Comments on: When labor talks restart, who can be NBA’s Robert Kraft?

By: irish2u2

irish2u2 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:52:12 +0000

Ted Leonsis may be one of the worst owners to have in that room. He WAY overpaid for the Wizards franchise (according to Forbes paid 551 million last year for a franchise worth 320 million) and his NHL experience isn’t needed. The NHL was on the brink of collapse with nearly all the teams losing massive amounts of money and fans. The players had to give in to the owners or there would be no NHL. The NBA had record revenues and fans last year. It is NOT the same situation as the NHL.

You don’t want any Maloof in that room and certainly not a politician like Kohl. You want a diplomat. Jerry Coleangelo is a very good choice and I like Herb Simon of the Pacers. If he wasn’t a big market guy maybe the best businessman in the NBA is Jerry Reinsdorf and he wants a deal done.

As a Knicks fan James Dolan is not a guy I would depend on though he has surprised me a lot by being the cushion between the hardliners and the NBAPA.

The two guys who should be barred from the room, hotel and city where the negotiations take place are David Stern and Billy Hunter.

By: irish2u2

irish2u2 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:43:50 +0000

Robert Sarver is the LAST guy you want in the room. OK, that was wrong. I’d rather have Sarver than Donald Sterling but neither should be part of the negotiating process. Sarver is one of the hardliners mainly because he overpaid for the Suns franchise and then wouldn’t make the necessary changes (translation: spend money) to get them over the top as a championship contender. I think Kurt makes some good points that a big market owner isn’t the way to go as well as any of the hard core hardline owners. So who is left standing that carries enough weight to get the deal done?

Herb Simon of Indianapolis. He’s a small market owner but he’s also a basketball fan and I can’t say that about all the owners. Simon is known as a calm and rational man, people who work for him love the guy and he isn’t a yeller or screamer. He’s also been an owner in the NBA for over 25 years and he is looking both short term and long term.

By: lltony

lltony — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:15:13 +0000

I truly believe Mark Cuban could be that voice of reason.He is love by players respected by them as well. Now he is a big time spender but I think he does understand the concerns of the owners and the players.

By: 1historian

1historian — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:45:51 +0000

ex-lax

problem solved

my work here is done

(you can thank me later)

By: deadeyedesign23

deadeyedesign23 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:29:37 +0000

Plus that’d be a great storyline for when The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills starts up again. Amiright fellas?

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:32:36 +0000

Ted Leonsis has been there with the NHL, he might be able to smack some sense into people.

By: eaglessuperfan

eaglessuperfan — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:18:52 +0000

I don’t think the players really want to go the lawsuit route at all. I think this is there bluff. They are just hoping to get he owners to cave on something they think is a deal breaker.

By: SmackSaw

SmackSaw — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:11:53 +0000

Gavin Maloof. The Maloof’s have a lot to lose.

By: sunsation3413

sunsation3413 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:06:33 +0000

Jerry Colangelo might be able to pull this off. Former owner and respected by players.

By: sdelmonte

sdelmonte — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:55:44 +0000

Anyone have a clue what sort of negotiator Kohl was in the Senate? Did he reach across party lines to hammer out bills? Because that this what this calls for.

By: goldstar4robotboy

goldstar4robotboy — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:15:17 +0000

Problem is, when Robert Sarver tried, a few months ago, asking league and union officials to leave the room so owners could speak directly with the players, Stern flipped out and tore him a new one.

So, no. Not happening.