Basketball Thread

[theeboredone]

I'm probably the biggest basketball fan on the planet

What is this, I don't even.

Oh yea, forgot to mention yesterday that...many NBA agents are asking their players to give into the Owners' demands. Rip Hamilton got so pissed, saying if his agent sent him a letter like that, he'd take all his players + himself and leave him with nothing LOL.

 

[GOTM]

lol. i mean i've always felt that professional athletes are a little nuts for not realizing what they have compared to others and just shutting up and playing. the main damage they are doing through all this is not to themselves, but to their fans who give them everything they have anyway. without fans, there would be no professional sport. ah well...i guess business is business.

i am glad however, that as far as the sixers go, i havent heard any bad reports. they are all keeping active and playing/training by themselves, no talk of going overseas or anything, they are just going to wait it out.

also, lou wil makin NOISE in summer leagues, lol.

 

[frotaz37]

Not realizing what they have compared to others?

This has nothing to do with how much they have compared to average people who work at McDonalds, this has to do with how much they have compared with their owners who have more money than any professional athlete will ever make in their life. And now they want more.

The players are doing the right thing in my eyes.

 

[The Real Gamer]

The owners have more money than any of the average players could dream to have so I just don't understand how the players could win in the event of a lost season.

The players are going to lose their main source of income. The owners have many other means of making money.

 

[Jane]

meanwhile, at noah's pad...

 

[GOTM]

Not realizing what they have compared to others?

This has nothing to do with how much they have compared to average people who work at McDonalds, this has to do with how much they have compared with their owners who have more money than any professional athlete will ever make in their life. And now they want more.

The players are doing the right thing in my eyes.

eh, i see where you're coming from, but you're still looking at the picture from a pure basketball perspective. i understand the contract and agreement they have in place allows these types of things to happen, but this is also the real world, and they are acting like morons. at the end of the day they are still just people with extreme athletic talent, and are complaining about not receiving as much money as the owners.

if you wanna talk pure basketball, fine. the majority (note: majority) of the owners in this league went through their whole lives, risking their financial livelihood, going to business school, becoming entrepreneurs, learning, seeing, doing. they deserve to be where they're at. the players....they played a game that they were good at, and got drafted. most (note again: most) of them probably don't know a god damn thing about how to run a successful business. they see, "hey, these guys that sit upstairs make more money than me, but i'm the one out here playing". that's exactly what they're doing...PLAYING. they don't have to worry about the business of the sport. bringing in fans, maintaining the economy of the NBA, dealing with contracts, any of that ****. they go play a game, and still only make a little bit less than these guys who are much more invested, and they decide to complain that they want more.

it would be like if i started to complain that i did more work than the CEO of my company and i deserved his salary. no ****ing way, he worked his way there, i just did what i was good at and got a job. yeah i work my *** off, but i enjoy it.

until these professional athletes realize how lucky they really are, we're always going to be having these stupid arguments.

ALSO, i am NOT saying owners shouldn't be a little bit more understanding. they could probably afford to just stfu so the fans who pay so much to see these games are happy, but the players need to do the same.

 

[Host Change]

^^Agreed.

I really feel that the players should just want to play for the sake of Basketball myself, and it's too bad they are trying to fight and fight for more. There really is a business behind it all, and that's what allows them to make the money they make in the first place. Sure they are the household names and all, but without the owners it would just be streetball on a playground that didn't pay anything. I wish both sides were more willing to compromise. I've had a growing interest in Basketball the past few years, and it's too bad that this has to happen. It would be nice if everyone could come to a common realization and fix things. A compromise will have to happen at the least.

Heck, from my experiences I know a tad bit about business from sales and assistant manager work. The owners make it so the whole league can happen...and the players are amazing at what they do but they just play.

 

[theeboredone]

I still think going from a Revenue Split of 57-43 to 50-50 is way too big of a jump. I do know that even if the players went at a 52-53 split, the owners would make their supposedly "300 million" lost and more assuming revenue was the same this year.

