The NFL stuff is still going on because the two sides can’t figure out how to divide up a boatload of money. I mean, we are talking about over $9 billion that needs to get split up, and the owners and players can’t agree how to do that. Now, the NBA is in a situation where over half of the teams in the league are losing money. The major markets are taking in all the dough, and apparently everyone else is struggling to stay afloat. It really blows my mind that two leagues can be in essentially the same situation (lockout), with one of them having so much money they don’t know what to do with while the other is trying to find a way to make a profit.

I know that both of these situations are far more complex than money, but no one can deny that $$ is at the heart of both stoppages.  I’m not saying one is right and one is wrong, but doesn’t this NBA situation make the NFL look even worse? The NFL is thriving, taking in money hand over fist, and yet as it stands right now, the league is prepared to miss games if necessary. The NBA is trying to find a way to bring in more money than it has so franchises can function while making a profit. I would never condone a lockout for any reason, and I’m certainly not giving the NBA a pass here, but I understand why they are in this situation. If the NFL didn’t look petty before, it certainly does now.

Now, I don’t want to be all gloom-and-doom about this, because Smith also said that he is optimistic because the two sides are in discussions, but this is a major blow to all the puppy dogs and rainbows we have been hearing over the last few weeks. Several other insiders, including Mike Freeman, Pete Prisco, and Albert Breen just to name a few, aren’t convinced that things are worse than everyone thinks, but in my experience, Glazer is almost always spot-on with his reports. He is one of the most informed “insiders” in the business, so if he says something happened, I believe him. The real question is: Is Smith using this to gain leverage in negotiations?

With all of the stories out there about the two sides being close, there is a certain amount of pressure to get this thing done soon. If the players turn down the offer, they are the bad guys for keeping the season from getting started. I think Smith is using this “leaked” story to show the public that the owners are still trying to get one over on the players. We are really getting into crunch time now, so this is the last thing any of us wanted to hear, but I wouldn’t give up all hope just yet. Let’s just all pray that the next report is

I think the best news to come out of this is that the attorneys for both sides were not present. Obviously, lawyers are necessary in litigation like this, but it’s pretty obvious that these people don’t have the best interest of the league in mind. The attorneys are only concerned with their billable hours and their side winning, so they don’t care how long this thing drags out. In fact, they would prefer if this thing would continue on as long as possible, because that’s just more money in their pockets. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that we are hearing good news about talks and there are no lawyers present. The best way to get this thing settled is for the two sides to sit down, face-to-face, and hammer out a deal. No outside influences, no pressure from people who aren’t immediately involved. Just the players and owners getting the thing done. It sounds like they are on their way, so at least it’s a start.