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It is important to use correct and precise terminology. NBA players are currently on strike--resulting in the postponement of playoff games scheduled to be played on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday--and it has been reported that the strike will most likely end on Saturday. A strike is when employees do not report to work on schedule and/or refuse to perform their normal work duties.
A boycott is when consumers decide to not patronize a particular business or group of businesses. During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. first achieved prominence as one of the leaders of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a protest against racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Thus, if consumers decide to not pay for subscription services (cable or satellite providers) to watch NBA games, or to not purchase the products of NBA sponsors, that would be a boycott.
Generally, employees who are considering going on strike first issue a set of demands, and then they go on strike if those demands are not met. The NBA strike did not begin in an organized fashion with a set of demands; the Orlando Magic arrived on time for Wednesday's playoff game versus the Milwaukee Bucks, and were surprised that the Bucks did not show up for the game. Hours after the Bucks refused to play, the team emerged from the locker room, and two players--George Hill and Sterling Brown--read a brief statement but refused to answer any questions. Hill had recently stated publicly that it had been a mistake for the players to resume the season, because he believes that the games have become a distraction from social justice issues. Brown was tased and wrongly arrested by the Milwaukee Police in 2018; he has reportedly rejected a $400,000 settlement offer and instead he filed a civil rights suit against the Milwaukee Police Department.
In rapid succession after the Bucks went on strike, the two other NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday night were postponed, and several other leagues--including the WNBA--postponed their games.
The NBA could have forfeited the Bucks, and fined the team for going on strike, but--taking a larger view of the situation--the league opted to work behind the scenes to salvage the playoffs. The strike has been portrayed as if a collective decision was made to pause the playoffs, but the reality is that the Bucks--seemingly at the instigation of Hill and Brown, the only players who have spoken publicly--acted unilaterally and were prepared to forfeit the game and their salaries while the rest of the league did not know about this beforehand and then just went along with what the Bucks did.
Anyone who has a compassionate heart can understand why NBA players are frustrated, upset, angry, and fearful. Doc Rivers' heartfelt words after Tuesday's L.A. Clippers game are a powerful testament to how he and many other people feel about the Jacob Blake shooting, the George Floyd killing, and other incidents. It is also obvious that NBA players are dealing with a lot of mental/emotional stress from being in the "bubble" environment, as Clippers' player Paul George alluded to after Tuesday's game--and he is not the only player who has spoken about being under mental/emotional stress.
It is understandable why some players may feel like they should not have come to the "bubble" and/or feel like they should leave now. It should be noted that NBA players are not confined to the "bubble." They are free to leave at any time, and--after undergoing COVID-19 testing and quarantine--they are free to return.
That being said, the NBA spent over $100 million to put together a "bubble" environment that--up to this point--has succeeded in being free of COVID-19 while also providing entertaining basketball. If the players continued to strike and forced the playoffs to be canceled then that could cost the NBA hundreds of millions--if not billions--of dollars. If that were to happen, the NBA could exercise a clause that would end the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which could lead to a lockout and result in the cancelation of next season.
The NBA has been at the forefront of supporting the causes and issues that the players are concerned about; a strike that harms the NBA hurts a business enterprise that not only advocates for social justice but also provides billions of dollars in salaries to players, who can then use that money for whatever causes they support.
Further, the general public is only familiar with a select few players; if the NBA were not in the "bubble" now then most people would not know who George Hill is, nor care what he says. The "bubble" provides an opportunity for the league, the teams, and the players to shine a spotlight on a variety of issues.
A prolonged strike would diminish the NBA's power and voice. A strike for a few days is unlikely to accomplish much. Therefore, the players painted themselves into a corner by impulsively deciding to strike, and they are fortunate that their employer is willing/able to provide a graceful exit from that corner by not classifying this strike as a strike.
The longer the players do not play, the less leverage they have, because the owners can ultimately survive without the NBA to a greater extent than the players can; if the league goes bankrupt, then most if not all of the owners can fall back on their other businesses and income sources. A few NBA players may already be set for life, but the majority are not.
