The Decision

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

The Decision has lengthened the lockout already, because,
sportswriters and fans to the contrary, there is no reason to
negotiate until you know how things stand.  Now let's think about this:

If Feerick rules for the players, the Owners will be obliged to meet
(some) player demands.  No owner wants to pay these cockamamie
salaries to players while revenue drains away.  On the other hand, the
players solidarity will be utterly broken.  Why should the Bruce
Bowens of the league starve while Patrick and Michael buy new 150 room
gated mansions?  Even if the union sets up some kind of trust fund for
poor players, the greed and envy should prove intolerable.  So there
is a pressure on the players as well.

If Feerick rules for the owners, the players will have to come to the
table.  The owners already have TV money through Christmas, and they
also have the advantage of being right in this dispute.  There does
need to be some kind of mechanism to prevent players from highjacking
their teams.  The union is full of shit in their childish talk about
"giving things back" and "having salary limits."  The players will
lose solidarity if the ruling goes against them, because again, the
Bruce Bowens of the league can't afford to sit out a year.  The owners
in this case don't have any pressure at all on them.  They know they
have to get things fixed.  Think about it:  as Celtics fans, would you
give up a new CBA which would allow us to keep our stars for a few
november games?  Or even a whole season?  A new CBA is needed if we
are to compete against the teams owned by corporations and billionaires.

both scenarios put pressure on the players.  Only one puts pressure on
the owners.  And as long as that TV money is coming in, the pressure
on the owners isnt that strong.  I think this will be resolved within
a month or so of Feerick's decision.

(How long will the appeal take?  That's the one thing I haven't
reckoned on.)





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