NBA and Players Union Report Little Progress
John Nestor
New York, NY
A five-hour negotiating session between the NBA and the players union resulted in little progress, making the prospect of postponed training camps and cancelled games very real.
Training camps are supposed to open in about three weeks but the lockout drags on and the two sides are having trouble coming together.
Training camps were expected to open Oct. 3 and the regular season's opening night is scheduled for Nov. 1.
"Right now, we can't find a place with the league and our owners where we can reach a deal sooner rather than later," union president Derek Fisher said. "It's discouraging and unfortunate, but that's the reality of where we stand right now."
Union executive director Billy Hunter said there had been "little or no progress" made Tuesday.
NBA commissioner David Stern seemed to agree saying "We did not have a great day. I think it's fair to say that."
No additional meetings are scheduled ahead of an owners meeting in Dallas and players meeting in Las Vegas Thursday.
Despite the gloom and doom presented by the parties involved, both sides appear to be slowly moving toward some sort of common ground financially for a new deal.
But it might not be happening fast enough. In 1998 the league postponed camps and canceled preseason games on Sept. 24. If there is no new deal by mid-October, regular-season games would likely start being canceled.
Hunter has disputed Stern's assertion the league has offered new proposals and said the players are prepared to fight for the long haul.
"There's no question in my mind the players are unified, that if this deal and this is the best deal they can get, they've instructed us that they're prepared to sit out," Hunter said. "They're not prepared to accept this deal under any circumstance."
WNBA Enjoys Slight Surge in Popularity
With the NBA finding itself in a labor mess, the WNBA has once again reached new highs on attendance and TV viewership as the premier women's basketball league in the world prepares for the playoffs.
According to WNBA.com Wednesday, the league received the highest level of TV viewership since 2005 as it gained significant TV rating increases on ESPN2 (270,000 viewers; 5 percent up over last season) this 2011 season.
Media giant ABC also experienced a huge jump in its ratings for coverage of the 2011 WNBA All-Star game, hauling a 46 percent increase compared to the last time it aired the midseason spectacle in 2009.
The 2011 WNBA regular-season also had 1.25 percent rise on gate attendances\ with the Minnesota Lynx (+10.8 percent), Washington Mystics (+11.7 percent), and Chicago Sky (+29.0 percent) enjoying great patronage from the fans.
WNBA Digital achieved the same upward trend, recording increases on the daily unique (13 percent up) and overall visits (11 percent up) of WNBA.com. WNBA.com via LiveAccess hauled 55 percent rise in unique users.
Merchandizing is also doing well this season as WNBAStore.com reported a sales increase of 12 percent.
WNBA credited its surging popularity to a compelling season and a number of marketing deals, including the pact with the league's first marquee partner Boost Mobile.
Twitter: @ihavenet
- NBA and Players Union Report Little Progress
- Prince Fielder: Could Be Last Season in Milwaukee
- Mariano Rivera Reaches Big Milestone
- Versatile Kyle Kendrick Will Start It Off or Serve as Middle Relief For Phils
- Ian Kennedy in Cy Young Mix with Phils Duo and Clayton Kershaw
- LSU Defense Thwarts Mississippi State
- Big 12 Teetering on Edge of Disintegration
- NCAA Hits Boise State with Probation
- Ohio State Lacking Depth with Injuries and Suspensions
- Vick Ready to Return a Changed Man
- Texans Back Arian Foster Returns to Practice
- Versatile Brad Smith Wears Many Hats for Buffalo Bills
- Week 2 NFL 2011 Preview
- NFL 2011 Week 1 Players of the Week
- NBA and Players Union Report Little Progress
- Top Leafs Prospect Jake Gardiner Has Learned Defense Quickly
- Djokovic Takes Apart Nadal to Win First-Ever U.S. Open Tennis Championship
- Stosur Dominates U.S. Open Women's Final as Serena Blows Cool
- Michael Jordan Docked $100K For Lockout Comments
- MLB Keeps Mets From Honoring First Responders
- No. 2 LSU, third-ranked Alabama Romps Highlight Week Two
- Ohio State Survives Scare from Toledo
- Michigan State Piles Up Yards in Lopsided Win Over Florida Atlantic
- Arizona State Overcomes Late Surge Stuns Mizzou In Overtime
- ACC Considering Raising Buyout Amount If Teams Want to Leave Conference
- Legal Loopholes Hamper Texas A&M's Move to SEC
- 'Lightning' Bolt Powers Jamaica to Record 4X100 Relay Win
- Simpson Birdies Way to Deutsche Bank Championship in Playoff
- Chez Reavie Comeback Continues Despite Tough Finish at Deutsche Bank
- Thomas Bjorn Flys by Leaders Wins Easily at European Masters
- City of Vancouver Not Happy with NHL Stance Regarding Post-Game Riots
- Rebuilding Ottawa Senators Look to Bounce Back From Poor Season
- Can the Winnipeg Jets Win?
- Mistake-prone Oregon falls to LSU in Opener
- Michigan State Lineman Sets Ambitious Goals in Pursuit Of Big Ten Title
- PGA Tour's Fedex Cup Playoffs: What Are They Really?
- Keegan Bradley: PGA Champion Shakes Off Triple-Bogey
- PGA History: Rookie Keegan Bradley Gets Major Win in Playoff with Dufner
- Field Guide to the Die-hard Fan
- Klinsmann Opens Coaching Stint On Decent Note
- Dennis Rodman and Chris Mullin Headline 2011 NBA Hall of Fame Induction Class
- NBA Lock Out: Summer League Basketball Best Show in Town
- SEC Presidents Set To Meet About Possible Texas A&M Move
Copyright © 2011 AHN - All Rights Reserved