And you guys need to stop assuming that all these players got in because they were born with talent. Just like how the owners put hours into perfecting their business, players put in just as many hours perfecting their craft to get into the NBA. The players who are extremely good are generally those who went above and beyond the call. There are 30 some teams with 16 man rosters each. That's about 480 players. How many of us play basketball, but also push ourselves to be on their level? The average career length for an NBA player is 5 years How many of these players make more then 3-5 million? Not everyone is a Kobe, Rondo, or even a Chalmers. Fact is, I think a lot of people who talk about this lockout and think only of the big names and assume they need to take a paycut, when there are just as many players who ride the bench or play very little making...while still more than us, but not enough to last them a life time.

So if the minimum salary for a year is 500k, and a hard cap is placed, for all we know, these guys might be making about 200-100k. That's still a huge cut back if you look at it from a percentage standpoint.

And let's not forget the owners decisions to put up so much money to begin with. Why you pay someone like Rashard Lewis or Gilbert Arenas that much money is beyond my comprehension.

 

[frotaz37]

eh, i see where you're coming from, but you're still looking at the picture from a pure basketball perspective. i understand the contract and agreement they have in place allows these types of things to happen, but this is also the real world, and they are acting like morons. at the end of the day they are still just people with extreme athletic talent, and are complaining about not receiving as much money as the owners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NBA_lockout

if you wanna talk pure basketball, fine. the majority (note: majority) of the owners in this league went through their whole lives, risking their financial livelihood, going to business school, becoming entrepreneurs, learning, seeing, doing. they deserve to be where they're at. the players....they played a game that they were good at, and got drafted. most (note again: most) of them probably don't know a god damn thing about how to run a successful business. they see, "hey, these guys that sit upstairs make more money than me, but i'm the one out here playing". that's exactly what they're doing...PLAYING. they don't have to worry about the business of the sport. bringing in fans, maintaining the economy of the NBA, dealing with contracts, any of that ****. they go play a game, and still only make a little bit less than these guys who are much more invested, and they decide to complain that they want more.

You've clearly never played basketball beyond a high school level. You're just so unbelievably wrong I don't even know where to begin. You're acting like players are just these naturally gifted sports gods who were born with the ability to play basketball well. LOL negro please. Do you realize how much work goes into being an NBA caliber player? ****, even playing for a jr. college requires an immense amount of work. These people have to push their bodies to the limit and subject themselves to ridiculous amounts of physical training, so much that for a lot of them, playing basketball becomes their life. These people aren't just "playing a game", this is their career. They have dedicated their life to it. It's their job. You're pretty much belittling one career choice because you feel like it's less "real" than a different career choice. That's complete nonsense.

Also, have you ever been to college? Passing classes is 1000000000000x easier than making it onto a decent basketball team. Saying that the owners "deserve" to be where they are at while the players don't is just such an ignorant mentality. Running a business may be difficult, but it's not some ultra challenging task that instantly warrants respect like you seem to want to make it out to be. Running a business is just as much of a game as a sport is.

it would be like if i started to complain that i did more work than the CEO of my company and i deserved his salary. no ****ing way, he worked his way there, i just did what i was good at and got a job. yeah i work my *** off, but i enjoy it.

That's a terrible analogy. It would be more like if your CEO decided you deserved a paycut because he/she wasn't making enough money. Also like theboredone pointed out, most of these players aren't superstars who are getting paid millions and millions and millions of dollars. But they still have to show up for practice on time just like the superstars. They still have to put in as much work. They still have to sacrifice having a normal life because they're constantly traveling. They don't get endorsements, so when they are done with basketball, they don't make a single dime off it (besides the retirement plans that are impossible to live off of and aren't available till the ex-players are in their late 50s). Not only that, a player who is not a superstar is likely going to be traded over and over and over. This means constantly relocating not only themselves, but their families as well. Some families aren't willing to relocate, which means players have to play for a team that is located on the complete opposite side of the country as their families and friends. Additionally, players who make it to the NBA usually have to spend so much time on getting there, that they have to put any aspirations they might have to pursue a lifelong career on hold.

Plus wtf, how do you know owners don't enjoy what they do? I swear your entire argument is based on weird assumptions about people you have never met.

until these professional athletes realize how lucky they really are, we're always going to be having these stupid arguments.

