NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

[cmebfresh]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Are most players forgetting their roots and who they were before joining one of the most profitable leagues of sports worldwide? They are reacting and making absurd statements as if the NBA is trying to abuse and exploit all of them.
There are no doubts that this absurd situation was created and is being manipulated by dark and greedy business minds from the players’ side, which are not related to sports and neither to the players’ individual interests.
Did any NBA players was a millionaire before getting into the NBA? NO!!!
Were all owners multimillionaires before getting into the NBA and before NBA players entered the league? YES
Will the billionaire owners subsist through their own business outside the NBA? YES
Would NBA players do it without the NBA? I don’t think so?
Every player should invest just a couple of minutes to look back at their own past and compare it to what they are today and achieved since they joined the NBA. Most of them are hard working individuals and great athletes who deserve what they have, but all of them should also realize that probably none of them would be enjoying the personal success and financial situation they have today without the powerful NBA and multimillionaire owners?
I’m really done with professional basketball. A strong sentiment of antipathy toward those who used to be my favored players is already on me and I know it will not change. Money could provide a lot of things, even happiness and power, but will never change our roots and our past. Arrogance, greed and lack of honesty are bad stuff.

[MikeJ2021]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

I think some of you guys are missing the point about the whole "fans will be back" claims. The NBA doesn't need the fans to come back and watch them on TV, in local bars, or anywhere else there is a television. They need fans to INVEST in their product. The need fans to buy tickets, to buy NBA apparel, they need fans to buy specialized TV packages. Who cares if fans come back to watch them on TV. I'd watch paint dry if I was bored enough and they have entertaining commentary.

I really don't see how anyone, at a time when people are competing for jobs and while other businesses and sports are competing for your money, is going to financially support the NBA like they once did. And thats the problem. I'm sure, anyone in their right mind would rather watch the NBA on TV than go to a game, especially now that its clear that the players, nor the owners care about what we think, or feel.

Since its clear that both side went the selfish, greedy route. I'm not going to hope for an end to this lockout. What I hope for is that all contracts get voided and we get a week-long 15 round NBA draft to select new teams. I know this has no chance of happening, but so does the Players getting anything they want out of this deal.

[aholbert32]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

The laughing and joking made me think there was going to be a deal but then I looked over at Kobe and watched him for a few moments and he looked really pissed, wasn't talking to anyone, wearing dark sunglasses, and that right there told me. I don't get why they were all so happy. Maybe it hadn't set in fully yet but I think in the coming week they'll cease being so happy and realize what happened.

Barring a miracle, I've never in my life seen a union fail so spectacularly. Everything a union sets out to do they abjectly failed in. It is truly extraordinary how complete their **** fail was.

Thought the same thing when I was watching. I looked for Kobe. If he was happy, I knew there was a deal.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

You say that as if it's a guarantee there will be a much better system than the one that was in place.

Well you never know exactly how its going to turn out....


Take the last CBA for instance, Stern went from saying it was a good "50\50 deal" then, to it being "heavily in the players favor" now, lol


Even so, too many things within the system were changed for the better (in the last revised offer anyway) for it to be worse than the current one. assuming thats close to what we end up with.

I agree with Throne that competitive balance isnt fixed either way.....though the owners couldnt care less about that in the first place...

[TheMatrix31]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

I think some of you guys are missing the point about the whole "fans will be back" claims. The NBA doesn't need the fans to come back and watch them on TV, in local bars, or anywhere else there is a television. They need fans to INVEST in their product. The need fans to buy tickets, to buy NBA apparel, they need fans to buy specialized TV packages. Who cares if fans come back to watch them on TV. I'd watch paint dry if I was bored enough and they have entertaining commentary.

I really don't see how anyone, at a time when people are competing for jobs and while other businesses and sports are competing for your money, is going to financially support the NBA like they once did. And thats the problem. I'm sure, anyone in their right mind would rather watch the NBA on TV than go to a game, especially now that its clear that the players, nor the owners care about what we think, or feel.

Since its clear that both side went the selfish, greedy route. I'm not going to hope for an end to this lockout. What I hope for is that all contracts get voided and we get a week-long 15 round NBA draft to select new teams. I know this has no chance of happening, but so does the Players getting anything they want out of this deal.

You're smart. Post more.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

I think some of you guys are missing the point about the whole "fans will be back" claims. The NBA doesn't need the fans to come back and watch them on TV, in local bars, or anywhere else there is a television. They need fans to INVEST in their product. The need fans to buy tickets, to buy NBA apparel, they need fans to buy specialized TV packages. Who cares if fans come back to watch them on TV. I'd watch paint dry if I was bored enough and they have entertaining commentary.

I really don't see how anyone, at a time when people are competing for jobs and while other businesses and sports are competing for your money, is going to financially support the NBA like they once did. And thats the problem. I'm sure, anyone in their right mind would rather watch the NBA on TV than go to a game, especially now that its clear that the players, nor the owners care about what we think, or feel.

Since its clear that both side went the selfish, greedy route. I'm not going to hope for an end to this lockout. What I hope for is that all contracts get voided and we get a week-long 15 round NBA draft to select new teams. I know this has no chance of happening, but so does the Players getting anything they want out of this deal.

Everything you posted is very valid, but the only thing I can tell you is that people are pretty dumb and also have short term memories.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Well you never know exactly how its going to turn out....


