RE: the return of the NBA

[NAOS]

Let’s set aside the idealisms and bromides like ‘sports bring people together’ for just a minute and consider something...

How much of the activism right now—critical and effective activism—is being fueled by the fact that people have been without their usual Entertainment distractions?

That’s kind of an awkward wording... to conceptualize the catalysis of a reaction in terms of a LACK of something isn’t without its challenges. But I think you get my drift: most people have become more dominated by a set of non-stop Entertainment values than they’d like to acknowledge, and these values keep us in a sort of suspension that isn’t conducive to change. In fact, they may very well be directly resistant to change: they have us where they want us; our attention spans are the raw material for their capitalist production.

Bromides like ‘sports bring people together’ we’re authored in a different time, well before the emergence and domination of forms of capital (that rely on our attention span to such a significant degree) that we see today. So let’s be weary of these bromides when we hear them.

I can’t support the return of the NBA, or any other sport, right now. I’d rather the critical mass of our attentions keep circulating through the uncomfortable questions that are confronting us: ongoing racial disparities, coronavirus outbreaks, electoral failures in Georgia and whether or not those predict electoral failures this November, etc.

Please discuss.

 

[DasJazz]

Bring back sports.

 

[Troat Guru]

Interesting observations, non trivial at all...I have to think a bit about that.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Agreed.

Also, Covid isn’t going away without a vaccine.

 

[Nate505]

Let’s set aside the idealisms and bromides like ‘sports bring people together’ for just a minute and consider something...

How much of the activism right now—critical and effective activism—is being fueled by the fact that people have been without their usual Entertainment distractions?

That’s kind of an awkward wording... to conceptualize the catalysis of a reaction in terms of a LACK of something isn’t without its challenges. But I think you get my drift: most people have become more dominated by a set of non-stop Entertainment values than they’d like to acknowledge, and these values keep us in a sort of suspension that isn’t conducive to change. In fact, they may very well be directly resistant to change: they have us where they want us; our attention spans are the raw material for their capitalist production.

Bromides like ‘sports bring people together’ we’re authored in a different time, well before the emergence and domination of forms of capital (that rely on our attention span to such a significant degree) that we see today. So let’s be weary of these bromides when we hear them.

I can’t support the return of the NBA, or any other sport, right now. I’d rather the critical mass of our attentions keep circulating through the uncomfortable questions that are confronting us: ongoing racial disparities, coronavirus outbreaks, electoral failures in Georgia and whether or not those predict electoral failures this November, etc.

Please discuss.

The critical mass of our attentions will eventually go somewhere else. It's exhausting/uncomfortable/whatever to be politically active all the time. At least for most people. It's why so few people are activists in this country.

If it's not the NBA it will be the NHL, or golf, or a new season of some show in Netflix.

If NBA players really want to keep this message of social change in the spotlight, there's nothing better than an actual spotlight to do it with.

 

[fishonjazz]

Agreed.

Also, Covid isn’t going away without a vaccine.

Even with a vaccine it probably won't go away, especially since many idiots won't even get the vaccine for fear that bill gates is trying to control them

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[Saint Cy of JFC]

Sports being gone has improved my life overall and I think the world as a whole (besides people losing their jobs who work in the industry and aren't multi millionaires)

 

[infection]

Even with a vaccine it probably won't go away, especially since many idiots won't even get the vaccine for fear that bill gates is trying to control them

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Don’t underestimate the psychodynamic principles at play where the societal collective will submit to what would be perceived as an acceptable resolution from an appropriate savior. Not in terms of people getting it or it sufficiently suppressing the virus, but its presence as the culmination of “the process” to produce a palatable solution to treat the widespread fear and anxiety. When we have a tangible “Hah! This is why!” solution, that completely shuts down all the rubes in their ignorant arrogance, only then may life resume.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Even with a vaccine it probably won't go away, especially since many idiots won't even get the vaccine for fear that bill gates is trying to control them

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But we’ll at least have brakes then. There will be any kind of answer to this.

 

[fishonjazz]

Don’t underestimate the psychodynamic principles at play where the societal collective will submit to what would be perceived as an acceptable resolution from an appropriate savior. Not in terms of people getting it or it sufficiently suppressing the virus, but its presence as the culmination of “the process” to produce a palatable solution to treat the widespread fear and anxiety. When we have a tangible “Hah! This is why!” solution, that completely shuts down all the rubes in their ignorant arrogance, only then may life resume.

Huh?

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[Beer]

Austin Rivers providing a logical counter arguement to Kyrie.



I think the season should just be cancelled, but I understand the financial ramifications so they should just suck it up and play 20 more games or whatever it will be for most of them.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I don’t know what the right answer is, but the distractions from the protests should be measured against the huge platform they have... but the biggest thing they need to understand is not playing will have enormous financial consequences.

Here is what will happen if the season is canceled... nbas tv partners will be able to use the Force Majeure clause and get a bunch of money back... the nba then does it to the players requiring them to get their money back... the cba is then torn up and they have to renegotiate a new cba.

The nba owners will have huge leverage as next year there may not be fans... so they will dig in and the players either sign a shorty deal for them or they go without paychecks for the year. So you are talking billions in loses and the loss of a major part of their platform for 18 months.

I think some of the players think... eh we will avoid this bubble issue and stay home... nbd... welllllll not so fast.

 

[NAOS]

I don’t know what the right answer is, but the distractions from the protests should be measured against the huge platform they have... but the biggest thing they need to understand is not playing will have enormous financial consequences.

