Liguori: Have NBA Negotiations Gone The Way Of Kim Kardashian?
By Ann Liguori
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NBA negotiations have collapsed. November games have been canceled and now Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce from her husband, Nets player Kris Humphries! Oh my. What a mess this NBA lockout has caused!
I have no patience when it comes to listening to the minutia regarding details of what both sides, the owners and the players want and need, before accepting a deal and getting the season underway as they fight for millions and billions of dollars on how to split league revenue. Fans just want to see the games and their favorite players battle it out and usually don't care about the details of labor negotiations. And unlike in the NFL, there does not seem to be the public outcry from fans regarding missing the start of the season.
I've covered enough strikes and lockouts in sports to honestly say, it's a most unglamorous assignment as reporters wait and wait and wait, sometimes sitting for hours on sidewalks outside of office buildings as we did for the baseball strike in 1994-95, and then finally getting a few minutes with an owner or player representative for a little bit of audio or video that says basically nothing or more of the nothing that was said the day before.
The people who suffer the most in these lock-outs are the workers who draw the least amount of income and who are only paid game to game -- from the concession workers to the ushers to even the broadcasters and the businesses near the arenas that usually benefit when games are on.
And now, the news of the Kardashian-Humphries split, after only 72 days of marriage! It's no secret that tension in relationships can be turned up a notch or two or three when one of the breadwinners (even the person who earns less than their partner) is out of work. And the person who is out of work is usually not a happy camper and could be persuaded to do other projects like reality shows which can be most annoying and invasive.
My point in all of this since you can't see the smirk on my face is:
1 - The NBA needs to settle soon or more and more fans will jump ship, for good. (If Kim Kardashian has lost interest so quickly, true NBA fans could be next!)
2 - Never understood the fascination with the Kardashians, at all.
3 - Commissioner Stern is a brilliant guy and is surrounded by smart people. The owners' side will not lose in these negotiations. That's not to say that the player reps are not smart. I respect Billy Hunter and the job he has done. However, the people who own and run businesses are usually in control and should be, as long as they are as good as they can be toward their employees and don't take advantage of them.
4 - With improved network television and cable ratings last season and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games upon us, this year should have been a huge opportunity for the NBA to continue to shine. Now, when they do settle, they will have to first work on damage control, play catch- up and re-strategize their brand marketing plans!
Your thoughts on the NBA lockout? The... Kardashians? Let Ann know in the comments below!
To reach Ann Liguori, email her at innerview@aol.com. Visit her web site at www.annliguori.com
