There is nothing more irritating to a sports fan than a millionaire vs. billionaire fight. Most of the time, it’s a high-profile player against his owner, but the NBA has given everyone a headache this year by locking out the players and cancelling games. Based on what we watch on the news, we tend to pick sides in this heated and highly publicized battle. But, I think it’s safe to say that the real losers are basketball fans.
Last Monday, the NBA Players Association rejected the latest deal proposed by the owners, which led to the decertification of the player’s union. That will also lead to the players taking the league to court, something Commissioner David Stern had been prepared for for awhile. Both sides seem to be giving fair deals, however.
For the players, they see the owners taking away money that could fall into their bank accounts. This is how the players see things: if there was just a million dollars laying on a table and the owner said the player can take it all, that would be fine. But if there was $10 million laying on the table and the owner says to take just a million, the player is going to wonder why he can’t have anymore of the remaining $9 million.
The owners, however, keep proposing deals that would give the players more money. The players would get more from jersey sales, ticket sales and other places the league makes money from. The players don’t think that’s enough, they keep rejecting the offers.
The true rejection here is the love of basketball from the fans. The same people who buy tickets, buy jerseys and follow their team every day during the season. They players are forgetting one thing: it’s because of the fans that players get paid to play. Yes, we tend to say how much we dislike LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, yet we continue to tune in on game nights and watch.
It’s not just normal fans who are getting ripped off. What about the fans who work the concession stands at ball games? With no NBA games, they can’t earn their small paychecks to help support what they need. And what about the cities that NBA teams are in? Local businesses lose out on thousands of dollars made by people who come in before or after the big game. In a recent study, Miami loses over $220 million if there is no season just because the Heat and all their talent won’t draw the crowds to local businesses. The news makes it seem like only players are not making the big bucks, but it’s the little people out there that suffer the most from it.
After a season that drew the best attendance, the most viewers and even the most amount of merchandise to be sold, it’s a shame that the players and owners are willing to throw it all away. Did they forget what happened to the NHL after they were locked out for an entire season? They still struggle to bring in fans to watch hockey. The NFL was able to settle it’s differences before it was too late, and MLB shook hands on it’s labor deal in what seemed to be only a couple hours. NBA players have already turned into the laughing stocks of the sports world, but if they can settle their differences before it truly is too late, the league can still gain back it’s swagger.
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ahimes@mavs.coloradomesa.edu