In the meeting from the owners side will be Ronald Burkle of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mark Chipman of the Winnipeg Jets, Jeff Vinik of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Murray Edwards of the Calgary Flames, Larry Tanenbaum of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Jeremy Jacobs of the Boston Bruins. Jacobs is head of the NHL Executive Committee and seems to have had the biggest influence on the NHL’s decision to keep the players from taking the ice this season. He isn’t new to CBA negotiations either, as he was a big part of the last lockout in 2004-05 when the salary cap was the big issue.

We don’t know yet who from the players side will take part in this round of talks, but stars Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews are likely to take part. Having new voices in the bargaining room is never a bad thing, but fans who think this will all of a sudden solve the issues between the two sides would be setting themselves up for disappointment. This is purely meant to help get some steam behind negotiations.

The timing of this meeting is a bit interesting, since the Board of Governors (fancy name for the owners) have meetings scheduled for this coming Wednesday, December 5th. It’s clear not all the owners are on the same page. But it would be foolish to think that enough of them would walk up to Gary Bettman and declare the end of the lockout.

I think the next week to 10 days is absolutely critical if we’re to see NHL players on the ice this season. I don’t think we’ve seen the best offer from the NHL (even though they said they won’t move any more), and I don’t think we’ve seen the players bend as much as they’re willing to.

As far as a date to officially cancel the 2012-13 NHL season, I think we’re a month to 6 weeks from that decision. If games were to start in mid-January like they did in the ’94-’95 lockout, that would leave room for about 40-45 games. All games would be divisional or in-conference and the season would likely be extended until the end of April. The Board of Governors will no doubt discuss this as well as the overall timetable when they meet on Wednesday. In 2004-05, the League cancelled the season on February 16th. They will not wait that long to cancel the season this time around.

Should this set of talks go nowhere, we may be hearing a lot more about the possibility of the NHLPA decertifiying. I don’t want to get ahead of the talks, but if this should be the case, it would almost guarantee the loss of the NHL season. The players most likely wouldn’t decertify until sometime in January when the season appears to be lost anyways. The NHLPA would essentially cease to exist. Don Fehr would no longer represent the players as their union leader and the players would take the fight from negotiating tables to a court room to see if the lockout is illegal. If the judge sides with the players, the NHL would have to make a good enough offer to get the players back on the ice right away. If the judge sides with the league, it’s going to get very ugly and nobody really knows what the outcome would be. Again, we’re a few weeks or maybe a month or 2 from that step, but it is a very real option the players and Don Fehr have in their back pocket.

I’ve been pessimistic from the very beginning about the prospect of even having an NHL season. The latest news doesn’t give me hope that the two sides are any closer to getting a deal done. The players are getting more frustrated as each day passes, and fans are getting more and more irritated and finding other ways to spend their money. I don’t blame the fans one bit. I’m one of the most die-hard hockey fans I know, but whenever the league does start back up, I don’t see myself going to a game for at least a year. Of course I’ll watch on TV, and support the Detroit Red Wings from a bar stool or couch, but paying $25 for a nosebleed seat and $8 for a beer when all each side cares about is money, isn’t why I’m a hockey fan.

The league is doing irreparable damage to its image and it will take years to recover. It’s going to take a lot more than just some blue paint on the ice saying “Thank You Fans”. I don’t know what it’s going to take, and I don’t know any other possible ways to bridge the gap between the owners & players. Perhaps that’s the scariest thing about this lockout. It’s all very unknown. All unchartered waters. We’ll find out in the coming weeks if the NHL will sink or swim.

Unlike the American League Championship Series, the teams over in the National League took as much time as possible deciding who deserved to represent their league in the World Series. St. Louis and San Francisco (the last 2 NL teams to reach the World Series) battled for 7 games in a series which saw the Giants come back from a 3-1 deficit to reach their 2nd Fall Classic in 3 years. So here we have it, the Tigers and Giants. Only one can be crowned champion of Major League Baseball in 2012. Here is your 2012 World Series preview:

The San Francisco Giants take on the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 Fall Classic

How They Got Here:

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers finished the regular season on a tear and knocked the Chicago White Sox from 1st place in the AL Central. Detroit clinched the Central Division in the final days of the season. Their opening round opponent was the Oakland Athletics. After taking the first 2 games in Motown, Oakland came back in Games 3 & 4 to put the Tigers on the verge of elimination. Game 5 saw Justin Verlander mow down the A’s. That combined with timely hitting saw Detroit advance to their 2nd straight ALCS. In the ALCS, Detroit faced a familiar foe in the much-hated New York Yankees. The turning point in the series occurred in Game 1, when shortstop and captain Derek Jeter went down with a season-ending ankle injury. The Yankees bats were completely silent the entire series while Detroit’s powerful pitching staff took over. The Tigers went on to sweep the Yankees in 4 games, sending the Detroit to their first World Series since ’06.