Until people stop stereotyping professional athletes and downplaying their hard work, we're always going to be having these stupid arguments.

ALSO, i am NOT saying owners shouldn't be a little bit more understanding. they could probably afford to just stfu so the fans who pay so much to see these games are happy, but the players need to do the same.

This lockout isn't happening because the players want more money. It's happening because the owners and the league want them to make less money. Your entire argument seems to be based around a misunderstanding of this fact. Stop portraying professional athletes as spoiled brats who just need to stfu and take paycuts whenever the owners decide they make too much money, especially when IT'S THE OWNERS WHO DECIDED TO PAY THEM THAT MUCH IN THE FIRST PLACE.

/rant

 

[Orboknown]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NBA_lockout



You've clearly never played basketball beyond a high school level. You're just so unbelievably wrong I don't even know where to begin. You're acting like players are just these naturally gifted sports gods who were born with the ability to play basketball well. LOL negro please. Do you realize how much work goes into being an NBA caliber player? ****, even playing for a jr. college requires an immense amount of work. These people have to push their bodies to the limit and subject themselves to ridiculous amounts of physical training, so much that for a lot of them, playing basketball becomes their life. These people aren't just "playing a game", this is their career. They have dedicated their life to it. It's their job. You're pretty much belittling one career choice because you feel like it's less "real" than a different career choice. That's complete nonsense.

Also, have you ever been to college? Passing classes is 1000000000000x easier than making it onto a decent basketball team. Saying that the owners "deserve" to be where they are at while the players don't is just such an ignorant mentality. Running a business may be difficult, but it's not some ultra challenging task that instantly warrants respect like you seem to want to make it out to be. Running a business is just as much of a game as a sport is.



That's a terrible analogy. It would be more like if your CEO decided you deserved a paycut because he/she wasn't making enough money. Also like theboredone pointed out, most of these players aren't superstars who are getting paid millions and millions and millions of dollars. But they still have to show up for practice on time just like the superstars. They still have to put in as much work. They still have to sacrifice having a normal life because they're constantly traveling. They don't get endorsements, so when they are done with basketball, they don't make a single dime off it (besides the retirement plans that are impossible to live off of and aren't available till the ex-players are in their late 50s). Not only that, a player who is not a superstar is likely going to be traded over and over and over. This means constantly relocating not only themselves, but their families as well. Some families aren't willing to relocate, which means players have to play for a team that is located on the complete opposite side of the country as their families and friends. Additionally, players who make it to the NBA usually have to spend so much time on getting there, that they have to put any aspirations they might have to pursue a lifelong career on hold.

Plus wtf, how do you know owners don't enjoy what they do? I swear your entire argument is based on weird assumptions about people you have never met.



Until people stop stereotyping professional athletes and downplaying their hard work, we're always going to be having these stupid arguments.



This lockout isn't happening because the players want more money. It's happening because the owners and the league want them to make less money. Your entire argument seems to be based around a misunderstanding of this fact. Stop portraying professional athletes as spoiled brats who just need to stfu and take paycuts whenever the owners decide they make too much money, especially when IT'S THE OWNERS WHO DECIDED TO PAY THEM THAT MUCH IN THE FIRST PLACE.

/rant

this.it made my night.

 

[Johnknight1]

LOL at that Noah picture.

And while the players want to keep their money and the owners want more, it isn't out of greed on either sides (mostly). They both aren't pushing because that's what labor disputes are about.

The players' minimum salary is 500k (which as mentioned above, is probably 200-300k less) for a year, which at any point could be your last. Could you imagine supporting your family for 200k for the rest of your life=??? The average career is what like 3 or 4 years? The average American I think makes 3 million in their lifetime, so the average NBA player is like 1.5 million to 2 million short. On top of that, many aren't good at money management, many come from poor families with family members reliant on them, and many waste it their rookie season.

The owners want to make money. Currently, like 5 of 30 of them are making money. They want new stadiums to fit more fans, better equipment, and rules more in their favor. If you lose money in the long run in any business, you are dead. On top of that, many players are in poor health after playing basketball, many have to get several surgeries as players (and after retiring), and many have to deal with all kinds of issues.

