Crosby's CBC interview 1st period int - SC finals game 3

[Penspal]

Sid was at game 3 of the SC finals last night and was interviewed by CBC's Elliot Freidman. Sid looked very relaxed, tanned and fit, very fit. He said he's really looking forward to the summer and being able to train the way he wants to, and that the Kings look really really good. He was in a box with his agent, Matt Duchene and Donald Fehr.

Here is a link (might not work for those outside Canada) and the interview is at the 1 hour 12 minute mark.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockeynightincanada/hockeyfullgames/video/#id=2242328933

[SpinnerSpencer]

Hate to see Sid hanging with Fehr. This is not good news for anyone hoping for Sid to take any sort of hometown discount. I am sure Sid is being "asked" to take as big of a contract as he can so as to raise the bar for all of those below him.

[Malkamaniac]

Hate to see Sid hanging with Fehr. This is not good news for anyone hoping for Sid to take any sort of hometown discount. I am sure Sid is being "asked" to take as big of a contract as he can so as to raise the bar for all of those below him.

Eh.

[IanMoran]

I mean he has to do what he did / show unity in his position.

That being said, I seem to be one of the only that think a lockout is a real possibility

57% for players is way too much, and Fehr won't let them concede anything

[IanMoran]

Hate to see Sid hanging with Fehr. This is not good news for anyone hoping for Sid to take any sort of hometown discount. I am sure Sid is being "asked" to take as big of a contract as he can so as to raise the bar for all of those below him.

lol, I highly doubt Sid will be influenced on what contract he will take by Fehr

[SpinnerSpencer]

Hate to see Sid hanging with Fehr. This is not good news for anyone hoping for Sid to take any sort of hometown discount. I am sure Sid is being "asked" to take as big of a contract as he can so as to raise the bar for all of those below him.

lol, I highly doubt Sid will be influenced on what contract he will take by Fehr

There is a reason why Fehr was brought in and a reason why Sid is hanging with Fehr. Fehr is proven in building a strong union in baseball and getting the salary growth he was able to accomplish. And I believe a big part of getting that in hockey is Fehr working on Sid and letting him know what he means to the future growth of player salaries. I believe there is going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on Sid from the union to raise the bar with salaries. Far more than when Sid signed his current contract.

[Gaucho]

Spinning indeed.

[sil]

[slappybrown]

Spinning indeed.

Exactly. Talk about a reach.

[Hawkeynut]

So... what you are saying is that Sid took a little discount because he was sleeping in the owner's house for 5+ years?



Anyways... Sid looks like a beast! Starting to look forward to Sept, Oct... Dec.. whenever the season starts!

Me thinks a fresh, uninjured Penguin squad will be primed and ready next season.

[no name]

OK Fehr is sitting next to one of the most powerful influences in the game today, and you don't think he isn't going to talk Sid about the new CBA and how it will effect him and the other players in the league?? Just Fehr sitting next to Sid for an entire game has to get the owners attention. If Sid puts his word behind Fehr then some players will follow just based on his approval.

I just would like to think Sid is his own man and will follow what he wants to do. But Fehr is a lawyer and a powerful one at that.

I don't think its spinning or a reach, its a plausable situation, not saying its defiently what transpired, but in the rehlm of possibility.

[SpinnerSpencer]

Spinning indeed.

Exactly. Talk about a reach.

Certainly no reach, has been going on in baseball for some time. Most recently, Albert Pujols, complaints from LaRussa about Pujols getting pressure from union.

St. Louis Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, is accusing the Major League Baseball Players Association of putting pressure on free agent-to-be Albert Pujols to sign for the richest contract in baseball history. Pujols is arguably the best player in baseball and it's imperative for the MLBPA that he is paid that way in order to establish and keep a precedent - the best players get the most money. If Pujols should settle for anything less than Alex Rodriguez's benchmark contract of $27.5 per for 10 years, it could set the stage for owners to pay below-market value for players.

[Sarcastic]

This content is currently unavailable.

[ivand87]

Gee if someone had only put this up on YouTube...

[NJ5934]

Spinning indeed.

Exactly. Talk about a reach.

Certainly no reach, has been going on in baseball for some time. Most recently, Albert Pujols, complaints from LaRussa about Pujols getting pressure from union.

St. Louis Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, is accusing the Major League Baseball Players Association of putting pressure on free agent-to-be Albert Pujols to sign for the richest contract in baseball history. Pujols is arguably the best player in baseball and it's imperative for the MLBPA that he is paid that way in order to establish and keep a precedent - the best players get the most money. If Pujols should settle for anything less than Alex Rodriguez's benchmark contract of $27.5 per for 10 years, it could set the stage for owners to pay below-market value for players.

bingo

[slappybrown]

Spinning indeed.

Exactly. Talk about a reach.

Certainly no reach, has been going on in baseball for some time. Most recently, Albert Pujols, complaints from LaRussa about Pujols getting pressure from union.

