If my math is correct, 17 games is the number that the players will come out behind on money issues. If the players miss 17 games, they will have lost this labor negotiation because there is no way for them to ever make that money up
I agree. However listening to the whole press conference last night on NBA TV. Silver kept emphasing that there were other issues that need to be discussed even if the BRI split was aggreed upon. Not sure what those issues are, so it is hard to know how close they really are. But it sounds close.
Wow, the owners capitulated but the players still refuse. No hard cap, no non guaranteed contracts, no amnesty clause.... and the players turned them down flat. I never thought I'd see that.
Great article! Blow by blow of what happened yesterday and where we stand today....... http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/...l-of-8-billion-gap-closed-season-can-be-saved
You don't get it, the "public opinion battle" means fuck all in this situation. The leauge's popularity taking a hit damages both sides equally.
The Super Seven agents are working on details of a conference call this afternoon to discuss CBA, sources tell @CBSSports.
Call would be among agents who wrote to clients over the weekend: Tellem, Duffy, Bartelstein, Fegan, Schwartz, Rose and Thomas.
SpearsNBAYahoo............ One prominent agent: "Stern & Billy will talk over the weekend without antics and get down to it."
Broussard........... Source says Rip Hamilton told his agent Leon Rose he's upset Rose participated in letter, which is perceived by many as anti-union.
Source adds that Rip told Rose he'll leave & take other players with him if Rose doesn't leave the "anti-union" group.
sam_amick............ Also interesting re: @Chris_Broussard tweets about Rip Hamilton. Rival agent says Rip has significant influence on many of Rose's clients.
The NBPA sent a letter to its players on Wednesday to update them on labor talks. "Yesterday, the owners gave us an opportunity to back down," wrote Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter. "We refused. Hunter reminds players have have offered owners a giveback of $185 million per year, which is worth $1.1 billion over six years. "Reducing our share of BRI by seven points to 50%, a level we have not received since the early 1990s, is not a fair split." No further meetings are currently scheduled. "The clear message we have received from the players, and the one we will heed, is not to back down." Via Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter) Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/215877/Union_Letter_We_Refused_To_Back_Down#ixzz1Zw0r89XZ
Jared Jeffries was really optimistic on radio that a deal could get done this week. He mentioned that there could be a difference of about $120-150 mil annually. That works out to like 4-5 mil per team. Do guys like PA, or Cuban, or Buss really give a shit about that? Link: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=7063282&s=espn
Otoh, they would lose about ~$200 mil total by locking out the exhibition games. Maybe I'm being naiive here, but this doesn't work out.
