Atlanta Hawks: Owners’ latest final offer includes 72-game season
NBA reps and union officials emerged from their meeting at about 11 p.m. No deal. Here is the full union press conference and here is the league.
The highlights:
- Owners made some changes to the previous proposal that was rejected by the union. David Stern said it’s now take-it-or-leave it: “We have made our revised proposal and are not planning to make another one.”
- The players don’t like deal but they are considering it. Billy Hunter called it “not the greatest proposal in the world.” He plans to talk it over with the 30 team reps but for some reason it won’t happen until Monday or Tuesday. Hunter said it’s a course of action that was endorsed by the players on the executive committee. “I have an obligation to at least present it to membership, so that’s what we are going to do,” Hunter said.
- Stern said the league would wait until the players meet and decide on the deal. If they don’t accept the offer, then the league’s “revised negotiation position” would become the 47-percent BRI, “flex” cap deal that he threatened if the union didn’t accept the previous deal by Wednesday.
- Hunter didn’t rule out the union eventually accepting the deal on the table: “It depends on the direction we get from the player reps.”
- Union decertification is still in play.
- Stern said the owners’ offer is based on a squeezing in a 72-game season that opens on Dec. 15. Deputy commish Adam Silver said the start of the playoffs and the Finals would be moved back a week. That would mean a very tough schedule for players.
- The players continue to object to system issues that include sign-and-trades and mid-level exceptions for tax-paying teams. “I can’t say on any one of them that they came off of [their position] the way we would like,” Fisher said. Adrian Wojnarowski says owners “barely moved” on important issues.
- So basically Hunter and Fisher will present a plan they don’t seem to like to the player reps. It seems they don’t have a choice.
- “We feel like there is nothing to talk about except our willingness to move off [our position],” Hunter said. “That’s why we need to meet with with the player reps.”
- “We will bring the player reps up to speed on what I guess is called the ‘revised proposal’ that the NBA has made,” Fisher said. “And realize that this is the last best offer and make a decision at that point.”
- Hunter said there also were 30 to 40 “ancillary issues” that needed to be addressed. He said they included the draft age limit, commissioner discipline of players and mandated off days.
- Stern: “We have done everything possible given our goals of a sound economic model and having the most competitive league. The union raised some issues and we discussed those with the [labor] committee and we moved as far as we could move. So we are at where we are at. I’m optimistic that the NBA owners will approve it if the union approves it, and we await the response from the union. We’ve done our best.”
- Deputy commish Adam Silver said he understand why the union is struggling with accepting rules that will reduce their freedom to move from team to team and also substantially reduce their share of revenue. “For any group of employees that is difficult to take,” Silver said. “I understand from the union’s standpoint it is a difficult pill to swallow right now. But I think we will be proven right and that [with the proposed CBA] this will be a better league for the players, the teams and the fans.”
- A French reporter told Hunter, Fisher and the other union execs that they appeared “dissipated” and wondered if that meant they were defeated. That launched Hunter into a great rant in which he described what sounded like awful conditions in the negotiating room. “It’s been a long haul,” Hunter said.
- CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger pulled a Perry and froze up when called on to ask a question. He said he forgot what he was going to ask.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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164 comments Add your comment
northcyde
November 11th, 2011
11:51 am
AG
November 11th, 2011
11:09 am
The players should take the deal. When I managed, our goal was to keep our labor to under 27%. Another concept I managed, we kept labor % under 22%. Over 50 % going to the players cannot be compared in any other companies except college athletics. Then some players agreed to take less money to play overseas than to accept slightly less money to play in the US… and actually the owners have guaranteed the existing contracts, so nobody makes less money!
*********************
50% of the BRI is not 50% of total or gross revenue. The owners are taking a percentage right off the top ( something like 8% ) for “league operational expenses”.
So if the NBA makes 4 billion in BRI, the league gets its 8% right off the top. That would make the players and owners split 3.68 Billion . . which is 1.84 Billion to each the players and owners
1.84 / 4 = 46% of TOTAL BRI
slimjr
November 11th, 2011
11:52 am
“Seeing all of those fine azz females at Philips. It’s damn near like a beauty pageant there”
speaking of fine azz females, I saw a few yesterday @ the perimeter mall..Nice…….lol
DHD
November 11th, 2011
11:54 am
Don’t care.
