Your opinion of the NBA

[thatguythere]

You are referring to the U3 unemployment stats. Check the U6 unemployment rate (i.e. the rate before the Clinton administration that includes marginally detached workers and those who have given up looking for a job).

Basically the U3 makes things look better than they really are.

Much like the Consumer Price Index that takes out food and energy - :P

The only thing worse than statistics are government statistics.

I see, I thought you just made the number up.

While the 20% numbers are only estimates it is surprising to see such a gap between government reported statistics and third party estimates. I figured quantitative data would be more immune to government propaganda.

[Apollo]

Once you get more familiar with how often the US Government misleads its people it won't even be eyebrow raising anymore when you catch it again and again and again...

[mcHAPPY]

I see, I thought you just made the number up.

While the 20% numbers are only estimates it is surprising to see such a gap between government reported statistics and third party estimates. I figured quantitative data would be more immune to government propaganda.

The last 20-30 years of economic growth has been an illusion. Everything has been built on debt. The problem with debt is eventually it has to be repaid or written off. The interest required to carry the debt takes away from productive dollars in the economy. The governments of the last 20 years have been changing the statistics to hide the truth behind the illusion.

U6 is not third party. Using the formula it gives a percentage that was widely reported on until only 20 years ago. U3 just sounds better.

It is not only government that fudge the numbers. Look at price/earning rations for private companies. Until the last 5 years, this was always based on the previous quarter or year's earnings i.e. it was a real and concrete number. Today when P/E ratios are reported in the press it is based on 'forward' earnings - that is estimates.

Things really are much worse than people realize. The Romans distracted the peasants with games and fights to the death. Citizens of western countries (particularly the US and Canada) are distracted by reality TV and government handouts (do you realize you can go on UI in the US for 99 weeks now, that is nearly 2 years! even Canada is only 6 months). Slowly but surely people will wake up - if they are not already.

These 'evil' owners might just be more aware of what is coming down the pipe than the average joe and NBA player.

*so ends my political commentary for this evening*

[thatguythere]

Once you get more familiar with how often the US Government misleads its people it won't even be eyebrow raising anymore when you catch it again and again and again...

I am quite familiar with the ways of the US government, from JFK to Gulf of Tonkin to 911 I don't find it surprising at all, I just didn't know about the two different methods.

[mcHAPPY]

This is what I have been advocating. Players (in particular star players) should have the right to free agency but if they are going to leave, have it cost them $40-$50M. Abolish sign and trades.

Jerry
Is there going to be a “franchise player” tag/deal of some sort. I have been a Magic Season ticker holder–but if the Magic lose DH, I am going to read books instead of watching BB. It totally sucks to lose a Shaq, LaBron, DH, etc

Steve Kyler
Does not sound like it… whats been talked about is that contracts would be three years in length for a player leaving his team… 4 years for players who stay and a possible 5th year for franchise players. Combine those two additional years and that there may not be sign and trades allowed and you get about a $30-$40 million swing if a player leaves his home team.

So in Dwight’s case he can opt-out in Orlando and re-sign on a five year deal worth roughly $90-$100 million depending on how raises are computed or he can walk, losing his Bord Rights, and sign a three year deal with another team worth about $51 to $55 million (whatever max allowed under the cap, likely $15 million maybe less).

[Apollo]

Players are so pissed that they're going to make... Children pay?

"The guys are going bananas," another agent with several star players said Sunday night.

"They're being treated like employees," the slow-to-anger agent said. "And people who are treated like employees are 9-to-5ers. They punch the clock and they're out the door."

Over and over in the last two weeks, I have heard the same refrain from players and agents, from big markets and small ones, max guys and minimum salaried guys. You can forget asking about community service work. You can forget asking for cooperation for NBA Cares. Basketball Without Borders? Don't even ask.

Source: NBA.com

"We're pissed! We're being treated like employees even though we share in none of the burden of the operating costs and have no financial investment in the organizations!

Takes that local communities who support the teams which generates the revenues to pay us! Guess what? We're not helping you poor ass "9 to 5ers" anymore. We don't care if you buy all that crap we sell on T.V. which is made in sweat shops in China, shipped back to America and is helping to devastate our economy by taking away your jobs and shrinking tax money used for public programs! We don't care how much money we make off that sweat shop crap thanks to you!

Foreign kids wanting to learn our game and who are looking for inspiration? Up yours!

We don't care and we're soooo leaving this house when we're 18!"

Did anybody else get this kind of feeling when reading this? Talk about a PR mess.

[heinz57]

If they werent employees they wouldn't have a f'ing union