Good news on the basketball horizon?

So I hear the NBA and The Litigants (can’t call ‘em players, can’t call it a unlon, gotta come up with something) were back at it the last couple of days, trying to end this lockout thing.

Big whoop?

Maybe not.

I believe a wise sage suggested something might happen this week since we’re getting close to the time they’d have to cancel the marquee Christmas Day games – which kick off the American network television season – and lo and behold, the lawyers have been chatting.

Now, this all could, I suppose, be a ruse so the league can tell the judge that, yes, they are bargaining in good faith. It could be simply for appearances and nothing else but I kind of think there’s some legitimacy to it and that both sides really don’t want to have to go before a judge and let the slow-moving legal system start getting its mitts on this mess.

We know that things were getting close to done when The Litigants played their final trump card to disclaim interest and walk away; a little cooling off period, the threat of handing things over to a judge, the pressure of the Christmas season coming, and the desire to have something approximating a representative season rather than a 50-game abomination like they had in ’99 has them at this point.

Of course, I’d take it a wee bit more seriously if they weren’t going to take today off so everyone can eat mac and cheese, sweet potato pie and turkey while watching football and avoiding those hoiiday-killing family arguments. After all, more than a few Americans are working today, why wouldn’t lawyers charged with saving a professional sports season find enough time to sit around and talk.

But are we close to a deal?

The spidey sense says yes.

Oh, and you won’t hear these talks referred to as negotiations because, since the union decided to disband a week or so ago, there’s no one to “negotiate” with.

What they are, technically, are settlement talks aimed at avoiding a lawsuit. But, whatever comes of this will form the basis of a new collective bargaining agreement with a new union that forms once the lawyers get assurances from the league that all the bits and pieces are taken care of.

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Big, big, big cinematic day.

The Muppets are back!

No, haven’t rushed out to see the new flick, nor do I presume I ever actually will, but who doesn’t love The Muppets?

Yes, there’s the whole cross-pollination thing with Sesame Street (sometimes you can’t tell the inanimate objects apart without a program) but Muppets are Muppets and they have to be an integral part of the growing up process for a lot of Irregulars, no?

A wholly unscientific survey of family and friends comes back with everything from “which ones are the Muppets again?” to “anyone who doesn’t pick Beaker shouldn’t be allowed to vote” to “I really love Miss Piggy, she’s so fashionable” to “good gracious man, in the name of all that’s good in the world, will you get back to basketball!”

Guess the results would be a narrow victory for Kermit over Miss Piggy – entirely predictable, I suppose.

Anyway, as you’d suspect, I’m all over Statler and Waldorf, being a Grumpy Guy Of A Certain Age myself, I can easily identify with them, plus they’re hilarious.

But I have to tell you, Gonzo is a close second, if not tied for first.

Who’ve you got? And why?

The little green fella's some crooner, though.

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I wonder if the crack about Best Buy in this little missive from Old Friend Sonny Weems over in Lithuania will cause any ripples if and when he comes back.

(Tip o’ the cap to an Irregular of some repute who sent it along; looking on the interweb for stories written by NBAers is not something I do with regularity).

I certainly don’t begrudge Sonny a chance to work on his game, get some life experience and make some money and I applaud him for going without an “out” to come back to the NBA if the lockout is settled but I wonder if mocking locked-out NBAers is the best thing he could have done.

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Hmm

Sidney Crosby plays game. Gets no points. The bum.

(And the media coverage shrunk a bit, didn’t it?)

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Now, I’ve covered more than a couple bad teams in my day (hi, 16-66 HOTH!) but, man, can you imagine what it must have been like being an American Samoa soccer grunt?

According to this little piece, the team finally won – FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER – by beating Tonga.

(Yeah, American Samoa-Tonga soccer, we do it all here, don’t we?)

Now, that’s a losing streak no one should have to sit through. I thought the 19-gamer with that horrific Raptors team was bad, can you imagine covering a team that has never won a game?

Wonder if they were driving up their version of Yonge Street honking horns after the game?

Would take memories of this one away, wouldn’t it?

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Okay, we’ve got some good ideas on some basketball stories you might like to see and we’ll take them under advisement, promise.

But you can still go to the regular mail spot here and send in some more suggestions or whatever; but you also have to go there and send some questions in for the weekend, please.

There are hardly any there and, really, I need ‘em.

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Comments

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Hmmm, woke up with this crazy nostalgic hankering for a drumstick and football... but, um, hold the mac and cheese, please. Happy Thanksgiving, USA style, and here's a Turkey Day version of Statler and Waldorf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIBgBHMsqug&feature=related
Personally, among many, many, many other things, I'm thankful to live in Ottawa. Cheers!

[Dave]

There is some hope that the NBA and former players can come to an agreement this time because Jeffery Kessler is not a part of the group doing the talking.

Although there isn't any union, apparently Derek Fisher will be joining the group on Friday.

