Lockout (sports)
In professional sports, a lockout is the shutdown of a professional sports league by team owners, usually due to a failure to come to an agreement about payment conditions. When a lockout occurs, owners close facilities and prevent any team activities, which can result in missed games, loss of paychecks, and unhappy fans. Notable lockouts include the 1972 Major League Baseball strike, the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, the 1982 NFL strike, 1987 NFL strike, the 1994-95 NHL lockout, the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike, the 1998-99 NBA lockout, and the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
