Okay NBA let’s get this thing going.
The NFL is nearing a deal. Yes I hear that the NFLPA has formally agreed to the deal and will likely make some changes to the agreement, but the thing is obviously close. A framework, at the very least, is getting put into place.
But Derek Fisher came out and publicly said he doesn’t want to follow in the NFL’s footsteps. If he keeps talking like that there is no way the NBA will follow the NFL’s lead which means no basketball this year.
Derek Fisher says he doesn't like the NFL agreement, but they will be the ones playing next year, while the NBA sits.
Do you wanna be the only sports league that can’t get a deal done? The last bastion where players hold out for their wildest dreams, while fans of the game sit and stew and try to make alternative arrangements for the Winter. Is that really what you would prefer?
C’mon Derek Fisher! C’mon Mark Cuban! C’mon Teachers Pension Plan!
You’ve cancelled summer league. Not a problem, summer league kind of sucks anyway. It’s almost not even an issue. Unless you happen to be one of the many young players or older veterans that need a chance to show they’ve got what it takes to compete in the league.
But that’s okay. Fans will forgive that. Owners won’t blink an eye. It only hurts the players. You know, the ones that don’t make spit in this league. If not for summer league guys like Jamario Moon wouldn’t have a job in the league. But those guys aren’t really the ones that are being fought for are they?
There isn’t any free agency, but that’s okay too. I mean the Leafs signing of Tim Connelly would have upstaged the NBA free agency anyway. Has there been a bigger power play move this summer? I mean c’mon. Better to have a free agency period all to yourself. One where owners and player agents are running around like chickens with their heads cut off getting deals done for their players. You’re forgiven for that one too.
But make no mistake, the time is now.
The fans want it and the owners and players should want it too. Let’s not wait until the time when training camp is supposed to start. Let’s not wait for public opinion to wither into hatred or, even worse, indifference.
Remember the year baseball lost the World Series? Go ask fans in Montreal how they feel about baseball. Or fans in Florida. The game is clinging to life support in many cities because of that strike. Indifference took over and the sport still has a long road back in many cities throughout the MLB.
There will be repercussions for losing the season. Maybe not for Lebron James and his entourage or for players that are best buddies with Kobe (right Fisher?)
The NBA needs a deal now. Look to the NFL for some ideas at least.
The NFL deal works on many levels. The cap is a hard one that should continue to help small and large market team compete in the league. The NFL is the only sports league where the idea that any team can win on any given day is truly accurate. The Arizona Cardinals anyone? New Orleans Saints? These teams don’t have a history of dominance, but they have remained competitive over the last few years. The only team this doesn’t apply to is maybe the Buffalo Bills (but that’s an entirely different story all together).
If the NBA doesn't learn from the NFL situation it will be a long time before we see a champonship celebration in the NBA.
The system will be a little bit more performance based, which come to think of it, is kind of how every other job in the world works. It allows the hard workers to keep their jobs and the ones that don’t produce don’t get their money. It also helps players like Marcus Banks not become a token in every deal and never get a chance to play or fight for a job because he signed one bad deal. He loses his job for a year and then can fight to get it back. Works for me. Beats being a professional DNP-CD every game.
The pre-season is also reduced as are player practices during the year. This is a benefit that could limit the amount of injuries and serious incidents that have plagued the league over the years. Not only this major point, but the tentative NFL agreement also addresses the issues surrounding player health both during and after their playing days come to an end. Not as much of an issue in the NBA, but certainly something to look into. Former players often face heart conditions and knee troubles after their playing days.
And the cous de gras? It’s a ten-year deal. Absolutely freaking genius. The fans won’t have to go through this again in two or three years. It will be a while.
Let’s use this framework by the NFL to help get the NBA owners and players, at least, talking. This is a good deal for both the wealthy owners and the wealthy players. It addresses major issues and both sides made compromises. What is not to like here?
Let’s get this thing going NBA! Let’s get a deal done so we can get this party started! Stop the players from heading over to Europe before it’s too late and get a deal in place.
Derek Fisher and David Stern need to use the NFL’s deal to help bridge the gap between them not drive a larger wedge.
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Kristoffer Pedlar
Zan Tabak Herald
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