Steve Bulpett: Owners Players Powow

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

The monetary sticking point to the negotiations is the players want
56 percent of the revenue; the owners are willing to allocate 48
percent.  Maybe they should compromise at 52 percent.

              No solution,                  
              but sides
              powwow
              by Steve
              Bulpett

              10/29/98

              NEW YORK --
              While the NBA
              was reluctant
              to express
              optimism with
              the collective
              bargaining
              impasse
              yesterday,
              players union
              director Billy
              Hunter said it
              has come down
              to a matter of
              numbers. The
              key number for
              fans, however,
              was two -- as
              in two more
              weeks of games
              that have been
              canceled.

              After an
              occasionally
              heated
              afternoon
              session
              (Michael
              Jordan and
              Wizards owner
              Abe Pollin
              were said to
              have had a
              shouting
              match) between
              the players
              and the Labor
              Relations
              Committee, the
              sides were
              meeting last
              night in an
              attempt to
              agree on the
              particulars of
              a hybrid
              system to
              bring more
              certainty to
              the amount
              owners will be
              spending on
              salaries.
              Though they
              were well
              apart on
              certain
              figures, a
              blueprint does
              now exist.

              In rough
              terms, the new
              agreement
              would include
              2-3 years
              under a luxury
              tax system
              that would
              have teams
              paying a fee
              for contracts
              above a
              certain level.
              Not
              surprisingly,
              the threshold
              is still very
              much in
              debate.

              The second
              part of the
              agreement
              would be a
              so-called
              escrow system
              whereby if the
              amount paid to
              the players in
              salaries in a
              given year
              exceeds an
              agreed-to
              percentage,
              then all
              players,
              except those
              making the
              minimum, would
              pay back to
              the league a
              percentage of
              their pay.

              The main issue
              is what
              percentage of
              revenue the
              owners should
              allocate for
              salaries. The
              league is
              seeking the
              same 48
              percent it was
              supposed to
              get in the
              last
              collective
              bargaining
              agreement (it
              claims the
              number soared
              to 57 percent
              last season).
              The players
              are asking for
              63 percent,
              though sources
              say it's fair
              to assume
              they'll settle
              at 56 percent.

              In wiping out
              the month of
              November,
              commissioner
              David Stern
              said there
              would be no
              more
              announcements
              on the
              schedule until
              either an
              agreement is
              reached with
              the players or
              the impasse
              goes long
              enough to
              eliminate the
              entire season.

              But, Stern
              added: "I
              think that
              everyone can
              just assume
              that as every
              week goes by
              from here on
              that that's
              another week
              that is going
              to be
              impossible for
              us to play
              games."