The time to broker an N.B.A. labor deal without harming the preseason had most likely already passed by the time negotiators gathered Thursday morning in Manhattan. When they parted ways in the afternoon, a deal still out of reach, it guaranteed that training camps and exhibition games would be canceled for the second time in league history.
Commissioner David Stern was not ready to make that concession publicly, but the decision is inevitable and could cheap jerseys come as soon as Friday.
“I have no announcement to make today,” Stern said, looking grim-faced, “but the calendar is not our friend.”
Training camps are supposed to open in 11 days, on Oct. 4. The first exhibition games are scheduled for Oct. 9. Without a handshake deal, there is no time to draft an agreement and sign free agents, and still keep that schedule.
The N.B.A. has not lost a game, preseason or regular season, to a labor dispute since the 1998 lockout. That year, league officials started canceling exhibition games on Sept. 24 and regular-season games on Oct. 13.
Realistically, the league needs at least four weeks to prepare for the regular season, so the actual deadline for a deal is closer to Oct. 4. Opening night this year is scheduled for Nov. 1. Asked if negotiations were far enough along to start the season on time, Stern said: “I don’t have any response to that. I don’t know the answer.”
Stern has a conference call scheduled on Friday with the owners who make up the labor committee. Any announcements would probably come after that.
None of the principals in Thursday’s five-hour meeting would characterize the proceedings, other than to say that it is still worth talking. They plan to meet again next week.
“We’ll keep talking until we figure it out, until we get a fair deal done,” said Derek Fisher, the president of the players union.
Asked if anything had changed from last week, when union leaders expressed deep pessimism after another long meeting, Fisher said, “No.”
If body language and tone meant anything, the signs Thursday were discouraging. The usually talkative Fisher spoke for just two and a half minutes. He sounded weary after taking an overnight flight from Los Angeles, and surely disappointed at the lack of a deal. Stern, who celebrated his 69th birthday on Thursday, was as dour as he has been since the lockout began three months ago.
Stern turned more light-hearted when someone mentioned his glum demeanor.
“No, actually my demeanor is flat, because I don’t have anything to say,” Stern said. “We told them we wouldn’t say anything, I’ve told you I wouldn’t say anything. And so I don’t want to say anything. If you’d like me to smile, I’m happy to smile.”
The owners and players remain divided over both financial and structural issues, although they have closed the gap significantly in recent weeks. The players are prepared to reduce their share of revenue to 53 percent or less, from the current 57 percent, with every percentage point representing about $40 million. But the union has conditioned that offer on retaining a soft salary cap.
Owners have been insisting on a hard cap and are seeking no worse than a 50-50 split of league revenue. But Stern signaled last week that the cap structure was negotiable, opening the door to a potential compromise.
“We have to address both,” Stern said. “We’ve been consistent. We need an economic system, and we need a system where teams can compete, and fans know their teams can compete. And that’s where we’re at.”
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Texas' Hamilton hits slam in 9-1 win over Indians
Billy Hunter hoped to deliver good news when he meets with NBA players on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Instead, the executive director of the players' association isn't even sure how he will answer all their questions.
No progress was made toward ending the 2-month lockout during a meeting with owners Tuesday, and Hunter might have to tell players to look elsewhere if they want to be paid to play basketball anytime soon.
"There are a lot of guys, many marquee players now, who have offers to go outside the country. And the question is, what do they do?" Hunter said. "I mean, do they hold off making the decision, or do they wait in hopes that we get a deal in place sometime in the immediate future?"
Hopes of that diminished after Tuesday's meeting between the union's executive committee and the owners' labor relations committee ended with the sides still divided over the salary cap system, despite a hint of economic compromise.
And with Hunter and union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers warning that the season might not open on time, where do players go from here?
Overseas?
A court room, to sue the league after dissolving their union?
Back to NBA arenas, playing under a deal they hate?
Hunter makes the latter two options seem unlikely for now, reiterating Tuesday that players are unified in their refusal to accept the owners' current proposal.
But players might be considering overseas alternatives now more than ever.
