Donald Fehr
Donald Fehr
Donald Martin Fehr is the executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association. He became nationally prominent while serving as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1985 to 2009...
appears concern criticisms current fair game initial measures penalty players program reasonable required response several share
It appears the 50 game initial penalty is principally a response to criticisms which have been made of our current program. We share your concern about the criticism our program has received, and, in response, the players have demonstrated, several times now, their willingness to take all reasonable measures in response. But we are still required to adopt, and defend, reasonable, fair and appropriate agreements.
agreement handled move
Hopefully, we can move on to other things. I still think it was something much better handled by agreement than it would have been by legislation.
absolutely baseball based central charge club condition country decision determines economic management players recent ticket web
Players have absolutely nothing to do with ticket prices. We had nothing to do with the recent decision to charge for Web broadcasts. These are management decisions, which management makes based on what each club or central baseball determines is the economic condition of the country and each market.
agreement baseball beer central contract dog funds hard hot improve money national parking payroll performance quality receive revenue says sell sharing teams television ticket
There are teams that receive more money from central baseball -- between the national television contract and revenue sharing -- than what their payroll is. That's before they sell a ticket or a hot dog or a beer or a parking space. There's a provision in the agreement that says revenue-sharing funds are to be used to improve the quality of a team's performance on the field, so we'll have to take a hard look at that.
certainly expect hope precise
Can I give you a precise date? No. Would I expect it to be by the end of the World Series? I would certainly hope so.
bud decision hope inquiry judgments nobody whatever
I hope nobody is making judgments about the inquiry before it's done. Bud will make whatever decision Bud makes and we'll go from there.
given hope increases ought reason rest revenue
I hope it's not going to be contentious. Given the kind of revenue increases we've had and all of the rest of it, I don't know of any reason why it ought to be from our side.
agreement both change deal hearings house letter march meet middle obligation receiving sent side tapes tougher unfair
After the hearings on the House side in March and after receiving the commissioner's letter (re tougher penalties), we had discussions both before and after. There was an agreement that it would be unfair to change the deal in the middle of the season. I then sent the tapes of the (March) hearings to the players. I had an obligation to meet with them all, which I did.
increased revenue
I don't see a need for increased revenue sharing.
ability economics happens industry last predict
The economics of the industry are good. But my ability to predict what happens in negotiations over the last 25 years has not been good.
clubs comments deal distressed economic equivalent fiscal hear landscape point surprised virtually
The fiscal and economic landscape is not at this point equivalent to what it was in 2001 and '02. And obviously, when you go into bargaining, you deal with what is, not with what used to be. The clubs have made a lot of comments in virtually all of our negotiations about distressed economic conditions. I will be very surprised if we hear very much of that this time.
bad good hopefully issues lead people relationship relationships
All of the years when people said the relationship was bad, it never was as bad as they said. Now when people say it?s wonderful, it?s not as good as everyone says. There are issues that are in need of working out in a businesslike manner. Hopefully it will lead to harmonious bargaining, but you just can?t tell.
activity certain far respects seen
The kind of activity we've seen so far in certain respects is encouraging.
expect financial hear heard kinds past widespread
I do not expect to hear some of the kinds of things that sometimes we've heard in the past about widespread financial distress. We'll see. It's not up to me.