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 11th, 2011
11:56 am
TRAGIC!!!!!!!
Those boys better take the deal or it’ll be another COLD winter down south, right, ladies??
northcyde
November 11th, 2011
12:06 pm
I don’t know how the league would construct a 72 game season, but here’s how I would do it.
- Keep the 30 out of conference games
- Add 4 in division games, ( each team plays 5 times ) bringing that number to 20
- Play the opposite 2 divisions in each conference 2 times = 20 games
- Weight the schedule by pitting in conference teams vs each other, according to how they finished in the division.
Example: #1 team in the Southeast would play the #1 teams from the Atlantic and Central divisions. For the Hawks ( #3 in Southeast ) that would mean that our 2 extra games would be vs Milwaukee and Philadelphia ( the #3 teams from the other divisions ).
dap01
November 11th, 2011
12:18 pm
My point is not to side with the players or the owners. My point is that if they reject this offer and the season is lost, no one wins and the whole NBA product will be made smaller. Trust me players, no one is missing you.
northcyde
November 11th, 2011
12:52 pm
lol drmaryb. Can’t do that. The schedule would be way too unbalanced. You’d have teams playing 6 division games, with others playing 12 or 13.
@ dap01 . . . I just laugh when people keep talking about how these players won’t be missed . . YET . . everybody and their mama has an opinion on this.
When the NHL lockout was going on, I didn’t make one post on an NHL hockey board, because I TRULY didn’t care. And I don’t hate hockey, I just don’t CARE about the sport.
Trust me . . . when Christmas comes, and there is nothing sports wise to watch on TV besides a crap bowl game, the NBA will be missed. And as soon as the NFL playoffs are done, it will REALLY be missed.
And we’re not even going to talk about when April comes. The only thing people will have are baseball and NASCAR.
brigadierjerry
November 11th, 2011
12:59 pm
interesting that under new cba teams that are at or over the luxury tax can do sign and trades only for the first two years of this cba deal. after that it isnt allowed
dap01
November 11th, 2011
1:12 pm
Northcycle: Laugh if you want but the NBA is mentioned on sports center just NASCAR.
brigadierjerry
November 11th, 2011
1:14 pm
northcylde very true the ones who say they dont care actually care very much. they are upset more than anything else. i love the ones who say they havent wtched nba in years. those are probably the ones whose teams have been bad for a long time or really was never nba fans
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 11th, 2011
1:40 pm
Northcyde!
Those last two posts are not mine. The troll is still hi-jacking my user I’d. I loved your proposal. I’m going to logg off and get back to work.
You guys have fun.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 11th, 2011
2:06 pm
I’ll be honest — as big of an NBA fan as I am, I am not really going to miss it until after the Super Bowl. There is just too much NFL going on, between three days on which NFL games are played, fantasy football, etc. for me to feel too distraught that the Hawks are not playing right now.
But yeah, I didn’t go on the Thrashers blog saying “who cares” when they were getting moved. That is just a dick move, even if I don’t care about hockey.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 11th, 2011
2:09 pm
Two things I’ll miss:
1) Josh Powell’s unstoppable offensive game
2) The Home Depot Higher/Lower contest
slimjr
November 11th, 2011
2:40 pm
I’ll miss Ken Strickland writing his essays on how the Hawks will improve every year.. YAWN…
Wont miss him or his buddy Big Ray bashing those who dont drink their Kool-aid…lol
slimjr
November 11th, 2011
2:42 pm
drmaryb I see you on the D-led blog just about every other day talkin Falcon Football! Cool!
GO Falcons! CGD..
Robert
November 11th, 2011
2:45 pm
Bottom line is they have to accept this deal – or end up taking significantly less, either next year here in the US or somewhere overseas.
jj
November 11th, 2011
2:52 pm
Let the players have the 57% of revenue they want………However everything above 47% goes into a pool where the players own part of the league. If you want more of the potential profit, take some of the risk along with it.
Rev in Tampa
November 11th, 2011
3:44 pm
From the previous blog… I had to share it again. I haven’t laughed so hard for a long time.
drmaryb.(*_*).
G-Daddy!
