The Rest of the NBA

[QB Eagles]

That's basically the NFL model. Pretty sure that even as the NFL players bitch about their contracts, Joe Flacco was the highest paid North American athlete last year. The difference is in what the middle-tier and bottom rung players make, a lot of which is due to the cap on the stars. You also end up with players of wildly different abilities all earning the same amount -- the max.

Getting rid of the max contract would also remove a lot of incentive for players to create superstar team-ups and make them more willing to accept giant contracts from butthole-level franchises such as the Sixers.

[MDS]

so kevin durant is a fleshpophead?

hes the 2nd best player in the world and runs and signs with the best team. this has gotta be worse than lebron's decision, albeit without the horrible tv show.

[SD]

so kevin durant is a fleshpophead?

hes the 2nd best player in the world and runs and signs with the best team. this has gotta be worse than lebron's decision, albeit without the horrible tv show.

Can't hate on the guy but I didn't think there was a chance in hell he'd leave OKC.

[MDS]

its just sad...hes the 2nd best player and he just joined a team that already has 3 of the top 15 guys. its just going to make the league more uncompetitive.

you now have 2 great players (westbrook, davis) wasting away on worthless teams. on the bright side, okc never deserved to be good so its nice that run is over. that dork town should just be happy they have a nba team.

if lebron beats this squad in the finals hes better than jordan there i said it

[PhillyPhreak54]

Durant went from one of my favorite players to bitch that quick

Esp since he ripped players in 2010 for doing the "super team" thing

[SD]

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/kevin-durant-nba-free-agency-announcement/

[phattymatty]

i called this a few days ago. good for KD. get out of that shteinhole of a state.

[MDS]

the deal is only 2 years with an option after 1, so it does leave the door open for him to leave, but im guessing the length is largely because of the cap increase

either way, the warriors are now the super villains. theyll win 75 games, and one of the losses will come to the sixers. boom!

[Rome]

the tv money is coming in regardless...i don't see why people are getting mad that the players are getting more of it. would it be better that the owners get to just keep it all?

I don't get it either.  It's no different for pro-sports as it is for the rest of the working world, really.  If the company you work for continues to increase profits, then it's only fair to say that some of that money should be passed on to the people working there.  And the ones who drive the revenue get the biggest cut. 

I guess what Rome is getting at is the fact that the cost of going to a game takes like 3 months of saving for a working class family, and I definitely understand that, but wtf is the NBA or NFL or MLB supposed to do?  Turn down tv deals and demand less sponsorship money?

Lowering ticket and concession prices would be a nice start.  I can't conceive of buying a full slate of season tickets for the Magic the way I used to now.  I had three for me and my wife and daughter.  That's 41 games plus preseason and then playoffs.  Now I used the tickets frequently as a business expense write-off and back then the money I spent was a pittance, but still, it was 7-8 grand minimum and then add in parking, food, drinks and the gas to get back and forth and figure at least double that.  It's probably at least double that now, and I simply can't see how anyone can afford it who isn't making serious bank.

Hell, even Eagles tickets have gotten loony now.  When we switched over from the Vet to the Linc I knew tickets would be expensive, but they've tripled in cost.  I don't see how they can continue to justify drilling fans in the ass year after year when they're getting billions in tv money.  It's all greed and that's why I have a problem with middle of the road bums getting nine figure deals.  Again, more power to the players for getting all they can, but as for me and mine, I won't participate in the insanity because I can't afford it, and even if I could, the product they put out there is so diluted now that I can't justify the expense.

PS: I didn't go to a spring training game for the first time in 23 years this year because the costs have gotten so ridiculously bloated.  $50/ticket for what amounts to a glorified practice plus food and booze plus lodging in Clearwater plus gas to get back and forth for three people = a minimum of $500 for my family to go.  farg that noise.  I'll go to an occasional game if my budget allows but I'm done otherwise.

[Rome]

And good for Durant.  Oklahoma might be the worst place on the planet.  The people are horrible and their politicians are worse.

[ice grillin you]

russ might average a triple double next season

[phattymatty]

yeah russ could average 40 next year.

i was/am excited to see that russ - olidipo backcourt. now it barely even matters.

[ice grillin you]

also I find it impossible to not feel terrible for the thunder and their fans....went from russ kd harden ibaka to being 12 months away from having none of them and being at the top of the lottery

also I don't hate kd even tho I hate the idea of super teams...its just not good for the league...and no matter how you feel about the move its definitely a legacy killer

[ice grillin you]

i was/am excited to see that russ - olidipo backcourt. now it barely even matters.

olidipo is also in a contract year (and for that matter adams too)

[Rome]

farg OKC and double farg their Eddie Munster lookalike punk ass, ex-Gator, Magic-abandoning head coach too.



Plus look at it this way... with KD on the team Steph Curry probably won't "tire out" like he did last year.