League Notes
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NHL, Union Set Schedule
For CBA Negotiations |
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Liz Mullen reports NHL Exec VP & CLO
Bill Daly indicated that the league and NHLPA "have agreed to meet in mid-April
to restart talks on a new [CBA]," and added that the two sides "have set up
a schedule of meetings for the next several months." An April meeting would
mark "the first time the two sides have had a formal bargaining session since
October." Meanwhile, Mullen reports Daly sent Arthur Levitt's NHL financial
report — that stated the league lost $273M last year — to 25-30 agents,
a couple of which said that they thought Daly "was trying to make an end run
around the NHLPA." The NHLPA "also appeared to be irritated that Daly sent out
the report to agents" (SBJ,
3/15 issue).
BRU-HA-HA: In Palm Beach, Joe Capozzi reports fans at
yesterday's Astros-Marlins exhibition game at Foro de Sol Stadium in Mexico
City threw cups, plastic bottles and seat cushions onto the field when the game
was called after nine innings with the score 2-2. The "minor uprising lasted
only 15 minutes and both teams made it out unharmed." MLB said in a statement,
"As is the case in many spring training games, it was decided prior to the start
that the game would be limited to nine innings only" (PALM BEACH POST, 3/15).
UNIFIED? In Boston, Mark Murphy wrote Trail Blazers
G Damon Stoudamire and Knicks F Vin Baker both "have acted unilaterally where
drug testing and ignoring protection offered by the [CBA] are concerned." Stoudamire
took a voluntary drug test recently, and Baker "broke from the ranks and signed
a personal agreement with the Celtics that allowed for alcohol testing, a substance
not even covered" by the CBA. With the CBA due to expire after next season,
and drug testing issues "dominating the sports world," NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter
"does admit that perhaps it's time to send a message out to the membership."
Hunter said, "I've admonished the players going forth. They should have contacted
the union first" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/14).
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