Basketball fiasco
Nov. 8th, 2011 01:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lionkingcmslNow, most you know that I'm not much of a sports fan. I'll follow the local teams and root for them, but I'm not a rabid type that lives and dies by sports.
That being said, I've got to weigh in on the basketball mess.
My quibble is where does the players and players union get off demanding any cut of the revenues, and especially over 50%?
This would be like the autoworkers going to GM and saying, "Because you make so much money, we want greater than half of your profits." What do you think GM would say? I'll tell you what they would say, "Get out of here and return when you return to reality!"
The basketball players put in their time at "the job" and get paid like everyone else. That is what they are entitled to. Now if a player owns a stake in the team they play for then, yes, he is entitled to a share of the profits in his annual stock dividend.
For a player, or union, to say they want any part of the reveune and especially greater than half of what the team makes, just because, is so totally wrong. If you want to help the retired players, then negotiate that point, but do not tie revenue sharing to it. This is nothing more than a dressed up "you make too much money and I want some of it", or a redistribute the wealth scheme. It is also greed, plain and simple.
If the players get better than half of the revenues what is the point for a team owner to keep owning the team. If a player wants part of a team's revenue then that player should own a stake in the team and not just demand a cut of the profits.
While it would hurt the team owners and fans, I think the best bet is to cancel the season for a year or two and see if the players, their agents and the union comes back to earth.
For those that think I'm wrong, let's try an experiment. You go to the owner of your business and demand any percent of his revenues and see what happens.
Just because they are highly trained athletes does not give them special privileges. Do not demand that what is not rightfully yours.
That being said, I've got to weigh in on the basketball mess.
My quibble is where does the players and players union get off demanding any cut of the revenues, and especially over 50%?
This would be like the autoworkers going to GM and saying, "Because you make so much money, we want greater than half of your profits." What do you think GM would say? I'll tell you what they would say, "Get out of here and return when you return to reality!"
The basketball players put in their time at "the job" and get paid like everyone else. That is what they are entitled to. Now if a player owns a stake in the team they play for then, yes, he is entitled to a share of the profits in his annual stock dividend.
For a player, or union, to say they want any part of the reveune and especially greater than half of what the team makes, just because, is so totally wrong. If you want to help the retired players, then negotiate that point, but do not tie revenue sharing to it. This is nothing more than a dressed up "you make too much money and I want some of it", or a redistribute the wealth scheme. It is also greed, plain and simple.
If the players get better than half of the revenues what is the point for a team owner to keep owning the team. If a player wants part of a team's revenue then that player should own a stake in the team and not just demand a cut of the profits.
While it would hurt the team owners and fans, I think the best bet is to cancel the season for a year or two and see if the players, their agents and the union comes back to earth.
For those that think I'm wrong, let's try an experiment. You go to the owner of your business and demand any percent of his revenues and see what happens.
Just because they are highly trained athletes does not give them special privileges. Do not demand that what is not rightfully yours.
