Warriors' sale could mean tough sell for NBA in upcoming CBA fight
Basketball Betting Lines
07/16/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There is an adage in politics - never
let a serious crisis go to waste.
In these tough economic times, rank and file workers across America have
never been more suspicious of management.
Most agree that the world's largest economy is not running on all cylinders
right now and some even argue that it's come off the tracks completely, but
most middle class employees can't help but get the feeling that management is
using a bad situation to take advantage of them by scaling back on benefits
and salary.
That kind of suspicion is about the only thing NBA players have in common with
the middle class.
Since the league instituted a salary cap in 1984, it has grown from $3.6
million per team to a staggering a $57.7 million last season. In turn, player
salaries have exploded, climbing from an average of $330,000 in '84 to $5.2
million by 2007-08. The numbers have stagnated a bit since then, but the
average NBA salary has stayed above the $5 million mark.
That growth had the NBA crying poverty at every turn when the economy went
south. Before the 2008-09 season, commissioner David Stern slashed 9 percent
of his office staff in New York and played hardball with his officials,
gaining significant reductions in the referees' retirement packages after
threatening a lockout.
During the NBA's annual owners meeting in Las Vegas, buried among all the
hoopla over the "Summer of LeBron," Stern claimed his league lost a combined
$370 million thanks to the recession, a figure NBA Players Association
executive director Billy Hunter balked at.
With the current collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its
players set to end on June 30, 2011, Hunter thinks Stern is using fuzzy
math in an attempt to control salaries and make other changes to the CBA.
"David's numbers are unfounded," Hunter told ESPN. "It's a severe
exaggeration."
Stern cited slowing ticket sales in some markets and a hit in both television
and merchandising revenue to back his claim, while Hunter pointed to the
league's overall increase in ticket sales and a much-increased television
audience for the NBA playoffs to bolster his case.
Recent empirical evidence supports Hunter and the players.
A doom-and-gloom prediction by the NBA that predicted the salary cap would
decrease from $57.7 million to $50.4 million in 2010 was way off and the
league announced that the cap would actually increase next season to $58
million, a development that actually upset a number of the league's owners,
who were taken by surprise.
"As soon as we get it, we spend it," Stern said of the league's still solid
revenue streams. "That is the current system. We try to compete. Our fans
love that. So we'd like to keep the league as competitive as possible, give
all of our teams the opportunity to tell their fans they have a chance to win,
and have some profit in it for the owners."
Those same owners are continuing to spend at a breakneck pace despite the sour
economy and Stern's moribund words, giving even pedestrian players like Chris
Duhon and Hakim Warrick big paydays.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors, not exactly the gold standard in the
league, are set to sell for a record price. The Warriors. who were a
disappointing 26-56 last season, are a lot closer to the Los Angeles Clippers
than the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics, but that didn't stop an
investment group led by Joseph Lacob to pony up a record price $450 million
for the franchise, exceeding the $401 million Robert Sarver needed to buy the
Phoenix Suns in 2004.
Both sides are distrustful of each other and are hunkering down and preparing
for the worst work stoppage since the 1998-99 lockout.
"I'm preparing for a lockout right now, and I haven't seen anything to change
that notion," Hunter said.
Don't expect Stern, a master negotiator, to blink and let this crisis go to
waste.
"I don't know how many collective bargainings I've participated in over the
last too many years," the commissioner said. "We've thus far only had one
failure to reach a deal in 1998. And many of the others have started out
poorly, had predictions of doom and gloom, et cetera. You just keep on
plugging. I think we've got a long way to go, but we have a lot of time to get
there. That's the optimism
"Judging from (the players') proposal, which basically embraces the current
system, we haven't closed any gap yet. But we're going to be resilient and
prepared to spend the time necessary to see whether there's a deal to be had
here, and we're going to do it for as long as possible."
<< Celtic adds Murphy from Sunderland
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic have completed the signing of
Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy on a three-year contract.
The 27-year-old joins fellow Bhoys newcomers Charlie Mulgrew, Joe Ledley and
Cha Du-Ri in Neil Lenn
<< NBA summer leagues shed more light on the draft
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - This year's rookie crop got its first taste of
the NBA in the recently completed Orlando Summer League and the one in Las
Vegas which concludes on Sunday. Though it's not the competition the player
will see in th
<< Leafs' Kadri in for some heavy lifting
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nothing says pressure like holding the
weight of a Stanley Cup-starved city on your shoulders.
