So the players union rejected a 50/50 split on earnings, and is taking steps to disband the union and file suit against the "monopoly" held by the owners. This is truly a case of a union trying to exert pressure to get more and more for its members without any thought to the members. The players are not getting any pay at this point from the league, but the union execs are. And then to say they should just cancel the season is crazy. The majority of players make over $1mm per year, with many making much more (we won't even discuss endorsement deals). The owners do make money off the teams, but they also hold the risk if a team is doing bad or it is a small market (NO comes to mind, small market and they struggle to meet atendance requirements, thereby having smaller returns for the owner). Agreeing to a 50% profit split is very lucrative, I can't believe the union is pushing for more.

When is enough enough? The average person works 15-20 years to make $1mm, and many never even reach that level. Over the course of my lifetime I doubt I will make $3mm...many of these palyers make this in 1 year.

I don't feel sorry for these guys, and if the league folds, then it is their own fault. What i feel sorry for is the people who work in the front offices of the teams, and those who work at the facilities used by teams. These are hardworking people that will never make millions in 1 year, and the selfish acts of the players and their union have put many of them out of work. How very sad...

good riddance!

I'd rather watch soccer than basketball any day!

(and that's saying a lot!)

I'm tired of millionaires fighting with billionaires for more money, so good bye NBA. Like Happy said, I do feel sorry for the people working there taking tickets, conscessions, etc that will be out of a job.

On the positive side, if there is no NBA, maybe college players will stay for 4 years. That is unless they decide to go play over seas.

toss out a whole season for a few bucks; ego and emotions have taken over...

Well said Happy.



Haven't watch the NBA since the Jordan, Malone era. Today they are a bunch of thugs.

Good Riddance!!!

Excess, without an NBA possibility, I wonder how many of the college players will even pursue a degree now.

Ditto this sentiment. And add to the list of those losing jobs as a direct result of this: strippers, strip club bartenders, strip club waitstaff, strip club bouncers...

I, personally, do not care for basketball. I was glad when OKC got a pro team and happy for those that like it. I really dont care if they ever play another game insofar as me wathcing one. However, I do wish the selfish bustards would think about all the other people that depend on their silly dribling to make their livings! Vendors, bar and restaurant owners and all their employees, etc. Those people do not have multimillion dollar bank accounts and are big part of the reason that those jerks do!
I hate strikes! It is the business equivalent of holding your breath till you get your way.

I agree that the NBA hasn't been teh same since the Jordan/Malone era. (First, maybe second Jordan era to be specific).

I have still the NFL and MLB. I'll survive.

Oh, was the season supposed to start? I hadn't noticed...

I think it says you're finally growing up and starting to show signs of intelligence

And in other breaking news, AG notifies his mom he is moving out of her basement into his own apartment...

pfffffffffffft

yeah right!

Just to clarify, it is a lock-out, not a strike. That means the owners are the ones who shut this down, not the players. The owners are the ones to blame for the ticket takers and vendors not having jobs right now.

And as far as the players being greedy, it is the owners that write the checks. No one held a gun to the Knicks owners head and said pay Stefon Marbury $20 million per year. They got themselves into this mess.

How would you all feel if your Banks closed their doors, and said we will only open if you agree to 10% pay-cuts?

With that said, I don't like the NBA, I can't stand the sight of David Stern, and I don't care if they ever play again.

^^^^Lockoutist!

::like button::

The lockout is not due just to the owners, the players union does not have a contract and therefore they can't play. 22 of the 30 NBA teams lost money last year, and the owners are seeking to stop the bleeding. Apparently unbeknownst to the players, the USA is in the middle of an economic crisis and we have really high unemployment, meaning people don't have as much disposable income as in years past, and therefore less people are attending games, meaning less money. The union fired the first salvo back in February that they would not be willing to take any pay cut, salary cut, salary cap decrease, or decrease in revenue sharing. Seems like the only thing they are willing to negotiate is how much more money the players will get. Is that negotiation in good faith? I don't think so.

Don't think you can blame this solely on the owners...

If 22 of the 30 teams are losing money, than 22 of the 30 owners are not running their teams well. The TV contract money alone should be more than enough to sustain these teams. It is the bad contracts that the owners have signed in he past that have hurt them. And again, no one forced them to pay crazy-huge salaries to average players.

And how many professional athletes, actors, musicians, SEC-football coaches do you know that have taken pay-cuts because of the slow economy? That's fairy-tale land baby.

The owners should just lay them off and hire illegal cheaper players.

NFL has a hard cap, you hear every year about a player taking a cut so they can bring on another player...the Saints had 3 this year that I'm aware of. Pearl Jam had their last concert tour selling tickets not through ticketmaster so teh fans wouldn't have to pay the fees, and lowered their ticket prices. Les Miles routinely gives his bowl-appearance bonus to his assistant coaches, and has also turned down an increase so he could pay an assistant more. There are examples out there, but likely it is more the uncommon than the common.

More to point...how many bank employees, or employees in other businesses, do you know that have taken pay cuts over the past few years, and had salaries frozen, and 401(k) matches decreased or stopped, because of lower earnings? This is nothing different, a business is not bringing in the revenue that it has in prior years, and asking everyone to take a cut.

The current 10 year agreement is $7.5 billion (yes, with a B), but split among each team (if done equally, but it isn't) is $25mm per team per year. Hardly enough to cover teh salary of even 2 stars, much less make a dent in the rest of the team, so TV revenue can't sustain the team on it's own.

I guess I'm sitting here wishing I was an owner or a player...complaining that $10,000,000 a year is not enough is my dream...

Now wait a minute.... since when are the owners asking for pay cuts? I think they're simply saying no big raise?

How would you feel as a business owner if your most important employees demanded that their salaries being the equivalent of more than 50% of your total earnings for the business be given to them?

I'm the same. I have no interest in it at all. I really enjoy college basketball, and watch nearly all the Illini games. But I can go an entire season without seeing a minute of NBA. If the league disappears, it won't have any impact on my life.

Never liked basketball anyway... :raspberries:

Currently the players are getting about 57% of earnings, based upon the last agreement signed by the owners. Now they are seeking a 50/50 split, which would be a cut.

And to the second point, say I owned a sports arena. While empty, I earn nothing, and actually lose money paying for utilities, taxes, insurance, etc... But, if I hire these really tall guys to run around, average people will pay me $100+ to watch them, pay me $40 to park their cars, and pay $10 for a cup of stale beer. So, say I have to pay these tall guys $55 million to make $45 million for myself, I'd say that's a fair trade. And that's what the owners agreed to in the last contract.

Really guys? Both sides are to blame. While I really don't care for the NBA, it would appear that the players have been more willing than the owners to make a deal.

They agreed to a 50/50 split, along with other concessions. That still wasn't enough. The owners wanted more.

Yes, I know 50/50 is the logical split, but the players are taking a loss on this. It should be a give and take. Not a money grab for the owners. Just my opinion.

Currently the players are getting about 57% of earnings, based upon the last agreement signed by the owners. Now they are seeking a 50/50 split, which would be a cut.


Are the players of the 22 teams that are loosing money making no money and paying an additional 7% to the loosing owners?