Overall if the NBA loses a good chunk of the season, it will not be a wasted year business-wise. The NBA and the NBAPA needs to make a financial plan for the future, and hopefully with better money management and decision-making by all members of both parties the NBA will be in the same situation the NFL is in now in 10 years. (where nearly all the owners are bringing in money and the game is growing ridiculously fast). The NBA is growing, and good business and money moves for the NBA and it's players could put them in a good position for the future, for retired players, for present-day players, and for future players.

 

[Masmasher@]

noah is ugly as sin
no offence
the **** is my basketball season going

i like football but... im more of a basketball fan
lol kobe wont even have to play as hard in italy as he does over here

 

[theeboredone]

Kobe is da man over there. They are willing to change game schedules to accommodate him. BAMF status.

 

[GOTM]

frotaz37........smh, lol.

this kid, not even worth it. you have no idea what i know and where i've been. i played basketball for 4 years in high school. i get it. i really do. i have about 5 friends that went on to play in college. I GET IT. i get that it's a lot of working work. TRUST ME.

i ALSO have a bachelors in computer science and have a full time job. so i know that path as well.

i keep in touch with everyone that had played in college for 4 years, one of which entered the draft but was never selected.

would i be able to devote my life to the sport and work as hard as he did? NO ****ING WAY. but he's said he would NEVER have been able to study as hard and do as much work as i did to get where i am.

look at this however you want. people work hard to get where they need to be. we worked JUST AS HARD, some people get a job in the NBA making a MINIMUM of what is it, $200k a year? and others work their ****ing ***** off and making a quarter of that.

im gonna say this and you can disagree with me all you want, and if you do it just goes to show your a complete moron. i work my *** off every god damn day of my life, supporting not only my own business that i co-own, but my full time job. i make way less money than even the lowest paid professional athlete in this county. i work an easy 13 hours a day, if not more, programming and developing my own business, as well as making sure i keep my day job.

this might sound like im complaining, but thats my entire point, IM NOT. dont go throw around assumptions like i've never done this or that. id MUCH RATHER be in the ****ing nba, work my *** off working out, getting better at the game, for even a "measly" $200 ****ing thousand dollars, and keep my god damn greedy mouth shut, and have 3 months off a ****ing year, than work about every ****ing day all day for a quarter of that.

you're a ****ing moron.

 

[Jane]

alright now you're just raging lol. frotaz made some very good points so ima have to give this one to him.


a quick sidenote: yes, professional athletes are greedy. but, everyone is ****in greedy haha. maybe not EVERYONE, but probably more than 70% of people, when put in the same situation as these pro ball players are in, would react in the same way.

 

[GOTM]

alright now you're just raging lol. frotaz made some very good points so ima have to give this one to him.

im not saying the dude doesn't make good points. he obviously knows what hes talking about. point is, he made every bit of an assumption i made by calling me out, lol.

i never called him out, just the players.

but all in all, i love debating. keep it coming

also, Johnknight1, sorry i skimmed over your point. yeah, i get that the minimum paid players don't get the same as the superstars. but i have two points to make here. 1) every year your in the league the minimum goes up. and 2) this deal won't even change that, lol. it changes how much money can be divied up by the players in general, but how much will it affect minimum salaries and guaranteed amounts? negligible

 

[theeboredone]

We make less than athletes, because athletes are a small talent pool that is demanded highly by the customer (fans). I mean, the same can be applied to female athletes being in the same category, but because there is no demand to see them (WNBA), their salaries are ATROCIOUS. I'm talking about 40 k a year. Compare athletes to the real world, no one is interested in watching or seeing a high quality psychologist, IT consultant, or insurance agent going to work vs a 6'6 black dude throwing it down, and doing things physically that would aww anyone.

So yes, while each occupation has to work to get where they are, some will always be worth more than others depending on various amounts of factors. I mean, in a perfect world, every job would be properly valued and their salaries would match accordingly, but that's not how it is. I'm not gonna complain about NBA players making more despite obtaining a 4 year college education, and a plan to get a PhD in psychology...it's just that my profession lacks so many things vs an NBA player to where...

