The NBA "took a business-as-usual approach in releasing" its '11-12 regular-season schedule yesterday, "despite a labor impasse with no scheduled bargaining sessions and no end in sight," according to J. Michael Falgoust of USA TODAY. NBA VP/Basketball Communications Tim Frank said, "We are planning for the 2011-12 season. Part of that planning is setting our schedule." During the last lockout, before the '98-99 season, the NBA "also released the regular-season schedule early because there wasn't a free agency period" (USA TODAY, 7/20). NBA Senior VP/Marketing Communications Mike Bass acknowledged that the "schedule is out early because of the lockout." Bass: "Because we haven't begun our free agency period this year due to the lockout, it afforded us the opportunity to complete the schedule two weeks earlier than last year" (N.Y. POST, 7/20). In Dallas, Brad Townsend notes the schedule release "garnered little fanfare because it came on Day 19 of a lockout, a labor impasse that is so pronounced that team owners, players and fans seem all but resigned to a repeat of 1998" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/20).
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE: In Houston, Jerome Solomon writes, "It was hard not to laugh as the NBA put its best fake face forward to celebrate a host of games that are likely to be canceled" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/20). In Oklahoma City, Jenni Carlson writes under the header, "It's Hard To Get Excited About An NBA Schedule That Might Not Happen." Carlson: "Lest you believe that the schedule being released is somehow a good sign, perish the thought. This is just necessity. This is simply protocol. The NBA has to set the games to secure the arena space. That's what the league did Tuesday. No more. No less" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 7/20). In Memphis, Geoff Calkins writes, "It's nice and all, but a lot has to happen between now and then. ... It's like employees at News of the World being told about a fabulous new vacation package they were about to receive. Before, you know, Rupert Murdoch pulled the plug on the entire enterprise" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/20). In Oklahoma City, Darnell Mayberry: "One way or another, the NBA seems to be stuck in an indefinite holding pattern. Tuesday's unintentionally satirical release of the schedule for a season that might never happen only drove home that point" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 7/20).
STILL HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN: Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw said the NBA has to "put out a schedule" despite the uncertainty of the lockout. Cowlishaw: "You do have tickets to sell, or try to sell, but you don’t need to make a big deal out of it. You need to just kind of slide it under the rug and say, ‘Here’s the schedule’” ("PTI," ESPN, 7/19). Columnist Kevin Blackistone said, "They’ve got to pretend like they’re still in business because guess what? They are still in business so this is the next item on the agenda. You release the schedule and you hope nobody makes fun of it." Denver Post columnist Woody Paige: "Look at it from the NBA’s standpoint, they’re still trying to sell season tickets” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 7/19).
SURREAL TELEVISION: In Boston, Steve Buckley writes NBA TV's schedule-release show yesterday "was a cross between 'Inside the NBA' and 'Airplane.'" Buckley: "If the producers from 'Saturday Night Live' had been watching NBA TV from their vacation homes on the Vineyard, they’d have been on the phone with their writers, screaming, 'Why can’t we come up with stuff this funny?' ... All this hype, all this analysis, all this fanfare, for a season that might never happen. But, hey, entertainment is entertainment, whether it’s actual basketball games or three guys on a set talking about make-pretend basketball" (BOSTON HERALD, 7/20). NBA TV’s Matt Winer opened the network's presentation of the schedule by saying, “Thanks for stopping by for a schedule release party ... for what is, admittedly, an optimistic exercise.” Winer said with the lockout “nearing three weeks without a negotiating session planned, we are well aware the season, or at least a full season, is at this point not a sure thing. Nonetheless, we’ll plan and hope it goes off as scheduled.” Winer ran down some of the "marquee games” on NBA TV, including the Nets-Jazz game on January 14. Winer said, “Deron Williams return to Utah, once he returns from Turkey” (NBA TV, 7/19).
EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT: In Boston, Julian Benbow notes the NBA "cut back on the number of Christmas Day games, a moral victory for Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who last season took a few jabs at the league for overloading the holiday with basketball." There are three games scheduled for Dec. 25 this season, compared to five in '10 (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/20).