"As time passes, guys are going to definitely defect, and you won't be able to find the same combination of skill and talent and character that the 450 of us NBA players possess," NBPA vice president Maurice Evans of the Wizards said. "You're not just going to go out and find that at random to replace this product; that should definitely be noted."
To date, Nets All-Star point guard Deron Williams' deal with Turkish team Besiktas is still the only one signed by a top NBA player since the lockout began July 1. Commissioner David Stern has downplayed the overseas option, believing there isn't the money or comforts to entice his superstars. But lower-level players might choose any contract over no guaranteed payment back home anytime soon.
More than 40 players are in Las Vegas this week taking part in a league at the Impact Basketball academy, so union leaders decided to go there to speak with them. Meanwhile, owners will be meeting in Dallas. Stern has said there won't be any decisions at Thursday's session to cancel training camps, which were scheduled to begin in less than three weeks.
Despite Tuesday's lack of progress, Fisher said his message won't change much Thursday — because it's been cautious all along.
"I don't think we've minced our words in terms of our guys understanding that this was a moment that we expected to find ourselves in starting over two years ago," Fisher said. "We expected to be here, we anticipated that, we felt like our owners were strong enough in their position … that they'd be possibly willing to risk time lost in the season to get the things they needed in this particular round of collective bargaining."
Hunter and Fisher likely will have to address the concept of decertification during their presentation. NFL players dissolved their union this year so they could file an antitrust lawsuit against the league, though they ultimately resolved their dispute with owners.
Hunter's preferred course has been to wait for a ruling on a charge the union filed against the league with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair bargaining practices.
"We've never really had any discussions about decertification," Hunter said. "As you're aware, we've obviously been experiencing some pressure, at least in the media, from some of the agents about decertification. But that's not a message that's crossed our lips."
Hunter added he hoped for a ruling from the NLRB by the end of this month.
That would be too late to save the opening of training camps, but time remains to open the regular season as scheduled on Nov. 1. Hunter hopes that at some point a split will develop between big-market and small-market owners — if it's not already there — and the big spenders who have more incentive to play without massive changes to the structure will push for a settlement.
"I think there's probably a division of interest within their group, and I think trying to develop a consensus within the group is the issue," he said.
In the meantime, Fisher is instructing players to train as normal.
"Continue to prepare yourself physically and mentally for whatever circumstances play out, and if we start on time, you should be physically ready to go," he said. "The way it looks right now we may not start on time, and you should continue to make the decisions and the plans accordingly to your individual situation."
Instead, the executive director of the players' association isn't even sure how he will answer all their questions.
No progress was made toward ending the 2-month lockout during a meeting with owners Tuesday, and Hunter might have to tell players to look elsewhere if they want to be paid to play basketball anytime soon.
"There are a lot of guys, many marquee players now, who have offers to go outside the country. And the question is, what do they do?" Hunter said. "I mean, do they hold off making the decision, or do they wait in hopes that we get a deal in place sometime in the immediate future?"
Hopes of that diminished after Tuesday's meeting between the union's executive committee and the owners' labor relations committee ended with the sides still divided over the salary cap system, despite a hint of economic compromise.
And with Hunter and union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers warning that the season might not open on time, where do players go from here?
Overseas?
A court room, to sue the league after dissolving their union?
Back to NBA arenas, playing under a deal they hate?
Hunter makes the latter two options seem unlikely for now, reiterating Tuesday that players are unified in their refusal to accept the owners' current proposal.
But players might be considering overseas alternatives now more than ever.
"As time passes, guys are going to definitely defect, and you won't be able to find the same combination of skill and talent and character that the 450 of us NBA players possess," NBPA vice president Maurice Evans of the Wizards said. "You're not just going to go out and find that at random to replace this product; that should definitely be noted."
To date, Nets All-Star point guard Deron Williams' deal with Turkish team Besiktas is still the only one signed by a top NBA player since the lockout began July 1. Commissioner David Stern has downplayed the overseas option, believing there isn't the money or comforts to entice his superstars. But lower-level players might choose any contract over no guaranteed payment back home anytime soon.