The Tigers will need the bat of ALCS MVP Delmon Young to be alive, especially in the 1st 2 games in San Francisco. (AP)

San Francisco Giants: After a very successful regular season, in which they won 94 games and won the National League West by 8 games, the Giants headed to the playoffs against the resurgent Cincinnati Reds. The Reds dominated both games in San Francisco and headed home looking to sweep the Giants back to the Bay. San Francisco had other plans. They roared back on the road to stun the Reds in 5 games to advance to the NLCS. With Cincinnati behind them, the Giants turned their focus to the defending champion Cardinals. St. Louis was coming off a big comeback of their own in a Game 5 win over the Washington Nationals. The Cardinals were looking real good to return to the World Series, going up 3-1 after 4 games and looking to clinch Game 5 at home. Once again, the Giants wouldn’t go away. After Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong pitched great in Games 5 & 6, Matt Cain and the offense took care of the Cards in Game 7 to win the NL Pennant for the Giants. It is their 2nd pennant in 3 seasons, and first time they were able to clinch at home.

The Giants have won a record 6 straight elimination games this postseason. (Getty Images)

The Tigers Will Win If…: There is no doubt around the Motor City that the Tigers could come off rusty in Game 1. After being off for a week, hitters’ timing can be off and the pitchers aren’t in a groove. The key for Detroit will be to get out ahead in Games 1 & 2, and take advantage of Justin Verlander & Doug Fister. Jim Leyland will have to alter his lineup due to the ‘No-DH” rule in NL ballparks. Look for Delmon Young to step in in left field. Detroit will need his bat, especially with one spot in the order being taken up by the pitcher. The starting pitching will need to continue to carry the Tigers, since the bullpen is a bit shaky, mainly Jose Valverde. If the Tigers can take 1 or both games in San Francisco, they’ll be sitting pretty heading home.

The Giants Will Win If…: While the Tigers have been scrimmaging and enjoying their AL Championship, the Giants have been fighting for their lives in the NLCS. The biggest question for the Giants will be: How do they come off their 7-game series win? Will they be exhausted from the emotional stress of facing so many do-or-die games? Will they continue their hot-streak into the World Series? If the bats of Marco Scutaro and Buster Posey stay hot, this could be a much closer series than experts anticipate.

Series Schedule: (Best of 7)

Game 1: Wed. October 24th — Detroit @ San Francisco — Justin Verlander @ Barry Zito — 8pm on FOX

Game 2: Thu October 25th – Detroit @ San Francisco — Doug Fister @ Madison Bumgarner – 8pm on FOX

Game 3: Sat October 27th — San Francisco @ Detroit — Ryan Vogelsong @ Anibal Sanchez — 8pm on FOX

Game 4: Sunday October 28th — San Francisco @ Detroit — Matt Cain @ Max Scherzer — 8pm on FOX

*Game 5: Monday October 29th — San Francisco @ Detroit — TBD @ TBD — 8pm on FOX

*Game 6: Wednesday October 31st — Detroit @ San Francisco — TBD @ TBD — 8pm on FOX

*Game 7: Thursday November 1st — Detroit @ San Francisco — TBD @ TBD — 8pm on FOX

*If Necessary

Prediction: 

I think this series will be closer than most people think. The Tigers haven’t played in a week, and the Giants are exhausted from a grueling 7-game series in the NLCS. However, pitching gets it done this time of year, and the Tigers have a clear advantage in that department. Every game will be a close game, but I’m picking the Tigers in 5 games to win their first World Series since 1984.

Go Tigers!

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Let’s win this one for Mr. Illitch and the entire City of Detroit!! GO TIGERS!!!

Detroit takes on New York in the 2012 American League Championship Series.

How They Got Here:

Detroit: The Detroit Tigers are back in the American League Championship series for the 2nd year in a row. They fell last season to the Texas Rangers in 6 games. The Tigers are the American League Central Division champions. They eliminated the Oakland Athletics in 5 games to advance to the 2012 ALCS.

New York: The Yankees are no stranger to postseason success. They got their playoff bid by winning the American League East Division in 2012. Facing the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, they were able to expel the pesky O’s in 5 games.

The Yankees acquired Ichico Suzuki from the Seattle Mariners, enroute to yet another AL East crown in 2012.

Season Series:

The regular season series between Detroit and New York was very close, with the Yankees winning 6 of the 10 match ups. The Tigers went to NYC at the end of April and lost 2 of 3 games. Detroit welcomed the Yanks to Comerica Park during the first week of June,  and once again dropped 2 of 3. The two teams met for the final time this season in August, splitting a 4 game series in Motown.

