Time for geopolitics to take a backseat to make way for the best spectacle in sports, hockey on ice. Puck drop is only moments away for the 2019/20 NHL season. Anyone who knows anything is aware that the hardest trophy to win in sports is the Stanley Cup (greatest gift Canadians gave the world, no disrespect to the Blackberry). Put aside the grueling 82-game regular season, you then have to win four rounds of best of seven just lift Lord Stanley’s Mug. Unlike baseball and basketball the physicality makes it doubly harder to win. So, this all got me thinking, why is it that NHL players are still the most underpaid?
The following are the highest paid athletes ($US p.a.) in the four major sporting codes of North America, as of October 2, 2019
MLB (162-game regular season schedule for each team) - Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: $38,333,334
NBA (82-game regular season schedule for each team) - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: $40,231,758
NFL (16-game regular season for each team) - Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: $29,500,000
NHL (82-game regular season for each team) - Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers: $12,500,000
Okay, after seeing that list many are thinking, there is way too much money being splashed around in the sporting world. To put things in perspective, the wage of one of these players can pay all the players on the roster of an Australian Football team, yes, no one cares about this sport globally, but it’s the most exciting after hockey (according to yours truly and anyone with eyes). Hard to argue, but the old chestnut bandied about by players is that with all the revenue from ticket proceeds to income generated from the old media and the new, they still think they’re underpaid, and let’s not forget the owners who make sure they come out on top, living in a city with two of the richest owners in sports, Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks) and Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys) makes it a big talking point daily.
We either need to get back to sport being like the college system where it’s all about the jersey or pay athletes according to how entertaining and grueling the product is, so hands down the NHL needs to be respected more. Pigs will fly, no way Americans will allow a Canadian product to take center stage, even though the majority of NHL teams are American. Americans will always use TV revenue as what counts and the NHL lags the other three, NFL by far dominates the TV landscape followed by the NBA and MLB.
Now onto more pressing concerns, who will hoist the cup next June? I’m a Minnesota tragic through and through, but they won’t cloud my judgement. St. Louis breaking their 50 year cup drought (after being in last place on 1/1/19) last June has given hope to hapless teams. Still, as a realist I can't see the Wild taking home the chocolates. I’m going out on a limb and will give the San Jose Sharks one more chance. For so long they have been hyped in preseason only to choke, with this being 40-year-old Joe Thornton’s last kick at the can, I think they’ll get it done for one of the true stalwarts of the game. My prediction: Sharks defeat Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. (Don’t be fooled by the names, both rosters are dominated by Canadians. Special shout-out to all the great Finns in the league, have the highest representation per head of population).
As is my ritual each season, I intend to lose my voice barracking for the State of Hockey among Dallas Stars fans who talk about football during games. I will keep wearing my colors at the American Airlines Center to annoy locals at all times.
Keep an eye out on the home of college football in Texas, the Cotton Bowl being turned into an on-ice spectacle for the Winter Classic on 1/1/2020. Happy hockey season, only 1271-games to go until the playoffs begin in April. Crank up Green Day's NHL anthem, 'Fire, ready, Aim' and enjoy all the action.
The following are the highest paid athletes ($US p.a.) in the four major sporting codes of North America, as of October 2, 2019
MLB (162-game regular season schedule for each team) - Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: $38,333,334
NBA (82-game regular season schedule for each team) - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: $40,231,758
NFL (16-game regular season for each team) - Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: $29,500,000
NHL (82-game regular season for each team) - Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers: $12,500,000
Okay, after seeing that list many are thinking, there is way too much money being splashed around in the sporting world. To put things in perspective, the wage of one of these players can pay all the players on the roster of an Australian Football team, yes, no one cares about this sport globally, but it’s the most exciting after hockey (according to yours truly and anyone with eyes). Hard to argue, but the old chestnut bandied about by players is that with all the revenue from ticket proceeds to income generated from the old media and the new, they still think they’re underpaid, and let’s not forget the owners who make sure they come out on top, living in a city with two of the richest owners in sports, Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks) and Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys) makes it a big talking point daily.
We either need to get back to sport being like the college system where it’s all about the jersey or pay athletes according to how entertaining and grueling the product is, so hands down the NHL needs to be respected more. Pigs will fly, no way Americans will allow a Canadian product to take center stage, even though the majority of NHL teams are American. Americans will always use TV revenue as what counts and the NHL lags the other three, NFL by far dominates the TV landscape followed by the NBA and MLB.
Now onto more pressing concerns, who will hoist the cup next June? I’m a Minnesota tragic through and through, but they won’t cloud my judgement. St. Louis breaking their 50 year cup drought (after being in last place on 1/1/19) last June has given hope to hapless teams. Still, as a realist I can't see the Wild taking home the chocolates. I’m going out on a limb and will give the San Jose Sharks one more chance. For so long they have been hyped in preseason only to choke, with this being 40-year-old Joe Thornton’s last kick at the can, I think they’ll get it done for one of the true stalwarts of the game. My prediction: Sharks defeat Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. (Don’t be fooled by the names, both rosters are dominated by Canadians. Special shout-out to all the great Finns in the league, have the highest representation per head of population).
As is my ritual each season, I intend to lose my voice barracking for the State of Hockey among Dallas Stars fans who talk about football during games. I will keep wearing my colors at the American Airlines Center to annoy locals at all times.
