Fed Up Hockey Fans Unite!!

For several years now I have been passionate about hockey. Despite my modest income, I have attended close to twenty Predators home games per season over the life of the franchise, and I�m having trouble swallowing the fact that I may not be able to do that again anytime soon.

Mr. Bettman begins to sound more and more like Captain Ahab here, chasing his white whale of a salary cap. I can no longer assume his own ego and pride are not large contributing factors to his hard-line approach. If the owners reject this latest proposal, or refuse to negotiate it, then the bottom line is that Bettman is a liar. He claims to want to secure hockey�s future financially, but will apparently turn a blind eye to a players� proposal that seems to do just that.

Now let�s address some facts, shall we? Hockey is not dead. Hockey is not dying. All over the world, from the Canadian Junior leagues to the European leagues to Middle Tennessee pee-wee hockey�people are playing the sport. What is in danger of dying, however, is the NHL. I tire of hearing the owners talk of saving the sport, when what they really mean is saving their for-profit league that seeks to capitalize on that sport�s popularity.

Second, where is the voice of the fan? I have heard, only once or twice, a union rep or an owner talk about respecting the fans and understanding their frustration. But for the most part, we are the unspoken hub which makes the wheel turn. While the owners and players bicker, the fans grow restless and lose interest. They couldn�t even sit down in the same room for four months like rational adults, and yet they expect us to take as medicine their comments about caring for the fans. This is the ultimate condescending posture. While ushers and concession workers and local businesses and restaurants all lose money hand over fist�.the owners and players cannot even act like adults. The phrase, "If I can�t have my way I�m taking my ball and going home," comes to mind. I would like to hear both sides acknowledge that without the fans there is no CBA disagreement�there is no lockout�because there is no league. Fan turnout was already at a seriously dangerous level last year, and a lockout is supposed to help? I think not.

All of which leads me to my reason for writing: What can we fans do? How can our voices be heard? If the players can unionize and the owners can galvanize�why can�t the fans even have a say? I�m sure I�m starting to sound foolish and na�ve, but consider the role we fans play in the process: we bankroll the entire operation. My money is hard-earned and precious to me. Every hockey ticket I�ve bought has meant that some other area in my life has gone without.

I love this league, and now I want to do something to help save it. If the owners and the players can�t save it�maybe we the fans, the unspoken benefactors, can. With a friend at lunch today I bounced a few ideas. Why can�t the fans start an online petition, gathering signatures of fed-up "shareholders" and send it to the owners? We could make suggestions on how the thing can be worked out. We could pledge to take all our entertainment dollars to other professional sports leagues and entertainment outlets unless they find a solution. We could threaten to turn our backs on the league unless Bettman is ousted. There are a lot of potential messages that a petition could send, and imagine just for a second that such a petition carried the signature of 100,000 hockey fans.

Why can�t we organize a charity hockey game in Nashville? We could use Southern Ice or one of the other small facilities in the area, have Preds players and local celebrities take the ice together. We could auction off a spot on one team, giving a fan a chance to skate with Scott Walker and Vince Gill. A charity hockey game in Nashville would serve several purposes: it would communicate to the players and the owner that this town hasn�t forgotten the sport. It would give much needed funds to a local charity organization. It will put hockey back in the news and in the forefront of people�s minds here in Middle Tennessee, at least for a day. And it would give us fans a rare chance to actually see hockey again.

When TV shows are about to be cancelled, their small cult following often stages outrageous publicity stunts and marketing endeavors to save that show. Why can�t we do something like that? Perhaps we could send a miniature model of an empty arena seat to every player in the union and each owner, representing the empty seats they can expect to see if they take too long working out the CBA. Perhaps we can send them all Monopoly money, signifying the lack of money they can expect to see from me if stubborn behavior continues to rule the negotiations. I�d like to take a page from the book of those "truth" ads against the cigarette companies, and set off some embarrassing display or protest outside the offices of both the NHLPA and the league. Maybe we�re being ignored because we haven�t yelled loud enough yet?

I know what you�re going to say: it won�t work. It won�t work because there aren�t enough passionate hockey fans to make a statement. Middle Tennessee won�t turn out for a charity hockey game. No fan will spend the time or the money to make such a "save our sport" campaign worthwhile.

All those things might be true. But if there�s even a slight chance they�re not�.then I want to do something. If there�s even a chance that there are thousands out there like me who are ready enough for NHL hockey that they�re willing to spend a few bucks or a few moments in an effort to enact its return�then I want to do something.

My current favorite idea is to find something clever and mail it to every owner and every NHLPA team rep�.something catchy that says "Hey, Buddy, don�t forget that while you argue over monetary differences�.I�m the one who�ll be footing the bill." I figure even if they�re able to toss it in the garbage and forget about it, there might be some press about it. Maybe a reporter will catch wind of it and write a story. Maybe it�ll make a neat human interest piece. And that�the publicity�is what might actually make such a campaign successful.

It should say something, then, that I took time out of my busy schedule to write a three page essay. That�s why I think it may say something to the owners and players if a lot of fans took a few moments in a coordinated effort to let our voice be heard�.to save our sport. And if you have any input or thoughts regarding my feelings and my desire to help the hockey fan get his voice heard�.well, I�d just love to hear it.

If we do nothing, then we have nothing to say when the NHL is dead. At least if we try�.we may have a chance to help.