More than 40 players are in Las Vegas this week taking part in a league at the Impact Basketball academy, so union leaders decided to go there to speak with them. Meanwhile, owners will be meeting in Dallas. Stern has said there won't be any decisions at Thursday's session to cancel training camps, which were scheduled to begin in less than three weeks.
Despite Tuesday's lack of progress, Fisher said his message won't change much Thursday — because it's been cautious all along.
"I don't think we've minced our words in terms of our guys understanding that this was a moment that we expected to find ourselves in starting over two years ago," Fisher said. "We expected to be here, we anticipated that, we felt like our owners were strong enough in their position … that they'd be possibly willing to risk time lost in the season to get the things they needed in this particular round of collective bargaining."
Hunter and Fisher likely will have to address the concept of decertification during their presentation. NFL players dissolved their union this year so they could file an antitrust lawsuit against the league, though they ultimately resolved their dispute with owners.
Hunter's preferred course has been to wait for a ruling on a charge the union filed against the league with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair bargaining practices.
"We've never really had any discussions about decertification," Hunter said. "As you're aware, we've obviously been experiencing some pressure, at least in the media, from some of the agents about decertification. But that's not a message that's crossed our lips."
Hunter added he hoped for a ruling from the NLRB by the end of this month.
That would be too late to save the opening of training camps, but time remains to open the regular season as scheduled on Nov. 1. Hunter hopes that at some point a split will develop between big-market and small-market owners — if it's not already there — and the big spenders who have more incentive to play without massive changes to the structure will push for a settlement.
"I think there's probably a division of interest within their group, and I think trying to develop a consensus within the group is the issue," he said.
In the meantime, Fisher is instructing players to train as normal.
"Continue to prepare yourself physically and mentally for whatever circumstances play out, and if we start on time, you should be physically ready to go," he said. "The way it looks right now we may not start on time, and you should continue to make the decisions and the plans accordingly to your individual situation."
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Nadal beats Roddick, sets up US Open semifinals vs Murray
Defending champion Rafael Nadal set up a meeting with fourth-ranked Andy Murray in the semifinals of the U.S. Open by overwhelming home favourite Andy Roddick in straight sets in the last eight on Friday.
Whipping passing shots from all angles and returning superbly, the No. 2-seeded Nadal beat No. 21 Roddick 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semis at Flushing Meadows for the fourth consecutive year.
The Spanish star compiled a stunning 22-0 edge in forehand winners and broke Roddick’s powerful serve six times.
“It was quick. Obviously, it was a combination of things that probably weren’t going to work out today,” said Roddick, who had trouble pushing off on his fatigued legs and was massaged by a trainer during a medical timeout in the third set. “It was evident pretty early that he was in full control.”
Nadal took the first four games against the 2003 U.S. Open champion thanks to two breaks in the opening 18 minutes, and then took 16 of the last 17 points to close the second set. In the third set, Roddick had both of his legs massaged by a trainer during a medical timeout.
“The beginning of the match was really important,” Nadal said. “Andy had a really tough match yesterday. Probably, he was tired. Sorry for him.”
Seeking his 11th Grand Slam title, Nadal has yet to drop a set heading into Saturday’s semifinal against Britain’s Murray, who beat No. 28 John Isner 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2) earlier Friday.
The other semifinal was set up by Thursday’s quarterfinals and will feature No. 1 Novak Djokovic against No. 3 Roger Federer, who has won five of his record 16 Grand Slam championships at the U.S. Open. For the second time in the last three major tournaments, the final foursome is filled by the top four men in the game but it hasn’t happened at the U.S. Open since 1992.
“They’re pretty firmly the best players in the world right now,” Roddick said. “They certainly deserve the numbers next to their names.”
Djokovic is 62-2 with nine titles in 2011, including at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His first loss this season came when Federer ended Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak in a thrilling French Open semifinal.
Nadal has won 12 of 16 matches against Murray, including a win in the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon this year.
Murray figures to face more of the same trouble in New York if Nadal plays as well as he did Friday.
