Sending in KG - what did they think was going to happen?

[BASS_THUMPER]

http://live.drjays.com/index.php/2010/04/20/is-kevin-garnett-a-fake-thug/

he too gangster~

*sippin*

[dtrader]

KG didn't go to college.  What in the world would his purpose be at a meeting strongly based around economics?

This same logic could lead someone to ask what place Steve Jobs had poking his nose into technology since he couldn't even hack it at a third tier University 

[Greenbean]

  Cheap but effective tactic by the owners.  Put the blame on a passionate but controversial player to create division and mistrust among the players and the fans.  What a bunch of...

Yup.  All is fair in negotiating though.  Stern is running a campaign to convince the players that Hunter is losing a grip on the union...and I have a feeling it is working. 

Ill be totally honest...I have avoided getting the nitty gritty details like this for a reason.

This thing sounds nasty and it makes me sick as a fan.

That being said, I am hungry to see basketball now so I guess I should get up to speed.

[Q_FBE]

KG is a voice of reason..... I am behind him 100%......

NBA stars should be paid handsomely because they have the greatest input on the outcome of games, seasons, championships, and dynasties.

There was a reason I broke my TV set at the 1997 lottery and was busting concrete blocks in my backyard at the 2007 lottery.

BTW Danny Ainge looks like an old man and he is my age. He must know that things are not going well for the Celtics.... He cannot put his team together until they get the CBA resolved.

[Celtics4ever]

I think the refs have the greatest output but that is just me.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=6761

I would expect him to side with the players wouldn't you as a player?

[Greenbean]

KG is a voice of reason..... I am behind him 100%......

NBA stars should be paid handsomely because they have the greatest input on the outcome of games, seasons, championships, and dynasties.

There was a reason I broke my TV set at the 1997 lottery and was busting concrete blocks in my backyard at the 2007 lottery.

BTW Danny Ainge looks like an old man and he is my age. He must know that things are not going well for the Celtics.... He cannot put his team together until they get the CBA resolved.

I think NBA players can still be paid handsomely if they "only" get 50 percent of the 4 billion in revenues vs. 53 percent.

Obviously the NBA Owners need the players, but the players need owners to turn profits on their play. The league is declining in popularity and much of that has to do with guys making exorbitant amounts of money and not performing or even playing on the court.

Not that the owners are free from cirticism, but it is pretty obvious that the players will need to make a concession or the NBA cannot continue.


The players are just going to have to realize that the popularity of the league is declining and there is not enough money to go around anymore.

[Greenbean]

KG didn't go to college.  What in the world would his purpose be at a meeting strongly based around economics?

Im sorry I didnt realize Derek Fisher majored in economics.

He majored in communications.

Kevin Garnett is a pretty well spoken guy.

[StartOrien]

There was a reason I broke my TV set at the 1997 lottery and was busting concrete blocks in my backyard at the 2007 lottery.

What happened to the peaceful days of taking a bottle of whiskey outside and explaining that you'll come in "When I'm ready"?

[Interceptor]

The players are just going to have to realize that the popularity of the league is declining and there is not enough money to go around anymore.

Or the owners have to realize that if they can't seem to collectively make a profit with seventeen hundred million dollars in yearly revenue, maybe they need to stop lighting cuban cigars with thousand dollar bills, and not just take it out of the player's cut in the CBA. Just sayin!

[Greenbean]

The players are just going to have to realize that the popularity of the league is declining and there is not enough money to go around anymore.

Or the owners have to realize that if they can't seem to collectively make a profit with seventeen hundred million dollars in yearly revenue, maybe they need to stop lighting cuban cigars with thousand dollar bills, and not just take it out of the player's cut in the CBA. Just sayin!

Yes I know, the owners are all rich....very rich.

These teams are investments fore them. If the investment is losing money, they sell.

The books say NBA teams lost money last year, and for the last couple of years. Whether you believe the fact that it was more or less, it is obvious why the teams lost money. The league isnt as popular anymore. Alot of players are overpaid. The superstars arent as likable or popular now that social media uncovers every personality blemish they have.

There are other reasons but attendance and TV viewership is down.

Why should owners make concessions in their life to put money into the NBA? They would just be losing more money!

It's time for the NBA to stop being a superstar driven league and to go back to one that is more focused on the teams. That is a model for success. Stern got lucky with Magic, Cird, and then Jordan.

Those guys had a great combination of talent, winning, and marketability.

Well the superstars now might have one or two of those three.


The only way to improve the level of team play is to increase parity in the league. Allow every team equal opportunity to build a winning roster.


What's funny is Stern doesnt want that at all. He likes the model he built on the backs of Bird, Magic, and Jordan. Well, it doesnt work anymore. But he also wants the owners to make more money so the league can prosper. This is the real divide here. David Stern has passed his prime as a commissioner. His handling of the league for the past 10 years has been terrible. Fans feel no devotion to the teams because of how player centric the league has become. If you dont have a superstar on your team, you are not packing those stands...bottom line.

[Chris]

The players are just going to have to realize that the popularity of the league is declining and there is not enough money to go around anymore.

