NBA Lockout: If No Deal Is Struck Thursday, the Fans Will Fade

This NBA lockout roller coaster has finally worn me down. I'm done. That's it. I've just had it.

I can't take this false hope any longer. And neither can the rest of the NBA fandom.

First, there was hope during the summer, until we all realized the multitude of differences between the owners and the players. Eventually, the preseason was canceled.

Then the hope that the lockout would end returned, as the fear of canceling regular season games loomed large. Still, no deal was struck and regular season games were canceled.

Wait, you say, there might still be a chance at an 82-game season? Even after games were already canceled? This seems like the real deal, could it be?

Nope. Greed takes over again, and more regular season games are canceled.

After a proposed deal from the owners to the players with a Wednesday evening deadline was rejected, we arrive at where we are presently: one of the most important days for the NBA in years. Thursday, November 10, 2011.

The players and owners have met all day Wednesday to try and come to a consensus on the new deal and apparently, progress has been made. But as we all know, we've seen this so-called "progress" before.

The outcome of today's meetings will have ramifications far beyond this season. If a deal is struck, fans will most likely warm up to the idea of NBA basketball a few weeks into the season. Nothing major will have changed, except for the loss of a few games. Things should be able to pick up right where they left off, and the Mavericks will be able to defend their title properly.

If a deal is not reached on Thursday though, the NBA could be in huge trouble.

We have reached the point in this lockout where fans are starting to give up. There has been so much false hope on so many different occasions, and it is starting to get tiresome.

As any level headed human being knows, this league, as with all professional sports leagues, is driven by the fans. If the NBA starts to lose its fans, it has absolutely no chance to sustain itself.

It's the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result. There has been false hope after false hope and still no deal. Why would fans continue to subject themselves to this? If they haven't given up already, they will if no deal is reached by the end of Thursday.

And one by one, the fans will begin to stop caring about the NBA. Sadly, if a deal is eventually reached, it may take quite a while to win these fans back.

Let's all just cross our fingers that Thursday's meetings lead to a deal. Then we can sit down and enjoy watching the most amazing athletes on the planet do what they do best: play basketball.

I'm ready to get off this roller coaster and watch for a while.