According to several outlets, the NBA will announce on Tuesday that all games will be canceled through Nov. 28. That means the first month of the season is toast, as of now. There are still positive thinking folks out there who believe there will be a 50-game season, and while that's entirely possible, good news has been hard to find lately. http://twitter.com/#!/FisolaNYDN/status/128632400212267008
A 50 game season would suck big time. If you were around for the 1999 lockout shorten season, the quality of games really sucked and players were getting injured alot easier with a lot of back to back to backs. It would be easier for us to tank for that high draft pick. Can you say Andre Drummond, Austin Rivers or Harrison Barnes?
I repeat: Now that it's apparent the owners are willing to miss the entire season, the players need to cut bait and make a deal. The longer they wait, the worse their position becomes. The union will be ground into powder if the season is missed and the "future" players they want to protect will be worse off. The mediator tried to remove emotion from the equation but emotion is driving the union instead of logic.
Yep, the owners don't have the sense of urgency to get a deal it seems or if they were, they would have had scheduled more meetings by now. The NFL met for 16 straight days with the same mediator to get a deal done, the owners felt 3 was more than enough. That doesn't really scream I want the season to start on time. The players have far more to lose than the owners.
I've never understood the reason why some people believe the players can actually wait out the owners. The owners OWN the team. As in owning it forever, or until sold. The owners care much more for what happens 10 years down the road. The players play for, what, an average of 4-5 years in the league? Plus they don't get anything for retiring, while owners can leave the team to his kids or sell it even in death. It was pretty clear from the beginning that a lost season would mean a lot more to players than owners. Why that hasn't sunk in even now, I have no idea.
How is their position worse if they too are prepared to miss the entire season to avoid a garbage deal (from their point of view)? That's exactly what everyone is counting on not to happen. I know....it's rare for folks to actually stand up for what they believe in. And the only way I see future players being worse off is if the current players bend to the owners demands, as they really aren't negotiating fairly (it's pretty clear they are trying to break these guys).
It depends on if you believe their take that they are concerned about future generations of players. Everything I see about the players not being able to wait revolves around everyone assuming they are broke and can't miss paychecks (not saying that doesn't make sense). Which is exactly why all this nonsense about the league losing so much money is bogus. I think the players realize this, which is why they have offered more concessions. However, the owners really haven't offered any. FYI, a missed season will actually cost the owners a lot of dough because they only get TV money for the current year if games are played. If not then the TV money becomes a loan.
I agree with you, but I don't think Stern has consistently followed-through on his threats. He had said he felt games would be cancelled through Christmas if a deal wasn't made a week ago. "It’s time to make the deal. If we don’t make it Tuesday, my gut … is that we won’t be playing on Christmas Day," Stern said. A week later and it's a little different story. I do think the owners have the power and leverage here though and I think the longer this goes, the worse it looks for the players union.
The players' position is worse because it's widely assumed they are less able to afford losing money, compared to the owners. It's no secret that the majority of NBA players are big spenders and don't know how to build up personal savings. But if the union really thinks that all their players can afford to miss the entire season, then they should do that. I have my doubts.
Actually, if you factor in player salaries, the TV money loss no longer seem that bad. If anything, it's possible the owners lose very little in reality because money lost minus checks not written to players may not end up being much. Sure, the top teams like Miami, LA, or NY would lose a lot. But the Wolves, the Kings, the Suns of the world aren't exactly bleeding money left and right with the lockout. In the end, if the owners want to ensure a bigger piece of the pie for the next 10-20 years, a season lost in profit would seem miniscule in the grand scheme of things.
No doubt the owners will lose a TON of money if the season is lost. The difference though, is that owners won't personally go broke if that happens. The vast majority of players will.
No one is denying that, and that's what the owners are banking on. But if the players really are willing to miss an entire season then that's a gamechanger. That's exactly what the owners are counting on not to happen. I don't think they really want to miss an entire season of basketball either. They just assume, like everyone else, that the "broke athletes" will fold. If the players allow the owners to take advantage of their weakness and are only concerned about this seasons salary, then it's in their best position to get bent over early if they know they will bend over at sometime during the season. But if they want to ensure the best deal for the future (thinking long term...imagine that) then it's in their best interests to blow the season as well. I'm pretty sure you would see a change in the owners demands if the players actually were strong enough to miss the entire year.
Hockey players were also willing to miss an entire season. What kind of "gamechanger" did that turn out to be? Very negative for them and they got a lot worse than what was first offered. Forget "standing up for what they believe in". That kind of emotion will do the players no good at all. Cold logic is what they need. The so-called "garbage deal" on the table now will look like a feast compared to what's agreed upon next summer.
In my opinion, you are on Fantasy Island. The minute Stern announces the season is canceled, the NBPA's negotiating position will be blown to smithereens and the owners know that.
God, the NBA would completely plummet going into next season if this wasn't a golden era in terms of star players. The players are willing to miss the season also. If this lockout cancels games past Christmas, there is a VERY high chance this season is over.
sucks for the avg players, you don t really hear their voice. All you hear is the players making 12 million plus making a fuss on tv. Considering most players don t make as much the hurt is coming, and they don t even get to make it to these elaborate all star teams going around playing so eventually the union will break or the needs of the many have to be placed ahead of the needs of a few.
