Re: Am I alone in my total loss of interest in this season?

["Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>]

When the lockout is over, I expect to be just as interested in the 
Celtics as before, possibly more so if the new rules allow them to 
compete better.  Sure, this season isn't going to mean a great deal, but 
we weren't expecting them to win the championship this year anyway.  
Imagine being a Utah fan and knowing that the Jazz would have had their 
best chance of winning, now that Jordan seems to be gone.

Does the lockout change how I feel about the players, owners and my 
team, the Boston Celtics?  No.  It's been a long time since I was an 
innocent child who admired athletes for their competitiveness, work 
ethic and sportsmanship.  For their part, the owners have always been 
about making money, or ego, that's nothing new.  The illusion is gone 
and I think we're past the point where this sort of thing can hurt 
sport's image.

Long term, I would say that this lockout has the potential to improve 
the prospects for sports fans.  This could be the beginning of the end 
for players who think they deserve the world as soon as they turn pro.  
It's not going to happen with one NBA labor dispute either.  American 
sports is going to reach a breaking point where it simply can't continue 
the explosive growth it has had for the last couple of decades.  There 
are only so many new media and markets to exploit.  In my opinion, the 
NBA is being forward thinking in putting the brakes on now.  Get an 
agreement that links salaries to revenues, and then the players can 
enjoy this growth for as long as it continues.  Without that, there's 
going to be a lot worse trouble down the road (bankrupt teams and 
possibly even leagues collapsing).  

Jim


>Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 13:51:46 -0500
>From: "Gary Martin" <gcm@rettew.com>
>To: celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: Am I alone in my total loss of interest in this season?
>
>As a die hard, bleed green, Celtic worshiper, this 
lock-out/strike/impasse really has dampened my enthusiasm for this game
>
>Am I alone in these doldrums?
>
>Gary C. Martin
>
>Gary C. Martin
>
>


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