Which is more likely - NBA?

[SpiffCoug]

Discuss.

[hawkwing]

Haven't heard much about the NBA situation, but I'm assuming they will work something out and get the season started on time. The NBA is already struggling with a major image problem, a lockout wont serve the players or the owners.

[snoscythe]

The NBA is in the worst position of all the pro leagues as far as CBAs go. A number of franchises are just bleeding money to no end, but the players want more money and guaranteed contracts. The owners are starting the negotiations by asking the players to give back some money from last season, and that is never a good sign of things to come---'we not only want to give you less, but we want you to give back stuff we gave you under the last agreement.'

In the NFL situation, everyone was making money, so the issue has largely been how to split that money going forward and how to make more. In the NBA, not everyone is making money, so they are going to take a much harder line in concessions.

I give the NBA 0% chance of tipping off on time, and a lost year wouldn't surprise me. I expect a little more than a half season next year.

[stuckinbig10country]

Here's a sad difference between the NFL and NBA situations. The NFL owners have not wanted to open up their books to the players, so the players don't quite know how much money the owners are making, so they don't know exactly what room they have to negotiate. The owners, in order to keep their books closed have given up the billion dollars that they were taking off the top.

The NBA owners have been very transparent with their financials, so the players know that 22 of 30 teams (73.3%) are losing money. The players are not willing to give up the length of contracts, guaranteed contracts, or the soft cap. There also is a problem with revenue sharing in the NBA that isn't really a problem in the NFL.

Other than the de-certification (and eventual re-certification) and some of the lawsuits by the NFLPA, I can actually understand their side more than the owner's side in the NFL. The players in the NFL are the least protected out of the professional sports.

In the NBA, I tend to lean toward the owner's in this case. I don't blame the players for wanting to keep the things they have been given; however, they need to realize that the league cannot keep going unless they make concessions.