I covered the 1994-95 NHL season for the New York Daily News.
It was the 48-game season that began on January 20, 1995 after the first NHL lockout with the New York Rangers raising their first Stanley Cup banner in 54 years, and ended the night the New Jersey Devils won their first Stanley Cup.
I covered the Devils as they earned the Eastern Conference's fifth seed in that abbreviated regular season by going 10-5-3 in their last 18 games.
After the Devils walloped the Boston Bruins (in five), the Pittsburgh Penguins (in five), the Philadelphia Flyers (in six) and the Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings (four straight) there was much chatter that this was not a legitimate Stanley Cup champion because of the shortened season.
Nonsense then. And it would be nonsense now to suggest that if the NHL plays an abbreviated schedule, the Stanley Cup tournament will be tainted.
Whatever happens to the season, and in 1994-95 the conferences only played among themselves to limit travel and keep rivalries hot, the playoff season should not and will not be altered. And as we all have seen over the years, the four-round road to the Stanley Cup is the toughest road for any pro team to travel for any title.
So there is time for the NHL and NHLPA to settle this current mess. As long as they can find common ground over the next 4-6 weeks, we can salvage a credible regular season to nominate playoff teams for the real season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Every so often I get a call that goes like this:
"Barry, you're the expert. You've been in this hobby for 20 years. I'm just starting out. What should I collect?"
I always chuckle, because my answer is easy. My answer starts with questions.
"What do you like about our hobby? What sports/teams/players do you like? Are you collecting to furnish a room, or pay for your kid's college tuition, or simply for the fun of it?"
In other words, there is no correct answer. Everybody collects for a reason, and with a specific goal in mind. Even if the goal is not to have a goal.
I began collecting in 1978, when I began my first career as a sportswriter. I was a college senior at the State University of Binghamton, interning for the Binghamton Evening Press, covering a junior hockey league team called the Binghamton Barons in the New York-Pennsylania Major Junior Hockey League.
When the season ended, the team folded. I thought it would be cool to own a jersey from every team I covered, since I planned to become a pro hockey writer. I bought a jersey from the soon-to-be defunct team for $40.
And a hobby was born.
Now? I have close to 250 gamers, and my area of interest are my favorite hockey team, the New York Rangers, the teams I covered during my 18 years as a sportswriter, and all New York hockey teams. My favorite rare hockey jerseys were worn by Long Island Ducks, NY Golden Blades, and NY Raiders.
I love my favorite teams' championship seasons, which is why I have the jersey worn by Johnny Sample of the NY Jets in Super Bowl III and the jersey worn by Craig MacTavish in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. I loved the old World Hockey Association and grew up when the NHL expanded from the Original 6 to 12 teams. So I have jerseys worn in the late '60s by the LA Kings, St. Louis Blues, California Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota North Stars, and jerseys worn in the early '70s by the Ottawa Nationals, LA Sharks and Alberta Oilers, to name just a few.
Why do I collect? The memories. There is nothing better than looking at a shirt and remembering the game from years ago ... or weeks ago. There is nothing better than watching a video clip and knowing a snapshot of the clip sits in my collection ... at least until my kids finish college.
"Barry, you're the expert. You've been in this hobby for 20 years. I'm just starting out. What should I collect?"
I always chuckle, because my answer is easy. My answer starts with questions.
"What do you like about our hobby? What sports/teams/players do you like? Are you collecting to furnish a room, or pay for your kid's college tuition, or simply for the fun of it?"
In other words, there is no correct answer. Everybody collects for a reason, and with a specific goal in mind. Even if the goal is not to have a goal.
I began collecting in 1978, when I began my first career as a sportswriter. I was a college senior at the State University of Binghamton, interning for the Binghamton Evening Press, covering a junior hockey league team called the Binghamton Barons in the New York-Pennsylania Major Junior Hockey League.
When the season ended, the team folded. I thought it would be cool to own a jersey from every team I covered, since I planned to become a pro hockey writer. I bought a jersey from the soon-to-be defunct team for $40.
And a hobby was born.
Now? I have close to 250 gamers, and my area of interest are my favorite hockey team, the New York Rangers, the teams I covered during my 18 years as a sportswriter, and all New York hockey teams. My favorite rare hockey jerseys were worn by Long Island Ducks, NY Golden Blades, and NY Raiders.
I love my favorite teams' championship seasons, which is why I have the jersey worn by Johnny Sample of the NY Jets in Super Bowl III and the jersey worn by Craig MacTavish in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. I loved the old World Hockey Association and grew up when the NHL expanded from the Original 6 to 12 teams. So I have jerseys worn in the late '60s by the LA Kings, St. Louis Blues, California Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota North Stars, and jerseys worn in the early '70s by the Ottawa Nationals, LA Sharks and Alberta Oilers, to name just a few.