The Tigers Will Win If…:

They continue to hit. We saw in the Oakland series what the consequences can be of not getting timely hitting. Prince Fielder will need to be huge in this series, especially since the Yankees have home field advantage. Left handed bats thrive in Yankee Stadium and Fielder could be the difference for the Tigers. Detroit also needs to score often in order to give the shaky bullpen (and closer Jose Valverde) a bit more confidence working with a big lead.

It wasn’t easy, but Detroit defeated Oakland in 5 games to advance to their 2nd straight ALCS.

The Yankees Will Win If…:

The Yankees are the Yankees. Let’s face it, New York has been here and done that. It’s expected by their owners and fan base that the Yankees will be playing in mid-October. With household names like Jeter, Teixeria, Cano, Rodriguez, Ichiro, Pettite, Sabathia, and Granderson, the Yankees are stocked with firepower. If each player plays like they are capable of, Detroit could be in big trouble. They key for the Bronx Bombers will be pitching. Other than Sabathia (who won’t pitch until Game 3 or 4), and Andy Pettite they really don’t have many reliable arms in their arsenal.

Series Schedule:

Game 1: Sat. Oct 13 at 8pm — DET @ NYY
Game 2: Sun Oct 14 at 4pm — DET @ NYY
Game 3: Tue Oct 16 at 8pm — NYY @ DET
Game 4: Wed Oct 17 at 8pm — NYY @ DET
*Game 5: Thu Oct 18 at 8pm — NYY @ DET
*Game 6: Sat Oct 20 at 8pm — DET @ NYY
*Game 7: Sun Oct 21 at 8pm – DET @ NYY)

If the Tigers are to advance to the World Series, Prince Fielder will need to have a big offensive series.

It could be a while before we see NHL talent back playing on ice in the United States and Canada.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the NHL locked out its players on September 16th after both sides failed to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. Training camps and the preseason schedule have been cancelled, and the first two weeks of the regular season have been postponed. This scenario screams out scenes of 2004 when the NHL became the first North American pro sports league to lose an entire season due to a labor dispute.

Just for a second, let me at least attempt to be optimistic. The NHL and the NHL Players Association have been talking and have kept in regular contact this time around. In 2004, the two sides went 3 months without a word from each other. So, at least they’re talking. Also, the 4 big players in the negotiations (Commissioner Gary Bettman, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, Don Fehr & Steve Fehr) have met the past couple days and are planning to meet Wednesday, apart from the main negotiating table. Maybe they’re talking about the core issue that surrounds the new CBA; money. Maybe the players will do what’s best for the game, and decide to take a pay cut to keep the league’s integrity in tact (doubtful). That’s about as optimistic as I can be at the current time, unfortunately.

Without a doubt, the bad outweighs the good. Even though the two sides have been talking to each other, they’re avoiding the big issues and failing to submit new proposals to each other. Every formal meeting has been regarding little things that usually get talked about when the big things have been agreed upon, such as player safety, reimbursements, travel, health, etc. They NEED to sit down and focus their energy on the economic front, or this deal will never get done. Having said that, you have to know who exactly leads the two sides. Commissioner Bettman will do almost anything to get his way. We saw this back in ’04 when he cancelled the season without hesitation, and we’re seeing it again this time around when he came out and said the league would not allow games to go on during negotiations. He’s not one to back down, even if he’s one of the most hated men in hockey. The 30 league owners love him because they can hide under his smirky, greedy smile. Donald Fehr is also not one to back down from an issue. He lead the MLB players in the ’94-’95 strike. The World Series was cancelled that year. Both sides have leaders with massive egos. Who will crack first? Can they compromise?

Another reason to expect a lengthy lockout is the amount of NHLers signing to play overseas. Leagues in Europe are flourishing with NHL players signing there to avoid missing a paycheck. Also, Don Fehr came out the other day and said the longer the lockout lasts, the less happy the players will be playing under a salary cap. If this happens, and the players association puts the salary cap back on the table, I would expect a lockout that could cancel this season, as well as the following season.

If the NHL is to fit a season in, they need to ramp up negotiating the core economic issues and have a deal in place by the end of October. As of now, the postponed regular season games can still be made up, and if a deal is struck soon we can expect to see an 82-game regular season. However, if November 1st comes around and there is still no deal, regular season games will be lost, and the cancellation of the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend will most likely follow that same week. Once you get into November, the season will be on life support, and most analysts see US Thanksgiving as a date of which we’ll know if the entire year will be scrapped or not. (I feel for Columbus who was expected to host this years All-Star Weekend, because there will be no All-Star Weekend in 2014 due to the Sochi Olympics).

