Anyone else losing interest in the NBA?

[JCSunsfan]

Crickets chirping. . .

 

[boisesuns]

Crickets chirping. . .

Pancakes flipping...

 

[Mulli]

And a partridge in a pear tree.....

 

[Mainstreet]

Dont get me wrong, I LOVE the Suns and I love basketball.

But the NBA is dead to me until this lockout is resolved, I just dont care. Not gonna listen to either side whine about the situation they got themselves into. I probably wont even glance at Suns.com until I hear the CBA is resolved and then I'll be back on board just like with the NFL.

That's what the NBA owners and players need to understand. The NFL is finally back online and no one is remotely thinking about the NBA. Most of the fans are tired of the bickering and have tuned it out. Actually I wouldn't be surprised if the fans don't grow more angry with time. It is unfortunate the NBA is on the tail end of these two labor disputes.

If they want to miss a season so be it... although I will weep just a bit secretly.

As JCSunsfan said:

"Crickets chirping. . ."

 

[JS22]

Dont get me wrong, I LOVE the Suns and I love basketball.

But the NBA is dead to me until this lockout is resolved, I just dont care. Not gonna listen to either side whine about the situation they got themselves into. I probably wont even glance at Suns.com until I hear the CBA is resolved and then I'll be back on board just like with the NFL.

This.

 

[BC867]

All this just to get Robert Sarver bored, so he'll pick up his marbles and go play elsewhere.

I hope it works!

 

[JS22]

So, I lied and decided to check out Suns.com for the first time in at least a month. One of the headlines was "Ceballos" to Own Team." For a brief second I got a little excited. Of course, reality hit me less than a few seconds later. Sarver will own the Suns until he dies. Just to screw all of us.

 

[Chaz]

legal wrangling by the owners.


http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=azcentral&sParam=49767534.story

....boring

 

[chickenhead]

I didn't pay all that much attention to the NFL negotiations either. I get it, you guys are fighting over the pie. That's fine. Wake me when it's over. And even though my devotion to the Suns will still be there, my interest in the other games might have faded a bit. You're already competing against the NFL, the NHL, and MLB throughout the year. Maybe you'll find MLS has shown up in your absence...

 

[JCSunsfan]

That's what the NBA owners and players need to understand. The NFL is finally back online and no one is remotely thinking about the NBA. Most of the fans are tired of the bickering and have tuned it out. Actually I wouldn't be surprised if the fans don't grow more angry with time. It is unfortunate the NBA is on the tail end of these two labor disputes.

If they want to miss a season so be it... although I will weep just a bit secretly.

As JCSunsfan said:

"Crickets chirping. . ."

Actually, angry fans is probably a good sign for the NBA. Indifferent fans who decide to spend their money elsewhere is really what the NBA should be worried about.

At this point, who cares? The NBA owners and players don't seem to, so why should I? I have an idiot owner and an arrogant commissioner who has screwed my team repeatedly over the years. You have horribly inconsistent officials at best (corrupt and worst, and some of them have already gone there). You have a CBA that puts players in charge of the league power structure. The LeBron situation last summer has soured many many people on the NBA as a whole.

So, go ahead, do a two year lockout. Just remember that there will likely be little left when it is all over.

BTW. I love the new NFL CBA. The rookie structure makes sense. The idea of non-guaranteed contracts with guaranteed bonuses makes the salaries reasonable and not just anchors.

 

[Raindog]

Wow, usually just lurk here, but this thread brought up so many interesting tangents, I had to post. I especially liked the reminiscences of long forgotten Valley restaurants. I grew up in Phoenix in the 70s (probably like most of you) and fondly remember nearly all the places mentioned.

For the poster (Billy Bob) who mentioned seeing The Hawk at Hobo Joe's in 1970, my parents told the very same story when I was a kid. So either Connie ate there often, or they were there the exact same time as Billy, which would be quite a coincidence.

Also, for all you Sambo's fans, an interesting (and relevant) factoid - Sambo's founder Sam Battistone was also the original owner of the (then) New Orleans Jazz. I often used to wonder what his many black players thought of playing for the guy who owned Sambo's.

