Sports writers continue to comment on the lucrative free
agent deals signed last week in the NBA. In San Antonio, Glenn
Rogers criticizes NBA owners: "The owners have met their enemies
and they are them. They force each other, aided by polite shoves
by agents and players, into these monetary extravaganzas" (San
Antonio EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/21). In Salt Lake, Brad Rock writes the
NBA's "pay-now, play-later approach, if not checked, will surely
come back to haunt" owners, as they pay with no certainty of
revenues or results (DESERET NEWS, 7/21). Columnist Tony
Kornheiser: "If there is a backlash, it will be because how much
do you raise the ticket price to make it profitable? Have we
reached the point where the only people who can afford those
tickets are the players who got this money?" Mitch Albom: "The
salary cap was designed so that to level the playing field and
that players would want to go to places like middle America or
the Northwest. Where are they going? New York, Los Angeles, and
Miami" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 7/21). Celtics President
Paul Gaston said his team won't be active in free agency.
Gaston: "I'm glad we didn't have a $10 million dollar slot
burning a hole in our pocket" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/20). In RI, Mike
Szostak writes the NBA is "bordering on insanity" with the "open
checkbook policy" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL-BULLETIN, 7/21). CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES' Lacy Banks writes "NBA owners might be spending their
league into ruin." Banks: "When fans, the real bosses, see so
many overpaid players dogging it ... they will stop coming to the
arenas and tuning in on TV" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/21).
CHARLES IN CHARGE, II: ESPN's David Aldridge notes that
Charles Barkley's new "trump card if the Suns don't trade him,"
is to sit out next year and work for NBC as an analyst
("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/19).
