Time to Listen to Some Billy Bragg

Sound the death knell for the NHL season. Charming Husband had lost interest in hockey months ago but I miss my Saturday nights with Ron McLean tremendously. Or maybe it was just the salt and pepper chips.

If you're asking where I stand on the issue, daughter of a unionist sides with the players. Mostly, I put the blame on Gary Bettman, and all those who had franchised the NHL to kingdom come. Lemme tell you, I've been to the Carolinas and no one there gives a rat's ass about the Hurricanes or any other NHL team. I know my opinion is shared by many. Suck it up and just say "oops." Why penalize others for mismanagement?

Or maybe it's just that Gary Bettman irks me somehow. The guy needs a better PR team; he came across as so insincere at yesterday's press conference. And what was with that head shaking tick? He should get that checked.

Sure, the players are rich but the owners are richer. I made that point just yesterday morning. There's a sweet little girl in Middle Child's nursery school whose father is a defenceman for the Sens. Someone pointed out she was wearing Juicy Couture which retailed about $110 US. I bet the owners' daughters wear clothes just as nice, if not nicer.

Her dad's a really nice guy; her mom is as friendly as it comes. Why shouldn't this guy who goes out there risking serious injury for people's entertainment get his share? The average salary in the NBA is roughly $5 million. No one bats an eye when someone like Jim Carrey can actually command $20 million per film. Besides, this guy has got to be about 30-35, a veritable senior citizen in the NHLPA, where the average salary, I believe, is $1.8 million.

Or maybe the solution can be found by first looking at who is doing the negotiations. It seems to me that there's a lot of bullheaded lawyer testosterone flying around. I wonder if there's a cure.

Yesterday was my Girlie's 7th birthday. She finally got that Barbie cruise ship she's been asking for for the last 2 years. I found it at Winners for a rediculously cheap price.