Re: Prediction and url

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>The Players aren't giving in!

It seems to me there's a bottom-line here: The owners want a hard cap...the
players don't want to give them one. Once again,...it seems to me that the
players have agreed the old CBA wasn't working and have agreed to an
entirely new sytem which will help...HELP the owners slow the growth of
player salaries. The owners say that even with a hard cap, if revenues go
up, so do player salaries. But why should the players believe the owners'
figures when they've hidden revenue before. It seems to me that the owners
want a guarantee that the players will save them from making financial
mistakes. I think we can all agree that the owners are under a lot of
pressure to win and therefore to spend a lot of money competing for talent.
But, why should the players guarantee that the owners will never make a bad
investment?

>The owners have offered them 52% of
>revenues.  The players have no capital invested, yet are guaranteed more
>of the money than the owners.  Additionally, all their travel, meals,
>etc etc has to be paid by the owners out of their 48% stake.  Plus other
>expenses and operating costs.  The players have none of the risk, but
>get 52% of the revenues.  Pretty damn good deal.  Think GM will agree to
>a contract like that?

I don't know....but if GM had just spent the past decade marketing the guy
at the spot welder and he was the product instead of cars I think we'd have
a better analogy.

>Besides, the majority of the players will not benefit from the issues
>that are being fought over now, the Larry Bird exeception and free
>agency rules.  I suspect that the majority of the players are deferring
>to MJ etc, and are not really behind what is going on.  If they are,
>they are misinformed.

Maybe they just believe that they've conceded enough to a framework and now
it's time for the owners to concede on the figures and at the end of the
day control their revenues.

Look, another bottom-line....this whole thing sucks. The players had a
great deal before, and they're making concessions. I'm sick of the whole
thing, but I just don't think it's as black and white as R. Bentz Kirby
contends. I hope all the little people in the players union do rise up and
kill the demons Ewing and Hunter. If they don't maybe they aren't
misinformed. Maybe they agree.

Paul M.