NBA Lockout: MVP Derrick Rose Is Right to Blame Owners
The youngest MVP in league history isn't too young to know he's better off standing strong with the group he belongs to. Never one for many words and even less for public opinions, Derrick Rose said this when asked about the NBA lockout:
It is clear, the frustration of not doing the thing he and many of the other players love is getting to him. He is still wise to side with the players. When approaching a dispute or dilemma that effects a strong passion, many times the most passionate will be taken advantage of because of their love of the activity.
Rose and some of the other players love the game so much, that if they were in charge, they may have taken the owners offer awhile ago, just to get back on the court.
The players need people like Derek Fisher, Amar'e Stoudemire who love the game but are not completely commanded by their love during negotiations. These people ensure the deal will be the maximum amount possible for their position.
The players have the same motives as the owners. They want to make as much money as possible with their assets. For the owners, their asset is their money, for the players it is their bodies, talents and celebrity.
It is that love and "privilege" that one group of players may feel versus the business aspect from another group that could destroy the player's leverage and divide the union. The player representatives know this and thus they've tried to stay in communication throughout.
Derrick Rose is one of the more fortunate employees in this situation. Other players don't have the shoe contracts and international appeal that Rose has generated. Even worse, the non-athlete employees are without the jobs they traditionally depend on at this time of year.
I applaud Rose for singing the Redemption Song until the player's union decides to sing a different tune, #StandUnited.
