A bad day at the talks but big days ahead

Okay, well, guess the NBA labour talks could have gone better, no?

Short synopsis:

They are close on the money, are miles apart on the soft vs. hard cap aspect of how that money gets distributed to the players and now both sides are retreating to significant meetings today.

The owners are in Dallas and the players are massing in Vegas with David Stern and Billy Hunter ready to fill them in on just where everything stands.

And where is that?

Well, no one knows for sure since the rhetoric got turned up big time and as one NBA guy once warned me: “When they start ripping each other publicly, it’s time to make sure your BS detector is on high.”

Really, all the stuff that was said yesterday, from Hunter talking about half a season likely to be lost to Stern poo-pooing the notion the owners haven’t changed their demands since June, was little more than backlash at the fact nothing got accomplished in the room.

I still say we’ll wake up one day and a deal will be done – the players will lose because they always lose – but I do think the start of training camp and a bit, maybe all, the exhibition season will be lost and to that I say, ‘hooray!’

The one thing I’m getting increasingly bored with though, and it happens in every sports negotiation in any game, is the talk. I don’t want to hear how intractable the other side is, I don’t want to hear doom and gloom and I don’t even want to hear rhetoric about the parameters of a deal being close.

I want them now that we know where they are to invoke a cone of silence, tell us when it’s over so we can get on with our lives. And the over-riding sense I’m getting from the general populace is that fans feel the same way.

Yawn. Do a deal. Don’t talk ‘til it’s done.

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Hey, you saloon owners!

Everyone – EVERYONE – who manages your joint at any time of any day needs to know where everything – EVERYTHING – is on the television dial.

Print ‘em out a schedule overnight or give them a weekly guide or do what you have to do. Just get them prepared each day.

There is nothing more frustrating than showing up knowing there’s a particular game on that a lot of people are interested in and having the staff offer nothing but blank stares when asked to switch a TV or two because they don’t know where it is.

Can we make that happen, please?

All in the name of customer service.

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Canada 25, Tonga 20

And glorious rugby victory is ours. No, I didn’t stay up which wasn’t a bad idea since the 6 a.m. alarm comes early and I wouldn’t be sure what I was seeing anyway.

Not entirely up on my rugby but I have a feeling I might learn a bit over the next little while.

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There was one interesting quote that came after the NBA talks ended yesterday, from Maurice Evans I believe was.

He was asked about “defections” of union members to Europe now that there’s a cloud over the training camp, exhibition games and the start of the regular season and he said, yes, he figured there would be.

Not a chance.

First off, a lot if not all European teams are about to start or have started training camps and there simply aren’t a lot of jobs available. There are limits everywhere on the number of non-Europeans allowed on any team and many of them are filled by guys with history with those franchises. The work simply isn’t there.

Neither is the money and unless they are the worst financial manager in the history of the world and are currently flat broke and unable to make ends meet, I don’t think there are too many NBA guys who’ll end up playing for the salaries offered.

As I said when the whole “let’s go play in Europe” talk began, I cannot imagine 20 NBA guys – and less than 10 who could be considered front-line players – ending up in Europe and out of a total of about 450 players, that’s hardly significant.

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Speaking of Canada-Tonga …

Q: Hi Doug. I'm a Canadian living in Auckland, New Zealand. The Rugby World Cup has started here and Canada is slated to play the Mighty All-Blacks in a couple weeks time.

The All-Blacks do the Haka before each game which has to be the coolest pre-match ritual in all of sport. Can you think of any others?

Ryan G, Auckland, N.Z.

A: Well, I know Fiji does something called the Cibi, if memory serves, but it’s not nearly as well known as the Haka and, trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Sean Marks and the Tall Blacks do it.

Don’t have video of him but I did find this, which even includes an explanation of what you’re seeing:

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Well, I’m told one of the Raptors bigwigs is doing his homework.

According to a spy, there was a Dwane Casey sighting at the EuroBasket thing over in Lithuania.

Now, I know Dwane won’t, and isn’t able to, talk to either Jose Calderon or Jonas Valanciunas, the two Raptors still going over there but he will get a chance to see them in game situations to get an idea of what skills they have.

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I’m sitting on a stool in Niagara (Hi, Mick and Angelo’s!) watching TOD go down to ignominious defeat when I see Thames make a great catch along the wall in left, trot in, hand the ball to a serviceman in uniform and the serviceman turns around and hands to an urchin one row back who’s grinning from ear to ear and that kind of made the game good.

Great moment.

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Mail?

Yes, we shall begin the process, let all your innermost thoughts pour out when you click here and write.

Thanks.

