Stephen A Smith rips the Players

[LakerLegend]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_ ... ntedly-now

[RaisingArizona]

He's right. They've proven to be greedy and out of touch with reality. Everyone across the country has been taking pay cuts in this economy, why should they be exempt? Especially since their annual salaries top 99% of other salaries in the US.

[Lakers05]

Man, Fisher needs to shut his trap already. They want basketball back for the fans as soon as possible, yet won't even meet till next Friday...

Give up your job already.

[Ditchweed]

I'm also not an S.A. Smith fan, but he did hit the nail on the head.

He's right in that at first the players said they could not sign a deal on non guaranteed contracts, so the owners budged. Then the players could not sigh a deal because of the hard cap, so the owners budged. Then the players could not sign a deal because of the BRI being way to low, so the owners budged and went to 50-50.

It seems that every time the owners budge on a point, the NBPA comes up with another different reason why they can't sign ... so yeah Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter, you do owe us an explanation.

Is everything another reason not to sign? ... that is until you can repeat the status quo?

[_Game7_]

Never liked Smith but he is dead on here.

[pimpim]

He hit the nail on the head with a hammer.

[ninjabelly]

I'm also not an S.A. Smith fan, but he did hit the nail on the head.

He's right in that at first the players said they could not sign a deal on non guaranteed contracts, so the owners budged. Then the players could not sigh a deal because of the hard cap, so the owners budged. Then the players could not sign a deal because of the BRI being way to low, so the owners budged and went to 50-50.

It seems that every time the owners budge on a point, the NBPA comes up with another different reason why they can't sign ... so yeah Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter, you do owe us an explanation.

Is everything another reason not to sign? ... that is until you can repeat the status quo?

you're right but i'd just like to point out that the luxury tax in itself is a "hard cap", 8 to 1 dollars pretty much creates that as even big market teams won't want to cross it.

[Sofia]

"Quite frankly, I find the players stance appalling!"

[carlosey]

Im not a fan of SAS on tv, but Smith is pretty much on the spot here. The union and the players have the wrong attitude and are about to get a slice of reality coming their way. This generation of players will live in infamy as the divas of the game.

His points are good: Players need to ask themselves why games are cancelled and why no deal is good enough after what they have gained already and why they are still trying to keep things so they can force themselves towards top markets and away from smaller markets.

As a fan I identify with this:

Fans don't hear a reduction in basketball-related income from 57 percent to 53 percent as much as they hear that players made $2 billion in salaries. They're not interested in the suffering of those averaging $5 million a year in salary when a ravaged economy has many Americans worrying about whether they'll have a job next month.

[Senor Chang]

The players, emboldened by a desire for "respect" and not "caving in" to the owners -- as many of them have said -- will now be forced to prove that their financial portfolios can stomach hits to the degree that owners' portfolios can.

On that note, there's only one thing left to say: Good Luck With That!

i guess (hope) we'll find out soon

[Little Digger]

Sir Charles spot on

Charles Barkley
Here are the major takeaways of his interview on “The Mike Lupica Show.”

• The only way the lockout will end is if the players agree to a 50-50 split on Basketball Related Income or “BRI.” Barkley says the owners have put their foot down, so the players are going to have to agree on that and potentially other concessions like a hard salary cap and revenue sharing. Otherwise, there won’t be a 2011-12 season.

• Big market teams and their ability to attract top-tier free agents is killing the league. Barkley says that teams like the Heat may good for ratings, but they’re bad for the NBA as a whole.

“It’s not fair,” Barkley said. “It’s not fair to the integrity of the game. We need great players in the small market cities.”

• Barkley says the league wouldn’t find itself in this awful position if LeBron hadn’t bolted Cleveland and Chris Bosh hadn’t bolted Toronto to join D-Wade down in Miami.

“That’s the big elephant in the room,” Barkley said. “They’re gonna say, ‘No. No. No. We can’t have that.’ And from a business standpoint, these [owners] are running a big time business. People can say what they want to, but of course it’s about cash, and we need the small market to be viable. These guys have the right to play together, but it’s not a good business plan for the NBA. They’ve got to find a way to keep these stars in these small markets.”

• Barkley is afraid that the NBA is turning into baseball. While teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies can afford top-tier free agents, smaller markets like Tampa Bay and Milwaukee aren’t as fortunate. Barkley brought up the fact that Prince Fielder is likely to leave the Brewers to seek more money on the open market. He also mentioned Carl Crawford leaving the Rays for Boston.

“It’s not fair to the fans in Milwaukee [who haven’t been to the World Series since 1982],” Barkley said. “Basketball is becoming baseball, and we can’t have that.”


radio link to the Barkley interview

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/newyork/play?id=7089424

[Blkbrd671]

SAS got it right, i just want basketball and i think we should have the same contracts as nfl

[Elden Payton]

Sir Charles spot on

Charles Barkley
Here are the major takeaways of his interview on “The Mike Lupica Show.”

• The only way the lockout will end is if the players agree to a 50-50 split on Basketball Related Income or “BRI.” Barkley says the owners have put their foot down, so the players are going to have to agree on that and potentially other concessions like a hard salary cap and revenue sharing. Otherwise, there won’t be a 2011-12 season.

• Big market teams and their ability to attract top-tier free agents is killing the league. Barkley says that teams like the Heat may good for ratings, but they’re bad for the NBA as a whole.

“It’s not fair,” Barkley said. “It’s not fair to the integrity of the game. We need great players in the small market cities.”

• Barkley says the league wouldn’t find itself in this awful position if LeBron hadn’t bolted Cleveland and Chris Bosh hadn’t bolted Toronto to join D-Wade down in Miami.

