Lockout

[Michele]

Hopefully a lockout does not happen but June 30the is the deadline for the collective bargaining agreement. Both sides have been talking today with the salary cap being the biggest issue, naturally. David Stern the NBA commissioner, says that the owners have moved off the hard salary cap issue and the players say that they don't see it that way. But both sides do feel that some progress was made but negations will continue.
www.nba.com/2011/news/06/21/labor-meeting.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[Jerry]

Thanks for sharing!

I really hope they manage to settle their differences. It would be awful for players and fans alike if there is a several months long lockout.

[Liapita]

Isn't the NFL currently in lock-out? I can't imagine NBA and NFL at the same time. All that will be left is College Footbal this Fall and I don't like College Football.

I hope both sides can be grown-ups and resolve this issue... Lia

[Jerry]

BOOOOO! Lockout is here. I just hope they can fix their issues real quick. It would be horrible if the lockout took 6 months. Here's a fairly good article about the lockout:

www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/sports/basketball/with-talks-deadlocked-nba-heads-for-a-shutdown.html/?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes

[Michele]

This lockout is going to suck. Just like the NFL lockout. Who knows maybe Dirk will play for the German national basketball team and try to make it to the Olympics next summer.

[Michele]

I'm glancing through an article in the Los Angeles times about how the NBA teams have their players images stripped from each teams website. This also includes the Mavericks because I can get to the roster but when I clicked on Dirk's name it took me to NBA.com. This is all because the players gave the players' association the right to license the players images. www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nba-website-20110702,0,4295319.story

[Michele]

On the NBA site I found a piece that is about the frequently asked questions about the lockout it doesn't seem to be biased which I was worried about.
www.nba.com/2011/news/06/30/lockout-faqs/index.html
The Denver Post has a good article about the possible damage the lockout could have on the gains that were made during this last season. Included is about how the lockout could affect and is affecting rookies, who can not play in the summer league because that has been canceled and free agency, especially for those who were not drafted on the 23rd, I believe it was. These two groups I feel sorry for because these are the ones that are really going to have to earn their job not have it handed to them, like Kyrie Irving. But if we ever get a season this coming year, he could be a bust after all he only played in 11 games at Duke. www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_18354792

And here's a so so article from ESPN about frequently asked questions.
sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=coon_larry&page=lockoutFAQ-110701

[Jerry]

Thanks for the links, Michele!

I'm sorry for the rookies too. They want to start their career and then - NOTHING, except wait and see.

In Dirk's rookie season in '98/'99 there had been a lockout, too, for six months. Luckily enough Dirk hadn't signed the papers for the Dallas Mavericks yet, so he was allowed to play for his team in Germany during the lockout. If he had signed the papers already that would've complicated things. He once said that this was a weird situation. He came to Dallas, thinking he would live there, a few days later he was back in Germany.

Since he has now the contract and is playing for the Dallas Mavs it may be unlikely that he is allowed for a German team during the lockout, at least that's what the media over here say. He said in case of a lockout he would definitely consider playing for a European team, but I think he, too, wasn't sure if that is allowed and that lawyers have to check on that.

And there are some weird rules, for instance GM/coaches are still allowed to follow their players on twitter, but aren't allowed to mention or re-tweet them, otherwise they have to pay a 1 million fine and maybe loss of picks (this was a twitter post by Ric Bucher, re-tweeted by ESPN).

[Michele]

Just thought about checking Dirk's tweets this one is 11 hours old but it is pertinent.

I was wondering since there is a lockout, am I still allowed to watch nbatv? Or maybe that's a fine.

[Jerry]

Although the lockout is still going on NBA is going to publish the new 2011-2012 schedule today, 2pm (according to nba.com)

[Michele]

I know it's crazy. I found another piece on NBA.com about the Collective Bargaining Agreement. There is a list of the issues and a glossary for whatever situation we fans do not understand. www.nba.com/news/labor-primer/index.html#issues

[Michele]

If there is a basketball season this year the Mavericks will play the Heat (OH CRAP!) on Christmas. Sacrilegious heathens decided to put sport spectacles on on Christmas. I know I shouldn't be going off like that but it just ticks me off. It's not like they have life and death jobs.

[Jerry]

I hear you! It's nothing new that the whole business is just that: BUSINESS. And basically there's nothing wrong with that, though it's kind of sad that it's even business on Christmas. But I guess the NBA wouldn't consider having games on Christmas, unless there were enough viewers in front of their TV screens or in the stadium...

As far as the players go they would probably think that this s*cks too, but after having a look to their monthly paycheck they might be ok with this. I'm feeling sorry for the rest of the staff like security in the stadium, merchandise people etc who have to work on Christmas too instead of spending time with their families. And I'm sure they don't earn millions. Hope they'll get at least paid extra for working on holidays.

[Michele]

Though I'd let you all know that I did do an outline of what the issues of the lockout are . so if you want to go take a look mishasblue.blogspot.com/ . Some of it, all right most of it is a head shaker for me.

[Michele]

I'm worried that there won't be a basketball season anytime soon. The pre-season games are scheduled to start October 9 and go on for the entire month. Then the regular season, at least for the Mavericks, start on November 1. So there is only a little over a month before pre-season and two months before the regular season and the NBA and the player's union have just met for only the second time since the lockout started. It doesn't seem like any of them are in a hurry to have a season. www.nba.com/2011/news/08/31/players-owners-meet-manhattan.ap/index.html