The NHL Lockout: IT'S STUPID!!!

I'm a sports fan. Been one all my life. I'm especially a hockey fan. I've experienced many moments as a hockey fan, especially with my hometown team, the Red Wings. I've been to several key games, met up close and personal with several players and coaches, and was among the millions of fans that was there when the team won the Stanley Cup a few years back.

But I never expected this.

I never expected the announcement Wednesday that the NHL season would be officially canceled as a result of the labor dispute.

I never thought it would come to this. I never thought that they would pull the plug on the season. I just knew that somehow, someway, the players and the owners would come to their senses and look at what's good for the game and the league and make some sort of deal to save the season.

I honestly thought that their egos their pride and most importantly, their greed would be put aside and they would look at the big picture: the game and the fans.

I was wrong.

As a fan, I'm beyond being angry. I'm beyond being upset. I'm even beyond being livid. I'm just so mad at BOTH sides for letting one of the sports I love disintegrate over something so petty.

And you heard me right, I'm mad at both sides --the players and the owners-- for letting it get to this point. I'm mad at the players for being so hard headed over not having a salary cap (every major league has a salary cap, what makes hockey so high and mighty that they don't) until the last minute. I'm mad at the owners for letting it get out of hand for several years (signing players for exceedingly high salaries and overextending the league beyond its scope with way too many teams) and being so hard headed over imposing their stance, again until the last minute.

And I'm really mad at both sides for the name calling, the petty potshots, and the ego trips each group had, seriously underestimating the resolve of the other. As far as I'm concerned, both of these groups acted like a bunch of spoiled brats over this.

So now what? What happens now?

In my opinion, I think if and when they ever get this situation fixed, they need to make some changes. Major changes. Not just to the league and to the sport, but to the hierarchy of both sides. I'd be surprised if all 30 NHL teams will still be around when this mess is finally cleaned up. I'd be very, very surprised if the NHL commissioner and the NHLPA director retained their jobs after this, because both of them could've handled this better and worked on this a lot sooner. And we could've had a season right now.

And it'll be a damn shame if players such as Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, and others who are at the end of their careers, would ever play again due to this extended stoppage.

Now, for the big question. If and when they ever resume NHL hockey, would I go back to it?

I honestly don't know. Right now, my emotions are getting the best of me. I'm too hurt and angry and bitter over this whole situation to know if I can ever go back to this sport. I mean, I have several Red Wing caps, shirts and other stuff in my possession. I have several Wing photo pucks resting on a frame atop my computer desk for crying out loud, so I still have a love for this game. Does this mean I'll go back to it? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. It'll depend on a lot of things for me to return. All I know right now is there will be no hockey this year. No playoffs. No overtime games, and most important of all, no Stanley Cup. And that sucks big time.

I never thought it would get to this.

But it has.

And as a fan of the game I love, I hate it.