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Leagues and Governing Bodies

HOOPS HELD HOSTAGE, DAY 135: UNION WAITS FOR STERN'S OFFER

          With NBA players "around the league starting to express
     concern about the future, the players union brought many of
     its team representatives to New York on Wednesday for a
     session designed to provide information for the rank-and-
     file," according to ESPN's David Aldridge.  Aldridge: "Over
     the past week, the union has tried to close ranks.  Union
     head Billy Hunter spent half an hour on the phone Tuesday
     with Grant Hill and Tim Duncan.  And he spent Wednesday on
     the phone with Michael Jordan."  More Aldridge: "Players
     made suggestions on Wednesday on minor modifications to the
     union's latest proposal.  Hunter will likely call [NBA
     Commissioner David] Stern either Thursday or Friday to set
     up the next meeting.  That meeting likely won't take place
     until next week" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/11).  Hunter had
     a "more tranquil" attitude toward NBA personnel contact with
     players and said that "team officials did not understand the
     proposals as well as the players did."  Hunter: "The
     feedback we're getting is our players know more about the
     proposals than those people associated with the teams.  I
     don't think they (team officials) know all the nuances [as]
     well as we do.  We spend a lot of time educating these guys"
     (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/12).  In NJ, Dave
     D'Alessandro calls yesterday's session a "shoring up [of]
     the flanks at its most rudimentary level," as Hunter met
     with 27 players (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 11/12).  On CBS
     SportsLine, Mike Kahn reports that "momentum continues to
     build in opposite directions" (CBS SportsLine, 11/12).
          STERN SITTING ON NEW OFFER? Hunter claimed that Stern
     "wants players to miss their first two paychecks before he
     gets serious about" negotiating.  Hunter: "David indicated
     he has another offer but he's not prepared to put it out
     there at this time.  He sort of indicated that the passage
     of time was necessary.  I interpret that to mean maybe they
     need to sweat our guys a little longer" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER,
     11/12).  NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik: "We have no
     idea what he's talking about" (L.A. TIMES, 11/12).
          HYMN A NEW TUNE: One day after saying he would benefit
     from the owners' current offer, free agent G Eric Murdock
     said Hunter and Heat C Alonzo Mourning discussed the deal
     with him: "[They] broke it down and said in the long run, it
     will turn out to be just like the agreement we reached in
     '95. ... The way they explained it, the owners' proposal is
     still a hard salary cap and no teams will have any room to
     make moves. ... I felt good after the telephone call with
     Coach Riley, but Billy broke it down.  Coach Riley was not
     trying to sell us anything.  He just gave us the proposal
     from the owners' point of view" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/12). 
     Speaking to Dave Shore and Kermit Washington on Portland's
     KFXX-AM, Blazers G Damon Stoudamire said owners "haven't
     been fair to us as far as what they have been proposing. 
     You just can't take anything" (KFXX-AM, 11/11). 
          SIEGFRIED & ROY LOVE THIS GAME: In Chicago, Lacy Banks
     reports that Michael Jordan is "expected to join other NBA
     stars" in an exhibition game scheduled for Las Vegas. 
     Hunter: "Whether or not [Jordan] will play won't be known
     until the last moment.  If he doesn't play, he'll coach. 
     But he'll be physically present and involved" (CHICAGO SUN-
     TIMES, 11/12).  In NJ, Dave D'Alessandro reports that the
     "reason for the uncertainty, one source said, is that Jordan
     is in relatively poor shape, and doesn't like being
     embarrassed" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 11/12).  Hunter said that
     Showtime was interested in televising the event, but the
     network had no comment (USA TODAY, 11/12).  Besides for the
     exhibition game, a "one-on-one tournament for NBA players"
     is also being proposed (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/12). 
          HONEST ABE: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir profiles
     Wizards/Capitals Owner Abe Pollin.  Pollin: "We're prepared
     to gut the season.  We went into this knowing that if we
     can't make a fair deal, the season would be gone."  On the
     NBA's recovery from the work stoppage: "I think the NBA will
     recover quicker [than MLB].  There's no question the league
     will survive.  It's not something you look forward to, but
     I'm sure we have some good ideas."  Pollin also "praised"
     the leadership of NBA Commissioner David Stern: "He doesn't
     do this by himself.  But we agree completely.  There is 100
     percent unity.  There is no split" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/12).
          FALLOUT: ESPN Chilton Sports Poll Founder Rich Luker
     tells USA TODAY that the NFL "will be the prime beneficiary
     of missed NBA action."  Polling has shown that the NFL is
     "already the most popular sport among people who actually
     describe themselves as NBA fans.  Luker said the NBA fan has
     always been "soft" until mid-winter: "The NBA can get by
     fairly unscathed if they're playing in February" (USA TODAY,
     11/12)....NEW YORK magazine's Hugo Lindgren writes under the
     header, "Who Owns The NBA?"  Lindgren reports the "dealings
     between the players and the NBA owners has nothing to do
     with labor: It's a partnership between a content provider
     and a distributor, and their dispute is not so much about
     money as it is about power."  But if Michael Jordan "started
     his own league, it's hard to imagine he couldn't give the
     NBA a serious run for its money" (NEW YORK, 11/9)....In
     Chicago, Hevrdejs & Conklin: "Chicago theaters are off to a
     strong start this season -- and maybe the Bulls' lack of a
     start is a reason" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/10). 

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