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Tuesdays With Hildy: Should Players Be So Outspoken About The NHL Lockout?

There seems to be a recent rash of players coming out against Gary Bettman and the NHL in their handling of the 2012 NHL Lockout. Is that appropriate?

Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images

As of late, it seems that the frustration regarding the dragging on of the NHL lockout has become almost palpable. Regular season games will probably begin to be canceled on Wednesday, and fans -- along with the businesses surrounding the arenas -- will be up a creek with no hockey. Pre-season's one thing, but the regular season? That's a whole 'nother can of worms. Pardon the phrase, but the shit just got real.

Fans are quick to throw their ire at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. We don't get paid by the league that he runs, and he's an easy figurehead. If Adrian Dater is to be believed, he's also someone who is running an "offer no compromise" approach to working with the NHLPA. If you're trying to compromise for your paycheck, and your boss is doing everything in his power to stop you from getting paid, you're going to be ticked. You're going to say some not-nice stuff about him. Heck, you might even want to see him fired.

Do you say this in public?

Most notably New Jersey Devils forward Krys Barch let loose on a Twitter monologue that well laid out how a decent amount of players feel. Brandon at Defending Big D transcribed it, and it's a hum-dinger.

The lockout is a procedure to take from the players to pay for the NHL mistakes. Let's not allow the NHL to make any more mistakes. Let the league and the players to come together to fix the mistakes that have been made and make sure none are made in the future. Lets get a deal where the owners, players, and fans benefit from. We're [sic] we can be sitting around in beautiful Canadian falls around a fire playing and watching the game we love. Here's to the truth and our next conversation.

Ok, I said "well laid out," not "the second coming of F. Scott Fitzgerald." Still, you get the point. The guys aren't happy, but a lot of them are starting to vent in public. Do you have the right to go off against your employer, and more specifically against your boss? There have been players mentioning Bettman by name on Twitter and in interviews. Bettman signs their paychecks, metaphorically speaking.

This week's question is this: s it appropriate for players to come out in public against their own league? Discuss in the comments.