“It will be a very tough match for me,” Nadal said, “and hopefully for him, too.”
The exits by Roddick and Isner with first lady Michelle Obama sitting in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium meant that this will be the 32nd Grand Slam tournament in a row without a male champion from the United States, extending the country’s longest drought, which dates to Roddick’s 2003 triumph in New York.
Not all that long ago, the 29-year-old Roddick wasn’t even sure whether he’d be able to compete at the U.S. Open this year because of a torn abdominal muscle. Struggling with various injuries, the former No. 1-ranked player has endured a tough season, dropping outside the top 20 for the first time in a decade.
At the U.S. Open, though, Roddick’s serve was broken only six times in four matches until Friday. Then again, he hadn’t faced anyone anywhere close to the talent of Nadal.
Early in the second set after Roddick was broken yet again, seven-time major champion John McEnroe said on the CBS broadcast- “So far, he looks like he’s in slow motion.”
A couple of games later, Roddick double-faulted to get broken at love and fell behind by 4-1 in that set.
Roddick, meanwhile, wasn’t able to threaten Nadal’s serve until the start of the third set, but the Spaniard saved all four break points there the only four he faced all match.
Similarly, Murray dealt well with Isner’s big serve, ending the marathon man’s best run at a major tournament.
Murray, like Nadal one of tennis’ top returners, weathered 17 aces at up to 140 mph from the 6-foot-9 Isner but repeatedly got back serves topping 130 mph and managed to break twice in a row bridging the first two sets.
“It’s so frustrating playing against him because you feel like you’re playing good tennis, and it’s so hard to break him,” said Murray, who has won his past 10 matches.
While Murray is a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, Isner was playing in his first such quarterfinal, and he acknowledged that jitters affected him at the outset.
“I wasn’t swinging out like I felt like I should have early on in the match. I was just guiding the ball,” said Isner. “That was a little bit of nerves. It just took awhile to free up.”
To date, Isner is best known for winning the longest match in tennis history, 70-68 in the fifth set in Wimbledon’s first round in 2010, when he pounded 113 aces over its record 11 hours, 5 minutes.
Isner repeatedly has said he aims to be known for a more important victory in the late stages of a top tournament, but that’ll have to wait.
“It’s been a good run for me, but I’m still disappointed right now,” Isner said. “I’m not satisfied.”
Murray’s past Grand Slam final appearances include losses to Djokovic at the Australian Open in January and to Federer at the U.S. Open in 2008. He’s seeking to become the first British man since 1936 to win a Grand Slam title.
As it is, Murray is only the seventh man in the Open era to reach at least the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single season. Three of the others are Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Trying to push Murray to a fifth set, Isner got the fourth into a tiebreaker, where his serving is usually a significant advantage.
Not this time.
Isner’s play was littered with mistakes down the stretch. He double-faulted to trail 2-1, slapped what he later called a “gimme volley” into the net to make it 5-2, put a drop shot into the net for 6-2, then missed a forehand return on match point, ending things after 3 hours, 24 minutes.
“He put a ton of pressure on me,” Murray said. “It was a relief to win that fourth-set ‘breaker.”
Whipping passing shots from all angles and returning superbly, the No. 2-seeded Nadal beat No. 21 Roddick 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semis at Flushing Meadows for the fourth consecutive year.
The Spanish star compiled a stunning 22-0 edge in forehand winners and broke Roddick’s powerful serve six times.
“It was quick. Obviously, it was a combination of things that probably weren’t going to work out today,” said Roddick, who had trouble pushing off on his fatigued legs and was massaged by a trainer during a medical timeout in the third set. “It was evident pretty early that he was in full control.”
Nadal took the first four games against the 2003 U.S. Open champion thanks to two breaks in the opening 18 minutes, and then took 16 of the last 17 points to close the second set. In the third set, Roddick had both of his legs massaged by a trainer during a medical timeout.
“The beginning of the match was really important,” Nadal said. “Andy had a really tough match yesterday. Probably, he was tired. Sorry for him.”