…You kill me with that writing style, I never know what you’re saying with all those bullet points. I hope you hire an Editor for that book you’re writing. LOL!
O'Brien
November 11th, 2011
3:59 pm
Speaking of Ken Strickland, I wonder how he’s doing.
doc
November 11th, 2011
4:05 pm
northcyde, najeh and the rest, the folks that come here to say they dont care care very much and what they care about is pretty deranged. it is of the sort of mind that ranks with the penn state story that i grew up with and have seen diminishing in our society but wont be buried completely.
for the owners last offer, even the best plans of mice and men…
realistically, the players arent going to get a whole lot more and they and the owners know it so i expect them to fold rather than turn it it not a financial bloodbath which they lose more since they are not billionaires, though some might live what they think a billionaire lives. i expect a settlement and a very watered down effort by the end of the season due to travel and schedule demand physical attrition.
two things:
what i havent missed is talk about next years draft that would have already started by now.
and that the hawks still need a couple of competitive bigs once josh, al or zaza sit down. heh heh
doc
November 11th, 2011
4:32 pm
interesting look at penn st issue of why no one took action:
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/why-joe-paterno-did-nothing
ILL-Logical
November 11th, 2011
4:36 pm
One of the things that I have found to most interesting during the entire process is how the ASG’s actions captures the essence of the dispute. These guys ,who were put together by Mr. Stern(and they are all males), broke up over how much to pay to trade for Joe Johnson. And then 5 years later, they sign Johnson to a deal that defied financial and commen sense. Now they want the union to pay them back for their actions,which were entirely of their volition.
Another interesting aside is the public sentiment expressed for the NBA ownership to have a guarenty against losses as part of the new CBA. Seems as if some of the free market types are selective in its application.
Whatever happens, I hope that the people who really depend on the NBA for their livelyhood like the clean up crews, resturant workers etc are not irreparably harmed.
dap01
November 11th, 2011
4:48 pm
I miss Tom Rathman and his insightful analysis.
How is Ken Strickland?
northcyde
November 11th, 2011
5:12 pm
Wow @ the owners D-league proposal that was added to the CBA:
The D-League clause, which previously had not been disclosed, is one of several elements in the owners’ proposal to the locked-out players that prompted one agent to describe the proposal as “draconian.”
The clause would give teams the right to send a player down to the NBA Development League at any time during his first five years and pay him a severely reduced contract while he’s there, a source who has examined the proposal told Bucher.
Any player sent down to the D-League would be paid at a pro-rated scale of $75,000 a season, which is slightly above the current D-League maximum but roughly one-sixth of the NBA minimum, the source said.
*********************
LOL . . . no wonder the players are rejecting a deal like that. Because they know that these owners could use some “dirty pool” tactics, and send a player down to the D-League, just for the hell of it, in order to save money. With that clause, a demoted NBA player would be better off playing overseas, than spending time in the D-league playing for WNBA money.
Section 303
November 11th, 2011
6:09 pm
I don’t think the players will OK this deal. I refuse to get my hopes up, again. I’m in full ‘jilted lover’ mode.
O'Brien
November 11th, 2011
6:09 pm
Nobody misses ‘Nique and his “Heat-Check” lol.
From si.com;
Other aspects of the deal;
The offer as a whole still includes the same extra hit for repeat taxpayers — teams that cross the tax line more than twice in any five-year span — as it did five days ago, according to a source close to the matter. It still bans tax teams from using the full mid-level exception, though the league has offered to give them a “mini” mid-level worth $3 million per year over a three-year deal….
There are some minor concessions though.
The league has offered the union the right to opt out of the new collective bargaining agreement after six years instead of seven. Players have sought that earlier opt-out in part to get a chance to negotiate a new (and presumably better) deal just as the league’s lucrative new national television contract kicks in, after the 2015-16 season. The NBA has also offered to create a new kind of exception for teams that begin the offseason under the cap. Such teams normally forfeit their rights to any cap exceptions, but owners have offered to allow teams a special $2.5 million exception if they start under the cap and then spend right up to it, as the Heat did in the summer of 2010..
There was also mention of off-season drug testing. You know what that means. No marijuana over the offseason lol. No wonder the players said no
vava74
November 11th, 2011
6:27 pm
Heck! The last one is a definitive no-no!