I get asked daily at the local hockey shop I work at if I think there will be a season. I’d be lying to the customers if i said I think there will be one. Every fan has their opinion, but sadly they don’t have a voice in this fight. Their voice in this fight comes after an agreement comes between the NHL & its players. They can decide to spend well earned money elsewhere. Will the fans who have helped grow the game the past 10 years come back? The real impact of this lockout will occur after it’s all over. For now, enjoy the Major League Baseball postseason, and the opening weeks of college/NFL football, and  college hockey. There are many sporting events that deserve our attention that aren’t the NHL based. I hope I’m wrong, and all of this comes to an end tomorrow, but I’m also trying to be realistic.

I’ll leave you with this alarming and scary stat: Each lockout in NHL history has gone on longer than the previous one (10 day strike in 1992, 103 day lockout in 1994, and a 311 day lockout in 2004 when the season was cancelled). When does this one end? And is this the end of the NHL as we know it?

My instincts say we’ll lose the whole year but we’ve still got a month or two to salvage a Dec or Jan start up, so we’ll see. I suspect we’ll see our first real movement from either side in coming week but whether that creates legit traction for talks, who knows? At this point, I don’t doubt either side’s resolve. That may be the problem. Owners think players will cave. Players think owners will cave. I think, like last time, we’ll lose the season before anyone blinks. I’m dismayed that the NHL is insistent on getting such a significant and immediate claw back (57 to 50%). Too much, too soon. But it’s equally discouraging that we are cancelling games and players are still stuck on notion of not taking any tangible dollar reduction. Maybe it’s posturing to get best deal possible at right time but if players insist on no tangible reduction to actual $, turn out the lights. I don’t doubt players’ resolve, but I am surprised at how many players think Bettman and/or owners will blink. Maybe they will, but…of all the things I’ve learned in 30+ yrs covering this game, Bettman, Jeremy Jacobs and Ed Snider don’t strike me as bluffers. And last time I checked, Don Fehr isn’t a guy who shies away from a fight. So that pretty much brings us to where we are. Fans, as angry as they are, have no voice in this dispute, at this moment. But once dispute is over, they have the only voice that matters. I’m not saying you shouldn’t voice frustration/anger now, I’m saying the only real impact you have is by not spending your $$$. Hey, I could be completely wrong. These things tend to take on a life of their own. And I do anticipate some movement in the coming week. But Fehr wasn’t hired to roll over and Bettman’s history suggests he doesn’t play bluff poker, so…biggest fear, and maybe this why it won’t last all season, is if it goes whole season, prospects of 2nd season being affected are high. If season is lost, I can see NHLPA putting salary cap back on table. Then we have a fight that makes this one look like Boy Scout Jamboree.”

- Bob McKenzie of TSN

 

Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics

How They Got Here:

Detroit: The Tigers have advanced to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since the 1930′s. After the Chicago White Sox lead the division almost all season, Detroit went 8-2 in the last 10, while Chicago went 4-6. The Tigers finished 88-74. They are winners of the American League’s Central Division.

Oakland: After being 13 games back in June, the Oakland A’s are the hottest team in baseball. They have the best record in the league since July 1st, and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Oakland swept then-division leading Texas in the season’s final series. They also ended the year on an 8-2 run. The A’s are winners of the American League’s West Division.

Oakland defeated Texas on the season’s final day to clinch the AL West. (AP)

Season Series:

Detroit and Oakland played a total of 7 times during the regular season, with the Tigers winning the series 4 games to 3. These two teams played just a few weeks ago at Comerica Park (Sept 18-20) with Detroit winning the first two games by a combined score of 18-4. Oakland avoided the sweep with a 12-4 win in the series finale.

The Tigers Will Win If…

Their bats continue to stay hot at key moments. Funny how even with Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera along with guys like Prince Fielder and Austin Jackson, Detroit’s main worry is scoring runs. It’s been a problem for them all season, really. Prince and Cabrera would find a way to get on base, then end up being stranded because the middle and end of the lineup couldn’t get them in. Delmon Young, Alex Avila, and Jhonny Peralta will be key players in ensuring Detroit can put runs on the board against Oakland’s young pitching staff.

Miguel Cabrera won baseball’s first Triple Crown since 1967 and will be a key player in this postseason. (Bleacher Report)

The Athletics Will Win If…

They get timely hitting, and their pitching stays hot. Detroit clearly has the offensive advantage in this series, but if Oakland can get timely hitting like they did in the final series against the Rangers… look out! They don’t have a hitter batting above .300 but they can still be dangerous. Josh Reddick finished the year with 32 home runs (2 of which came against Detroit) and also boasts a .357 average versus the Tigers. Oakland will also need their young pitching staff to continue to do what it has done all year…get batters out.

