NBA Lockout: Who's Right, Who's Wrong, Who Cares?
Fans are divided, but not equally on who to blame for the NBA Lockout. Over 30 percent of fans blame players, while only 11 percent blame the owners and 53 percent blame the two sides and David Stern collectively.
Fact is, most of us don't have enough information about the specifics to make an intelligent decision to side with either party. We only know what is reported to us.
If you were an owner in this disagreement, would you be broadcasting that the NBA team you own is only about 25 percent of your annual income? That wouldn't garner much sympathy. In fact, the owners and David Stern have done an exceptional job painting the players as greedy in this dispute, and the players have been content not to defend themselves.
At least 14 NBA owners' total net worth is substantially higher than the net worth of the NBA team they own. The fact is, no poor broke guy is an owner of an NBA team. The cover charge for this party was steep to begin with.
Still, this is a business and the owners are running it. What business do you know of that allows this much equality to a group that essentially equates to employees? It just doesn't happen. That is why I believe most people side with the owners.
The only problem here is that you can't relate this to a "regular" job. This is all about leverage. The NBA, as well as every other major sport is highly specialized work. The more rare your abilities and demand for your services gives you license to negotiate to obtain as much as you can convince someone to pay you.
One thing is certain, this is a business dispute between two groups, made up of millionaires and billionaires. They are negotiating sums of money 99 percent of us can't relate to.
You'll hear some fans say things like, "I work for $1,500 dollars a week, and these guys can't get it together over $30 million." That cash disparity makes it impossible for that fan to understand the dilemma, unless he or she steps outside of him or herself.
This is business and nothing but business. Everyone involved will be rich either way, but it is their right to haggle over just how rich they want to be, as much as it may irritate some.
We all have the prerogative to walk away and stop patronage, but do you really have the heart to do that? I'm willing to bet that if your reading this article you love the game too much to let it go. The players and owners know that, and that is why a lockout can begin and last over 100 days.
Others are affected, fans like myself, but even more, the non athletic employees of these organizations are affected. Teams are cutting back, which means "regular" people are losing their jobs. Who should bear this burden, the players or the owners?
In business, neither bears the burden and the first side to care about anything other than business is the side that loses.
Fifty-three percent or 47 percent of BRI (basketball related income), hard cap or soft cap, it doesn't really matter to me. I just want the rookies on NBA2K12, and I miss the game. Then again, they know that, don't they?
