Why NBA Lockout Gets Less Attention Than NFL Lockout: Ownership

If you tuned into Sportscenter at any time during the spring-summer of 2011, you would have been hard pressed to find an episode that the NFL lockout had not cast a shadow over. A fall visionary of no football was nothing short of devastating to not only fans of the sport, but the entire country.

Through much trial and tribulation, the problems at hand were solved and the season premiered as scheduled, saving training camp and off-season time for transactional purposes. Much speculation had clouded whether or not the teams would have enough time to prepare, both on and off the field. As fans of the NFL, we were lucky enough to see some big time transactions in such a short period of time.

During the two-week period before the season kicked off, teams had to scramble in order to fill roster needs and provoke a positive outlook for the upcoming season. We were teased with the “Dream-Team” of the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles, something that has played out about as well as the Ryan Leaf top draft pick in 1998 NFL Draft. We saw a Chris Johnson holdout that was extremely unnecessary given his atrocious performance in the young 2011 season.

All in all, we gained the spark back that we had so long prayed we would not miss.

There is something different about an NFL game compared to an NBA game. The aura surrounding it, the pregame rituals like tailgating, little gambling here and there, fantasy projections. What’s not to like?

When fans think of their favorite NFL team, they feel a relation to the team. The camaraderie that exists allows us as fans, to feel like we are a part of the day-to-day operations. While our opinion may certainly matter, we have no direct impact on anything aside from our ticket purchase, or lack thereof for some NFL teams.

When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys on February 26, 1989, he laid out a game plan of taking his new team to apocalyptic status. In order to achieve these lofty goals, there were differences that had to be made to the landscape of the game. Jones assembled a staff and game plan quickly, laying concrete that remains firm today: Brand awareness, regional expansion and most of all, the ability to market the most talented players in the game.

Before Jones turned football (followed by every other sport) into a circus of marketing and stardom, professional sports were somewhat….dull, for lack of better terms. The NFL began to skyrocket, grabbing a great assortment of fans on the way up. This scheme is something the NBA has yet to put much bandwidth into.

An example of this could not be more evident than it is now. We have an NBA lockout that has been going on since June 30, yet next to no one is concerned or for that matter, even aware.

 I was speaking to a friend the other day about coming into Atlanta around Thanksgiving. Given any other year, an Atlanta Hawks game would be something included on the wish list for the trip. He mentioned that he would get tickets tomorrow, being today. I had to inform him of a lockout going on. This is not a friend that is oblivious to sports either, the fact simply slipped his mind.

While Atlanta has a good squad, they are around the middle-tier of talent in the NBA, importantly the East Coast, where basketball developed its roots.

The foremost difference between the two lockouts: Ownership. When an NFL team is down, owners are irate. Personnel changes, media interviews, NFL owners do their best to re-assure and improve. When is the last time we heard any of the NBA owners ranting over a microphone or pleading with the fans to stay involved through the process? We have not yet.

NFL owners buy their team for the love of the sport. NBA owners buy their team for the love of the business.

We have recently lost Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders, an iconic figure for the sport. Not only did Davis exhibit morale and charismatic love of the game, he treated it like a child, someone you would raise and love, the team was not his “thing”, it was an individual.

Al Davis, Jerry Jones, Bud Adams, the Rooney’s, Mike Brown, Arthur Blank, Pat Bowlen, Ralph Wilson, Robert Kraft, Jim Irsay, Jed York, Dan Snyder. What do all of these men have in common? Passion, loyalty and an undying commitment to the betterment of their program regardless of the cost. Lest we forget the most unwavering owner of all, the city of Green Bay.  

How many NBA owners can you name? When is the last time you were able to get some face time from your favorite NBA team’s owner.

You have Dan Gilbert, who would have remained in the shadows had not it been for the LeBron issue. Michael Jordan owns the Bobcats, among many other ventures he is involved in. Mark Cuban is by and large the face of not only ownership through the NBA, but the NBA as a whole. Not to take away from any of the other owners, but come on guys.

Step up and let your fans know that you actually care. Do your best to handle the situation at hand while still promoting a positive atmosphere for when the season returns. NBA owners seem to handle their basketball programs more like hobbies. If the organization fails, oh well.

NBA owners have ties to many other investments. Perhaps the problem could exist in the selection of ownership? With Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov buying the New Jersey Nets, it showed symbolism of power. Should owners be selected on merit of ownership or net worth? That question is answered only by the board who allows ownership for the NBA.

Regardless of how the problem is fixed, let’s do our best to make it happen soon. The NBA Playoffs of the 2010-11 season were some of the highest rated in years, since Jordan and Utah in 98, that is about how long it has been since we have seen spikes in ratings. The game does not provide the warm feeling that it used to. Players are grouping up, allowing for a see-saw effect within the league.

We need the regime to resurface to what it was when the Knicks-Heat games were big news. When the Lakers and Celtics dominated headlines. When one player could carry his underdog team to stardom (Reggie Miller). I have no doubt that those times will eventually come back around.

When will they? Ask the owners.