If an NBA Tree Falls in the Forest Does Anyone Care?
The NBA has canceled the remainder of the preseason and will wipe out the first two weeks of the regular season if there is no labor agreement by Monday. Commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement after owners and players met for about four hours Tuesday but came no closer to an agreement -- despite a 50-50 split of basketball-related income being discussed as a way to break the stalemate and save the season.
Similar to the NFL, the NBA is going to take the lockout to the brink. Like the NFL, I believe that once some players start to miss their pay checks, the wives and girlfriends will send the men back to work.
Unlike the NFL, when the NBA comes back will anyone care? There are 20 NBA teams that are losing money. Even the storied Philadelphia 76ers cannot draw decent crowds and their TV ratings are way down too.
While the NBA ponders its next salary cap it should also ponder the product that it is putting on the court. Fans are voting with their checkbooks.