The problem for the striking players is that they want things done immediately that the NBA has no control over. NBA players have repeatedly demanded that certain police officers be fired and/or arrested. The reality is that when a police officer discharges his weapon in the line of duty there will be an investigation that could take weeks or months; that is a formal process that is not going to be sped up no matter who protests, or goes on strike, or who calls a governor, attorney general, or prosecutor. That is why it is odd to act as if it is a great accomplishment that Milwaukee Bucks players reportedly had a conference call with government officials in Wisconsin. One, I am pretty sure that the players could have arranged such calls without striking. Two, such calls have, at most, symbolic value regarding this particular situation. Pressuring the authorities to act before all of the evidence has been collected and evaluated could result in the prosecutor having a flawed case that cannot be effectively prosecuted. One of the cornerstones of our criminal justice system is that there are built in rights and protections for anyone who is accused of a crime; if that process is not followed, then even a person who committed a crime can be set free.
This is not in any way a suggestion that players should "shut up and dribble." Rather, the point is for the players to have a plan as opposed to acting/reacting emotionally, even though those emotions are understandable. A strike will not speed up the judicial process, or change the outcome of that process. A strike will not harm racists, or change their thought processes. The best thing that the NBA players can do is use their voices and their money to advocate for the issues that matter the most to them. Playing the games is not a distraction; playing the games provides a platform that they would not otherwise have.
It is quite telling that when the players had a meeting on Wednesday night the vast majority of the teams voted to continue the playoffs; upon reflection, the players understood how little leverage they have--and how much they could lose if they canceled the playoffs by striking.
The media is quick to apply labels and utilize soundbites. I do not agree with anyone who calls the strike "brave," but I also do not agree with anyone who calls the strike "cowardly." Dr. King was brave; he was willing to be beaten and/or jailed for his cause. Muhammad Ali was brave; he gave up his heavyweight championship and the prime years of his boxing career for his cause. The NBA players know that Commissioner Adam Silver will support just about any social justice position that they take, and they know that unless they just leave the "bubble" en masse they will not face economic consequences for their actions. The players do not face the challenges and consequences that Dr. King and Muhammad Ali did. That safety net does not make the players "cowardly," though; I think that the players acted emotionally by striking, and that upon calmer reflection they are working with the owners to find a path forward that is mutually acceptable.
Much has been said about the importance of voting, and many NBA players, coaches, and commentators have been outspoken about this. Specifically, Shaquille O'Neal mentioned the importance of voting for governors, mayors, sheriffs, and other local officials. That is an interesting point, because it seems like many people are focused on just one line on the upcoming ballot. Over the past 32 years the White House has been inhabited by a Democrat for 16 years and by a Republican for 16 years. Many of the issues that are most often discussed and complained about--including but not limited to police brutality, incarceration rates, crime, poverty, the education system, health care--persist regardless of who the President is, because the importance of the President is similar to the importance of an NFL quarterback: Presidents and quarterbacks tend to receive too much credit for what goes right, and too much blame for what goes wrong. This does not mean that Presidents and quarterbacks are not important; it just means--in this context--that if the problems we are facing could be easily solved by one powerful person, then this would have already happened. If you understand the separation of powers and if you understand how government functions at the federal, state, and local levels, then you understand that it is foolish to reflexively create a positive or negative soundbite about one person every single time something good or something bad happens.
Just like football games are often won in the trenches, the officials who are in the trenches--including governors, mayors, sheriffs, and others--implement the policies and make the day to day decisions that have the most impact on our lives. It is worth doing some research about the states and cities that are faring the worst right now in whatever categories matter the most to you--COVID-19, police brutality, incarceration rates, crime, poverty, the education system, health care--and then examine who are the governors, mayors, sheriffs, and other elected officials in those areas. Has the same party or the same people been in power for a while in those areas? Politicians are great at making speeches and telling people what they want to hear--but did the people who have been running these places for decades build up a track record of success, or a track record of failure?
It is very important not just to vote, but to be an informed voter.
That's the article: NBA Strike: What Next?
