Indeed, it has always been a pissing contest. The players did not deserve to be locked out, but should have realized that for the most part, they were battling billionaires who depend on hockey for very little money. There are exceptions of course, such as the Edmonton owners group that is a little less desiring of a tax write off and in much more imminent danger than the majority of owners.
The players, on the other hand, are a much more diverse group, almost singly dependent on hockey for their income. They all talk that they have limited careers (which garners little sympathy from me, they can find 9-5 jobs down the road, particularly if they manage their money well) but fail to realize that at the particular moment in time, they are ill qualified to do anything else. Most of the common folk are bright enough to not slam their boss publicly if they have nowhere else to go, not true for athletes I suppose. And that's not to say the players are entirely wrong, it's just simple logic. Hey boss, I wrote a letter to the paper and they printed it on the front page - see, I called you an *******. Where's the surprise in facing retaliation?