“That’s the big elephant in the room,” Barkley said. “They’re gonna say, ‘No. No. No. We can’t have that.’ And from a business standpoint, these [owners] are running a big time business. People can say what they want to, but of course it’s about cash, and we need the small market to be viable. These guys have the right to play together, but it’s not a good business plan for the NBA. They’ve got to find a way to keep these stars in these small markets.”

• Barkley is afraid that the NBA is turning into baseball. While teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies can afford top-tier free agents, smaller markets like Tampa Bay and Milwaukee aren’t as fortunate. Barkley brought up the fact that Prince Fielder is likely to leave the Brewers to seek more money on the open market. He also mentioned Carl Crawford leaving the Rays for Boston.

“It’s not fair to the fans in Milwaukee [who haven’t been to the World Series since 1982],” Barkley said. “Basketball is becoming baseball, and we can’t have that.”


radio link to the Barkley interview

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/newyork/play?id=7089424

Sir Charles has some great points, I agree wholeheartedly.

The SAS article is very well thought out & written....

[LascelleL]

I called it from when LeBron did the Decision...this was going to be a problem when it came to the CBA....they essentially pissed off every owner in the league with that stunt.

[Clangus]

I agree with him. People are forgoing pay-rises and even taking pay cuts and reduced hours just to stay in work. The League lost money. On top of thier astronomical salaries they get top shelf medical and accommodation/food transport. They are out of touch with the financial realities of the world and it pisses me off.

[shangrila]

I'm also not an S.A. Smith fan, but he did hit the nail on the head.

He didn't though. Not really, anyway.

Steven A Smith, like he always has, has taken the most simplistic view there is, either not knowing or willfully ignoring what is more or less solid fact. I mean his description of the players just jumping from not accepting one thing to another is pathetic, wrong and a little stupid.

The owners proposed a deal that the players would never have accepted and rightfully so. 46% BRI (an 11% decrease), non-guaranteed contracts, roll backs on current contracts, a hard cap that would likely decimate the mid to low tier guys, etc. People shouldn't be surprised the players didn't jump at the chance to sign this kind of deal.

And as for the owners "concessions", all they've been conceding is their own ultra hard stances and even then it's still a middle finger to the union. For example, their formal 50-50 offer didn't include several sources of income so, when those were included, the deal actually ended up at 47%. So yeah, that's a huge concession there.

I'm not saying that the players are in the right here either. They're not. Neither side is. But people that are trying to paint one side as the evil one are just stupid. They're BOTH wrong. There's a compromise there, a damn clear one too, that would work if they would both just swallow some of their pride and accept a deal that doesn't tick every box on their wishlists.

But they won't, and they'll piss away the most momentum the league has had in a decade for no real reason than they're all greedy, arrogant morons. The games should be boycotted whenever they return to send both of these groups of clowns a message, but I know that's just wishful thinking.

Ugh, I've ranted enough for now.

[pimpim]

I'm also not an S.A. Smith fan, but he did hit the nail on the head.

He didn't though. Not really, anyway.

Steven A Smith, like he always has, has taken the most simplistic view there is, either not knowing or willfully ignoring what is more or less solid fact. I mean his description of the players just jumping from not accepting one thing to another is pathetic, wrong and a little stupid.

The owners proposed a deal that the players would never have accepted and rightfully so. 46% BRI (an 11% decrease), non-guaranteed contracts, roll backs on current contracts, a hard cap that would likely decimate the mid to low tier guys, etc. People shouldn't be surprised the players didn't jump at the chance to sign this kind of deal.

And as for the owners "concessions", all they've been conceding is their own ultra hard stances and even then it's still a middle finger to the union. For example, their formal 50-50 offer didn't include several sources of income so, when those were included, the deal actually ended up at 47%. So yeah, that's a huge concession there.

I'm not saying that the players are in the right here either. They're not. Neither side is. But people that are trying to paint one side as the evil one are just stupid. They're BOTH wrong. There's a compromise there, a damn clear one too, that would work if they would both just swallow some of their pride and accept a deal that doesn't tick every box on their wishlists.

But they won't, and they'll piss away the most momentum the league has had in a decade for no real reason than they're all greedy, arrogant morons. The games should be boycotted whenever they return to send both of these groups of clowns a message, but I know that's just wishful thinking.

Ugh, I've ranted enough for now.

The article is as much about pointing out the ineffectiveness of the players' PR campaign and the futility of their standing up to the league, as it is to establishing who is in the right.

[boogydown]

The more the players wait, the higher the chance the sales will decrease.

If I am the owners, I set a deadline for 50% and explain that if you want to continue to lock us out, profits will for sure decrease and therefore we need to drop it down to 47%

[Jaysonw23]

I'm also not an S.A. Smith fan, but he did hit the nail on the head.

He's right in that at first the players said they could not sign a deal on non guaranteed contracts, so the owners budged. Then the players could not sigh a deal because of the hard cap, so the owners budged. Then the players could not sign a deal because of the BRI being way to low, so the owners budged and went to 50-50.

It seems that every time the owners budge on a point, the NBPA comes up with another different reason why they can't sign ... so yeah Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter, you do owe us an explanation.

Is everything another reason not to sign? ... that is until you can repeat the status quo?

you're right but i'd just like to point out that the luxury tax in itself is a "hard cap", 8 to 1 dollars pretty much creates that as even big market teams won't want to cross it.

I'm sure Cuban will still spend over the cap lol.

[SweetTouch]

lol dude mad, keep crying