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“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>Now that Judge Susan Nelson has ruled in favor of the players with respect to the NFL owners locking the players out, just what does it mean?
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>I readily admit that I am neither a judge nor lawyer. While I have opinions on both, it is clear here to see who the winner is – and it is neither player nor owner. It’s the lawyers.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>When it is all said and done no matter what the courts say, both sides need to do the deal without the courts and the platoon of lawyers each side has employed. To have this thing drag out does no one any good.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But then again, we are talking about a collection of inept parties who do not get it.
“margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;”>The players have
given more away to the owners over the years than the Indians did
to the Pilgrims. They have yet to figure it out. They growl about
what they are going to do, and yet they have few guarantees for
their players when it comes to contracts and even less when it
comes to health care and pensions.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>As for the owners, they think that they answer to no one when it comes to what they make. If they just made the players seem close to being more of a partnership, the players would shut up and go away.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Enter Demaurice Smith, the executive director for the players association.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The owners did not do a good job of scouting him. If they did, they would have realized he was not willing to roll over like the previous regime and sell out the players. Smith meant business from day one, and the owners are finding that out first-hand now.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>So where do they go from here? Funny that you ask. It appears that the appeal the owners file will be heard heard in St. Louis by the Eighth Circuit. Interesting to say the least, and that is all I will say about that.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The players are not in the clear by any means, nor are the owners. My question is: are they dumb enough to stay in the courtroom, compared to staying at the bargaining table?
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“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>Selling the WNBA “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A former Girl Scout was appointed president of the WNBA.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Laurel J. Richie, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Scouts of the USA, was named Donna Orender’s successor Thursday by NBA commissioner David Stern.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Richie, who once sold the scouts’ famed cookies herself, begins day-to-day operations of the basketball league on May 16.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In his search for the league’s third president, Stern’s committee said someone with a business background was critical. The WNBA enters its 15th season with 12 teams, six of them independent. Yet few have made a real profit. Connecticut benefits from owning its facility at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Richie, who has worked on marketing campaigns from American Express to Huggies in her career, will be charged with furthering the WNBA’s brand, reporting to NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>I hope this works. I like the WNBA, as there are enough good players. Here is the problem. Because they have lost money, the NBA owners no longer want to invest, hence the WNBA will have to do a better job of finding their own money to survive. They also have to do a better job of identifying who their fans are. In all, there is a place for the WNBA on the spectator sport food chain.