Or the owners have to realize that if they can't seem to collectively make a profit with seventeen hundred million dollars in yearly revenue, maybe they need to stop lighting cuban cigars with thousand dollar bills, and not just take it out of the player's cut in the CBA. Just sayin!

Well some would argue that the equivalent of lighting a Cuban cigar with a thousand dollar bill is paying $35 million to Travis Outlaw.

Now, you could argue that the owners "chose" to do that, however, I would argue that because of the way the system is set up, if Outlaw didn't get that money, then some other incredibly mediocre player would.  The current system doesn't allow the owners to pay the stars what they are really worth, but all but forces them to pay mediocre and terrible players much more than they are worth, because the players are GUARANTEED 57%.

So, if they can negotiation a system that allows the owners to continue to pay the great players a lot of money, but cut out 5,6, 7% of the money that is currently going to the incredibly mediocre players, then IMO, that is the equivalent to cutting down on the thousand dollar cigar lighters.

[Interceptor]

Yes I know, the owners are all rich....very rich.

Irrelevant! If the owners were hobos living in empty refrigerator boxes on the side of the street, I'd say the same thing. If you can't make a profit off of 43% of four thousand million dollars, you might just be incompetent, or lying.

Well some would argue that the equivalent of lighting a Cuban cigar with a thousand dollar bill is paying $35 million to Travis Outlaw.

And I would accuse those people of strawmanning. Salaries are limited to 57% of BRI. If someone can't find significant waste in the other 43%, it's possible that they haven't actually started looking.

[Chris]

Well some would argue that the equivalent of lighting a Cuban cigar with a thousand dollar bill is paying $35 million to Travis Outlaw.

And I would accuse those people of strawmanning. Salaries are limited to 57% of BRI. If someone can't find significant waste in the other 43%, it's possible that they haven't actually started looking.

Not sure how that is a strawman.  I am not twisting anyones words here.  I am also not denying that the owners can't save money elsewhere.  I am just saying that there is absolutely no reason why the owners cannot renegotiate a CBA, which allows them to pay players a smaller amount of money. 

Some people are arguing that there is waste in the 43%, but I would argue that there is potentially more waste in the 57%. 

When you have guys who continue to collect multi-million dollar checks, despite considerably underperforming, then that is throwing away money in a much more egregious way than paying a little too much money to a coach or general manager, who shows up to work every day prepared.  Or investing more money than they may need to in marketing, or in-game presentations.

[KGs Knee]

This is funny:

TIMELINE 3: I HAVE KEVIN GARNETT ON LINE 1
Cohen slowly works through minute details of each side's positions on literally everything under the sun, including whether Parks and Rec is better than 30 Rock. (Dr. Jerry Buss announces that he prefers "that Whitney dame.") Around 11:30 p.m., the sides finally get to the revenue split. After two hours of discussion, Cohen says that he feels that a 51.5 percent share for players is reasonable for both sides and should be explored. On cue, the conference room receives an incoming call.

Hunter: "Don't pick that up. No, don't pick that up."

Cohen picks it up.

Cohen: "Hello, federal mediator and all-around swell guy George Cohen here. Who's this?"

Caller: "This is Kevin Garnett, ---------."

Fisher: "Oh ----."

Cohen: "Mr. Garnett, what a pleasure. You'll be pleased to know we're working hard to get a ...."

Garnett: "NO DEAL."

The union reps shrink in their seats. Stern's face turns a shade of red somewhat darker than blood.

Cohen: "Uh, pardon?"

Garnett: "NO DEAL ."

Cohen: "But you don't even know the parameters of ..."

Garnett: " I said no deal. Do I have to get on FaceTime and tell you 'No deal?' What's your iPhone number?"

Cohen hangs up.

Silver: "Uh, I think we ought to be going."

Everyone grabs their stuff and leaves in a rush. Forty-five minutes later, after the media has abandoned its post in the lobby, Garnett shows up to the hotel in a Mad Max costume. He sees a dejected Fisher setting on a bench in the lobby.

Garnett: "Hey Fish. We got a deal yet?"

edited for content

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/10/19/2499860/nba-lockout-2011-alternate-timelines-hook

[Interceptor]

Not sure how that is a strawman.

Unfortunately, this is something that I can only discuss with Some Would Argue, whoever that person might be.

I am just saying that there is absolutely no reason why the owners cannot renegotiate a CBA, which allows them to pay players a smaller amount of money.

It's not clear who this is directed at. Did someone say that the owners couldn't renegotiate a CBA? I'll grant that I didn't read the thread that closely, though.

When you have guys who continue to collect multi-million dollar checks, despite considerably underperforming, then that is throwing away money in a much more egregious way than paying a little too much money to a coach or general manager, who shows up to work every day prepared.  Or investing more money than they may need to in marketing, or in-game presentations.

As far as this soldier knows, the players are not crying salty tears over how they cannot possibly do well with what they have, so I think it's hardly relevant to point out salary waste when they aren't actually complaining about their former share of the pie to begin with.