How will you react if the NBA cancels its season?

[Deberg_1990]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/stor...t-consequences



It doesn’t necessarily matter what NBA commissioner David Stern meant when he said on Wednesday that the upcoming weekend of negotiations between players and the league would determine “whether they can either have a season or not have a season.” Maybe it was a threat, as it sure seemed to be—a grand warning that if they did not accede to a deal, players would miss out on an entire year of salary. But the league is insisting it was not a threat, so maybe it wasn’t.

It’s not really important, though, because we don’t need any pronouncements from Stern to notice that the pages are slipping away on the NBA’s calendar, and with both sides reporting on Wednesday that no progress had been made, at the very least, the beginning of the season is in jeopardy.


The sides will meet again on Friday, and considering it will take about two weeks to iron out the details of a collective bargaining agreement, it’s clear that without significant movement this weekend, the season won’t start on time on Nov. 1. During the 1998 lockout, the league started canceling regular-season games on October 13, and that timeline should hold up this time around.

Canceling the season is still an option, but it’s on the back-burner. There are some who believe that once some games are missed, owners will be willing to axe the whole season, as the NHL did in ’05. But bear in mind, losing an entire season would not just be a hit to the players. It would be a big hit to the owners, too. There is a provision in the league’s television contract that pays the league even in the event of lost games, something that surely increases the owners’ bargaining power in the early stages of a lockout. Owners will still be feeding from their deepest trough, while players miss paychecks.

There is a catch, though—if the entire season is canceled, the owners will have to return the television money, plus interest. The threat of the season being canceled can be arrived at just by looking at the calendar and noting the lack of progress the two sides have made. But there would be no point to a preemptive canceling of the season on Stern’s part.

SI.com’s Sam Amick reports that Stern has laid out a Jan. 7 drop-dead date for cancellation of the season. That was the same deadline in ’99, when a scattered and shortened 50-game season began on February 5—with very negative results. Attendance fell by 2.2 percent, television ratings fell sharply and NBA Finals ratings went from 18.7 to 11.3. That was largely because of the retirement of Michael Jordan and the breakup of the Bulls, but still, it took a long time for the NBA to recover its popularity.

The league last season regained its relevance among fans. Players have a lot at stake in the case of a canceled season. But while owners might be in a better financial position to withstand a long lockout, they saw the NBA finally climb out of its post-Jordan doldrums, and they have a lot at stake here, too.

A canceled season is still a possibility. But we’re a long way from that point.

[threebag]

These new defenseless receiver rules are








just what the NBA needed.

[Rooster]

As long as the WNBA is still going strong life is good.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Brock

That's a pretty bad analogy. Citizen Kane is not an enjoyable movie to watch.

That's my point, I'm using extremes to make the analogy.

Citizen Kane, to many many people, is not an enjoyable movie to watch. However, even those people will admit that it's an extremely well made movie. You could go with "There Will Be Blood" as the analogy if you'd like. That's another movie that's just agonizing to watch, IMO, but obviously extremely well made.

Meanwhile, Top Gun is a horrid piece of theatrical shit, but it's entertaining as hell to watch.

If someone wants to say that Top Gun is the more enjoyable move, I'll give them that (though some would possibly disagree). At the same time, if they try to argue that Top Gun is a better movie, I'll call them full of crap.

NBA basketball is a far FAR better game than the college game. It's a more 'pure' game even. The defense actually is better, people just don't realize it because the offense is so good they they'll hit a contested jumper and the positioning and athleticism is so great that players don't 'appear' to be playing defense as hard. The old saws about the NBA being garbage basketball are simply out of date and are, by and large, extremely misinformed.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by loochy

Do you like to see lots of traveling? Great. Do you only want rules enforced some of the time? Awesome. Do you want superstars to play by their own set of rules? Excellent.

Also simply not true.

Traveling is significantly less prevalent than holding in the NFL yet I still have to hear this crap.

Yeah, sometimes traveling goes uncalled - so does the phantom tag at 2b in baseball and so does holding on virtually every play in the NFL.

You really think there's a sport where superstars don't get the benefit of the doubt on calls? Give me a break.

The NBA is no worse than any sport in regards to any of the same old tired horseshit that people that haven't watched the NBA in 15 years love to spout off.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by loochy

Oh, it bugs me in the NFL too. I see Tamba get held on every play and it rarely gets called. WTF mate? And don't get me started on these new "defenseless receiver" rules.

At least in the NFL they review the play and TRY to get it right. In the NBA they just quit calling things altogether in the 4th quarter.

You're right - they review penalties in the NFL all the time.

I'm sure you didn't see any of the replays in the post-season where they checked for feet on the line or deflections out of bounds on possession plays. I assure you, there were dozens. The NBA absolutely uses replays on close plays that determine possessions or points and they do so on a fair occasion.

