The headline in today's Toronto Star declares it's 'A very dark day' as NLL cancels season.

According to a Players Association news release

"This past Sunday morning in New York, around 11:00 am, the League representatives received a counter proposal from the PLPA negotiating Team. After about a 30 minute review, we were invited back in to the room. The League’s Committee members informed us that they were rejecting our proposal and that the proposal that we had just countered was their final offer...

"I think the most important thing to ask the your owners is the following: Do they realize that our Current proposal, 3 year term with and opt out after year 1 for EITHER SIDE, would allow EVERY CLUB to pay roughly the same salaries as last year. THAT IS THE Million Dollar QUESTION?????? If they say yes than why did they cancel the season. If they say no then they were not informed of our proposal, did not review our proposal and were likely planning on attempting to break the union."

In an interview with the Toronto Star Professional Lacrosse Players' Association executive Dave Succamore comments, "I think their whole objective is to break the union. It was my gut feeling they had no intention of coming to an agreement (and) this was all calculated."

This is the result of a string of recent attempts by the owners of various professional sports to break the unions. In the 2004-2005 lockout by the owners of the National Hockey League the owners were successful in imposing a salary cap for the first time in NHL history and winning a major victory over one of the most powerful sports unions on the planet.

It's no surprise with that result that other pro sports leagues like the NLL are following in their union busting steps despite that, unlike the NHL, players in the NLL make poverty level wages with a $14,500 a year league average and are forced to work full time with regular jobs in order to make ends meet.