1. It is what it is.
2. NBA players will be always valued more from a public perspective. If we want them to take huge paycuts, then we as the fans would have to stop watching them and stop giving a rats *** about them. That's never gonna happen.

 

[frotaz37]

this kid, not even worth it. you have no idea what i know and where i've been. i played basketball for 4 years in high school. i get it. i really do. i have about 5 friends that went on to play in college. I GET IT. i get that it's a lot of working work. TRUST ME.

Like I said...you've obviously never played past a high school level. I was right. +1 me.

i ALSO have a bachelors in computer science and have a full time job. so i know that path as well.

i keep in touch with everyone that had played in college for 4 years, one of which entered the draft but was never selected.

would i be able to devote my life to the sport and work as hard as he did? NO ****ING WAY. but he's said he would NEVER have been able to study as hard and do as much work as i did to get where i am.

The only thing hard about studying is making yourself do it instead of playing video games all day. Unless of course you're like, a single mom with 2 jobs (which most college students are not).

look at this however you want. people work hard to get where they need to be. we worked JUST AS HARD, some people get a job in the NBA making a MINIMUM of what is it, $200k a year? and others work their ****ing ***** off and making a quarter of that.

Of course other professions require hard work, but as multiple people have pointed out, making $200k a year is not that much at all when you consider the average career length of an NBA player. Other career paths (not all, but many) have longevity in mind. A person who works their *** off to get a PhD in say, psychology, will be able to practice psychology until the day they die and end up making waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more money from that than the average basketball player will make in the 4 to 5 years they spend in the NBA.

Also, I explained in my last post about how being a professional athlete requires a lot more sacrifice than your average career does. I'm not gonna repeat myself though, you can just re-read my last post.

im gonna say this and you can disagree with me all you want, and if you do it just goes to show your a complete moron. i work my *** off every god damn day of my life, supporting not only my own business that i co-own, but my full time job. i make way less money than even the lowest paid professional athlete in this county. i work an easy 13 hours a day, if not more, programming and developing my own business, as well as making sure i keep my day job.

this might sound like im complaining, but thats my entire point, IM NOT. dont go throw around assumptions like i've never done this or that. id MUCH RATHER be in the ****ing nba, work my *** off working out, getting better at the game, for even a "measly" $200 ****ing thousand dollars, and keep my god damn greedy mouth shut, and have 3 months off a ****ing year, than work about every ****ing day all day for a quarter of that.

So then why don't you stop crying and go play in the NBA?

you're a ****ing moron.

I might be a moron but you're still losing the argument.
Tell me my good man, how does it feel to be trumped by a moron?

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Try and keep all the arguing as "nice" as you can guys, but for what it's worth, you're both making good points.

Frotaz gets the edge because I agree more with him though.
Also, your friend saying that he would have never been able to study as easily as playing basketball:
That's possibly true. It's like an artist being terrible at math, the two have no correlation. Being a full-time student isn't for everyone, but more people are capable of it than there are people capable of being professional athletes. i.e.- Bored's supply/demand comment.

Gotta' remember, there are roughly 100 players in the NBA that are considered the best in the world. 100 people. Out of BILLIONS on this planet.

All things said, this is a case where the owners are "more" wrong, but neither side is wrong. The owners are broke, and the players shouldn't have to give up promised money. This is all because of poor financial decisions by owners and now they want to back out of contracts.

Also, speaking of ****ty jobs: NFL Running Back. Worst career possible in sports, all things considered. :\

 

[Jane]

^i recall seeing as statistic that said that the average american football player lives to be like 60-some. don't know how true that is but i really wouldnt doubt it. concussion city.

 

[frotaz37]

Also, speaking of ****ty jobs: NFL Running Back. Worst career possible in sports, all things considered. :\

Yeah it really is. You basically go out there and get your *** handed to you on every play. Running backs last like what, 6 years?

^i recall seeing as statistic that said that the average american football player lives to be like 60-some. don't know how true that is but i really wouldnt doubt it. concussion city.