Series Schedule:

Game 1: Oakland @ Detroit — Saturday October 6th at 6:00pm on TBS (Justin Verlander vs. TBA)

Game 2: Oakland @ Detroit — Sunday October 7th at TBD on TBS

Game 3: Detroit @ Oakland — Tuesday October 9th at TBD on TBS

*Game 4: Detroit @ Oakland — Wednesday October 10th at TBD on TBS

*Game 5: Detroit @ Oakland — Thursday October 11th at TBD on TBS

* If Necessary

The Difference:

The difference in this series could come down to home-field advantage. The Tigers won 50 games this season at Comerica Park, and even though they had a worse record than Oakland, they still get to start the ALDS at the friendly confines of Comerica Park. This could play a major factor in the outcome of this series.

Detroit has a 50-31 record at Comerica Park this season. (DSN File)

Final Thoughts:

Both teams come into the playoffs scorching hot. For the last month or so, Detroit has been riding the momentum of Miguel Cabrera’s chase for the Triple Crown. Now that he’s won it, the team can finally focus solely on winning the championship that it was predicted to win in the beginning of the year. Cabrera even said publicly that he’s glad all the attention on him is over. Everyone thought the Tigers would be in this position at the start of spring training. They had some bumps along the road, and it wasn’t easy, but nevertheless they made it to the playoffs. Capping the year with a World Series title would be the cherry on top after the great seasons both Cabrera and Justin Verlander had.

As I stated earlier, Oakland is the hottest team in baseball, and absolutely nobody thought they would be here. Bob Melvin is my choice for AL Manager of the Year (sorry, Buck Showalter).  The pressure to win this series is all on the Tigers, because people expect them to advance to the World Series. Oakland is the underdog (even though they have 7 more wins than Detroit) and they’ll essentially be playing worry-free baseball. The team is young and energetic, but is also new to the playoff scene, while Detroit has been here before. The A’s will look to play spoiler in the opening round.

Prediction:

On paper, Detroit should win this series handily. But games in October aren’t played on paper. Both teams are playing well, which is why I think this series could go to 4 or even 5 games. Detroit’s experience, combined with home-field advantage will reign superior though, and I have Detroit winning this series in 4 games.

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October baseball is here…LET’S GO TIGERS!!!

But wait…

All this planning, buzzing, and anxiousness could be put on hold. Yet again, the players and the league are headed for another labor dispute. No, it’s not a broken record. And yes, you have heard this before. Back in the summer of 2004, right after the Tampa Bay Lightning won the franchises first Stanley Cup Championship, the NHL locked out its players for the entire 2004-05 season. It was the first time since 1919 that the Stanley Cup had not been awarded, and the first time a major North American sports league cancelled an entire season due to a labor dispute. Back then the dispute was mainly over the salary cap. The owners/league wanted one. Understandably, the players did not.

Fast forwarding to 2012, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire on September 15th, and with training camps starting up about a week after that date, it looks as if the 2012-13 season will not start on time. The Red Wings normally head up to Traverse City and hold a prospect tournament in early September that includes them as well as a dozen other teams. This event has already been cancelled for 2012. And as the time goes on, you can count on more preseason events being cancelled.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and his group of 30 owners are threatening to lockout the players if a new CBA deal cannot be reached by the September 15th deadline. (Getty Images)

Unlike the 2004 lockout where many fans sided with the league, most seem to be siding with the players this time around. Briefly, here is what the NHL proposed to the players union in mid-July:

1. Players revenue share is reduced from 57% to 47% — That amounts to about $300 million dollars the owners are asking the players to take a cut on. This is like an opening sucker punch to the face. Currently the salary cap is around $70 million, and with this plan, the league is asking for it to be reduced back to around $50-55 million. Essentially, each player’s contract would be cut around 20% from what it currently is right now. The owners want the shared revenue system to go up in amount. But the players see this extra sharing as being funded by what they would be losing, instead of big markets (Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, NYR, Pittsburgh) helping out the small markets (Florida, Columbus, Nashville, Carolina, Islanders). This is probably the biggest issue and the one where the NHL and the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) are furthest from, and the cornerstone of getting a deal done.

