Re: STeve Aschburner: No End In Sight For Lockout

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

>Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:44:04 -0400
>From: Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>
>CC: celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: STeve Aschburner: No End In Sight For Lockout
>

                        "I kind of expected it,"
                        union director Billy Hunter
                        said. "I was hoping Dean
                        Feerick would be inclined
                        to see things our way, but
                        we knew it would be a giant
                        leap for him to take,
                        especially since he is a
                        labor lawyer by
                        profession."

HE EXPECTED IT! What kind of game is this guy playing?

                        Stern said Monday the
                        owners will guarantee a 20
                        percent raise in player
                        compensation during the
                        next four years. Increasing
                        minimum salaries,
                        especially for veterans,
                        also is acceptable but has
                        to come from the players'
                        overall share.
                        "Where it's got to come
                        from are from contracts at
                        the very high end," he
                        said. "I don't know how to
                        say that more directly and
                        fairly."

What more do the players want?  They are being offered salaries tied to 
revenues.  But that's not good enough.  If revenues fall (which they 
will, if they keep this up) they still want their salaries to increase.  
They don't realize that "market value" can go down as well as up.  They 
have been offered a guarantee of a 20% increase over four years.  The 
owners have no such guarantees on revenues.  I guess you could say, if 
there is a maximum on the salaries, there should also be a minimum (eg. 
salaries will not drop below 45% of revenues), but that hardly seems 
necessary.  Whatever cap is set it will be met and probably exceeded.  
If I were a minimum wage player, I would be furious at my union, which 
only seems intent on serving the interests of the already ultra-rich 
superstars.  

Last week I saw a player on tv (I think it was Tim Hardaway, but I can't 
remember).  He was saying how unfair it is that David Stern earns more 
than he does.  He said something like, "The guy doesn't even play the 
game".  How dumb are these guys?  Who feeds them this crap?  Does he 
think people would flock out to the gym and stuff 20s down his jock 
strap to watch him bounce a ball if there wasn't a league behind him.  
Enough is enough, and these guys have more than enough.  They want to 
share the wealth, try sharing it with their teammates who are making 
1/20th what they are making.  Imagine making 50,000 and the guy at the 
next desk (he's the team leader) makes 1,000,000.  

This can't keep going on.  Sports have already tapped the resources of 
corporate America.  You can only put so many luxury boxes in a 
basketball arena and still be able to see the court.  Television is 
saturated.  Networks already lose money on the games themselves, but 
have to pay to get the viewers to watch other programming.  There are 
already more teams than can be supplied with quality players.  Ticket 
prices are unaffordable for middle class fans.  So, where is the new 
revenue going to come from?  Overseas?  But other countries have their 
own sports and they like them just fine.  Why would they want to spend 
twice as much to watch a bunch of spoiled brat, rich Americans?

Phew, I didn't realize I was so pissed off.  I'm going to go breathe 
into a paper bag now.  This stuff bothers me so much less when they're 
actually plaing the games.

Jim

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