You are now reading the article NBA Strike: What Next? with link address https://wordentertainmen.blogspot.com/2020/08/nba-strike-what-next.html
It is important to use correct and precise terminology. NBA players are currently on strike--resulting in the postponement of playoff games scheduled to be played on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday--and it has been reported that the strike will most likely end on Saturday. A strike is when employees do not report to work on schedule and/or refuse to perform their normal work duties.
A boycott is when consumers decide to not patronize a particular business or group of businesses. During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. first achieved prominence as one of the leaders of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a protest against racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Thus, if consumers decide to not pay for subscription services (cable or satellite providers) to watch NBA games, or to not purchase the products of NBA sponsors, that would be a boycott.
Generally, employees who are considering going on strike first issue a set of demands, and then they go on strike if those demands are not met. The NBA strike did not begin in an organized fashion with a set of demands; the Orlando Magic arrived on time for Wednesday's playoff game versus the Milwaukee Bucks, and were surprised that the Bucks did not show up for the game. Hours after the Bucks refused to play, the team emerged from the locker room, and two players--George Hill and Sterling Brown--read a brief statement but refused to answer any questions. Hill had recently stated publicly that it had been a mistake for the players to resume the season, because he believes that the games have become a distraction from social justice issues. Brown was tased and wrongly arrested by the Milwaukee Police in 2018; he has reportedly rejected a $400,000 settlement offer and instead he filed a civil rights suit against the Milwaukee Police Department.
In rapid succession after the Bucks went on strike, the two other NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday night were postponed, and several other leagues--including the WNBA--postponed their games.
The NBA could have forfeited the Bucks, and fined the team for going on strike, but--taking a larger view of the situation--the league opted to work behind the scenes to salvage the playoffs. The strike has been portrayed as if a collective decision was made to pause the playoffs, but the reality is that the Bucks--seemingly at the instigation of Hill and Brown, the only players who have spoken publicly--acted unilaterally and were prepared to forfeit the game and their salaries while the rest of the league did not know about this beforehand and then just went along with what the Bucks did.
Anyone who has a compassionate heart can understand why NBA players are frustrated, upset, angry, and fearful. Doc Rivers' heartfelt words after Tuesday's L.A. Clippers game are a powerful testament to how he and many other people feel about the Jacob Blake shooting, the George Floyd killing, and other incidents. It is also obvious that NBA players are dealing with a lot of mental/emotional stress from being in the "bubble" environment, as Clippers' player Paul George alluded to after Tuesday's game--and he is not the only player who has spoken about being under mental/emotional stress.
It is understandable why some players may feel like they should not have come to the "bubble" and/or feel like they should leave now. It should be noted that NBA players are not confined to the "bubble." They are free to leave at any time, and--after undergoing COVID-19 testing and quarantine--they are free to return.
That being said, the NBA spent over $100 million to put together a "bubble" environment that--up to this point--has succeeded in being free of COVID-19 while also providing entertaining basketball. If the players continued to strike and forced the playoffs to be canceled then that could cost the NBA hundreds of millions--if not billions--of dollars. If that were to happen, the NBA could exercise a clause that would end the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which could lead to a lockout and result in the cancelation of next season.
The NBA has been at the forefront of supporting the causes and issues that the players are concerned about; a strike that harms the NBA hurts a business enterprise that not only advocates for social justice but also provides billions of dollars in salaries to players, who can then use that money for whatever causes they support.
Further, the general public is only familiar with a select few players; if the NBA were not in the "bubble" now then most people would not know who George Hill is, nor care what he says. The "bubble" provides an opportunity for the league, the teams, and the players to shine a spotlight on a variety of issues.
A prolonged strike would diminish the NBA's power and voice. A strike for a few days is unlikely to accomplish much. Therefore, the players painted themselves into a corner by impulsively deciding to strike, and they are fortunate that their employer is willing/able to provide a graceful exit from that corner by not classifying this strike as a strike.
The longer the players do not play, the less leverage they have, because the owners can ultimately survive without the NBA to a greater extent than the players can; if the league goes bankrupt, then most if not all of the owners can fall back on their other businesses and income sources. A few NBA players may already be set for life, but the majority are not.