2. 10 years until a player can become an unrestricted free-agent (UFA). — This issue isn’t as big as revenue sharing but nonetheless it will matter to the players. In the current format, players who have reached age 27, or have 7 years of NHL experience, whose contracts have expired are “free agents”. The NHL has proposed that that length be extended to 10 years. To clear up what is defined as a “free agent”… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_salary_cap#Unrestricted_free_agency

3. Contracts will have a 5-year limit on them – So those new deals Zach Parise & Ryan Suter signed with Minnesota? And the deals Sidney Crosby and Shea Weber made with the Penguins and Predators? Even the deal Johan Franzen signed with the Red Wings? Those will be a thing of the past if the owners get their way. General managers have gotten smart over the years and figured out that if you front load a players contract and throw a few nonsense years on at the end, the players salary cap hit will be much lower. For example, players can be given contracts which pay them top dollar in the first few seasons (when they are producing greatly), and then pay them a lot less towards the end of the deal. Since the salary cap only takes into account the average cap hit of the contract, players and GM’s can save the team some salary cap space. A great example of this is when the NHL put a halt to Ilya Kovalchuk’s ridiculous 17-year, $102 million dollar deal because it was too front loaded. A player’s cap hit will be the average salary of every season in the contract up to the year after he turns 41. In the following years, the actual salary for that season will be the player’s cap hit (not the average). This is known as the Kovalchuk Amendment, and it could be simplified if the NHL has their way.

4. No more salary arbitration -- Every year there seems to be an awkward moment when a restricted free agent will try to get more money because he thinks he had a stellar year and should be paid like a top player. Which is a smart move for him, but requires the team to fork over more money. These days, not many players end up in salary arbitration. However, this combined with the 10-years until a player can become a UFA proposal wouldn’t sit too well with the players. Not all players make it past 10 years in the league and would want to know their financial future is secure.

5. Entry level contracts would be extended – In the current system, most rookies sign a 3-year “rookie deal” with a team. Extending that entry level deal to 5 years would be a big swing in the league/owners favor. Rookie deals are great for the team and the salary cap because rookie’s basically have no negotiating power and their salaries are capped at around $1-2 million. Good for everyone, except the player who produces at a young age and thinks he deserves a better deal.

6. No more signing bonuses -- This is fairly self explanatory, but owners seem tired of shelling out big dollars as bonuses. Players won’t like this too much.

7. Salary must be the same for every season of contract – Like I stated earlier in #3, many contracts are front loaded so a players annual salary cap hit is lowered from what a team is actually paying him. In this proposal, a team would have to pay a player the same amount in the first year and the last year of his contract. Every year must be the same. The owners and GM’s are actually saving money this way because they wouldn’t have to pay the majority of a players contract in the first few years of a long-term deal.

8. The salary cap ceiling will be $4 million above the mid-point, and the floor $8 million under the cap — Basically, this will trim the gap between big spending teams and teams that tend to remain close to the salary cap floor.

So there you have it! 8 HUGE proposal’s and changes that the NHL wants to implement. All this coming 7 years after they changed everything the first time around. In my opinion, it’s a slap in the face to the players. The players had to change and gave up so much in 2004-05 and now the NHL wants them to change and take a hit once again.

Last Wednesday, the NHLPA responded the NHL’s proposal with an alternate proposal of their own. All the above proposal’s were not addressed however, which leads me to believe we’re in this for the long haul. The two biggest players in this fight are NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA  executive director Donald Fehr. Bettman has been an enemy of the fans for as long as I can remember. The players obviously can’t stand him, but no player would ever come out and admit that. You’ll hear those two names plenty in the coming weeks and months.

It’s pretty clear that the 2012-2013 NHL season will NOT start on time. With the issues yet to be discussed and the lack of time until training camps, it looks as if fans will have to endure another Fall without the start of hockey. However, it’s important to both the players and the league that another entire season isn’t lost like the one in ’04-’05. Cancelling the upcoming season would be devastating to the sport and a league which already ranks as the 4th most popular of the 4 major pro sports leagues in North America. You can bet players will jet to Europe and Russia to play in leagues that have a more certain and stable future. 2012 1st overall pick Nail Yakupov has already come out and said he’ll play in Russia if there’s a lockout.

Prediction: Knowing that the NHL can’t afford another year-long lockout, but keeping in mind the limited time frame and number of issues, I’m going to go out on a limb and say the 2013 Winter Classic will be the first game of the season. Much like the NBA did last year, the NHL will need to scramble to put together a season that would last around 50 games instead of the normal 82. Starting the season with an event like the Winter Classic would be some good PR for the troubled league. So, book your tickets now for the Griffins, Spartans, Wolverines, Broncos, Bulldogs and Whalers. This NHL season is without a doubt hanging in the balance.

Thanks to Rob Benneian for his help in this report.

Rick Porcello gets the ball for the Tigers on Friday night against Zack Greinke and the Angels. Detroit and LA open a 3-game weekend series at Comerica Park.