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 11th, 2011
6:44 pm
MIA!
Hopefully, someone, perhaps Blu-Ray can give Ken Strickland a check up call and make sure he is ok with his health issues!
Last time I heard from him, he was alligator wrestling the swamp people of New Orleans about them Saints on DLed blog. That was around week three. I sure hope my friend is ok.
______________
I will miss watching the Bench pouting on the sidelines for PT. Especially the useless Etan Thomas and Josh “shooter” Powell with his rings.
I will miss Nique’s “Nimbers” too and Bob “Spider-Monkey” Rathbun saying, “Bang! Jamal hits a 3 falling down for another 4 point play!”
I already miss my Hawks! I miss Alex Meruelo too.
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 11th, 2011
6:57 pm
Super Friends Commercials!
I will miss The Hawks commercials chiding all the fans to come to Phillips Arena to see:
The Super Friends! LBJ, Dwade & Bosh …. Uggh!
I will miss the Hawks half-time show with the 8 fat, shirtless white guys doing “The Dougie!” & “Booty Shake” fo – reel!
vava74
November 11th, 2011
7:03 pm
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/who_knew_what_about_jerry_sand.html
vava74
November 11th, 2011
7:05 pm
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Barack-Obama-needs-to-launch-federal-investigation-of-Penn-State-scandal-111111
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 11th, 2011
7:08 pm
Born Broke!
What Stern fails to realize is that these NBA players were born broke & will not jump out of Wall Street windows if they go broke now!
Leon Powe, (formerly with The Celtics) slept in a car with his 5 family member for many years because his Mamma was being evicted 12 months per year. Being broke is not the worst thing that can happen to these guys!
It is better to have had money and lose it, than to have never had money at all. Believe that!
Just be fair and honorable in negotiations and a deal will get signed – Stern!
Phuch Le` Duch
November 11th, 2011
7:08 pm
(pronounced – foosh le duke)
Hello, I’m usually found on the Dawg and Braves forums but I have visited this basketball site several times in the past and i have been waiting for the strike to be over so as to be a more frequent visitor.
I am more than anxious for the beginning of basketball due to I love college football but pro football not so much. I am not like your other troll persons who visit only to say racially charged statements
such as I hope the nba thugs never play again. Which confounds me, why bother to come over only to say unintellectual goofyness much like the termites getting on our Dawg site. No offense techies.
Off topic but relevant, resident genius Man boobs messed up last night going for it on fourth down at his own thirty yard line. But I digress. Anyway GoHawks!GoDawgs!
cp
November 11th, 2011
7:26 pm
ESPN is saying the players are unlikely to accept the deal. At this point its almost like whatever
I will miss Nique calling players every name but the correct one.. I will also miss seeing Marvin being blocked by guys 7 inches shorter than him.
brigadierjerry
November 11th, 2011
9:07 pm
Common Ground
• The “Super Tax”: Both the players and owners have agreed, in part, on a punitive tax for teams that exceed the luxury-tax threshold. For every dollar — up to $5 million — that a team goes over the limit, it pays a $1.50 tax. In the previous CBA, it was dollar for dollar. Moreover, the two sides have agreed that the tax will get incrementally larger every $5 million.
• The Larry Bird exception: Both sides have agreed that the Bird exception — a provision that allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents — will remain the same.
• Length of player contracts: Previously, a team could sign its own free agent for six years and an outside free agent for five. The players have agreed to reduce those numbers to five and four.
• Minimum team salary: The minimum team salary must be 85 percent of the salary cap.
• Amnesty clause: A team may waive one player and not have that player’s contract count against the cap. That clause may be used at any time over the life of the collective bargaining agreement.
• Injury exception: In the event of a season-ending injury, a team will be given a one-year, $5 million exception to replace an injured player.
• Restricted free agency: A team will have three days to match offers on restricted free agents. Previously, a team had seven.
• “Stretch” contracts: Teams may waive players and stretch the payments of the guaranteed money over a period two times the remaining years plus one.
Battle Ground
• Luxury tax: Two key issues remain in dispute:
A. The NBA has proposed that if a team goes into the luxury tax more than three out of every five years, it will be hit with an extra $1 penalty tax in addition to what it is paying in the super tax.