The problem for the striking players is that they want things done immediately that the NBA has no control over. NBA players have repeatedly demanded that certain police officers be fired and/or arrested. The reality is that when a police officer discharges his weapon in the line of duty there will be an investigation that could take weeks or months; that is a formal process that is not going to be sped up no matter who protests, or goes on strike, or who calls a governor, attorney general, or prosecutor. That is why it is odd to act as if it is a great accomplishment that Milwaukee Bucks players reportedly had a conference call with government officials in Wisconsin. One, I am pretty sure that the players could have arranged such calls without striking. Two, such calls have, at most, symbolic value regarding this particular situation. Pressuring the authorities to act before all of the evidence has been collected and evaluated could result in the prosecutor having a flawed case that cannot be effectively prosecuted. One of the cornerstones of our criminal justice system is that there are built in rights and protections for anyone who is accused of a crime; if that process is not followed, then even a person who committed a crime can be set free.
This is not in any way a suggestion that players should "shut up and dribble." Rather, the point is for the players to have a plan as opposed to acting/reacting emotionally, even though those emotions are understandable. A strike will not speed up the judicial process, or change the outcome of that process. A strike will not harm racists, or change their thought processes. The best thing that the NBA players can do is use their voices and their money to advocate for the issues that matter the most to them. Playing the games is not a distraction; playing the games provides a platform that they would not otherwise have.
It is quite telling that when the players had a meeting on Wednesday night the vast majority of the teams voted to continue the playoffs; upon reflection, the players understood how little leverage they have--and how much they could lose if they canceled the playoffs by striking.
The media is quick to apply labels and utilize soundbites. I do not agree with anyone who calls the strike "brave," but I also do not agree with anyone who calls the strike "cowardly." Dr. King was brave; he was willing to be beaten and/or jailed for his cause. Muhammad Ali was brave; he gave up his heavyweight championship and the prime years of his boxing career for his cause. The NBA players know that Commissioner Adam Silver will support just about any social justice position that they take, and they know that unless they just leave the "bubble" en masse they will not face economic consequences for their actions. The players do not face the challenges and consequences that Dr. King and Muhammad Ali did. That safety net does not make the players "cowardly," though; I think that the players acted emotionally by striking, and that upon calmer reflection they are working with the owners to find a path forward that is mutually acceptable.
Much has been said about the importance of voting, and many NBA players, coaches, and commentators have been outspoken about this. Specifically, Shaquille O'Neal mentioned the importance of voting for governors, mayors, sheriffs, and other local officials. That is an interesting point, because it seems like many people are focused on just one line on the upcoming ballot. Over the past 32 years the White House has been inhabited by a Democrat for 16 years and by a Republican for 16 years. Many of the issues that are most often discussed and complained about--including but not limited to police brutality, incarceration rates, crime, poverty, the education system, health care--persist regardless of who the President is, because the importance of the President is similar to the importance of an NFL quarterback: Presidents and quarterbacks tend to receive too much credit for what goes right, and too much blame for what goes wrong. This does not mean that Presidents and quarterbacks are not important; it just means--in this context--that if the problems we are facing could be easily solved by one powerful person, then this would have already happened. If you understand the separation of powers and if you understand how government functions at the federal, state, and local levels, then you understand that it is foolish to reflexively create a positive or negative soundbite about one person every single time something good or something bad happens.
Just like football games are often won in the trenches, the officials who are in the trenches--including governors, mayors, sheriffs, and others--implement the policies and make the day to day decisions that have the most impact on our lives. It is worth doing some research about the states and cities that are faring the worst right now in whatever categories matter the most to you--COVID-19, police brutality, incarceration rates, crime, poverty, the education system, health care--and then examine who are the governors, mayors, sheriffs, and other elected officials in those areas. Has the same party or the same people been in power for a while in those areas? Politicians are great at making speeches and telling people what they want to hear--but did the people who have been running these places for decades build up a track record of success, or a track record of failure?
It is very important not just to vote, but to be an informed voter.
That's the article: NBA Strike: What Next?
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You are now reading the article NBA Strike: What Next? with link address https://wordentertainmen.blogspot.com/2020/08/nba-strike-what-next.html
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