NHL Lockout: League's Stubborn Stance Will Ruin Sport's Long-Term Popularity

The NHL is on a path that will destroy all inroads the league has made toward popularity, and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

The league's front office is being stubborn. Both sides are causing problems, but Gary Bettman should bear most of the blame in this situation.

New York Times reporter Chris Botta gave some insight from the perspective of the Players' Association:

"

Fehr: NHL will not respond to proposals that don't include salary cuts. "At this point, the talks are recessed."

— Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL) August 31, 2012"

Salary cuts for the players who risk their necks on the ice three-to-four nights a week? That doesn't seem right on any level, yet Bettman and his bunch refuse to make any concessions.

This wouldn't be as big of a deal, but the not-so-distant past is still fresh in the minds of every hockey fan old enough to remember, and that's a lot. The league's last lockout happened just seven years ago.

On to of that, you have two other professional sports organizations that were able to work through their issues. The NBA and NFL managed to find common ground, and they made sure the most important thing remained as their top priority.

Playing the game is what really matters in the end, especially if you're the NHL. They already face a steep climb when it comes to popularity, and they are just now seeing "the light" in that department.

A work stoppage right now is the equivalent of the death penalty for the league. They will still play hockey, but fans may never forgive them. It's hard to see their TV ratings stay the same.

Throw the numbers out the window. They obviously exist, but we are splitting millions of dollars here. If anyone deserves a larger chunk, it's the player skating around the rink watching his back for 12 periods a week.

Maybe this gets resolved. Maybe it doesn't. Either way, hockey fans aren't happy that this is even an issue.

And they shouldn't be.