Stern: NBA wants to drop player costs by ONE-THIRD

Didn't see this here earlier. I figure it's big enough for its own thread:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Au1mzNMnAdjUJXLTdxxHkyA5nYcB?slug=ap-boardofgovernors

I know the NBA players union isn't as strong as baseball's. I'm still remembering guys complaining about having to cut down their $15,000 walking around money. But I would think that the players would have a major problem with this.

 

What an insufferable asshole Stern is.

There will be no NBA next year.

 

Yeah right. And the Warriors, they of the one playoff appearance in 18 years, just set the record for the highest price ever paid for a franchise. Good luck with that one. I don't think Billy Hunter could screw that one up, or could he? The last stoppage had the infamous Kenny Anderson "$60k walking around money" quote and they still got these max contracts so the players have to have some modicum of solidarity to get this done. (Then again the max went from the old Garnett $25M/yr contract to the $16/yr LeBron contract so maybe the owners have hope after all. But 1/3? Its not like the players are going to capitulate like the hockey players are they?

 

Wow. 1/3 seems insane.

 

Wait until the lockout actually arrives -- they'll go for 50%.

As will the NFL and MLB in their respective upcoming lockouts.

BTW, they'll all also want dramatically expanded disciplinary powers to fine and suspend players involved in PEDs or criminal activities, and dramatically reduced (mostly eliminated) appeals processes.

And they'll get it.

Rich old men (i.e., most owners) don't care about sitting out one or two full seasons -- they'll still be rich old men when it's all done.

An average professional athlete's career is something like 3-4 years. Those guys can't sit out full seasons. They'll never get those years back.

The owners' template in all 3 sports will be the same:

1) Make contract proposals the players will never ever accept

2) Shut down the whole shebang for a full season and more

3) Declare an impasse in negotiations

4) Impose new contract terms to their own liking, tell players they can either accept them or go home

5) Reopen with whatever players decide to accept the new terms. Those who don't are free to go play for other professional leagues or enter other career fields.

 

One thing I'm not totally clear on is how would the owners go about cutting the salaries?

Players have contracts with teams. I would think those contracts would be binding.

 

Here's a way to cut players salaries.

Stop offering stupid contracts.

 

Typical tactic that's been around forever when negotiating with unions: You always cry poor a year before the contract expires.

 

Stern would be my hero if he could keep that dreck off my television for a year.

 

How about this -- I'll fully support a one-third haircut if owners also pledge a one-third cut to their tax breaks, incentives and other public money.

 

NFL and MLB aren't going anywhere. There's too much money to be made, right now, for the NFL players to fight for their long-term survival and Selig swears he's retiring in 2012, one year after the CBA expires. The idiot has already gotten most people to forget he oversaw the death of the World Series in 1994, so I don't see him sullying his legacy by killing a season or more on his way out the door. Then again, he is an idiot.

 

MLB already tried that in '95. Didn't work.

NFL had the replacement games in '87. Owners won the battle, but ended up losing the free-agency war a few years later.

And what Miami Heat fans are going to want to pay high prices to see a bunch of guys from the D-League?