COLUMN: NHL Lockout is a disgrace

BY CHRIS ZADORZONY, Sports Editor

The NHL Lockout is a complete disgrace. I am a diehard hockey fan and I’m disgusted with the fact that players and owners are fighting over money.

Back in 2004-2005, the NHL went into a lockout because of money. An entire season was cancelled because of it. Eventually they settled on an agreement. By they, I mean the players.

The owners came up with the current CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) and now all of a sudden, this contract is up, and they want to change it again.

Makes sense right? Yea, I’m wondering the same thing you are. What’s more frustrating is that this lockout doesn’t affect just the players and owners, but it puts fans right in the middle, along with the economic hurt it will put on local businesses, bars, restaurants, hotels, the people that work these games, that depend on the income to pay their bills.

That’s who this really effects, and the guys at the top don’t even care.

Personally, I’m for the players side, even though they do make a little more than the owners.

But, if the owners didn’t like the current CBA, why did they go out and sign over $200 million worth in contracts, the last 48 hours before the lockout began. Explain that one to me.

This will certainly have an effect on Ann Arbor because the Winter Classic is scheduled to be on January 1, Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs.

An historic rivalry, just going to be thrown away, all because of money.

I really hope that an agreement happens before the season is lost, because I can’t take much more of Bettman behind the helm.