And back on topic, my enthusiasm for the NBA has been on the wane for the past few seasons now, thanks to the same reason most of you are citing - bad ownership. I have been a Suns fanatic since the mid 70s and the great Finals run of the 75-76 team. In fact, I have often maintained that the Suns are my favorite of all my favorite teams, because they were the only local team I could ever follow as a kid. Unfortunately, they are also the most hapless of all my favorite teams, as the others (Broncos, Phillies, Red Wings) have won multiple championships in my years of following them, while the Suns have been the big goose-egg, in spite of coming so seemingly close a number of times. They are definitely the most heart-wrenching of all my favorites.

I fear that the franchise under Sarver is headed to where it was in the mid-80s, just prior to JC taking over ownership. That team was consistently abysmal, again thanks to an incompetent and indifferent ownership who invested little effort or money in improving the product. Of course, better days were ahead when Jerry managed to get full control.

The greatest thing about Colangelo (even with no championships to show for it) was that when the team hit a lull, you could always count on Jerry to do something to change it up and get some buzz and hope about the team growing again. Hence, after all those years of misery in the mid-80s, we got the KJ trade and the Chambers FA signing that brought us some nice runs in the late 80s. Then, when that team ran its course, we got the Barkley trade, and the Green and Manning FA signings, that brought us another Finals appearance. Then in later eras, we had the Kidd trade, Hardaway trade, Nash signing. Jerry always had something up his sleeve to hook us in again and keep hope springing eternal.

After the initial successes of the Sarver era (which by the way were entirely due to the foundation of a team built by Colangelo), we've had nothing but wasted and lost drafts, bizarre trades and FA signings, and a general miasma of foolishness and arrogance from a buffoon of an owner. The Suns have gone from being one of the most consistently engaging, high-profile franchises (even without the brass ring), to a completely irrelevant joke. As a result, even I've become nearly completely indifferent about the Suns (and by extension, the NBA), who are certainly my longest and most loyally followed team.

 

[JCSunsfan]

So, if the owners knew it was going to be a season long lockout, and Sarver was one of the main proponents of that, why did we not trade Steve Nash at draft time?!!

 

[Folster]

This would be the absolute best season for a season long lock-out for the Suns.

 

[Mainstreet]

So, if the owners knew it was going to be a season long lockout, and Sarver was one of the main proponents of that, why did we not trade Steve Nash at draft time?!!

It is just so much cheaper to let Nash walk for nothing if the season is wiped out. Why worry about taking back players or picks back in a trade. They cost money.

 

[SirStefan32]

So, if the owners knew it was going to be a season long lockout, and Sarver was one of the main proponents of that, why did we not trade Steve Nash at draft time?!!

Nobody wanted to trade anything of any value for him?

 

[AzStevenCal]

This would be the absolute best season for a season long lock-out for the Suns.

Well, it's a start. Actually, I was a big proponent of moving Nash more than a year ago when most of this board (with obvious exceptions, notably Mojorizen who's wanted him gone for several years now) wanted to keep the guy. At the core of my argument was that the best time to go through the post-Nash doldrums was during a season long lockout. We didn't get that lucky but maybe the next best thing is a 2 year lockout so that our aging players reach the mandatory retirement age and we can finally start to build for the future. If we have to suck I'd just as soon get some of it out of the way during this prolonged offseason.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

This would be the absolute best season for a season long lock-out for the Suns.

This would be correct in theory if Nash had no value. I wanted to trade him before the last trading deadline after Amare walked. However, there is no guarantee the Suns are going to be able to sign any top FAs after Nash likely walks after his contract expires... again for nothing like Amare.

Anyone trust Sarver with a wallet full of money and that he will reinvest it in the team?

 

[SirStefan32]

Anyone trust Sarver with a wallet full of money and that he will reinvest it in the team?

I think it is ridiculous to think he won't spend money. Anyone who is not blinded by some irrational hatred for Sarver knows that he WILL spend money- we've seen this over and over again.

The real question is whether anyone trusts Sarver to judge the talent when he is spending that money. He spent a lot of money last year- on Hedo, Chilli, and Warrick. Two of those are a complete waste, and one is grossly overpaid.

I am hoping that he learned his lesson. Not going to count on it though.