Series Schedule & Pitching Match ups:

Friday, August 24, 7:05 PM: Zack Greinke (1-2, 6.19 ERA)  vs. Rick Porcello (9-8, 4.67 ERA) — Fox Sports Detroit & MLB Network

Saturday, August 25, 7:05 PM: Dan Haren (8-10, 4.90 ERA) vs. Drew Smyly (4-3, 4.42 ERA) — Fox Sports Detroit & MLB Network

Sunday, August 26, 1:05 PM: Ervin Santana (7-10, 5.46 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (13-6, 4.27 ERA) — Fox Sports Detroit & TBS

Who To Watch For:

Los Angeles: For the Angels, everything runs through rookie phenom Mike Trout. He’s an MVP candidate and having one of the best seasons by a rookie in major league history. His .345 average combined with 24 home runs makes him a huge threat at the plate. Add into the mix his 41 stolen bases and outstanding outfield defense and he’s a threat all around the field.  Keep an eye on him every time he’s out there.

Detroit: The Tigers got a bit of a scare Thursday afternoon when Miguel Cabrera left the game early with right ankle soreness. Cabrera bounced a foul ball off that ankle earlier in the month and it hasn’t felt right since. Not only will the Tigers need him to bounce back from this “injury”, but they’ll need him to produce. Cabrera is hitless in 9 at-bats over his last 4 games which is tied for his 3rd-longest hitless game streak of career. So far this season, he’s been the teams MVP, batting .326 with 31 long balls and 105 RBI.

Around the AL Central:

While we will surely be watching the Tigers and Angels this weekend at Comerica Park, we’ll also keep an eye on the other teams around the division, most notably the Chicago White Sox. The south siders welcome the Seattle Mariners to town for a 3-game series. Meanwhile, the Royals are in Boston to take on the Red Sox, the Twins are in Texas to face the Rangers, and the Indians host the New York Yankees.

Looking Ahead:

Following this weekends series with the Angels, the Tigers will hit the road for a 3-game series with the Kansas City Royals starting Tuesday night. Justin Verlander will get the call in the series opener for Detroit.

As always, keep up with live scoring updates, lineups and Tigers news on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/detroitsportsnation ) , and on Twitter ( @detsportsnation )

Have a great weekend, Detroit!

WP: Balester (2-0)   LP: Ohman (0-2)  SV: Dotel (1)

We all knew it was coming. This team, this offense, was bound to wake up at some point. After being silent for what felt like a period of weeks, the Tigers vaunted offense came through when they needed it most on Tuesday afternoon on the south side of Chicago. The Detroit offense combined for 3 home runs in the 6th inning en-route to a 10-8 win over the Chicago White Sox, giving the teams a split of the series.

Tigers starter Max Scherzer was pulled after just 4 innings after allowing 6 runs (5 earned) to the Sox. But with Detroit down 6-0 after 5, the bats suddenly came to life for the top of the 6th inning. First Miguel Cabrera hit his 8th dinger of the season off White Sox (and Tigers dominator of late) Jake Peavy. The home run came with a man on, giving putting Detroit on the board for the first time in the game, 6-2. After a few more hits and a walk, who else but the “Brandon Inge Clone” Ryan Raburn sent another Peavy fastball into the seats for a 3-run shot, putting the Tigers within a run. And finally, to close out the inning, the man who so far has been the most improved on the team, Austin Jackson, collected his 5th home run on the year. Jackson’s bomb gave the Tigers an 8-6 lead.

Austin Jackson hit a 3-run home run in the 6th inning which gave the Tigers the lead for good. (Getty Images North America)

The Tigers would score 2 in the next inning, to extend their lead to 10-6. Those runs proved vital, as Chicago would score 2 of their own in the 9th to give Detroit a good scare.

Jose Valverde came in to close the game, but could only face 5 batters before leaving with what is believed to be a muscle strain in his back. There hasn’t been any update on him so far, but they will re-evaluate when the team gets back to Detroit. I don’t expect him to go on the DL at this time. Octavio Dotel came in and picked up his 1st save of the year.

A few Tigers notables: Prince Fielder seems to be out of his slump, going 3 for 4 today with a run scored. Ryan Raburn also had a huge game, going 2 for 5 with 4 RBIs.

Much has been talked about recently about Ryan Raburn and how the Tigers should cut ties with him like they did with Brandon Inge. After seeing what Inge did to us this past weekend in Oakland, I’m not sure Dave Dombrowski wants to entertain any thought of releasing Raburn. Yes, the guy is sometimes a dud at the plate but right now there isn’t anyone better the Tigers can bring in. I’ve heard lots of talk about how they should just replace him with Ramon Santiago, but let me tell you folks, that would be a huge mistake. Santiago is a good player, but he’s not an everyday player. He doesn’t hit for power like Raburn often can, and the only positive attribute to his game is his speed. For right now, the right move is to keep Raburn at 2B and keep him low in the order. It’s no secret that he’s a second half player.

