P.S. FOR NBA TODAY

Unlike!
NFL lockout is looking more
and more truly like the NBA's will
jeopardize the entire season.
Hoping not, but as of right now
it is not looking too promising.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward
Anthony Tolliver was watching back
in March, when pro football players
announced they were disbanding their
union and suing the NFL under antitrust
law.
"We shall see how the next steps go"
Tolliver said at the time. "Hopefully
we'll learn from them".
Well, now it is time to find out what
Tolliver and his peers picked up.
He is but one of a handful of basket-
ball players, including All Stars
Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant,
who filed class-action antitrust
complaints against the NBA in
Federal Court during this past week.
This could lead to a dragged out
legal process or, as happened with
the NFL's labor dispute, wind up
bringing the sides back to the
table to negotiate.
"We have seen every twist and turn
and I imagine we will be seeing
many more. Hopefully a settlement
can be reached, relatively quickly,
and the NBA season can be saved".
said Jeffrey Kessler, outside
counsel for both the NFL and NBA
players associations. "That would
be the very best result for every-
one, to have a litigation settlement
now".
The NBA's lockout came swiftly
on the heels of the NFL's, but already
has lasted longer, and there's one
very significant difference: Football's
labor dispute resulted in the loss of
only one exhibition game, while the
NBA is on its way down the path toward
a shortened regular season - if one is
played at all.
The lockout does not just hurt players
either, it hurts workers. It hurts cities.
It hurts people who really need the income
provided by the NBA and most of all here
is what we ought to keep in mind, that the
players do not want this lockout either.
Some players have already agreed to play
for charity. Some are opting to play
overseas. Kobe Bryant has been in contact
with Italy as most of us are aware of.
Dwyane Wade has already authorized his
agent to listen to viable offers also.
Both leagues' labor problems began, at
the heart, as arguments over how to
divide billions of dollars in revenue.
(about $9 billion for NFL and about
$4 billion for the NBA) but also over
how to change the rules governing player
contracts and free agency. Last Tuesday
marks the day players were to have received
a paycheck. One that did not take place.
and so, we, the fans continue to listen
to what so ever we are being told and
continue our hopes in seeing some games
being played before seasons' end.
Babs Wells