But regardless of how you look at it - fortunately or unfortunately - that is
the reality for Toronto Maple Le
<< Blue Jays' Anthopoulos building on youth
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When your pockets aren't deep and you live
in the American League East, you need to do things a little differently. With
a new general manager in town, it seems as though the Toronto Blue Jays have
finally com
<< Orioles recall INF Bell
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles recalled infielder Josh
Bell from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, a move that coincided with the club
placing catcher Matt Wieters on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday with a
right h
Podolski claims he is committed to Cologne >>
Cologne, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cologne's Germany international forward
Lukas Podolski has vowed to stay with his current club this summer, despite
links with a possible big-money move abroad.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a fine Worl
NL East: With playoffs in sight, Braves make a switch at short >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It appears as though the Atlanta Braves got tired of
waiting for Yunel Escobar.
The Braves dealt the 27-year-old shortstop to the Blue Jays on Wednesday in a
five-player trade that sent 33-year-old Alex Gonzalez to the Bra
Hamburg completes signing of Diekmeier >>
Hamburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hamburg have completed the signing of
right back Dennis Diekmeier for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract
from Nurnberg.
The 20-year-old has played for Germany at three junior levels and m
Barca set to add Adriano from Sevilla >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sevilla wing back Adriano is poised to
join Barcelona after the two clubs agreed to a fee for the Brazilian.
The 25-year-old has been with the Rojiblancos since January 2005, making just
over 200 appe
Stars sign veteran D Lukowich, two others >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Stars signed veteran defenseman Brad
Lukowich and two others to one-year, two-way contracts on Friday.
Lukowich, 33, has registered 23 goals and 90 assists in 653 regular season NHL
games with six
Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.
MySportsbook.com is operated by Sportingbet, a UK gambling company which is publicly traded on the AIM on the London Stock Exchange.
Sportingbet easily forms the world's largest Internet gaming company, with a truly global outreach. This also provides added transparency and accountability to this online Sportsbook and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. MySportsbook offers betting lines on all major sporting events. Our staff of almost 400 people includes clerks ready 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to care for your needs.
MySportsbook's competent, experienced managerial staff and personnel are backed by a state-of-the art sports wagering software.
We offer a 15% sign-up bonus to new customers who use Neteller for deposit and 10% bonus for all other deposit methods. Casino clients can take advantage of a 5% cash back monthly. Clients are also eligible for a 5% re-up bonus on subsequent deposits and 10% cash back on NFL losses.* Our instant-play flash casino is no-download, just click and go to a wide range of games including online Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Baccarat, Roulette and Pai-Gow Poker, as well as a variety of slots and video poker games for the complete online casino Las Vegas experience.
My Sports book accepts all credit cards, online checks, Neteller, Firepay and bank wires. MySportsbook guarantees prompt, hassle-free payouts, as well as unparalleled individual attention from its acclaimed customer service department.
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
your source for online betting
As the web was just getting it's footing in the business world in 1997, My Sportsbook was breaking new
ground in the online sportsbook arena. Offering over 20 Las Vegas Games and backed by Sporting Bet UK,
the largest publicly traded Internet gaming company in the world today, My Sportsbook offers betting lines
on every major sporting event in the world, including Online MLB Baseball Betting. With a wide array of bonuses including a 10% Free Money bonus
to all new customers, My Sportsbook is a top online sportsbook, poker room, casino and racebook -- join today!For those that feel that a site like My Sportsbook is only a sportsbook we would like to introduce you to
a place where a single login allows you to not only bet on every major sporting event in the world but also
to bet on horses at over 90 different tracks or play at over 20 Las Vegas style table games in their top online
casino. My Sportsbook has won many awards for it's site design and ease of use as well as it's 24/7
customer support. Get all your gaming done in one spot - try My Sportsbook Today!
|
Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
read more
|
online sportsbook and casino
Since 2000, Best eCasino has maintained a 98.5% payout rate on all their more than 20 Las Vegas style games.
Each of their award winning games including, blackjack (and blackjack super 7s), Baccarat, Roulette and Craps are
available as either a downloadable program or as java programs that can be played directly within your browser. Don't
know how to play a certain game? Read the details and strategy here and start with their Play for Fun section which
allows you to practice a game before taking on the casino. Let's see any Vegas casino do that... Best eCasino doesn't stop there, they now offer horse wagering and sportsbook lines to round off all the online
gaming industry have to offer. They are consistently at the forefront of the industry with new innovations consistently
starting with their site. These guys are the entrepreneur's of the online gaming world and they set the standard for others
to follow. So bet with a leader that's backed by the largest online gaming company in the world with 24 hour customer support,
Best eCasino.
|