I've heard the same thing. I also don't know if it's accurate but it wouldn't surprise me at all.
Also from what I've heard, pro athletes tend to have really unhealthy eating habits. You'd think they would have the best diets but apparently very few do.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Their metabolisms are so high from working out that they can eat whatever they want, that's why.

And average career of a RB is 8 years, and average concussions is a loooooooot. Not to mention they get paid probably least of all skill positions, and rarely get long-term contracts.

 

[CableCho57]

remember shaun alexander? that dude went up, then downhill so fast

so to sum up, nba players should just play all 4 years in college and get their degree to have a career option to fall back on.(?)

 

[The Real Gamer]

Unless the player is talented enough to become marketable straight out of high school, which is a rare case.

In the grand scheme of things i could give two ****s over which side gets more money as a result of the lockout. We don't watch basketball because of how much money the athletes make.

So instead of being pro owners or pro players im pro JUST START THE DAMN SEASON ALREADY!!

 

[GOTM]

so to sum up, nba players should just play all 4 years in college and get their degree to have a career option to fall back on.(?)

This, right here. This was going to be my next point.

Frotaz, if you're telling me to just play in the NBA, and it's SO much easier to get a degree than do that (I agree), why don't these guys, KNOWING that they will make such a measly amount in 4-5 years, just get a degree as well so they have a career to fall back on? And don't give me BS about playing 4 years in college sucks up your life so much that you can't get a degree. There are plenty of NBA players in the past, and current that have done just that.

Also, look dude, you're making good points, and I can respect that. I'm not an idiot. Yeah I was raging in my last post, but listen here. This is real talk. If you make $200k in your first year, you make at least $250k in your next year. The minimum salary rises as you grow from a rookie, that's in the CBA (and won't be changing). This means, that in 4-5 years, you're not making ANY less than over a million dollars. 5 years...1 million dollars.

Even if 5 years was all they had, 1 million bucks is something that takes a lot of people a lifetime to achieve, and these guys just did it in 5 years, and still have the rest of their lives ahead of them. Yeah yeah, I get they probably bypassed learning about certain things in order to achieve what they did, however, 1 million bucks, for ANYONE that knows how to take care of the money, is more than enough to get you through another 5 years of your life after that with absolutely no income, and learn the material you need to learn to be successful in life, and if a degree is so easy to earn, this shouldn't be a problem for a retiree.

If they don't take care of their money, that's there own god damn fault, lol. Just like the "we are the 99%" people that are debating all across the country right now, but that's another argument for another place.

These players are STILL lucky. Yeah they work their mother lovin' ***** off to get where they are, but after all that, you still see NBA players thanking "God" in their speeches, you know what that means? It means they KNOW they're lucky, and they're somewhere most people only dream of. Hard work and luck go hand in hand. I'm not saying they're all "born" with NBA quality talent, but I can sure as hell tell you, if you put myself up at 5 years old against Muhammad Ali at 5 years old in a ring, he woulda beat my *** to a pulp with no training at all.

Anyways, I can usually tell when people are set on their sides. This debate isn't going anywhere. Mad respect for making good points. Hope we can do more of these. Onto football!

 

[theeboredone]

It's definitely tougher for a student athlete to get a solid education vs someone who is not. Yeah there are some athletes who do have impressive GPAs (Tebow and Vincent Jackson), but that may also come down to a nature vs nurture debate on if they are just that smart to begin with, making their studies a bit easier.

Even if the athlete does get a 4 year degree, in today's economy, that is practically useless. You generally require a graduate school degree, and that would put athletes a few additional years back in terms of prepping for their entrance exam, getting into the school, spending time, etc.

And for those that declare early, even they struggle to get their degree. I mean, Shaq just got his 4-5 years ago.

 

[GOTM]

It is hard. Exactly my point.

 

[The Real Gamer]

The owners and players arranged a sudden, last minute meeting for tonight!

This could be it guys! Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

lol, you didn't follow the NFL lockout at all TRG?

Meeting is the first step. If they actually do meet and have it go well, you're still looking at month or two of ironing out a real contract.

 

[The Real Gamer]

lol, you didn't follow the NFL lockout at all TRG?