B. If a team breaks the tax threshold by $1, it forfeits its share of the tax money. Put simply, only non-taxpayers get any money back
The union opposes both provisions for the same reason: It discourages teams from going into the luxury tax.
• Mid-level exception: As the NBA has stated, the two sides have agreed to reduce the mid-level exception from $5.8 million to $5 million. However, the NBA wants any team that uses the mid-level to be limited to three-year deals. If a team is paying the luxury tax, the NBA’s proposal calls for that team to lose the full mid-level and be limited to a smaller, $2.5 million exception. The players believe this both hurts the middle class and discourages teams from spending into the luxury tax.
• Qualifying offers: Players want more lucrative offers. Ownership wants them to stay the same.
• Escrow: The NBA is seeking escrow protection — believed to be 10 percent — which would, in essence, guarantee the league hits its target BRI number. Players have offered to increase the escrow to a band of 8-10 percent.
• Sign-and-trades: The NBA proposal prohibits taxpaying teams from executing sign-and-trades. The players are against that.
• Trade exceptions: The players want them increased. The NBA wants them to stay the same.
• Rookie contracts: While the rookie wage scale would stay the same, the union has pushed for incentivizing contracts to give elite rookies the opportunity to make more money quicker.
• Annual raises: Under the terms of the last CBA, players with Bird rights were entitled to 10.5 percent raises and everyone else could receive 8.5 percent. The union has offered to reduce those raises to 7.5 percent/6.5 percent while the NBA’s offer was 5.5 percent/3 percent.
• Salary-cap holds: The union wants them lower. The NBA wants them to stay the same.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w … z1dOzuOGwM
brigadierjerry
November 11th, 2011
9:26 pm
Shane Battier, via twitter: At this point the entire lockout hinges on the issues of competitive balance. Making the (relative) less desirable places to sign as a free agent, more lucrative. Would our fans watch Milwaukee and Portland in the NBA finals (both with all-stars)? Or would a less star studded Laker/Celtic Finals still be a larger draw?
Shane Battier, via twitter: If there was a way to gauge the answer from our fans (empirically), we could end this lockout with confidence, on both sides, that we are best serving the people who make our league: NBA fans
As Hawks fans which would you prefer in regards to the above scenario?
brigadierjerry
November 11th, 2011
9:59 pm
Age limit of 20 included in new proposal
In addition, projections for the luxury tax threshold would be between $70 million and $85 million over six seasons.
The NBA also states that maximum salaries would range between $13 million and $19 million, presumably referring to the first-season salary of such a contract.
Mike is back
November 11th, 2011
11:00 pm
Two things I want miss…the NBA ole school classic…and this cat two rows up from me hollering SHOOT IT JOSH…our sats was on the opponents side.
I remember hollering back…DON”T shoot it Josh…Dam too late!!heh heh
The thing I will miss is the wify sayings watch him hop…I’m like what is she talking about…she said watch’em skip and hop…she was talking about Bibby.
Bibby use to skip and hop every time before he came across half court…I never notice it until she said something…after I watching him do it…it crack me up…before that I never gave her much credit for knowing much about basketball…I thought she was going to game because of me…BTW…priceless.lol
observor
November 11th, 2011
11:03 pm
Here’s to hoping the dumb a$$ players reject the deal and there is no NBA for at least a year.
slimjr
November 11th, 2011
11:26 pm
“Gricar disappeared suddenly in 2005. He remained missing and was declared dead earlier this year. Tony Gricar, family spokesman, said his uncle had developed a “bitter taste” for the football program and Paterno.”
@vava74, This DA disappearing with a connection to Penn State is very disturbing!
The boosters of Penn State Football should all be checked out..But that will be tough because you bet some of them are well connected and extremely evil, see movie “Eyes wide shut” to get an idea how power corrupts….
O'Brien
November 12th, 2011
1:19 am
Thanks for the post, brigadierjerry.
I would prefer to watch Portland vs Milwaukee in the NBA finals if they both have all-star players…instead of a Lakers vs Celtics with less star power.
I want to watch star players play, and I would prefer a more competitive league.
What the NBA should do…is eliminate at least 4 teams. That will help the talent pool.
