Sources "with ties to the union" said Monday's ruling
could "push the players into a risky decertification
strategy," according to Bonnell & Laye of the CHARLOTTE
OBSERVER. Agent Marc Fleisher, noting that the league sent
out limos to take players to the polls in '95 to vote down
decertification, said, "All one needs is to look at '95 to
see how the league feels about the prospect of
decertification. Obviously it's very frightening to them"
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/20). Stern said yesterday:
"(Decertification) won't get it done. All it does is cost
the players more money, the owners more money and fans more
games" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/20). ESPN's David Aldridge:
"The problem ... is that it takes so long to go through the
decertification process, you're talking about months, if not
years, to get a final answer on decertification, and it does
not address the central issue which is you have to make a
deal with the owners in order to play" ("SportsCenter,"
ESPN, 10/19). On CBS SportsLine, Mike Kahn writes that if
the players decertify, "That would be great. Essentially,
that would guarantee Stern, Granik and the owners concede
and cancel the entire season" (CBS SportsLine, 10/20).
UNION TO SELL LICENSING FUTURES? In Chicago, Steve
Rosenbloom writes on speculation the players may now fold:
"The players are guaranteed $100 million in licensing money
for the next four years and, according to a co-conspirator,
the players are working on a deal to sell those futures for
hard cash right now. Even if they sell them for only 80
percent, we're still talking about $80 million, which would
be quite a strike fund" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/20).
OVER THERE, OVER THERE? On ESPN.com, Frank Hughes
writes that agents "want to know if their clients under
contract can play elsewhere, whether it is in Europe, a
rival league, whatever." Agents plan on bringing this up in
Las Vegas, and one said, "You would think that if the owners
are not required to pay players during a lockout, then
players are not required to honor contracts during a
lockout. We need to find that out" (ESPN.com, 10/20).
Hornets F Anthony Mason: "Everybody needs to go overseas"
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/20). In Chicago, Sam Smith writes
the players' "only leverage left may be in starting a new
league ... a drastic option that seems unfeasible given the
massive mechanism that NBA has in place already." Smith:
"But what if Michael Jordan ... fronted one team, perhaps
with partial [ownership], in Chicago. Are Chicagoans NBA
fans or Jordan fans?" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/20).
STERN TO OFFER "OLIVE BRANCH"? In Chicago, Sam Smith:
"In light of the owners' victory, Stern may decide to offer
some form of olive branch to allow union officials to save
face and accept a deal. Without that, it's possible the
entire season could be canceled" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/20).
Marc Fleisher: "The players have given the owners marijuana
being included in a drug agreement, a right of first refusal
on rookie contracts, extending rookie contracts to a fourth
year, a salary-cap credit mechanism and a luxury tax"
(PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 10/20). On ESPN.com, David
Aldridge tells the union: "It's time to come to the table.
It's time to accept a 50-50 split with owners on all [BRI],
now and (and this is very important) forever. ... It's time
to accept a luxury tax" (ESPN.com, 10/20).
