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Peter Vecsey Comments On Lockout, Also Antoine
[New York Post]
SPORTS
NBA SIDES MUST GO 1-ON-1 WITH ISSUES
By PETER VECSEY
--------------------------------------------
AS David Stern, Billy Hunter and their
respective allies convene for what could
amount to their next to last window of
opportunity to jump start the 1998-99
season, take it from the cock-eyed optimist
who has repeatedly predicted a settlement
was right around Shawn Bradley:
If nothing else, both parties finally have
recognized their adversaries are, indeed,
unified. The 29 owners are determined to
cancel the season if unable to secure a
more favorable collective bargaining
agreement, whereas the players are resolved
to sacrifice their whole salary rather than
take a giant step backward in a couple
particular directions.
Clearly, both sides mean bad business.
Clearly, they're immovably committed to
outlandish causes that are disenfranchising
fans at an alarming rate. Clearly it's time
for a head-on crash between rhetoric and
reality.
At the risk of being signaled for
interference, it might be wise to stop
demanding shamefully more than a fair share
and start listening to reason. If the idea
is to make a deal, both sides can only
avoid dealing with the issues for so long.
Clearly it's time to confront them, no
matter how insurmountable they may seem,
and find a solution no matter how
repugnant.
To quote John Stockton before he was
shouted down during the players' meeting in
Las Vegas, "Talking is not a sign of
weakness, it's a sign of intelligence."
If the commissioner and the executive
director of the union want my opinion, they
should adopt the same attitude as Cavalier
power philosopher Shawn Kemp. Here's a guy
who doesn't look at the glass as being half
full or half empty. As long as there's
something in it, hey, he's happy.
Thankfully, Darwin isn't around to witness
his theory of evolution backfiring. *THE
most arrogant and ignorant boast of the
lockout belongs to players, reveling in
their solidarity despite missed paychecks.
"The quality that keeps us strong is the
same one that makes us such tough
competitors," they gloat.
No question. At the same time. how do the
players think the owners got to where they
are today, by being meek and mild? How do
they think the owners stay at that astral
plateau, by being patsies? How many of the
owners, do they figure, inherited their
wealth and status from Daddy?
Off the top of my head, I can only name
four, Paul Gaston of the Celtics, Mickey
Arison of the Heat, H. Ross Perot, Jr., and
the Maloof brothers, who purchased a big
chunk of the Kings last season and will
dominate it within a year.
All the rest are self-made
multi-millionaires and billionaires,
attaining their fortune thanks to an
unnatural measure of savvy, skill and
street-fighting instincts. Either they own
their teams outright, operate it at the top
of the publicly-held companies, or
designate someone else to do it.
Think Jerry Colangelo, Jerry Reinsdorf, Ted
Turner, Jerry Buss, Paul Allen, Charles
Dolan, Bill Davidson, Larry Miller, Herb
Kohl, Rich DeVos, Ed Snider, Herb and
Melvin Simon, Glen Taylor, Gordon and
George Gund, Donald Sterling, Ray Chambers,
Peter Holt, Jim Thomas, Barry Ackerley,
Allan Slaight, Les Alexander and Chris
Cohan and the bunch of rich guys in
Vancouver might know something about the
spirit of the bayonet fighter themselves?
Nobody ever said you can play (much less
star) in the NBA or in any any professional
league without brandishing a serrated edge.
Then again, to remain at the top of your
game, we're taught early and often, it's
usually a mortal mistake to underestimate
the competition. *O.J. SIMPSON thinks the
Chris Webber verdict is a mockery of
justice. Who was the foreman of that jury,
Marion Barry? Now I know what D.C. stands
for - Doesn't Convict. Not that Webber
didn't use at least one or two compelling
arguments. Initially, he threw himself on
the mercy of the court, whimpering, "Come
on, cut me a break, I got no job." Webber's
winning defense: I actually was driving
Kenny Anderson's car.
Former St. John's center Zendon Hamilton
signed with Valladolid of Spain a couple of
days ago ... When the lockout finally ends,
Shaquille O'Neal plans to capitalize on it
by making into a bad rap video ... We've
missed a month of the season and the
Clippers are 2-10. At least they have an
excuse. They still don't have a coach.
Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller have all but
three Pacers practicing again after the
co-captains gave the team off Thanksgiving
week. "That proves you guys aren't as
serious as you make out," I scolded. "Your
coach never would have done that."
"You're wrong," Jackson squawked. "Our
coach would've done that."
Come a settlement, think John Calipari
would like to have an extra five million to
spend on a free agent? Had the Nets' boss
traded Kendall Gill for Christian Laettner
on trading deadline as he almost did (going
so far as to tell Gill the deal was done;
he went berserk on the coach when Calipari
changed his mind), he'd have the option of
re-signing the injured (torn Achilles) free
agent forward or investing elsewhere.
Sources say Blazers would love to have Sam
Cassell or Kerry Kittles, even Gill should
the other two be unavailable. Of course, an
offer of the re-signed Damon Stoudamire for
Cassell and Gill might get the Nets
attention. It nearly happened when
Stoudamire was a Raptor.
In an effort to cut back on his spending,
Kenny Anderson is thinking of giving up
Moet ... Depending on the free-agent rule
changes, the Celtics have reserved the
right to back off their notion to trade
Antoine Walker.
Dennis Rodman had to be juiced to marry
Carmen Electra. I've never understood what
he sees in her, except maybe a physical
attraction for someone who has fewer
original body parts than him. Fortunately
for Dennis, he wasn't completely drunk
because he made Carmen sign a pre-nipple
agreement. Before the annulment, I'd
planned to send a wedding gift. I looked up
where the bride had registered:
Dow-Corning.
Obviously, Michael Jordan is going to get
the abbreviated schedule he wanted in order
to return. Now he's holding out for a
one-year CBA.