Finally the madness is done ... the NBA is back!

CBS Sports' Ken Berger broke the story. The NBA and the players have reached a deal in principle. Season scheduled to begin on Christmas Day.

 

Oh, they were gone?

I hadn't noticed.

 

I admit. I will soon miss it Right now, I'm too caught up in college football to miss it, but it does become my favorite winter TV watching.

For now, the college game will suffice just fine though.

 

What a special Christmas gift.

 

Of course Ken Berger got this scoop. Tremendous work by him. Less tremendous work by the players, owners and their outside counsels. But hey, what's done is (hopefully) done.

 

So was Starman right? Did the owners get it down to 37%? I'd be shocked if he was wrong.

 

Our last two high school teams got knocked out of the football playoffs Friday night ... bring it on!

 

Andrew Brandt posted on Facebook that the meetings were taking place "without Jeffrey Kessler (whom the owners despise)." Could one lawyer being left out have been the difference?

 

Starman was doubly wrong. The owners couldn't get David Stern to call the majority of his employees The Word, thereby setting everyone free. :

 

I have to admit: This lockout made me appreciate the NBA even more. And it was already my favorite pro sports league. I'm definitely going to watch more often this season. Maybe that puts me in the minority.

 

Out-of-shape players, a crammed schedule for the greater glory of Mammon, and largely-unwatchable games until 'most everyone gets back into their groove. Trifecta!

Happy for the beer vendors, though. And idiotic Knick management can pretend they have a clue. What's not to like?

Thank God for college buckets.

 

I think he was the one who likened Stern to a plantation owner, and he was also the one who (depending whom you ask) either did or didn't tell the owners that the players would go down to 50 percent when the players had no intention of doing so. So, yeah, getting him out of there was probably best.