Off-Season Thread

[onewickedlady]

So, is there a specific date by which, if there's no new contract, the 2011-2012 season will be officially cancelled?

[~spectre~]

So, is there a specific date by which, if there's no new contract, the 2011-2012 season will be officially cancelled?

Pretty sure there isn't.

Here's some key dates from the 1998/1999 lockout:

By September 25, 24 exhibition games were canceled and training camps were postponed indefinitely as a result of stalled talks. Further negotiating sessions took place in October and November, but no agreement was reached. The season's first two weeks were officially canceled on October 13, and 99 games scheduled for November were lost as a result. It was the first time in NBA history that games were canceled due to a labor dispute. On October 20, arbitrator John Feerick ruled that the owners did not have to pay players with guaranteed contracts during the lockout. Feerick's decision gave the owners leverage in bargaining talks. Another factor favoring the owners was that their teams received money from the NBA's television broadcasters, whose contracts with the league called for payments to be made if games were not played.

Further games were canceled as the lockout continued through November and December, including the 1999 All-Star Game, which had been scheduled to be played on February 14, 1999 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia.

On December 23, Stern announced that he would recommend canceling the season if there was no deal by January 7, 1999.

In 1998 Stern set a deadline of January 7th. The decision seems to be at his whim...so that may or may not be his deadline this time around.

[~spectre~]

Lockout FAQs: What, how and what's next in labor standoff

Pretty good read on NBA.com

[onewickedlady]

Thanks, spectre.

[onewickedlady]

Anyone on ISH thinking any differently now that the first two weeks of the regular season have been cancelled? I hate to have a 'who gives a sh*t' attitude but I think it's beginning to develop all by itself without any effort on my part. Of course I don't think that any of the Cats are responsible for the impasse in negotiations. Those guys don't earn enough money yet to be greedy.
At least there is one more IndyCar race and a losing but mostly gun-to-watch football season.

[Timmeh]

The fact that the players can't be civil and logical and accept a 50/50 split is irritating. On top of that, this is the only league where players get paid ridiculous amounts of money to do so little. MLB players have a grueling season, 6 months, every day playing. NFL and NHL is pretty obvious, very physical, short careers. But basketball? Where people get paid 12 million a year to play 6 minutes a game just because they were born tall? Ridiculous. The players don't deserve that much money, especially with the way the economy is and the competition they have just with college ball alone.

As for the Panthers, yes they are still losing, but it's actually fun to watch them lose. Like, you know they're going to lose just because they're inexperienced, but they make the games fun and interesting to watch because they compete now and actually try to win, unlike the last two years.

However, I don't like Legadoo Naanee or whatever his name is. I swear he drops 5 balls a game.

[rufuspaul]

The owners are doing what has to be done. The current model just won't work without serious (and I mean serious) contraction of the teams. They hold the upper hand in that they can wait out longer than the players. For the players it's not just lost wages, it's lost time on the court that they will never get back. It's not like they can just add an extra season on the the end of their career because there is only a finite amount of time one can compete at the NBA level before age and injury take away from one's skill set.

Right now I've got college and pro football, MLB playoffs and upcoming college basketball to keep me occupied. Come the end of December though I'll be jonsing for the Bobcats.

[onewickedlady]

Those who are losing the most are the employees of the arena and the owners/employees of the surrounding small businesses. They are the 'little guys' and the ones who really lose (they and their families) during the lockout.

Is it a possibility that some of the small-market teams will fold? That would really suck.

[Timmeh]

The only way small market teams fold is if the entire league folds. The owners will get their way on this. The only way they don't is if someone forms an entirely new league. And if that happens, there will be smaller market teams anyway.