Re: (no subject)

[Kim Malo <kmalo19@idt.net>]

At 10:14 PM 7/16/98 +0200, Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org> wrote:
>Hi list:
>
>After work, I read some stats on ESPNET that reveal inter alia:
>
>1) the Celts payroll last year ($26.82 mil) was less than half that of
>the Bulls and Knicks;
>2) only 7 clubs had a lower payroll than our Celts, all of which were
>basically also-rans (Nuggets, Bucks, Grizzlies, Pistons, Raptors, Clips,
>Cavs);
>3) no club finished more than throw-away change ($2.5 mil) under last
>year's enforced cap (Our Celtics were 80,000 clams under the cap).
>
>I don't know what all this adds up to, so I would appreciate list-member
>input  and cap expertise (Michael "Le Dieu" Byrnes, Kim Malo...).

To me, it means two things. We didn't have anyone up for renewal worth going
over the cap for. And mainly that RP has recognized the mistakes of past
management and spent this past year trying to clear out as many of them as
possible prepatory to making the 'big' moves in the next year or two.
Creating room to maneuver, in other words. Not a lot of room, but given the
mess he was handed, not that shabby a job. I know the counter arguments that
he made new mistakes by signing a bunch of bench players to extended
contracts, but in fact if you look at it, none of them make that much per
year. Even Knight, where the real concern is length of contract -the only
true long term one here out of the RP deals. He *is* a back-up PF/center and
that's the money he's making.  As for the others, their salaries are low
enough that they can be traded, even if only as a throw in on a package
deal, to make more maneuvering room. 
  
>Personally, I thank goodness for the Larry Bird exception (soft cap). We
>may trash the NBA owners and player-agents, but at least we don't have
>to become NY Jets fans in order to follow Curtis Martin's bruising,
>god-fearing career as an NFL running back.

Really don't know as you can blame that one on the hard cap.

>As far as I'm concerned, the NBA owners already can claim a "sane"
>payroll system, given 80+ games of revenue, global impact, and
>relatively short (7 man) benches. 

Honestly, gate is a drop in the bucket on players' salaries. Those are
really paid by the other revenue sources. Owners just use the salaroes as an
excuse to raise ticket prices.
<snip anti-owner's diatribe -that's fine, but there's blame on both sides>

>P.S.  Hey Noah, I respect you, but please don't you dare tell Greg
>Oldegaard's ISP to ban him from injecting humor and ideas to the Boston
>Celtics list.

I agree, but also think it would be a pleasant change if people would debate
stuff on the list without moving immediately into personal attacks. Not
going to happen, and I realize that, but it would at least keep down the
length of these extended exchanges of personalities.

-Kim
Kim Malo
kmalo19@idt.net