Seeking his 11th Grand Slam title, Nadal has yet to drop a set heading into Saturday’s semifinal against Britain’s Murray, who beat No. 28 John Isner 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2) earlier Friday.
The other semifinal was set up by Thursday’s quarterfinals and will feature No. 1 Novak Djokovic against No. 3 Roger Federer, who has won five of his record 16 Grand Slam championships at the U.S. Open. For the second time in the last three major tournaments, the final foursome is filled by the top four men in the game but it hasn’t happened at the U.S. Open since 1992.
“They’re pretty firmly the best players in the world right now,” Roddick said. “They certainly deserve the numbers next to their names.”
Djokovic is 62-2 with nine titles in 2011, including at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His first loss this season came when Federer ended Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak in a thrilling French Open semifinal.
Nadal has won 12 of 16 matches against Murray, including a win in the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon this year.
Murray figures to face more of the same trouble in New York if Nadal plays as well as he did Friday.
“It will be a very tough match for me,” Nadal said, “and hopefully for him, too.”
The exits by Roddick and Isner with first lady Michelle Obama sitting in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium meant that this will be the 32nd Grand Slam tournament in a row without a male champion from the United States, extending the country’s longest drought, which dates to Roddick’s 2003 triumph in New York.
Not all that long ago, the 29-year-old Roddick wasn’t even sure whether he’d be able to compete at the U.S. Open this year because of a torn abdominal muscle. Struggling with various injuries, the former No. 1-ranked player has endured a tough season, dropping outside the top 20 for the first time in a decade.
At the U.S. Open, though, Roddick’s serve was broken only six times in four matches until Friday. Then again, he hadn’t faced anyone anywhere close to the talent of Nadal.
Early in the second set after Roddick was broken yet again, seven-time major champion John McEnroe said on the CBS broadcast- “So far, he looks like he’s in slow motion.”
A couple of games later, Roddick double-faulted to get broken at love and fell behind by 4-1 in that set.
Roddick, meanwhile, wasn’t able to threaten Nadal’s serve until the start of the third set, but the Spaniard saved all four break points there the only four he faced all match.
Similarly, Murray dealt well with Isner’s big serve, ending the marathon man’s best run at a major tournament.
Murray, like Nadal one of tennis’ top returners, weathered 17 aces at up to 140 mph from the 6-foot-9 Isner but repeatedly got back serves topping 130 mph and managed to break twice in a row bridging the first two sets.
“It’s so frustrating playing against him because you feel like you’re playing good tennis, and it’s so hard to break him,” said Murray, who has won his past 10 matches.
While Murray is a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, Isner was playing in his first such quarterfinal, and he acknowledged that jitters affected him at the outset.
“I wasn’t swinging out like I felt like I should have early on in the match. I was just guiding the ball,” said Isner. “That was a little bit of nerves. It just took awhile to free up.”
To date, Isner is best known for winning the longest match in tennis history, 70-68 in the fifth set in Wimbledon’s first round in 2010, when he pounded 113 aces over its record 11 hours, 5 minutes.
Isner repeatedly has said he aims to be known for a more important victory in the late stages of a top tournament, but that’ll have to wait.
“It’s been a good run for me, but I’m still disappointed right now,” Isner said. “I’m not satisfied.”
Murray’s past Grand Slam final appearances include losses to Djokovic at the Australian Open in January and to Federer at the U.S. Open in 2008. He’s seeking to become the first British man since 1936 to win a Grand Slam title.
As it is, Murray is only the seventh man in the Open era to reach at least the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single season. Three of the others are Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Trying to push Murray to a fifth set, Isner got the fourth into a tiebreaker, where his serving is usually a significant advantage.
Not this time.
Isner’s play was littered with mistakes down the stretch. He double-faulted to trail 2-1, slapped what he later called a “gimme volley” into the net to make it 5-2, put a drop shot into the net for 6-2, then missed a forehand return on match point, ending things after 3 hours, 24 minutes.
“He put a ton of pressure on me,” Murray said. “It was a relief to win that fourth-set ‘breaker.”
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