I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin’.
I see bad times today.
–Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Bad Moon Rising“
It’s always amusing to me to listen to C.C.R.’s rockabilly toe=tapper and get caught up in the music, knowing fullw ell how bleak the lyrics of the song are. John Fogerty sees wail and woe and warns the listener not to come around tonight because of it.
Indeed, the bad moon rises on the eve of a 2012 NHL work stoppage. Pettiness is starting to rear its ugly head as franchises shut out players.
Rob Tychkowski via Twitter of just one of such instances:
Oilers equipment staff showed up at Kinsmen arena today and took away all team-issued socks and sweaters from players. #READYFORWAR
— Rob Tychkowski (@SUN_TYCHKOWSKI) September 14, 2012
Great. Perfect. Classy move. Yes, the individual franchises will no longer be able to aid or cater to the players at 12:01 AM Sunday morning, but that doesn’t mean you have to be militant about drawing a line and furthering bad blood.
This isn’t a one-way problem either. Players for the Calgary Flames earlier this week backed out of a team-sponsored charity golf tournament event, citing plans to attend CBA talks and show solidarity with the Union. Of course, this PR disaster was walked back by some of the players, who did end up participating. It was all a mix-up, just a silly little mix-up! Really!!
Normally, players are made out to be selfless, caring heroes in this sport when it comes to charity. In this case, they were ready to brush aside the Flames philanthropic arm, the Flames Foundation, and the charities they serve. These third-party groups would join the forthcoming collateral damage of the lockout and labor war. They did nothing wrong, and yet – they’re part of the problem for being associated with the faction players are negotiating with at war with.
It’s stupid. It’s flat-out stupid. This entire thing on all accounts and from all angles. S.T.U.P.I.D. I’m not the only one who feels this way:
In the words of one player I ran into this morning, this lockout is “Just stupid” . . . couldn’t agree with him more
— Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssontrib) September 14, 2012
The doors are going to shut for all 30 clubs shortly, but I look back to the past week with the Lightning and the Vincent Lecavalier Celebrity Poker Tournament. The Bolts promoted the event via press release and through other means, the team has continued promoting player practices at Ice Sports Forum….Players have continued partaking in events for the Lightning’s official website and social media presences..
Business as usual has continued in Tampa… But it now goes on hiatus with the close of business hours and the work week. And when it resumes is anyone’s guess.
The bad moon rises. The silent malice of this spring has turned into the monster we feared it would become. Until that monster is reigned in and defeated, until equations, sums and decimals are finally put into an agreeable arrangement, the National Hockey League grinds to a halt, and we are the mercy of the monster, named “Greed”, and its whims.