Take the last CBA for instance, Stern went from saying it was a good "50\50 deal" then, to it being "heavily in the players favor" now, lol


Even so, too many things within the system were changed for the better (in the last revised offer anyway) for it to be worse than the current one. assuming thats close to what we end up with.

I agree with Throne that competitive balance isnt fixed either way.....though the owners couldnt care less about that in the first place...

My point is what happens if they come back and the system isn't that much better than what it was before the Lockout? You basically wasted a year(or more)for nothing if that's going to be the case.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/33289/union-makes-big-move-without-polling-members

The last time the NBA and the players association met, the meeting ended early Friday morning with an offer from the league. The NBA then sent that offer in writing to every player, and quietly prayed that the union would let the players vote on it, expecting it would pass and the NBA season would begin.

It never happened, however. Instead of putting the decision to 450 players, the union put the decision to 30 player representatives who, the union says, were unanimous in rejecting the deal and taking new legal action.

As soon as that decision was announced, I asked union spokesman Dan Wasserman, who was standing in the back of the room next to attorney Jeffrey Kessler, why the union was turning to the group of 30 representatives.

The union has three player bodies it can consult: The executive committee, the 30 elected representatives and the full membership. Why that middle body?

I was asking what I thought was a fairly boring question. I would have been satisfied with a response about by-laws or somesuch. But Wasserman and Kessler blew up. I couldn't even finish the question before both were loud, gruff and dismissive.

The gist of the response was that you cannot give your adversary direct access to the membership. "That's not how any union in America, that I'm aware of, operates," said Kessler. If the NBA is just going to send offers straight to the players, why even have a union? The idea is that the union is savvier, and knows a good deal when it sees one. And only when the union is sure that the deal is in players' best interests will they present it to the workers.

Rockets guard Kevin Martin, by text on Monday morning, said he didn't care to be represented that way: "I think it's fair for every player to have a vote, because we're all grown men and its time for the players to control their career decisions, and not one player per team. If it comes down to a final decision, you got to be fair."

He added that other players he had talked to may or may not have voted for the deal the NBA had on the table, but "most feel like we're entitled to a vote!"

To hear David Stern tell it, skipping that vote was a key misstep. Speaking to ESPN's "SportsCenter" he said: "The union decided in its infinite wisdom that the proposal would not be presented to membership. Obviously, Mr. Kessler got his way and we are about to go into the nuclear winter of the NBA."

[cmebfresh]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

From Heat first-round pick Norris Cole, "Smh I jus wanna play ball." So how exactly were players denied the right to vote, since many did?

Man, i really want to see this kid play

[23]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Players didn't vote, they gave it over to the reps

Im sure Kobe rejected their notion but like I said, he was there pretty much on his own

Regardless of whats involved here, there is one thing that bothers me to the end and that's Kessler

This guy has no risk at all, no worries at all, and stands a boatload of cash from a decertification. He's been doing all of the talking since Billy got up and walked out of that one meeting, from calling David Stern a plantation owner to telling the players they dont need to vote on a proposal they don't need to see


Regardless if the NBA wanted true parity or not, this guy was here to make sure they gave up the ghost or get tied up in court. He doesn't give a rats behind about those players

[23]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Joakim Noah: "Right now i don't know what to do. I thought the season would begin, I thought we would take the deal. I will have to take a decision during this week. I won't play in Bordeaux. That's for sure." BasketActu.com

[seanbarkley]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Congrats!fairest revenue share ever: $0 for owners,$0 for players. After all this mess that's much more than they deserve.

[stlpimpmonsta]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

and like that the legendary career of Tim Duncan may be over and no one would give a damn..............

[MikeJ2021]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Everything you posted is very valid, but the only thing I can tell you is that people are pretty dumb and also have short term memories.

You make a valid point, I mean all you have to do is look at sports game sales. People still buy games even though the previous edition of the game sucked. However, I think you're underestimating people.

Every report shows that consumers are spending less and less money. Look at the Bank of America thing. Bank of America was going to add a monthly 5 dollar fee to people who use their debt card. Hundreds of people people were outraged, protested, signed petitions, all because they didn't want to pay $5 or $60 a year. 60,000+ people moved their accounts from big banks to credit unions because of this. If this took place, in three arenas, on one night, 6 teams would be playing in an empty arena. All over a $5 monthly fee.

All I'm saying is that its pretty hard to say that people are going to pay 50-100 dollars (didn't even mention the food prices) to see their favorite players on a nightly basis when they can stay home. The trend of fans picking the option of staying home to watch games instead of going to areans to watch them is slowly starting to take place. I just feel that this lockout is going to accelerate the trend.

[ffaacc03]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Really shocked @ how the NBPA comitee handled this ... they should have had summoned all their members into something like a 3 day meeting (random #) ... where they presented to players, in detail, what the owners offer was, the implications of accepting it and the consecuences of going the decertification route instead. Also, for the record, inform them of the stance of the comitee on both options.

At the end of that meeting, they should have done a voting and act accordingly ... while it wouldnt totally unite them, it would certainly take away the regrets many are experiencing while resting power to the effects caused by the intrusion tactic the NBA used with its tweets tidbids.

Ultimately, this was not about winning or losing ... about fairness or giving in ... about the past or future generations ... but about doing what the current members wanted, at least what the majority wanted ... sadly, it seems that this wasnt what was considered ... and there is exatly were the misshandling of this kicks in.