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Comments

[David T (Ottawa)]

Hi Doug,

Whenever you want to roll your eyes about your readers, think about how bad it can be. Here is a great article from one of your colleagues:

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1053247--jewish-prof-forced-to-defend-himself-against-anti-semitism-claims?bn=1

To anyone who reads this: just think for a second about paragraph -6. Gold, Jerry. Gold.

The situation speaks for itself, so I won't critique it further. I will say good for Mr. Kennedy for writing a (at times) subtle, but scathing article towards the student. This sort of intolerance should not be tolerated! ;-) I'm also teaching a first year class right now, but it's in linear algebra, so I doubt there will be such misunderstandings. I hope.

[JT's Hoops Blog]

Let's hope that both u and Chris sheridan r correct.

[LeeZ]

For a "cheeky" (pun full intended) take on the Haka, check this out:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036228/Nude-Blacks-lose-Spanish-girls-rugby-team-stripped-try.html

[raisedhawaiian]

Doug, who can I speak to about us fans locking out/striking against the NBA owners/Players? In the "real" world, us common folk are pretty much work under the control of our employers in terms of salaries/benefits. if you don't like it, you either suck it up or find another job. I understand the concept of fighting for equitable rights but when you're talking about billions of dollars, owners and players need to see he bigger picture that it is affecting their fan base who pay hard earned money to see these guys play a sport. I would love to see players/owners look inti their fan base eyes and justify their actions. I guess players need that extra dough to pay for an extra parking space for their new Range Rover.
Rant over. Keep up the great work Doug. Hope your family is doing well.

[Lorie]

Hello Doug,
Talking. Listening. Hearing. Reminds me of something I read (and may have "used" a time or two...!): "You seldom listen to me, and when you do, you don't hear and when you hear, you hear wrong and even when you year right, you change it so fast it's never the same...". Whoo. My head's spinning after that one. But at least it's up off the keyboard now. Veteran move as it turns out not to try an IGBT for that (Spectacular Come From Behind) win by our rugby team this morning. Even with the exciting play seems it's very hard to be awake and insightful - if not witty - at 2:30AM. But 'twas a grand victory and (the wondrously bearded) Adam Kleeberger was deservedly man-of-the-match. A question about Jose Calderon: (I know! Basketball! Raptors, yet!!!) Would you say he is playing the best basketball of his career in the EuroBasket? And he looks to be just plain enjoying himself so much. Cheers!

Blogger's note: Not sure about best of his career but am told he's absolutely the backcourt leader and quarterback of that team

[Mike kovacs]

Re the Haka. Is it a requirement for the opposition to stand there and watch (or try to stare them down)? After a while I can see it as being rather tedious to put up with and I wonder why the other teams don't just walk off the field.

Blogger's note: Presume they watch out of respect

[The J]

That Jays game was so bad last night they fired Sam Mitchell.

[joeu]

@raisedhawaiian

No only do you miss the point that the owners and Players may be close on the money part of the deal, but you start out ranting against "NBA owners/Players" but end with a general dismissal of the players.

What I don't get is how you have come to identify with the owners ...

Are you incapable of profitably running a company that is guaranteed tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars in free cash flow ? ( that is, revenues, AFTER your player contract costs ).

Did you mortgage your team's future to settle your divorce with Jamie ?

Did Mel Lastman gift you the Air Canada Centre in a back-office deal ?

Do you have multiple cities in California competing to build arenas for your business, using taxes (that is, a share of the personal income of "us common folk" ), and give you the concessions at those facilities ?

And the reason you aren't holding your employer up for more money, is because you are not "the product"; you are not the single item that elevates your company's quality from "D-League" to "Best in the world".

[john]

@Joeu
There is nothing in the world as "free cash flow" The franchise cost hundreds of millions.

Mel Lastman had nothing to do with it. He was 1) Mayor of North York and 2) it was property owned by the Canada Post so not sure what "back office deal" you are referring to.

The building was built with private funds.

Nice rant, just short on facts...

[john]

Doug, a quick drive over the Rainbow bridge will land you ESPN3 and a Basketball fix.

[Boko]

There are four seasons in the year: CFL playoffs, NFL playoffs, NBA playoffs & a brief rest period in between.

[Mike]

"...unless they are the worst financial manager in the history of the world and are currently flat broke and unable to make ends meet, I don’t think there are too many NBA guys who’ll end up playing for the salaries offered."

Two words: Kenny. Anderson. I get your point about the lack of available spots, but I have to disagree with the above statement, if Sports Illustrated is to be believed - according to the following article, 60% of NBA players are broke within 5 years of retirement:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1153364/index.htm

[LeeZ]

@David T: Nah, my favourite is paras 15 and 15, where Ms. Grunfeld shows that the youth of today are standing on guard, hyper-vigilant, against these Commie professors. She and that blonde co-ed from UCLA who had the anti-Asian rant should team up and take their show on the road!