Here is what will happen if the season is canceled... nbas tv partners will be able to use the Force Majeure clause and get a bunch of money back... the nba then does it to the players requiring them to get their money back... the cba is then torn up and they have to renegotiate a new cba.

The nba owners will have huge leverage as next year there may not be fans... so they will dig in and the players either sign a shorty deal for them or they go without paychecks for the year. So you are talking billions in loses and the loss of a major part of their platform for 18 months.

I think some of the players think... eh we will avoid this bubble issue and stay home... nbd... welllllll not so fast.

Everything you’re saying, whilst looking at the particular financial realities of this segment of the Entertainment industry, makes good sense. And we only understand our new financial reality when we drill into the particulars, so we should be doing that.

Wherever there are unions, and wherever an Entertainment product has significant degree of autonomy from other productive organelles of the industry (both of these advantages are enjoyed by sports), I expect that the particular financial realities will win over the holdouts. Too much money will be on the line.

Things will be different in, for example, the film production world, where unions are much less able to catalyze production and guarantee any financial protections for workers over owners. Plus, each Entertainment product requires the collaboration of many more independent (or quasi-independent) entities. It’s harder to put a bubble around that kind of thing (especially given the coronavirus testing debacle in this country).

But all these considerations are separate from whether or not I, or anyone else, should be too concerned with Entertainment. Every disruption or delay could be a good thing, if only because it might given some people some more experience of what it feels like when the pacifier isn’t in their mouths.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Everything you’re saying, whilst looking at the particular financial realities of this segment of the Entertainment industry, makes good sense. And we only understand our new financial reality when we drill into the particulars, so we should be doing that.

Wherever there are unions, and wherever an Entertainment product has significant degree of autonomy from other productive organelles of the industry (both of these advantages are enjoyed by sports), I expect that the particular financial realities will win over the holdouts. Too much money will be on the line.

Things will be different in, for example, the film production world, where unions are much less able to catalyze production and guarantee any financial protections for workers over owners. Plus, each Entertainment product requires the collaboration of many more independent (or quasi-independent) entities. It’s harder to put a bubble around that kind of thing (especially given the coronavirus testing debacle in this country).

But all these considerations are separate from whether or not I, or anyone else, should be too concerned with Entertainment. Every disruption or delay could be a good thing, if only because it might given some people some more experience of what it feels like when the pacifier isn’t in their mouths.

I’ve not had the pleasure of dealing with unions I just think the loudest voices in this have the least amount to lose... Kyrie, Dwight, Melo have all made their money.

I think social justice, safety, and other noble causes have a big part in this but I also think some of these guys want to be able to leave and be free... which I get but I think it’s less noble and would be perceived as whiny.

They need to have their concerns addressed but they need to recognize what is at stake and that the arrangements will be less than ideal but that they have a better part of the upside than the owners do... long term the fall out from this could be a financial win long term for the owners. I wouldn’t test them.

 

[LoPo]

Even with a vaccine it probably won't go away, especially since many idiots won't even get the vaccine for fear that bill gates is trying to control them

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That and the fact that a vaccine isn't full proof. What percentage of people are saved by the flu vaccine? Doesnt it only protect against some strands of the flu?

Covid will now be around forever. Hope and pray you don't get it but if you do, you can beat it.

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[Ron Mexico]

That and the fact that a vaccine isn't full proof. What percentage of people are saved by the flu vaccine? Doesnt it only protect against some strands of the flu?

Covid will now be around forever. Hope and pray you don't get it but if you do, you can beat it.

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The flu has changed. So far this covid 19 has not shown that. It's possible it does but for now it's just one. The flu vaccine is usually a cocktail of the expected flu strands. It isn't full proof but greatly reduces numbers and risks for those that take it. Unfortunately half of people in the USA don't take it.

A vaccine for covid19 could potentially stop it if it doesn't change and people take it. We've pretty much eliminated other things with vaccines. They are one of the greatest inventions ever.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/forgot-14-diseases.html

 

[Getting Traded]

Good assessment by NAOS. I agree. Let's just wait until next fall for a new season and do the draft in August, and base it on the current standings. I myself have lost interest in this season and I think a lot of others feel the same.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Good assessment by NAOS. I agree. Let's just wait until next fall for a new season and do the draft in August, and base it on the current standings. I myself have lost interest in this season and I think a lot of others feel the same.

If it was just about this season then sure... but the players will lose about $650M... the teams will lose money too because they can't fulfill their tv deals and they can get their money back (70 games is the magic number).

If the tv deals fall through the league can recooperate some money by doing Force Majeure and the players will have to give back some dough. Not only that it will dissolve the current CBA and the players will need to re-negotiate a new CBA. Owners likely don't have fans in the stands so they may not make money next year... so they will be motivated to sit the season out or make a killer deal.

This end of season tournament is important if we want to watch basketball sometime in the next 18 months.

 

[infection]

The only reason I'd be somewhat happy about scrapping the season is we wouldn't have to see LBJ win a chip in a Lakers uni.

If the Lakers weren’t in the playoffs or contending, you may not have a season resumption, as I presume you’d have a more vocal LeBron, echoing other voices about how this is no time for basketball. Alas, he’s contending, just like making money out of China, and we will get silent LeBron.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

If the Lakers weren’t in the playoffs or contending, you may not have a season resumption, as I presume you’d have a more vocal LeBron, echoing other voices about how this is no time for basketball. Alas, he’s contending, just like making money out of China, and we will get silent LeBron.

Nah everyone has a lot to gain financially. I also think the “distraction” they cause will be more than offset by the spotlight and eye balls they attract. Ed had some comments today that I think kinda sum up how I think most feel.