[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Dwight Jaynes Provides An Excellent Synopsis Of The Issues
NBA fans get some straight talk: No
compromises and no season
Thursday, November 19 1998
--------------------------------------------
By Dwight Jaynes
Columnist
The Oregonian
The misconceptions about the NBA lockout
have become cliches by now. There's only
one 1990s way to deal with this kind of
misinformation, and that's with a talk
show.
So without further ado, it's time for the
Dwight Jaynes Radio Program, the only
sports-talk radio show in the world with
which you can line your bird cage.
Line one, you're on the air: "Yeah, hey,
there is no way the employees are going to
get more than 50 percent of the profits in
my business, like the players expect to get
from the NBA . . . "
Fine, except your employees are probably
disposable. Your product doesn't change
much even when your employees do. In sports
and entertainment, the employees are
essentially the product. They are going to
get a much bigger portion of the revenue,
and they are entitled to it. It's the exact
percentage that needs to be negotiated.
Line two, you're on the air: "Yeah, but
ticket prices are directly related to high
salaries."
No, actually they are not. Ticket prices
are based mostly on what customers are
willing to pay. The Trail Blazers lowered
the ticket prices for the upcoming season,
even though their payroll is supposed to be
significantly higher than it was last
season. The reason? People weren't buying
tickets. The marketplace drives the price
of tickets -- both up and down.
Line two again: "Well, nobody is forcing
those owners to pay the high salaries.
There is no gun to their heads. Why should
the players protect the owners from
themselves?"
Because the players need to protect the
financial viability of the game itself --
the goose that's been laying some very big,
golden eggs. Remember, if there is any
collusion involved among owners, that's
illegal. And the fact is, there is all
kinds of pressure to pay unrealistic
salaries and it comes from you, the fan.
You demand your team be competitive
regardless of cost, in most cases.
There are a few owners out there -- and we
have one in Portland -- who really don't
care how much they pay players; they just
want to win. Those owners drive all players
salaries up, and there's not a lot the
other owners can do about it. That's why
rules are needed so that the league can
have some form of competitive balance.
Line two: "Ah, come on, the owners have
plenty of money, have too much at stake and
don't want to lose the season. They just
hide most of their income. They'll
compromise very soon."
This is what the players -- many of whom
haven't thought this situation out very
well -- are being told by their union
leaders and agents. But I doubt this is
correct. If what the owners say is true,
that many of them will lose more money by
playing than not playing, don't expect them
to cave in.
Think about this for a moment, if the
owners make a bad deal, they could be
forced out of business. If the players make[ ]
a bad deal, it would probably make the
difference between them earning $2.6
million per season rather than $3.0
million.
Now, who should compromise here? Is this a
difficult concept?
Line three, go ahead: "I don't care,
anyway. Nobody cares. Let them stay locked
out forever. I don't miss them at all."
A fashionable stance, but not a very
realistic one, I'm afraid. The reality is,
when the gates finally open again -- be it
next season or next month -- most fans will
return. If the league goes about its
image-repair work in an appropriate manner,
it will regain just about all its lost fans
within a season or two.
You will argue with that, just as a lot of
baseball fans did, but you probably will be
back -- especially if the Trail Blazers win
a first-round series some year.
Line one? "The owners have always abused
and used the players and this is just one
more example. The players shouldn't have to
give back their rights."
Well, there are some serious perks that go
with playing in the NBA. The players in the
league not only earn more than most
athletes in other sports, they have been
glorified more by their league than
athletes in any other sport.
The NBA has turned starmaking into an art
form. The league has marketed its players,
even created attractive personas for them,
at an incredible rate. And that has not
only led to higher salaries, but to more
outside income from endorsements.
Baseball and football never have fawned
over players the way pro basketball has
done. The NBA turns its stars into gods and
the players have made millions from it.
And finally, line two again: "This won't
last much longer. Both sides will cut a
deal by Christmas."
Well, there isn't much evidence to indicate
either side is anywhere near a deal. The
owners have too much at stake to compromise
and the players are too involved with
misconceptions about winning or losing this
war.
Players, if you're out there listening, pay
attention: Go sign the worst deal you can
and you've still won. You're still going to
earn more money than you ever thought
possible from bouncing a ball. Settle it
now, right away, before a lot of average
players lose a good part of their careers.
But if I had to bet, I'd wager this season
is not going to be played.
I'm feeling pretty sure of it, in fact. The
season is going to be blown up because the
players simply don't yet understand the big
picture. By the time they figure it out, it
will be too late to salvage anything.
And oh yes, thanks for tuning in.