Why do I collect? The memories. There is nothing better than looking at a shirt and remembering the game from years ago ... or weeks ago. There is nothing better than watching a video clip and knowing a snapshot of the clip sits in my collection ... at least until my kids finish college.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Unwashed is the new game use ... if you can stand the aroma.
As many of you know, we landed new NFL deals this season with the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins.
Those agreements identify jerseys worn in particular games by particular players. As part of the authentication process, the jerseys are individually bagged and identified by the club immediately after the game, in the exact condition they came off the field.
Between the grass stains or turf burns, the rips and tears, the hit marks from jersey against jersey and jersey against helmet, the blood, and the general filth from a three-hour NFL struggle, the jerseys look amazing for collectors who love game use.
MeiGray occasionally has provided unwashed gamers for hockey, too. We have offered right off the ice after the event special one-game jerseys, All-Star and Skills Competition jerseys, and jerseys with unique Commemorative Night patches.
Not only are they jerseys easily photo-matched to game action, but they become eye-catching examples of the best aspects of our hobby ... the one-of-a-kind, unique relics of a professional sport.
As many of you know, we landed new NFL deals this season with the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins.
Those agreements identify jerseys worn in particular games by particular players. As part of the authentication process, the jerseys are individually bagged and identified by the club immediately after the game, in the exact condition they came off the field.
Between the grass stains or turf burns, the rips and tears, the hit marks from jersey against jersey and jersey against helmet, the blood, and the general filth from a three-hour NFL struggle, the jerseys look amazing for collectors who love game use.
MeiGray occasionally has provided unwashed gamers for hockey, too. We have offered right off the ice after the event special one-game jerseys, All-Star and Skills Competition jerseys, and jerseys with unique Commemorative Night patches.
Not only are they jerseys easily photo-matched to game action, but they become eye-catching examples of the best aspects of our hobby ... the one-of-a-kind, unique relics of a professional sport.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
I've Got an Idea To Help Settle The NHL Lockout
Everyone else has offered an opinion, vented frustration, expressed disappointment with the NHL Lockout.
Here's mine.
I've tried to look at the dispute with both sides equally in mind. It doesn't help to take sides, because taking one side or the other only adds to the enmity ... and there's more than enough of that to go around.
I tried to come up with something new, something different. The more I looked at the problems, the more it kept hitting me that the disparity between large-revenue and small-revenue clubs, the salary cap, and the way Hockey Related Revenue keeps growing is part of the problem, but can be part of the solution.
With the last CBA that was written in 2005 after a one-season lockout, the salary cap was determined by a percentage of HRR, with a floor and a ceiling. The problem has been that the clubs that contribute an inordinate percentage of the revenue have made it harder for the small-market clubs to profit since the salary cap is determined by a percentage of the whole pot of revenue.
What if each team's salary cap number was based on its individual HRR, plus an agreed-upon revenue sharing system that included revenue earned through national TV and sponsorships? In other words, the Toronto Maple Leafs' salary cap would be much larger than the Florida Panthers' salary cap, but not that much larger than the floor-ceiling range.
Could the Panthers compete if they couldn't pay as much as the Leafs? If they didn't have to? Well, NHL teams that spend to the floor have competed well with the clubs that spend every penny. It could work.
My idea would mean NHL owners would have to agree to increase their revenue sharing pool, but not so much that they could not improve their chances for fair profit.
It would mean NHL players would have to agree to decrease their overall take, but not so much that they would not see salaries continue to rise as long as the game keeps growing.
Just an idea. One I haven't seen before.
Here's mine.
I've tried to look at the dispute with both sides equally in mind. It doesn't help to take sides, because taking one side or the other only adds to the enmity ... and there's more than enough of that to go around.
I tried to come up with something new, something different. The more I looked at the problems, the more it kept hitting me that the disparity between large-revenue and small-revenue clubs, the salary cap, and the way Hockey Related Revenue keeps growing is part of the problem, but can be part of the solution.
With the last CBA that was written in 2005 after a one-season lockout, the salary cap was determined by a percentage of HRR, with a floor and a ceiling. The problem has been that the clubs that contribute an inordinate percentage of the revenue have made it harder for the small-market clubs to profit since the salary cap is determined by a percentage of the whole pot of revenue.
What if each team's salary cap number was based on its individual HRR, plus an agreed-upon revenue sharing system that included revenue earned through national TV and sponsorships? In other words, the Toronto Maple Leafs' salary cap would be much larger than the Florida Panthers' salary cap, but not that much larger than the floor-ceiling range.
