Well, it's a lockout.
The NBA has decided to lockout its players in an attempt to come to terms on a collective bargaining agreement that will reduce player salaries and make teams more profitable to own.
Here in Boston, it is hard to fathom that NBA teams lose money. The fact is that over 2/3 of the teams in the league are losing money as a result of guaranteed contracts that can cripple a franchise for years and rising ticket prices to support those bloated contracts which keep fans away from the arena.
Hey, if you were a fan in Atlanta, would you want to pay $50 for a ticket - plus parking, food, and drinks - to watch Joe Johnson, a good player who is paid (6-years/$119-million) like a future Hall of Famer?
Unlike the NFL, which is expected to agree on labor peace sometime this month despite some concerns, the NBA is facing a situation in which they could likely miss the entire 2011-2012 season.
When the NBA last went through a lockout after the 1998 season, the season was cut down to 50 games but this time it looks like owners are willing to sacrifice the entire season in order to correct their finances.
It is a shameful situation considering the NBA is coming off of one its most successful years but for the long-term good of the game, this is a necessary evil...
Rob Bradford of WEEI.com wrote a nice piece on John Lackey in which he states that although Red Sox Nation is generally down on Lackey for his lack of production after signing a huge contract prior to the 2010 season, his teammates have his back...
Michael Ryder had some great moments in the Bruins run to the Stanley Cup - remember his glove save in the Canadiens series? - but I hope that the B's do not reward him with a contract that rewards him for past performance now that he is a free agent.
Ryder's scoring on the third line can be replaced, either by one of the Bruins young forwards or by acquiring a younger player in free agency. Joe Haggerty's idea that the Bruins make a play for Tampa's Steven Stamkos might be wishful thinking but it is the right idea.
The Bruins have a lot of young talent and while they may not be on the verge of dynasty like the Islanders or Oilers of the 1980's, they are in position to at least contend for the Cup for at least the next few years. They should not ruin that opportunity by handing out deals to fading veterans like Ryder (and Tomas Kaberle)...
Enjoy Adrian Gonzalez tonight...
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