The Tigers now head home to face the Minnesota Twins for a brief 2-game series at Comerica Park. Interleague play will begin this weekend, as Detroit will host the Pittsburgh Pirates for a weekend series.

Cheers, and as always, GO TIGERS!!!

WP: Rick Porcello (3-2)     LP: Dylan Axelrod (0-1)   SV: Jose Valverde (5)

Coming off a game which they should have had on Saturday afternoon, the Tigers bounced back in long-ball fashion to take the series against Chicago with a 3-1 victory Sunday at Comerica Park. In yet another close game between these division rivals, the Tigers’ sluggers came to hit, and their recently roughed up bullpen came to pitch.

Austin Jackson, Prince Fielder, and Andy Dirks each had a solo home run to complete the scoring, and Rick Porcello, along with his bullpen did the rest (Fielder’s HR landed about an hour after the game ended). For Fielder, it was his first home run at Comerica Park since hitting 2 against the Red Sox on April 7th. He was well overdue and needed a game like this to break out of his early-season funk. The White Sox’ Adam Dunn got things going in the top of the 1st inning, hitting a solo home run of his own. That would be Porcello’s only blip on his outing, as he finished allowing 4 hits and 1 run, while striking out 5 over 6.1 innings of work. Jackson came back the very next half inning, taking White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod deep for his 4th home run of the year. Prince would give the Tigers the lead for good with a 432 foot cannon shot to right center field, and Andy Dirks gave Detroit some security with a key 8th inning blast off Hector Santiago.

Miguel Cabrera congratulates Austin Jackson after Jackson's game-tying solo home run in the 1st inning. (Photo:AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

The other big story for Detroit was their bullpen. After being roughed up quite a bit in the past week, Octavio Dotel, Phil Coke, Joaquin Benoit, and Jose Valverde found a way to keep the South-Siders off the scoreboard. Jose Valverde did give all of a bit of a heart-attack in the 9th inning though, allowing a hit and walk before retiring the Sox for good.

The only alarming statistic I could find was that the Tigers 6-7-8-9 hitters (Avila, Peralta, Boesch, and Raburn) were a combined 1 for 14 on the day. Brennan Boesch has been in a huge slump of late, which is most likely why Jim Leyland took him out of the #2 spot in the order in favor of Andy Dirks. The move ended up paying off big for Detroit thanks to Dirks’ home run.

The Tigers boarded Red Bird II after the game (6:30p) and landed at Boeing Airfield outside Seattle at 10:40pm EDT. They’ll start a west coast road trip with 3 against the Mariners before heading south to the Bay Area to visit Brandon Inge and the Oakland Athletics this weekend. Take a nap, roast up some coffee, or buy a pack of Red Bull, as the next 5 games will all start at 10:00pm Detroit time (All games on FSD). And remind your boss that watching the Tigers is always a great excuse to be late for work the next morning!

Have a great start to the week, and as always…. GO TIGERS!!!

WP: Valverde (2-0)   LP: Thornton (1-1)

Jhonny Peralta sure did pick a good time to hit his first home run of the season. After hitting 21 last season, it took about a month into the 2012 campaign for the shortstop to get his first. With Detroit down by a run, with Gerald Laird on 1st base, Peralta sent Matt Thornton’s pitch into the right field bleachers to give the Tigers a 5-4 win to open the weekend series with the Chicago White Sox.

Jhonny Peralta celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting the game winning home run (Photo courtesy: The AP)

Drew Smyly went 6 innings and stuck out 7 Chicago batters. For the very first time in his career, he gave up 2 runs. His 1.61 ERA is tied with the Angels Jered Weaver for the best in the American League. (Note: Weaver pitched a no-hitter on Wednesday night) In a somewhat shocking move, Jim Leyland brought in Jose Valverde for the 9th inning, even with the Tigers down a run and there not being a save opportunity. However, the move worked out, and Valverde wound up with the win.

Jake Peavy was stellar for the White Sox, going 7.2 innings and allowing 3 runs while striking out 6. But Miguel Cabrera’s RBI single in the 8th was the last straw for him and he was forced to watch the remainder of the game from the dugout. Thornton came in to get the final out in the 8th, but could only get 1 out in the 9th before he served up a Peralta meatball.

Standouts for the Tigers include Alex Avila, who went 3 for 3 with a double and home run (4). Miguel Cabrera also was 2 for 4 with a key 8th inning RBI. For the White Sox, Gordon Beckham was 3 for 4 with a home run and a double, while hitting from the 9th spot.

Game 2 of the series is tomorrow at Comerica Park at 4:05pm on FOX 2 Detroit. Gavin Floyd goes for Chicago, while Detroit counters with Max Scherzer.

GO TIGERS!!!