Could the Panthers compete if they couldn't pay as much as the Leafs? If they didn't have to? Well, NHL teams that spend to the floor have competed well with the clubs that spend every penny. It could work.
My idea would mean NHL owners would have to agree to increase their revenue sharing pool, but not so much that they could not improve their chances for fair profit.
It would mean NHL players would have to agree to decrease their overall take, but not so much that they would not see salaries continue to rise as long as the game keeps growing.
Just an idea. One I haven't seen before.
Monday, November 26, 2012
A Word About Provenance
MeiGray receives a high volume of consignment collections at this time of year. Collectors looking to bid in auctions, or take advantage of sales, or just make a little money, often move pieces of their collections in November and December in order to add something else to their collections.
When we accept a jersey on consignment, we start by asking questions of authenticity and provenance. Authentication is our area of expertise. Provenance should be each collector's area of expertise when it comes to the item he or she owns. But too often it is not.
Provenance is an important part of the authentication process, but too many collectors do not keep track or do not ask questions when they acquire jerseys. Too often we hear, :"I got this from a guy on ebay," or, I won it in an auction," or "I made a trade," without knowing anything about a jersey's history.
The path a jersey took to your collection is imporant. Knowing that history can enhance, or at the very least protect, your jersey's value. It can help close a sale. It is why MeiGray keeps a record in its database of every jersey it sells.
We see too many collectors and dealers moving jerseys through the hobby without passing along provenance. It's short-sighted to not do that little bit of homework and it hurts the seller, the buyer, and the jersey.
Conversely, knowing where a jersey originated ... team, dealer, collector, whatever ... can help a jersey's desirability in the hobby. And it doesn't take much time or effort to ask the basic questions that will benefit you and your jersey down the road.
When we accept a jersey on consignment, we start by asking questions of authenticity and provenance. Authentication is our area of expertise. Provenance should be each collector's area of expertise when it comes to the item he or she owns. But too often it is not.
Provenance is an important part of the authentication process, but too many collectors do not keep track or do not ask questions when they acquire jerseys. Too often we hear, :"I got this from a guy on ebay," or, I won it in an auction," or "I made a trade," without knowing anything about a jersey's history.
The path a jersey took to your collection is imporant. Knowing that history can enhance, or at the very least protect, your jersey's value. It can help close a sale. It is why MeiGray keeps a record in its database of every jersey it sells.
We see too many collectors and dealers moving jerseys through the hobby without passing along provenance. It's short-sighted to not do that little bit of homework and it hurts the seller, the buyer, and the jersey.
Conversely, knowing where a jersey originated ... team, dealer, collector, whatever ... can help a jersey's desirability in the hobby. And it doesn't take much time or effort to ask the basic questions that will benefit you and your jersey down the road.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
I'm Still Here ... The Blog is Back
Hi everybody,
I'd like to tell you that Hurricane Sandy and the loss of power for 11 days at MeiGray's offices were the reasons why I haven't been blogging, but blogs don't lie ...
My previous post was on May 30 ... so all I can say is we got busy, I got busy, and now I'm back and eager to blog.
So what's been happening (besides two weeks without power??)
1. The NHL Lockout prompted me to look towards the NFL, and MeiGray was proud to be selected as official game-worn jersey partners for the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins.
2. We kicked off a humongous Holiday Sale a week early to help collectors starved for hockey find some fantastic deals. And that sale will be running until just before Christmas ... so help yourselves to some great savings.
3. We've been procuring some amazing jerseys for retail sale that we will be introducing in the coming weeks.
So thanks for your patience, and for not losing faith. As an old school journalist who spent 18 years at the New York Daily News before I founded MeiGray in 1997, blogging is not exactly how I was raised.
But I'm all in now.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everybody,
Barry
I'd like to tell you that Hurricane Sandy and the loss of power for 11 days at MeiGray's offices were the reasons why I haven't been blogging, but blogs don't lie ...
My previous post was on May 30 ... so all I can say is we got busy, I got busy, and now I'm back and eager to blog.
So what's been happening (besides two weeks without power??)
1. The NHL Lockout prompted me to look towards the NFL, and MeiGray was proud to be selected as official game-worn jersey partners for the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins.
2. We kicked off a humongous Holiday Sale a week early to help collectors starved for hockey find some fantastic deals. And that sale will be running until just before Christmas ... so help yourselves to some great savings.
3. We've been procuring some amazing jerseys for retail sale that we will be introducing in the coming weeks.
So thanks for your patience, and for not losing faith. As an old school journalist who spent 18 years at the New York Daily News before I founded MeiGray in 1997, blogging is not exactly how I was raised.
But I'm all in now.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everybody,
Barry
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