Just don't talk. You clearly don't have a damn clue what you're talking about.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Also simply not true.

Traveling is significantly less prevalent than holding in the NFL yet I still have to hear this crap.

Yeah, sometimes traveling goes uncalled - so does the phantom tag at 2b in baseball and so does holding on virtually every play in the NFL.

You really think there's a sport where superstars don't get the benefit of the doubt on calls? Give me a break.

The NBA is no worse than any sport in regards to any of the same old tired horseshit that people that haven't watched the NBA in 15 years love to spout off.

Anyone who thinks there is no defense in the NBA needs to go sit courtside sometime. The game is damn near as physical as a football game. The athleticism in the NBA is actually off the charts. And saying all this you think it's easy to officiate with all those egos out there? NBA games are pretty well officiated.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Also simply not true.

Traveling is significantly less prevalent than holding in the NFL yet I still have to hear this crap.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I never said that I don't watch the NBA. I watch almost every regular season AND playoffs Mavericks game. I've made it a point to actually watch feet. Do you know how many times I've watched Dirk (or whoever) change pivot feet or shuffle feet with no call?

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah, sometimes traveling goes uncalled - so does the phantom tag at 2b in baseball and so does holding on virtually every play in the NFL.

You really think there's a sport where superstars don't get the benefit of the doubt on calls? Give me a break.

The NBA is no worse than any sport in regards to any of the same old tired horseshit that people that haven't watched the NBA in 15 years love to spout off.

So just because other sports have problems, that means the NBA doesn't? I actually like to watch NBA. I was just pointing out the things I hate about it.

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

You're right - they review penalties in the NFL all the time.

I'm sure you didn't see any of the replays in the post-season where they checked for feet on the line or deflections out of bounds on possession plays. I assure you, there were dozens. The NBA absolutely uses replays on close plays that determine possessions or points and they do so on a fair occasion.

That's great. I wish they would pay more attention to actual fouls. I know it's a judgement call, but the calls are so inconsistent that it's ridiculous.

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Just don't talk. You clearly don't have a damn clue what you're talking about.

There's no need to be a dick. I didn't insult you or anything. I just had an opposing opinion, that's all.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That's my point, I'm using extremes to make the analogy.

Citizen Kane, to many many people, is not an enjoyable movie to watch. However, even those people will admit that it's an extremely well made movie. You could go with "There Will Be Blood" as the analogy if you'd like. That's another movie that's just agonizing to watch, IMO, but obviously extremely well made.

Meanwhile, Top Gun is a horrid piece of theatrical shit, but it's entertaining as hell to watch.

If someone wants to say that Top Gun is the more enjoyable move, I'll give them that (though some would possibly disagree). At the same time, if they try to argue that Top Gun is a better movie, I'll call them full of crap.

NBA basketball is a far FAR better game than the college game. It's a more 'pure' game even. The defense actually is better, people just don't realize it because the offense is so good they they'll hit a contested jumper and the positioning and athleticism is so great that players don't 'appear' to be playing defense as hard. The old saws about the NBA being garbage basketball are simply out of date and are, by and large, extremely misinformed.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I wonder if the TV ratings bear this out ( I have no idea and don't know how you would even compare).

I do know that most people I know are like me, they used to like the NBA but now don't care if it lives or dies. College hoops is still good to watch but the one-an-done players disrupt what used to be a contiguous sport to watch.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by suds79

Just about every large city in the US except for KC since you asked.

The NBA is wildly popular. There are several superstars in the league and people watch for various reasons. Like to watch superstars? Fine. Have a home team you watch? Great. Just want to see Lebron lose? You'll have lots of company.

thats why hockey has better attendance.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by vailpass

NBA will die well before MLB ever catches a cold. One is ingrained in this country, the other is inbred.

I thought inbred was wrassling and nascar.. Ohh, my bad I thought you said inbreeding..

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Valiant

I thought inbred was wrassling and nascar.. Ohh, my bad I thought you said inbreeding..

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Rooster

As long as the WNBA is still going strong life is good.

I want to know how much that league loses ($$$) per season.

I don't see how that league keeps afloat. I can't think of one person that likes watching that crap.

[TEX]

I could care less if the NBA season is cancelled. In fact, I could care less about the NBA folded.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

I want to know how much that league loses ($$$) per season.

I don't see how that league keeps afloat. I can't think of one person that likes watching that crap.

I have no idea either but its in like its 15 season or something?

I know whenever they show highlights of the local team here the stadium looks about 3/4ths empty. I can honestly say, nobody cares about womens professional BB unless your a parent.

[rocknrolla]

Originally Posted by Dayze

None.
I literally, have probably watched a total of 8 minutes of NBA basketball in my life.

You got me beat by about 3 minutes.