Buddy Grizzard
November 12th, 2011
3:46 am
“i watched he whole bull series last week and they shouldve won” – brigadierjerry
Did you have the games recorded? I wish I did because I would really love to watch that series again.
“What the NBA should do…is eliminate at least 4 teams.” – O’Brien
/signed
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 12th, 2011
8:24 am
Contraction?
Wasn’t LBJ roasted for saying that? Hmmm … A thought, sure – but good luck with that one.
brigadierjerry
November 12th, 2011
9:12 am
WSJ: Minny, Sac, Indy on verge of financial collapse
The owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers have recently agreed to sell the team, following a bankruptcy filing in June of this year. The team may sell for more than $1 billion — the highest in baseball history and a premium on the $800 million value Forbes has assigned it in its annual ranking.
24/7 Wall St. set out to identify the teams that were likely to follow the Dodgers down a similar path. Teams lose money because they lose fans. Teams lose fans because they lose games. 24/7 Wall St. has identified teams that are on the brink of collapse by measuring long-term financial performance, as well as win/loss records and attendance.
Read The Seven Pro Teams On The Brink Of Collapse
The greatest single cause of a team’s long-term success is obvious: whether or not it wins games. A quick glance at profit and attendance shows that, generally, teams that do well enough to make the playoffs manage to have high ticket sales. Only a few franchises can fail to make the playoffs for more than a few seasons before their profits begin to suffer.
Across the four biggest sports in the U.S., several teams have seen a massive decline in their attendance. While in some cases this is the result of moving to a new stadium with lower capacity, for the most part these teams simply do not win enough games. At the beginning of the decade, the Indiana Pacers were regular playoff contenders with high attendance, and they were profitable. For the past five seasons, they have lost more games than they have won. During that period, attendance has fallen by nearly 25%. The team has also lost money five years in a row.
According to Forbes, 39 of the 122 professional sports teams lost money last year. Some have lost a few million only a handful of times and likely will perform well in the future. For others, the loss is in the tens of millions and represents yet another season without positive net income. The Phoenix Coyotes, which went bankrupt in 2009 and were bought by the NHL, have lost money for at least 10 years straight. In all, since 2001, the team has lost $118 million. Compared to the Dodgers’ value of more than $1 billion, the Coyotes’ estimated value in 2010 was $134 million.
24/7 Wall St. identified teams that lost money for several years, based on Forbes estimates of income and value. Win-loss records and attendance numbers for a ten-year period from ESPN were used to demonstrate a down trend in performance and poor fan support. 24/7 Wall St.’s pro teams on the brink of collapse had consecutive years of losing money, poor win-loss records and declining attendance.
These are the seven pro teams on the brink of collapse.
1. Phoenix Coyotes
> 10-year change in attendance: -16.40% (third-biggest decline in NHL)
> W-L record 10 years: 329-310-38-61 (sixth worst in NHL)
> Operating income (2010): -$20 million
> Year founded: 1972 (moved to Phoenix in 1996)
> Value: $134 million (the least valuable in the NHL)
The Coyotes are one of the newest teams in the NHL, having moved from Winnipeg in 1996. According to Forbes, the Phoenix franchise is the least valuable in the NHL, worth just $134 million as of 2010. In contrast, the New York Rangers are worth more than three times as much. Between 2001 and 2010, the Coyotes lost money every single year, or a grand total of $118 million in losses over a nine-year period. In 2009, the losses were so high that the team declared bankruptcy. Eventually, the NHL ended up buying the team. Despite the fan draw of coach and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, as well as making the playoffs two years in a row (after missing them six seasons in a row), attendance remains low.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
> 10-year change in attendance: -12.88% (sixth biggest decline in NBA)
> W-L record 10 years: 339-481 (sixth worst in NBA)
> Operating income (2010): -$7 million
> Year founded: 1989
> Value: $264 million (second least valuable in NBA)
The Minnesota Timberwolves have missed the playoffs seven years in a row now, and with the NBA season in jeopardy, that streak could extend to eight. Looking at the past decade, the team has the sixth worst cumulative record in basketball. In the past few years, the team’s performance has been even worse. The team has won 56 games combined in the past three seasons, a number that five teams have surpassed in past season alone. Minnesota has lost money every year but one since 2004, and it is bound to lose a lot more if the lockout continues.
