Locked Out

Fortunately, this isn't a post about how somebody lost a key to the front door or left the car keys in the car and locked it behind them, requiring the services of a locksmith.  Unfortunately, it involves sports and one of Canada's favorite things: Hockey.

There have been multiple lockouts in sports recently.  The NFL had two this past year (one involving the players, one involving the referees).  Both have been resolved (the referees lost 3 weeks of their season, the players didn't lose any games).  The NBA lost some games of the 2011-2012 season to a lockout, but managed to settle their differences in time for a shortened season.  Now it's the NHL's turn, with their second lockout of the millennium (the first being in 2004).

It should be noted that this is a lockout, not a strike, and there is a difference.  A strike is when the workers (in this case, the players) officially say, "We won't work."  A lockout is when the owners say, "We won't let you work."

As always, it's about money and how best to split it up between the players (who risk their health in playing a game) and the owners (who risk their fortunes in funding a game).  And as always, it's the fans who lose out regardless, since they don't get to watch the games.  So far, just preseason games have been lost.  Hopefully a settlement can be worked out before meaningful games get lost as well.