NBA and NBPA officials met yesterday "to work on a new
contract, but an hour of discussion did little, if anything,
to dispel the reality that the season is very unlikely to
start on time," according to Phil Jasner of the PHILADELPHIA
DAILY NEWS. NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy
Commissioner Russ Granik met in N.Y. with NBPA Exec Dir
Billy Hunter and Knicks C/NBPA President Patrick Ewing.
Jasner: "And even though the league is contemplating putting
a new proposal on the table to somehow end the lockout that
has been in place since July 1, Granik was not confident
that it would do any good." Granik: "We want a percentage
of revenue certainty; they say no. ... Their position is,
they'll never agree to anything like that. Period. As long
as we're both in those positions, it's hard to find anything
to talk about." Jasner: "In that light, the league is
expected to announce today that training camps, which were
scheduled to open [October] 6, have been canceled, and that
some portion of the preseason also has been canceled"
(PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 9/24). In N.Y., Mike Wise reports
that a league spokesperson "described the meeting as
cordial, but added that neither side had agreed to another
round of talks." Both sides "declined to reveal the nature
of the meeting" or whether the postponement of training camp
and canceled games was discussed (N.Y. TIMES, 9/24). In
Charlotte, Rick Bonnell reports that the two sides "met for
about an hour." NBPA Dir of Communications Dan Wasserman
said the sides hope to set up a formal negotiating session
in the next few days (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/24). On Long
Island, Greg Logan writes, "It was one small step for
'hoopkind,' but it would take a giant leap of faith to
believe much was accomplished" (NEWSDAY, 9/24).
PRESEASON STATUS: Granik said that the entire preseason
will not be canceled right away: "That would be extreme. We
will only cancel things as we absolutely have to." Granik:
"There's no chance we can hope to be ready to play any
exhibition games in the first half of October, and we might
as well let our fans and promoters know that." Sources tell
the WASHINGTON POST that promoters of some exhibition games
in non-NBA cities cannot wait "until the wire" because
expenses will increase as game day approaches and "some
promoters are on the hook" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/24).
HOW IT'S PLAYING: BLOOMBERG's Scott Soshnick speaks
with MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr and NHLPA Exec Dir Bob
Goodenow about the lockout. Fehr: "Management is taking a
very hard-line stance in a belief that the players will
buckle. If they don't, then the league is in the soup."
Goodenow: "I don't think David [Stern] has a respect for his
players and his product. His inability to put a program
together without resorting to this attack on the players --
which is what this is -- makes me wonder what his true
intentions are" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 9/24). In Ft. Worth,
Richie Whitt criticizes Stern, writing, "You and your greedy
owners are wrong. ... We had one gray-haired leader lying to
us all summer, don't you start." Whitt also calls Stern's
"stubbornness" a PR "disaster." Whitt: "If you draw your
line in the sand any deeper, just keep on digging your own
grave" (STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/24). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley:
"Yoo-hoo. Anybody out there care about the [NBA] lockout?
Anybody?" Wolfley says he "hasn't heard much chattering in
the street or in pubs or in the office about the lockout.
No one seems to care" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/24).
PLAYER RAP: Charles Barkley says the labor dispute is a
"defining moment for the players association. We have to
weather missed paychecks. We can't sign another bad deal"
(USA TODAY, 9/24). Pacers player rep Antonio Davis: "I
think we're all acting like a bunch of kids. ... But in
everybody's defense, if we're so far apart, then there
really is no reason to talk" (INDY STAR-NEWS, 9/24).