3. Sacramento Kings
> 10-year change in attendance: -19.79% (third biggest decline in NBA)
> W-L record 10 years: 410-410 (12th best)
> Operating income (2010): -$10 million
> Year founded: 1945 (moved to Sacramento in 1985)
> Value: $293 million (seventh least valuable in NBA)
Compared to the other NBA teams on this list, the Sacramento Kings still have a legitimate shot at recovery in the next few years, but their past few seasons have certainly put the team in a tight spot. At the beginning of the decade, the Kings were in the middle of an eight-season streak of making the playoffs, and during the 2001-2002 season were considered one of the best teams in basketball. The team has not made the playoffs since 2006, however, and increasingly poor performance has been a major drain on ticket sales. Since the 2000-2001 season, attendance has dropped nearly 20%. Net income has dropped four years in a row, and the team lost money in 2009 and 2010.
Also Read: The 20 Major League Teams With The Most Expensive Tickets
4. Indiana Pacers
> 10-year change in attendance: -24.32% (second biggest decline in NBA)
> W-L record 10 years: 399-421 (15th worst)
> Operating income (2010): -$17 million
> Year founded: 1967
> Value: $269 million (fourth least valuable in NBA)
The Indiana Pacers have not been in the black since 2005. Including 2010’s $17 million net loss, the team has cumulatively lost $52 million in five years. The team made the playoffs last year, ending a four-year drought, but then lost in five games to the Chicago Bulls. Attendance has declined precipitously since 2001, when the team was two years removed from a six-game loss in the championship to the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2001, the team averaged attendance of 17,888 per home game. In 2009, the team cut ticket prices by 30%, hoping to attract fans, but so far it has had little success. Last year, the Pacers averaged 13,538 people per home game, easily the worst in the league.
5. New York Islanders
> 10-year change in attendance: -2.40% (eighth biggest decline in NHL)
> W-L record 10 years: 316-322-30-70 (fourth worst in NHL)
> Operating income (2010): -$4 million
> Year founded: 1972
> Value: $151 million (fifth least valuable in NHL)
The New York Islanders have the fourth-worst record in the NHL over the past 10 seasons, winning just 316 of their 738 games in regulation time. On top of this, the Islanders compete in a regional market with the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. Both teams have had far greater success and are profitable. In 2001, the Islanders netted a profit of $1 million, compared to $6 million by the Devils and $60 million by the Rangers. Since that year, the franchise has failed to make a profit, losing $64 million cumulatively through 2010.
6. Detroit Lions
> 10-year change in attendance: -25.18% (the biggest decline in NFL)
> W-L record 10 years: 39-121 (the worst in NFL)
> Operating income (2010): -$8 million
> Year founded: 1929 (moved to Detroit in 1934)
> Value: $844 million (seventh least valuable in NFL)
While Detroit has certainly experienced increasing financial troubles, the team may be in the midst of turning its fortunes around. The Lions are currently 6-2, and the team is tied with several others for the third-best record in the NFL. If they continue to win, they could become a profitable NFL franchise again. However, stepping back from this year for a moment paints a less rosy picture. In the previous 10 seasons, the Lions have won just 39 out of 160 games, easily the worst record in the NFL. This includes the 2008 season, when the team became the only franchise ever to fail to win a game in the 16-game schedule. The team moved from the Silverdome in 2002 to Ford Field, hoping to save money, but even in the smaller stadium the team usually averages well below the 65,000 person capacity. While the franchise was profitable for the first half of the decade, the Lions lost money in four of the past five seasons, including the $8 million lost last year.
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
> 10-year change in attendance: -23.67% (biggest decline in NHL)
> W-L record 10 years: 285-356-24-73 (the worst in NHL)
> Operating income (2010): -$7 million
> Year founded: 2000
> Value: $153 million (sixth least valuable in NHL)
The Columbus Blue Jackets joined the League in 2000, the same year as the Minnesota Wild. Since they joined, the Jackets have won just 38% of their nonplayoff games in regulation time, and have not won a single playoff game (despite making the playoffs once in 2008-2009 season). In its first few years, the Columbus franchise managed to record profits, but as one disappointing season after another set in, attendance has begun to decline rapidly. This season, even after the team added several expensive players in marquee trades, they are off to another horrible start, with just two wins in 14 games.
