Oct. 6, 2011
So much for talks of player agents warning players not to give into the demands of the team owners, and suggesting the union decertify.
Thursday, the supposed behind-the-scene advocates of decertifcation are backing out of the letter seven major sports management firms wrote to its clients.
Is it time to put your money where your mouth is?
If things could not get any uglier in the labor dispute. Last week, commissioner David Stern threatened to cancel the entire 2011-12 season if negotiations were not reached by this Friday.
Like Stern, the player’s agents were only putting on a poker face, another tactic to try to get one side to budge.
The NBA announced last week that the preseason would be canceled. I’m sorry. I forgot the NBA even had a preseason.
The latest proposal was a 50-50 split of the revenue pie. But apparently Pope Alexander VI drew the line of demarcation in the revenue pie, and the players are not satisfied with this latest proposal. In that sense, the players feel like Portugal.
A letter to players from union player rep Derek Fisher and NBPA executive director Billy Hunter explained why the even split would not be acceptable.
“The overwhelming feeling was that the players are prepared to sacrifice and stand for what we believe is fair. The clear message we have received from the players, and the one we will heed, is not to back down,” the letter read, obtained from ESPN.com.
“Yesterday, the owners gave us an opportunity to back down. We refused.”
Whether they really offered 49 percent, 50 percent, or 53 percent, and whether 22 of 30 teams actually lost money this year is irrelevant.
So the season is canceled. If the teams were really losing money, then it’s actually a win for owners to have a season canceled.
The reality is that the NBA is not the NFL. People forget there is a preseason, and other than Christmas Day specials or opening night, the NBA is forgotten about until about April, when the games really matter.
And yet the NBA’s average salary is $5.1 million, which is is the amount of average salaries of the MLB and NFL combined.
The original CBA had players receive 57 percent of all revenue. What’s the worst that can happen getting seven percent less? Making millions of dollars of guaranteed money?
They will still be the highest paid players out of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues.
The stars are not bigger than the league. Not by a long shot. If that were the case, they would be making millions playing pick up games, or get networks to televise Drew League games.
More revenue will decrease the competitive imbalance and allow the leagues to invest money into teams that will then be able to field better ones. Who wants to see the Kings lose by 30 every night anyway?
Not to mention the endorsement deals many players receive, NBA players would not be going hungry if revenue is cut by seven percent.
Time to come back to work. End the lockout. Otherwise, you will be out of work.
Say goodbye to any type of revenue. If you would rather play in Lithuania, Italy, France or Turkey, by all means play overseas.
In the end, a billionaire will always beat a millionaire. A flush will always beat a straight.
There is a person who sits behind a desk, who then has a boss that is even bigger and sits behind an even bigger desk.
Egos can only buy so much pie. Can’t expect to have it all and leave owners the crust.