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Leagues and Governing Bodies

COULD NBA FREE-AGENT SPLURGE SPELL TROUBLE FOR SAVVY LEAGUE?

     Shaquille O'Neal's $121M deal with the Lakers was the focus
of media attention throughout the country this morning, with many
industry observers indicating it signals an ominous trend for the
NBA.  Hawks President Stan Kasten called the O'Neal's move "among
the two or three colossal moves in NBA history" (Jeffrey Denberg,
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/19). Kings GM Jerry Reynolds: "We're
taking the game away from certain segments of our society, and
that can't be good" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/19).  Rockets VP
Bob Weinhauer, on the Heat's free-agent spending: "It's a major
concern.  There's a frenzy, people throwing money around, and the
price for players has gone sky high.  And the Heat has set the
trend" (MIAMI HERALD, 7/19).
     ON THE EDGE?  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER columnist Bill Lyon,
writing from Atlanta, foresees a "rising tide of public
resentment" toward the Dream Team.  Lyon: "The salary madness
that has swept through the NBA in the last week is going to be
incredibly destructive, not only for the league itself but for
its image, and the first ripples of that resentment will show up
here" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/19).  The CHICAGO TRIBUNE's Sam
Smith notes the "face of the NBA has begun a change" to resemble
the "indifferent mask of baseball" and a potential division
between rich and poor that "could change the look of the game for
years to come."  Smith: "The NBA also faces the curse of
perceived greed and nomadic players" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/12).
Peter Russ, who follows the Celtics for the Wall Street firm of
Shelby, Cullom, Davis, fears teams will wind up with one or two
stars and 10 mediocre players that could make the league a "less
attractive and less lucrative enterprise."  One NBA exec, who
asked to remain anonymous, wondered "if we can make it as a
league with these salaries" (Charles Stein, BOSTON GLOBE, 7/19).
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES columnist Jay Mariott: "If Thursday was a
defining moment in American sport, we weep for the future.  It
seemed to confirm, once and for all, a moral revolution that
worships the almighty buck" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/19).  The N.Y.
TIMES' Harvey Araton notes NBA Commissioner David Stern, in
Alaska, is "no doubt celebrating his league's latest stroke of
marketing fortune: another Lakers franchise center, another
colorful superstar having escaped from small-market prison" (N.Y.
TIMES, 7/19).  DETROIT NEWS' Terry Foster calls O'Neal's Reebok-
backed press conference "ludicrous," adding, "This is not good
for the game" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/19).  In Kansas City, Jonathan
Rand notes "all those dreamers who envision an NBA franchise" in
Kansas City can "wake up.  The NBA is economically out of our
league now" (K.C. STAR, 7/19).
     FOR YOU SCORING AT HOME: Largest long-term contract amounts
in the NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL (ESPN, 7/18):
NBA       Shaquille O'Neal    7 yrs     $120M
NFL       Troy Aikman         8 yrs      $50M
MLB       Juan Gonzales       7 yrs      $45M
NHL       Mario Lemieux       7 yrs      $42M

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