Read more: Seven Pro Teams on the Brink of Collapse – 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/11/08/seven-pro-teams-on-the-brink-of-collapse/#ixzz1dV5HtNa5
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 12th, 2011
10:06 am
A “Nimbers” Game!
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Today is the first time in 40 years that Perp-State will play a game without Joe Pa as head coach.
Today, Skank-Dusky is charged with 40 counts of child molestation.
The flood of Noah’s day, lasted 40 days and 40 nights.
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In other related news re: Perp State: Advertisers are heading for the hills like Lot & Sarah in the demise of Sodom & Gomarrah, (see the parallel universe here?) Cars.com & Sherwin Williams have pulled their dollars and logo from their advertising budget in protest to the Perp-State scandal. This is only the TIP of the iceberg – fellas!
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Back on Blog Topic:
Contraction is not the answer for the NBA woes. If the owners just do the right thing and open their books and become transparent ? Then perhaps, just perhaps rhe rest of us will be convinced the NBA is on the brink of a Wall Street Meltdown. I, for one, am a non-believer. So, make a believer out of me! Without each other, the NBA and the NBPA negotiating in respect, honor and integrity? There will be an underlying work place environment of hostility.
With disgruntled employees! The production line will lose spirit and fire. It’s not about the money, it’s about fairness and respect. It should never be about the money.
Here’s my point: contraction leads to an increase in unemployment percentages, especially when JOBS are a premium in the “real world” market place. Four less NBA teams may equal 4,000 less jobs. From stadium vendors to the private airplane pilots and everyone in between.
I’m just sayin’
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 12th, 2011
10:32 am
Go Figure!
…… And, figure it out.
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 12th, 2011
10:37 am
Missing You!
I will miss:
NBA TV and Greg Anthony’s anlaphors.
TNT & Kenny “Jet” Smith’s – Gone Fishing Hats.
Charles Barkley saying, “Turrible! Just Turrible!”
Shaquille O’Neal’s TNT debut.
I will miss everything – NBA!
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Great Blog – Spark and hat’s off to O’Brien for, getting the conversation heated up and on Fiyah!!!
Don King
November 12th, 2011
10:47 am
we’ll be missing Kenny the Jet, but not Barkley’s ole A$$——–the league and players need to go away for a good while.
drmaryb .[*_*].
November 12th, 2011
10:52 am
Just Say it Then!
If you adopt the D-League clause that allows a team to send a player, less than 5 years tenured, down to the D-League with a reduced and pro-rated salary of 75K?
That my friends, spells of a Non-Guaranteed Contract!
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If a player is not allowed to choose his next team after the end of his current one?
What is that about? A non trade clause in a contract is negotiated by the player who wants to stay with the team of choice. Conversely, why would an owner want to force a player to play for a team he doesn’t want to play for?
In re: to the first point? If the owners want to end Guaranteed Contracts?
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Just Say it Then!
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Thanks to Brigadaire” Briggs” Jerry for explaining the negotiations in plain english – for the slooow people. Otherwise, I couldn’t formulate any opinions. I have NO clue what the hell is going on. LOL! This technical stuff is way above my pay-grade. LOL!
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That’s all I got to say about that. (in the voice of Forrest Gump). Stick a fork in me – I’m done ranting for one day. I’ll check in later to enjoy all the comments and ideas.
brigadierjerry
November 12th, 2011
11:39 am
drmaryb,
I hear that D-league thing is not true and not in the CBA proposal.
Drmary b did you see what shane battier said, this is what he said below:
At this point the entire lockout hinges on the issues of competitive balance. Making the (relative) less desirable places to sign as a free agent, more lucrative. Would our fans watch Milwaukee and Portland in the NBA finals (both with all-stars)? Or would a less star studded Laker/Celtic Finals still be a larger draw?
Shane Battier, via twitter: If there was a way to gauge the answer from our fans (empirically), we could end this lockout with confidence, on both sides, that we are best serving the people who make our league: NBA fans
As Hawks fans which would you prefer in regards to the above scenario or think would be better for the league overall?