Comments on: Players understand a lockout will kill league’s momentum

By: dysraw1

dysraw1 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:17:03 +0000

Imagine next season on opening day every arena in every city empty.just like the government, we the people have got to seize control.

By: silk32

silk32 — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:52:28 +0000

This “lock out” will probably happen. The two sides are too far apart on high level issues. The fans should just be resigned to that fact.

By: tashkalucy

tashkalucy — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:52:49 +0000

Private sector salaries and benefits have flatlined since the early 1990′s. Givebacks are a way of life if one wants to keep their job.

But the NBA players need raises with a salary of at least $10-20 a year to survive, and they need to play with their friends in (ESPN recognized) glamour cities. Meanwhile ticket prices (along with parking and food) make it unaffordable for a middle class family to attend a game unless they give up a vacation (which costs the same money).

The rating for The Finals this year was no higher than those for the Celtics-Lakers a few years ago. Don’t tell me abut the momentum. And if the economy ever turns people will go back to work and turn off he NBA soap opera in the wintertime (few even pay any attention to it until after the Super Bowl).

As for me, the fact tat the Lebron James WWFesque circus is needed to spur interest in the NBA shows that David Stern knows it is a 3rd rate league. The way Stern administers the bylaws is as inconsistent as the way his refs call games (Note the say that you need a star to win in the NBA….of course, most games are within 5 points, and the stars get the calls which easily surpass the margin needed for victory.) And getting back to the price of a game — this season showed again that the regular season doesn’t count for much — and the players don’t even play hard the majority of games (as NBA play-by-play men that have been doing games for more than 10 years will tell you).

The NBA is Kim Kardascian. When you scratch the surface even a little bit, it’s all cosmetic and no substenance…..just bloated with a lot of pr and make-up.

The NBA is entertainment and is to a professional sports what TV reality shows are to reality.

By: thetooloftools

thetooloftools — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:58:31 +0000

James and Bosh killed the players leverage by walking on MAX deals and forcing their teams to do sign and trades. The owners now KNOW for 100% sure that the players are over paid if they are willing to take less money “to play together with their buddies”. This is a business and teams cannot let valuable assets just walk out the door after years of paying huge money out.
I’m with the owners on this deal.

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:10:57 +0000

I understand that the owners are trying to protect them from themselves. But as a fan, if my GM makes a bad decision I don’t want to know my team is gonna be buried and out of the playoffs for 5 straight years.

I am not completely sold on guaranteed contracts either. Unless those players can guarantee fans will go to games so my team can keep making money and keep bringing in talent. If 22 teams really did lose money it isn’t like any players were giving any back to the owners for sympathy.

By: mistercharitystripe34

mistercharitystripe34 — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 03:56:27 +0000

It would really suck for the NBA to miss games. I love the league and I’m loving the amount of talent that it has on display these last 3-4 years. The momentum is excellent, and it would be a shame to destroy it. The positive that I’m noticing is that both sides in the NBA aren’t jockeying for an infantile fight for the media, they’re being quiet and negotiating. Unlike the NFL, no one is mouthing off and using the media to try and create their case with vitriol (at least so far). I’m just hoping a resolution can be found (in both the NFL and NBA) so I won’t miss the hilarious trade machine.

By: biggieb19

biggieb19 — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 03:47:58 +0000

i think this lockout would be wrong. stadiums that dont get alot of fans would bring less from the bad momemtum and all these teams ready to look good next season might change now

By: pukpokito

pukpokito — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 02:31:37 +0000

Walton, Kareem,Allen were right. We as fans will not understand. I live paycheck to paycheck.skipped a few meals just to be able to pay for a ticket see the Celtics play the clippers HERE IN LA and as a birthday gift to myself. Saved up for it. I I was able to do that with these hard economic times. I am sure there are plenty of us with stories of our own as fans.With that, you know you have something going with the fans. Get this done. The training camp should start on time.the season must start on time.My Celtics lost. But I watched the playoffs until it ended last week.