David Stern: Real Men of Weakness

In the past two days I have realized a couple thing:
1) LeBron is an idiot.
2) Every team involved with the 3-team trade got screwed.
3) The Hornets worst of all.
4) David Stern has lost control of his situation.
5) Shane Elton is going to lose in Fantasy Football.

My date last night was interrupted by a update from ESPN saying that Paul was to go to the Lakers. I was excited for Paul but not happy because I hate the Lakers. That being said, I kept looking up to see who was going where, rumors of Howard going somewhere, Chandler...blah blah blah. Twitter was blowing up with updates and I thought, WOW, finally the Hornets are going to be able to be a team again with these guys they will pick up.

Not to happen.

The Hornets are league owned. When this happened, Stern told Dell Demps, the GM of the Hornets, he would be able to trade freely amongst the league and run his team. This trade would have benefited the Hornets due to the fact they were getting Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom and Dragic and a first round draft pick. Since Paul has told the team he will not resign at the end of the year this means one things for the Hornets: They have no one without this trade.

Poor team. Losing arguably the best point guard in the league. Had they lost him in this deal, it would have been great. But Stern was bullied into it by the other league owners. Or maybe he wasn't, maybe he was making a move of his own evil will. Neither way really helps his case. Owners have been vetoing trades since the dawn of time. Why not veto the LeBron deal? That man turned down loyalty to Cleveland AND the biggest stage in all of basketball by not going to New York. Instead, he wanted help, and even with it, he didn't attain perfection. Wade was better off without James.

Now that we worked through this lockout, I thought the drama was over. Small revenue teams now get the chance to bring in big name players and help their teams/sales/whatever. Now? It seems they still get nothing since Overlord Stern has lost all control of his minions. The rich continue to get richer. Think of this: The Lakers just signed a deal with Time Warner for $3 Billion over the next 20 years. That's $150 Million a year! You know how many Kobes, Howards, Pauls or LeBrons they could get with that money? Enough.

What do the Hornets get? What about small market teams?

Is there another word for nothing?

The Lockout Continues!

Here is my take on the lockout, Mr. Jeff. Also, I have reached my 1,000 page viewing. Thank you for supporting my nonsense!

My take on the lock out is parallel of what Mr. Crowther thinks. It’s absurd, stupid, moronic, ignorant, stupid, and just plain stupid. I wish I could grab ahold of Kevin Durant and slap him across his stupid face. Here is what he said in the NY Times when talking about revenue and revenue sharing:

"We're going to stand up for what we have to do, no matter how long it's going to take.”

What does that mean? Does that mean that the league is wrong for taking some of the money of the players to try and give others who actually WORK for a better chance at a more substantial living? Is it wrong to try and lower ticket sales amongst other financial charges around the league?

 

With last year’s big free agency ordeal, over 20 owners of NBA teams lost money. This was because players like LeBron James thought he needed more money because he’s so good. The only thing he needs is a bigger headband to cover his large forehead. I mean, is he going for the black Bret Michaels look here? Hey LeBron, instead of asking for more money, finish a game and earn the money you’re already making. Do any of these players deserve raises?  I’m sure some of them are hard workers on the court and really do deserve a big paycheck. I can think of a few, but amongst the hundreds of players, those are good odds. I am dumbfounded that these players are striving so hard to get more money while EVERYONE around them loses.

Owners want to reduce the players’ guaranteed basketball revenue by less than 3%, which will amount to around $500 million over the next five years. To those players with their large salaries and even some product contracts, this will be just a tiny thing for them. Nothing more than a 1-yard desert in an oasis of money.

As Jeff pointed out, those losing are the people who never make it to the camera (besides the court-cleaning boys) and they have to depend on this money all year round. The players only get paid from November 13 through April 30, so they won’t be missing out on any money. Heaven forbid that some of the most powerful people in the entrainment industry give up less than 1% of their fortune to help people who are already struggling during a crappy economy. Does anyone else find it funny that in one year we have a lockout in the NBA, NFL, and a debit deficit debacle? I am tired of these lazy, good-for-nothing ninnies complaining about only have four cars while their neighbor has five. Holy cow that must be SO hard.

But this isn’t a political issue. This shouldn’t even BE an issue!

NBA players, remember when the game was fun? Remember when you played for the passion? For the fans?

We do. We do.

Hooray a Lockout!

Mr. Jeffrey Gordon Crowther and myself have decided that we should go into business together. That business, you might ask? Well, it's the business of awesome. And a few smart-ass remarks against the other person.


What we want to do is  chat about what we know best. Sports. I know, you were probably thinking relationships or glitter toes but maybe we will save that for another blog. It is basically a point, counter-point type scenario, but for the first one we will both agree on one thing: Lockouts are really cool for the sporting world.

Here is what Jeff has to say:

Professional sports are a joke of a business. Every deal they make to continue
playing is just a postponement of another lockout. The way these leagues are ran
and organized is pathetic in my mind and it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

The players union is ridiculous and needs to be done away with. Take for example
the NBA. If I were David Stern, I would say fine, we will find other players to play if
you don’t want to play under our rules. Go over to Europe and find somewhere else
to play basketball. They don’t have to play in the NBA if they don’t feel like they are
getting treated fairly.

I am not rooting for the owners in this situation either. Owners need to realize
that it’s a business. Unless you own the Lakers, it’s not a great business to have.
It’s more of a status for billionaires to own a professional sports team. If you are
expecting to make the revenue from the Milwaukee Bucks like you did from your
real estate empire, guess again! I think the owners should do just that. Own their
team. Take care of it, hire and fire people and do what owners do. They don’t need
a say in what goes down with the next collective bargaining agreement, and neither
do the players.

David Stern is the commissioner. He needs to form a group, or a governing body,
or some type of organization that can decide what is best for the NBA. If the owners
don’t like their decisions, they can sell their team and someone else can buy it. If the
players don’t agree with the rules, Lithuania awaits you! Heck, enjoy some vacation
while playing over in Europe. What I am tired of is both owners and players arguing
over billions of dollars saying it’s not fair for their side. They don’t have to play
in the NBA and they don’t have to own a professional sports team. This sense of
entitlement is un-American and is what plagues our nation today.

What the real problem is with these lockouts is that how many people behind the
scenes are losing money because of these morons. The front office workers who
get cut hours because there is nothing for them to do, the professional trainers who
can’t even meet with a player during a lockout, the facility managers who are left
to dry because there are no summer training camps are the ones that are suffering.
The people who actually need the money are the ones being spat on by these silly
lockouts. I pray that college athletes never get paid because then eventually they
will form a union and then we will have a lockout in the only thing worth watching
nowadays, college sports.



My point will come later in the weekend. Will you be surprised by what I have to say? Probably not.