St. Louis Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, is accusing the Major League Baseball Players Association of putting pressure on free agent-to-be Albert Pujols to sign for the richest contract in baseball history. Pujols is arguably the best player in baseball and it's imperative for the MLBPA that he is paid that way in order to establish and keep a precedent - the best players get the most money. If Pujols should settle for anything less than Alex Rodriguez's benchmark contract of $27.5 per for 10 years, it could set the stage for owners to pay below-market value for players.

In 2007-2008, Crosby signed his extension for 8.7 a year. The cap for 07-08 was 50mm (he didn't get the 8.7 until the next year, as he had one more year left on his entry level). That's about 17% of the cap, and made him the second highest paid player in the league, with nearly identical figure to Ovy and behind Heatley (lol):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pl ... 309_season

If we use the 70mm number that has been thrown around and the 17% allocation Shero demonstrated he was willing to spend on Crosby, he would be looking at about 12.15mm/per, making him the highest paid player in the league in comparison to this year's salaries. The very max figure a player could make in the NHL this year was 12.8mm.

Moreover, your comparison to MLB is flawed for an obvious reason: the NHL has a cap. MLB teams are constrained by nothing but their checkbook. NHL teams are quite literally restrained by the rules of their League, at both a team (70MM) and individual level (12.8 this year). So Crosby appearing with Fehr is nothing more than a show of solidarity and support of union leadership in advance of negotiations in which owners are hoping to slow salaries and make further gains in the next CBA. This negotiation is largely being framed as what can the owners gain and what will the players give up, which is why Fehr was hired in the first place.

So yes, its not only a reach, but simply incorrect from both a historical standpoint, as well as a cap standpoint.

[no name]

Moreover, your comparison to MLB is flawed for an obvious reason: the NHL has a cap. MLB teams are constrained by nothing but their checkbook. NHL teams are quite literally restrained by the rules of their League, at both a team (70MM) and individual level (12.8 this year). So Crosby appearing with Fehr is nothing more than a show of solidarity and support of union leadership in advance of negotiations in which owners are hoping to slow salaries and make further gains in the next CBA. This negotiation is largely being framed as what can the owners gain and what will the players give up, which is why Fehr was hired in the first place.

Very logical deduction, but still a plausable situation. There is nothing stopping Fehr talking to Sid saying your future deal will set the tone for every future stars deal in the league. The fact that we got a cap doesn't stop Fehr from trying to get his sports biggest star the money he deserves. look what Fehr did to baseball he not only got the players on his side but half of the large market owners. This is what Fehr as hired to do, this is his job and he did it well in baseball, ruining the sport for teams like the Pirates.

The fact we have a cap doesn't stop Fehr trying to get Sid to take a mega contract. Sid is all about winning and when he took 8.7 he just wanted to make sure we were able to afford players around him keep his team winning, i dont think anything has changed in Sid so i don't expect him to take us to the bank. ANd yes it is a show of support for the union for Sid. But Fehr was hired to do a job... and he would love nothing more than to get the players more than their fair share. Mostly for his ego more so than anything else.

I still don't like Fehr and Brission together, its all about money for thoes guys and the damage they can inflict to the sport they work for, not the sport they love.

[offsides]

That being said, I seem to be one of the only that think a lockout is a real possibility

57% for players is way too much, and Fehr won't let them concede anything

I tend to agree with this possibility also.

[slappybrown]

Moreover, your comparison to MLB is flawed for an obvious reason: the NHL has a cap. MLB teams are constrained by nothing but their checkbook. NHL teams are quite literally restrained by the rules of their League, at both a team (70MM) and individual level (12.8 this year). So Crosby appearing with Fehr is nothing more than a show of solidarity and support of union leadership in advance of negotiations in which owners are hoping to slow salaries and make further gains in the next CBA. This negotiation is largely being framed as what can the owners gain and what will the players give up, which is why Fehr was hired in the first place.

Very logical deduction, but still a plausable situation. There is nothing stopping Fehr talking to Sid saying your future deal will set the tone for every future stars deal in the league. The fact that we got a cap doesn't stop Fehr from trying to get his sports biggest star the money he deserves. look what Fehr did to baseball he not only got the players on his side but half of the large market owners. This is what Fehr as hired to do, this is his job and he did it well in baseball, ruining the sport for teams like the Pirates.

The fact we have a cap doesn't stop Fehr trying to get Sid to take a mega contract. Sid is all about winning and when he took 8.7 he just wanted to make sure we were able to afford players around him keep his team winning, i dont think anything has changed in Sid so i don't expect him to take us to the bank. ANd yes it is a show of support for the union for Sid. But Fehr was hired to do a job... and he would love nothing more than to get the players more than their fair share. Mostly for his ego more so than anything else.

I still don't like Fehr and Brission together, its all about money for thoes guys and the damage they can inflict to the sport they work for, not the sport they love.

Sid's contract and where it puts him relative to his peers:

2008–09 season

The team salary cap is $56.7 million. No player can earn more than $11.34 million.

Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators) $10 million
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) $9 million

Mats Sundin (Vancouver Canucks) $8.6 million
Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames) $8.5 million

2009–10 season

The team salary cap is $56.8 million. No player can earn more than $11.36 million.

Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) $10 million
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) $9 million

Chris Drury (New York Rangers) $8.05 million

2010–11 season

The team salary cap is $59.4 million. No player can earn more than $11.88 million.

Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) $10 million

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks) $10 million

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) $9 million

2011–12 season

The team salary cap is $64.3 million. No player can earn more than $12.86 million

Brad Richards (New York Rangers) $12 million
Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia Flyers) $10 million

Christian Ehrhoff (Buffalo Sabres) $10 million
Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) $10 million

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pl ... in_the_NHL

His discount was a few hundred K per. The same allocation would make him the highest paid player in the NHL, and about 700K short of the absolute maximum the CBA permits. I think the idea of his discount in the first instance is a bit overblown (easy for me to say, of course -- its not my few hundred K), but I'd guess the team (assuming they are comfortable as they possibly could be with his health), is going to make him the highest paid player in the NHL, and that figure would be consistent with what they previously gave him.

[slappybrown]

That being said, I seem to be one of the only that think a lockout is a real possibility

57% for players is way too much, and Fehr won't let them concede anything

I tend to agree with this possibility also.

Agree as well. I think a last minute deal and/or a 50 game season are the most likely. I really doubt they'd be so stupid as to yet again wind up with a cancelled season, a mere 8 years after the last.

[SpinnerSpencer]

Moreover, your comparison to MLB is flawed for an obvious reason: the NHL has a cap. MLB teams are constrained by nothing but their checkbook. NHL teams are quite literally restrained by the rules of their League, at both a team (70MM) and individual level (12.8 this year). So Crosby appearing with Fehr is nothing more than a show of solidarity and support of union leadership in advance of negotiations in which owners are hoping to slow salaries and make further gains in the next CBA. This negotiation is largely being framed as what can the owners gain and what will the players give up, which is why Fehr was hired in the first place.

Very logical deduction, but still a plausable situation. There is nothing stopping Fehr talking to Sid saying your future deal will set the tone for every future stars deal in the league. The fact that we got a cap doesn't stop Fehr from trying to get his sports biggest star the money he deserves. look what Fehr did to baseball he not only got the players on his side but half of the large market owners. This is what Fehr as hired to do, this is his job and he did it well in baseball, ruining the sport for teams like the Pirates.

The fact we have a cap doesn't stop Fehr trying to get Sid to take a mega contract. Sid is all about winning and when he took 8.7 he just wanted to make sure we were able to afford players around him keep his team winning, i dont think anything has changed in Sid so i don't expect him to take us to the bank. ANd yes it is a show of support for the union for Sid. But Fehr was hired to do a job... and he would love nothing more than to get the players more than their fair share. Mostly for his ego more so than anything else.

I still don't like Fehr and Brission together, its all about money for thoes guys and the damage they can inflict to the sport they work for, not the sport they love.

Bingo. Saying it is different because of the cap is incorrect. Sid is still going to be getting pressure to max his salary as close to the cap max as possible.
Fehr was successful in getting the best MLB players to buy into this union brotherhood. Go for the greed because it is better for those players under you to maimize their contracts and if you don't you don't care about your "brothers". With Fehr not in baseball anymore, the situation with Pujols shows Fehr had instilled that firmly into the MLB union.

I agree Fehr could care less about the betterment of the game itself.

[slappybrown]

His last figure pushed the cap. Are you guys not reading that? The same allocation would again push the cap for an individual player.

[no name]

If Sid signs for 12 million, Geno will get that the next season, meaning there is very little room to fit Staal under the cap if he gets 7 million. Better off signing him then trading him.

[Pitt87]

Hate to see Sid hanging with Fehr. This is not good news for anyone hoping for Sid to take any sort of hometown discount. I am sure Sid is being "asked" to take as big of a contract as he can so as to raise the bar for all of those below him.

lol, I highly doubt Sid will be influenced on what contract he will take by Fehr

There is a reason why Fehr was brought in and a reason why Sid is hanging with Fehr. Fehr is proven in building a strong union in baseball and getting the salary growth he was able to accomplish. And I believe a big part of getting that in hockey is Fehr working on Sid and letting him know what he means to the future growth of player salaries. I believe there is going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on Sid from the union to raise the bar with salaries. Far more than when Sid signed his current contract.

I don't quite get what you are trying to indicate with this statement (in bold above). What is it do you think Donald Fehr did to increase player salaries? He was the GC for MLBPA since 1977, and was the ED since 1983. His specialty is the cap, or more accurately how players associations can loosen cap restrictions and create more exceptions and loopholes. The NHL cap is by far the most strict, and it may be the opinion of the NHLPA's previous leadership that they need stronger representation to lower cap limitations that they feel unfairly restrict players earning ability.

I think he was selected by the NHLPA because he largely "professionalized" the MLBPA into a stronger labor group. NHLPA needs to gain some credibility, considering the 'closed' nature of the NHL ownership group.

[Pens15]

It absolutely IS different because of the cap. The cap makes it a zero sum game for the players. If Sid sets a higher bar for top end players, then the extra value they get comes right out of the pocket of the middle and lower tier players, whose interest Fehr is also supposed to be representing.

Under this context, his aim would be, through whatever means possible, to expand the pool of money that is allocated to player salaries. How that pie gets divided up is not so important.