ESPN's Marc Stein, in the process of breaking news that the NBA and the referee union have reached a stalemate in contract negotiations, and that a lockout (and a set of replacement refs) looks more likely than ever, wonders if commissioner David Stern is taking a hard line to put some fear into the players union, a group he and the NBA owners may need to lock out in two years.The facts certainly imply this is a scare job: Stein reports the league is pushing for a $3.2 million reduction of the total ref budget (a 10% cut), while the refs have said they will give up no more than $2.5 million (or 7.8%) total. That zone of disagreement -- $700,000 -- is, of course, small potatoes. It equates to some 0.02% of the total NBA revenue pot.
If I were a referee, I'd probably be upset about this penny-pinching too. And were I a player, I'd be ready for some serious nitpicking from the league.
It's not that the refs today or the players tomorrow are necessarily right -- it's just got to be a bad feeling to see a megalith like the NBA threaten a lockout over a measly $700,000 (assuming Stein's figures are correct). The fact that the referee budget (which includes salary, travel, playoff bonuses, health benefits, pension payments) is only $32 million -- the equivalent of five players making the average NBA salary -- is a bit jarring. Our game is in these referees' hands, and they can affect each and every game ... and combined they make about half of what the Bobcats make.
The 10% cut seems steep, but I'm not privy to the economics of it. The NBA's offices in Secaucus, N.J. and New York have made serious cuts over the past year, and many teams have done the same. The mid-contract ref cut does seem silly in a dollar sense -- again, the current quibbling is over an amount which constitutes two tenths of one percent of the NBA's annual revenue -- but it's understandable in the macro view.
Disappointing and unfortunate, but understandable. It won't be understandable if the NBA carries this disaster to term and runs replacement referees out onto the court. It's in the NBA's interest to show the players union there will be blood, but it's in no one's best interest to start the season with back-up zebras. A deal has to be made.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
This is pretty clearly a warning shot across the bow.
David Stern is smart. He knows that starting the season with replacement refs is not worth 700K. However, he does know that making a mountain out of a molehill sends a message to players: "We're not taking any [stuff] from anyone."
The last thing the players and the game needs is a lockout. I'm confident a deal will be done in time for both groups, but Mr. Stern knows what he's doing with this threat.
In fact, looking at the bigger scope here, an NBA lockout at that time might even be more damaging as it appears that the NFL may have CBA trouble as well. As Gregg Easterbrook has said, the NFL is king, but it need not always be that way. If the NFL is locked out, the NBA may be able to step in and fill up those Sunday afternoons. They ought to tread lightly here, a lot of dough is on the line.
The players, coaches, etc., always complain the refs are sleeping with the other team, and persecuting them, anyway. It is always 5 against 8, in their estimation. They`ll whine, lockout or no lockout, as they always do.