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WALK IN THEIR SHOES FOR A MINUTE: NBA PLAYERS LOSING DEALS

          Once a virtual brightspot for NBA players, "shoe money"
     is disappearing, according to Stefan Fatsis of the WALL
     STREET JOURNAL.  Fewer than half of the NBA's 400 or so
     players still have salaried shoe deals, "and the number is
     shrinking rapidly.  Most players have to settle for free
     shoes."  Player agent Bill Duffy: "Anyone whose contract is
     up, they're just getting cut.  There's a lot of guys who are
     wearing shoes for nothing."  Three years ago, Reebok had an
     NBA roster of 130 players, which will now be reduced to
     under 20.  It has also cut "top players" such as Glenn
     Robinson, while Shaquille O'Neal "is expected" to leave when
     his contact expires after this season.  Reebok Senior Dir of
     Sports Marketing Howard Smith: "The concept was, if you
     can't have the best player on the team, get what you can. 
     Now the philosophy is get the star, don't get the guy waving
     the towel on the bench." Fatsis adds that the cuts have sent
     agents, who keep about 20% of player endorsement earnings,
     "scrambling for new deals" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/14).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

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On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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