I think they are taking today off to do some homework. Obviously Stern has to float some ideas by the owners to see how far he can go.

Let's hope they can get something done.

[Mos High]

I really hoping that a deal gets done. Im optimistic as the less we hear about the details the better, just my opinion. I need a basketball badly. I cant let my wife rule TV with real house wifes and whatever else comes on Slice channel.

Ive been tryn to watch hockey, I used to love it and play street hockey everyday. Some reason I cant stand it. Just when I was ready to give it another chance last night, I see the boston and buffalo guy stage a fight because what happend in the previous game with hitting that goalie. On top of that the buffalo guy got his butt kicked!!! This is so stupid, how the hell can you have a sport which allows fighting!!!! how is such a barbaric minded sport!! I admit playoff hockey in NHL is much better.

Good time for people in the US to share time with family, however why they holiday is disgusting. Im sorry invaders yes Europeans were not the 1st in that land mass and didnt discover it either. If your not a 1st nations/native person in America/Canada YOU ARE (or family before you are) A IMMIGRANT OF SOME FORM!!! tired of ignorant people who say stupid stuff like go back to where you from

[Lorie]

Must be the proximity to the 49th, 'cause I've got a huge case of That Ole Feeling - Christmas!!! And after the football games (go Lions!), this family fave'll be cued up on the machine and I'll recall with fondness how the daughters used to try and out-bellow each other on Miss Piggy's part: FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! BAH-DUM-DUMM-DUMMM!
http://youtu.be/EDBMzGq1vhs

[doug]

I tend to be a optimist with the talks this time...I thought a deal was to be had about a month ago, close but no cigar, this time all hands have been played, tv networks you know are putting pressure on the owners and Stern to get this done...and I don't think there are many fans of a 50 game schedule, i know I'm not whereas 66 is something fans/tv etc could be satisfied with....on the radio this morning in the car heard this tune for the first time this year, a classic xmas song that always makes me laugh, by xmas i'll be tired of it but right now good to hear again...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2oPio60mK4&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL6CDCFEAB9ABC345D

[doug]

gotta love Thanksgiving NFL football one of the few traditions in sport that hasn't been messed with, Detroit early , Dallas late, year in year out...maybe CFL needs to take note as they for some inexplicable reason screwed up the Labour day classic between the Boatmen and Cats, and NCAA/BCS which totally screwed up New years day and bowl games tradition...which makes me think of this, people say there are 3 sides in this NBA labour dispute, players,owners and agents, well there is a 4th which is the most powerful entity and that is television, Stern knows it, and it's the reason why teams gate receipts are becoming less and less relevant...tv calls the shots , so the owners are accountable, and that is to the one that fills the pie with all that both sides are fighting over, and to ignore that revenue won't happen...deal will and needs to get done as this is the new age in sport, not 20 years ago or even 10, television contracts are huge nowadays and they are by far the most powerful entity in all sport, so league will commence by xmas, or Stern and the owners will be answerable to their bosses,network bosses....there might be upset on tap in this Detroit/Pack game....be nice to see.....oh wait Kevin Smith just got hurt nevermind...

[john]

Doug, the number is 15.
That is the number of houses in the US that burn to the ground on Thanksgiving Day as a direct result of people deep frying their Turkey.

[Peter]

Hi Doug,

When you "applaud Sonny for going to Europe without an out clause" keep in mind that it's been reported that his salary over there, is an after tax salary of 1 Million Euros, or about 1.4 million U.S. dollars. That's pretty good for a guy who supposedly made $854,389 U.S. before taxes last season. It's also important to remember that he was a free agent with no guarantee of a job in the NBA anyways. It seems like a no-brainer for him to go to Europe for all the reasons that you mentioned, (working on his game etc.) but also for financial reasons.

[doug]

omg do these tv networks seek out troops no matter where??...why not go into a "average" american family home for a change and have them say thanks or show them??....they fly Jay Glazer over to Korea for that?, my god americans use to love to ridicule Russia's May Day's and their show of military might...this is far worse and just complete propaganda nonsense...Nickleback a canadian band playing at halftime on a American holiday, on Fox at that, interesting...

[joeu]

Fozzie Bear: The Fedora, the quiet resignation, wocka wocka wocka.

[Ken]

There is a YouTube clip from The Muppet Show with Statler & Waldorf having a go at Milton Berle.
Very Funny.
http://youtu.be/x-ydgAZZ1UY

[The J]

"After all, more than a few Americans are working today, why wouldn’t lawyers charged with saving a professional sports season find enough time to sit around and talk."

Seriously? Would you want to pay time and a half on those lawyer fees? I think they'd both spend a heck of a lot more on that, then what they are fighting for.

Swedish Chef. If you ever get to see the "Muppets Family Christmas" video, he's just classic. The turkey talks him out of cooking him in favour of a slighly large choice: Big Bird. "Dat's a schmurgen-burgen turkey humongo!".