren't going to let a union push them around. It's not going to happen." 

And to help make sure the message was delivered he added:

 "Each owner/team has a decision as to how they want to pay their players, as long as they are under the cap. Now (NHLPA executive director) Donald Fehr would have you believe by getting rid of the cap, the owners would make more money and that the sky is the limit, but trust me ... the owners would lose their (behinds). We've tried that. It doesn't work. There is just too much cost involved in running and owning a team." 

Devellano seemingly was channelling his inner Leghorn Foghorn to the Island Sports News, effectively asking the players, "any of this getting through to you son"

It would seem that the Vice President is hearkening back to an era of labour negotiation from the days of Jack Adams, perhaps a golden age in the eyes of Devellano.

Kind of instructive as to the mindset of these negotiations at the moment, if such a term can be used for two sides that seemingly stare at the answering machine and dodge each others calls.

For the moment however, to rephrase Mr. Devellano if we may, with the dispersal of the NHL's cattle to the distant farms in Europe and beyond, the Commissioner it would seem is "ALL hat and NO cattle".

The Full Devellano can be found below.

Detroit Free Press-- NHL fines Red Wings for comments calling players 'cattle'
Detroit News-- Red Wings fined over comments by Jimmy Devellano
National Post-- NHL doing itself no favours in battle of Public Opinion
Globe and Mail-- Cattle crossing offers Gary Bettman a timely diversion from NHL lockout
Toronto Star-- Red Wings fined for exec's unauthorized comments