Until today, when anybody I know has asked me what I thought about the NBA lockout and if there will be a season next year, I told them that I was pretty certain there would be missed games if not an entire missed season. There seemed to be no good-faith negotiation going on, the two sides seemed worlds apart, and unlike the NFL, the owners actually had something to be gained (that is, not losing money they would have under the old system) if games were missed. The players on the other hand seemed very prepared for the lockout and many players have been taking advantage of opportunities in other leagues.
But something struck me as odd when seeing the two sides interviewed after their meeting today... The two sides seemed to be in good moods and smiling, they had nothing except positives to say, both mentioned feelings of urgency, both sides are keeping details private, the impact a lockout will have on the communities was acknowledged, and Derek Fisher even mentioned training camp supposed to be starting Oct. 1.
A six hour meeting is extremely long. If they were truly worlds apart and didn't feel an urgency to work something out, one side would have walked away from the table.
I don't know why, but something in me is starting to think that both sides of the NBA are willing to give in a little to keep a full season. I think both sides are realizing that if a lockout happens, that both sides will come off looking selfish and be compared very negatively to both sides of the NFL lockout who came together in agreement for the sake of the fans (while not an accurate comparison at all, many casual fans will make it). I think the sides are starting to finally worry about the fan resentment and also starting to be considerate of how a lockout will impact the local communities.
I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I've changed my stance and think we're going to have a full NBA season. Anybody else?
Topic: Anybody else optimistic about a full season? (Read 3159 times)