Meeting is the first step. If they actually do meet and have it go well, you're still looking at month or two of ironing out a real contract.

But games don't get cancelled as a result of no proper negotiations being made which is shaping to happen tonight if the very last meeting doesn't go well.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

What? lol

They're going to cancel the first two weeks of the season because they're running out of time to make a real NBA schedule, not because it's a threat to the players. The league has timelines they need to follow, and if they're not met, then no games can be planned. This arbitrary "cancellation date" is just a guideline, meaning that if no deal is met by this point, we will miss time in the season.

 

[The Real Gamer]

I worded that totally wrong lol I must have been tired.

All I was trying to say was what you just said, actually. If no deal is made by today then games will get cancelled.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

lmao, it's cool, just was confused for a bit.

 

[theeboredone]

Not a fan of baseball, but daaaamn those Rangers.

 

[tko112]

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/10/10/labor-monday.ap/index.html##?ls=iref:nbahpt1

it has finally begun, gentlemen

 

[theeboredone]

Sad thing is, even if there is a hard cap or what not, it's still not gonna prevent owners from giving out crappy contracts >_>

 

[Orboknown]

first two weeks canceled.

 

[The Real Gamer]

Screw the owners, screw the players, and screw Stern. This is such a slap in the face for the true NBA fans after coming out of one of the most entertaining and talked about seasons in recent history. The NBA was heading in an amazing direction after last season and now it seems as if everyone is willing to give all of that up thanks to a bunch of childish, greedy ***, big headed mofos arguing over more money than the average person could only dream of making in 5-15 years! They took 3 steps forward and are now taking 5 steps back!!

I could give two ****s over which side is right and which is wrong. The NBA is a joke right now. All non-hardcore NBA fans could care less if there is a season or not and the players are only adding more and more fuel to the fire. This brings up one last rant...

I guess i was one of the naive fans that though the players actually cared about us and cared about the sport. Boy was I wrong! The players are only in it for the money and this lockout exemplifies that. I've personally lost a TON of respect for LBJ and Wade; my two favorite players that I THOUGHT would be the type of people that would accept a hearty pay cut for the sake of a season and for the sake of the game since they're already some of the highest paid athletes in the world. WRONG again they're some of the main ones lobbying to extend this lockout just to "stand strong," or in real terms, "MAKE THEM MORE MONEY." I now know the truth about those two; they're greedy meat heads FIRST and basketball icons SECOND.

I'm so disappointed guys... The fact is that the longer this goes on the more apparent is is that nobody cares about us true fans. We're the real losers in the equation. Scratch that I guess I'm the real loser in this whole thing for caring about the well being of the NBA too much and hoping that it could some day reach the NFL's popularity here in the U.S. Yeah what a joke of a thought, huh? And the saddest part about it all is that literally NOBODY cares... the owners, the players, the "fans"... NOBODY CARES

This whole lockout situation is pissing me off worse than both the Heat's 9-8 start and losing in the finals combined... just... UUUUUGGGHHHH!!

/rant

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

lol, believe me, they care. Many players are extremely interested in the fanbase, you've got one of the best on your team in D Wade. All this don't-care attitude is an act by each side to not show weakness.

That said, it's not going to change the NBA's image more than the immediate weeks after the lockout ends. The Heat will still be there, and the NBA has always been a basketball driven league with fan loyalty deriving from fans' appreciation of the game and their team. Nobody's leaving, it's just a temporary loss of interest.

A possible side-effect of this though: The season might be EXTREMELY interesting if it's cut to about 50 games. Many people and players think the season is too long already, and the shorter time to make the playoffs and win a good seed is bound to make the games much more meaningful.

 

[The Real Gamer]

lol, believe me, they care. Many players are extremely interested in the fanbase, you've got one of the best on your team in D Wade. All this don't-care attitude is an act by each side to not show weakness.

Many players have blatantly stated that they're willing to miss the season. If it's a bluff then why could they not get a deal done last night? Games will be missed and paychecks will be lost so the power is in the owner's hands now. If there was a deal to made wouldn't it have been then and there to prevent the loss of regular season games?

Either I'm not understanding something or the players really do think they can wait the season out.