 

[Superbone]

I think it is ridiculous to think he won't spend money. Anyone who is not blinded by some irrational hatred for Sarver knows that he WILL spend money- we've seen this over and over again.

The real question is whether anyone trusts Sarver to judge the talent when he is spending that money. He spent a lot of money last year- on Hedo, Chilli, and Warrick. Two of those are a complete waste, and one is grossly overpaid.

I am hoping that he learned his lesson. Not going to count on it though.

Agreed. I would have much rather kept Amare than spending on those 3. At least he has basketball minds in place now. Will he listen to them? That's the $64,000 question.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think it is ridiculous to think he won't spend money. Anyone who is not blinded by some irrational hatred for Sarver knows that he WILL spend money- we've seen this over and over again.

The real question is whether anyone trusts Sarver to judge the talent when he is spending that money. He spent a lot of money last year- on Hedo, Chilli, and Warrick. Two of those are a complete waste, and one is grossly overpaid.

I am hoping that he learned his lesson. Not going to count on it though.

+1. On all counts.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

I think it is ridiculous to think he won't spend money. Anyone who is not blinded by some irrational hatred for Sarver knows that he WILL spend money- we've seen this over and over again.

The real question is whether anyone trusts Sarver to judge the talent when he is spending that money. He spent a lot of money last year- on Hedo, Chilli, and Warrick. Two of those are a complete waste, and one is grossly overpaid.

I am hoping that he learned his lesson. Not going to count on it though.

Let's put it this way. Do you believe Sarver spends money wisely based upon your own examples? Obviously Sarver has spent money on the team if this makes you feel better and want to stand on this issue. However, for the most part, the Suns have lost major talent under Sarver's tenure. I do not trust Sarver can put a team together when Nash's contract is completed. Sarver's record going back to JJ, KT, loss of draft picks, the loss of Amare and probably Nash is this, he is penny wise and pound foolish.

I don't think my dislike for Sarver is irrational. IMO, quite the opposite. How can you defend him?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Let's put it this way. Do you believe Sarver spends money wisely based upon your own examples? Obviously Sarver has spent money on the team if this makes you feel better and want to stand on this issue. However, for the most part, the Suns have lost major talent under Sarver's tenure. I do not trust Sarver can put a team together when Nash's contract is completed. Sarver's record going back to JJ, KT, loss of draft picks, the loss of Amare and probably Nash is this, he is penny wise and pound foolish.

I don't think my dislike for Sarver is irrational. IMO, quite the opposite. How can you defend him?

I think dislike and distrust of Sarver is quite understandable. I don't think he was defending the guy it's just that oftentimes the national media and local fans keep spouting this same "cheapness" BS. He has spent money, he just hasn't spent wisely. He's certainly not in the class of Cuban when it comes to spending money but the widespread perception that he's as cheap or cheaper than Donald Sterling is just wrong.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

I think dislike and distrust of Sarver is quite understandable. I don't think he was defending the guy it's just that oftentimes the national media and local fans keep spouting this same "cheapness" BS. He has spent money, he just hasn't spent wisely. He's certainly not in the class of Cuban when it comes to spending money but the widespread perception that he's as cheap or cheaper than Donald Sterling is just wrong.

Steve

Oh, I think SirStefan32 choosing the words, "irrational hatred for Sarver" got my blood flowing.

He probably unclogged an artery.

I pride myself for not indulging in hatred. I do of course allow myself to express feelings of dislike, distrust and more about a person but I never want it to cloud my judgement. So I don't hate anyone. This is petty.

Back to Sarver, I think he has managed to be cheap and overspend money at the same time. He seems to spend freely when he shouldn't and become a miser on issues where he should spend.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Oh, I think SirStefan32 choosing the words, "irrational hatred for Sarver" got my blood flowing.

He probably unclogged an artery.

I pride myself for not indulging in hatred. I do of course allow myself to express feelings of dislike, distrust and more about a person but I never want it to cloud my judgement. So I don't hate anyone. This is petty.

Back to Sarver, I think he has managed to be cheap and overspend money at the same time. He seems to spend freely when he shouldn't and become a miser on issues where he should spend.

Yeah, it probably would have been better to call it a "rational hatred for Sarver" although it probably does result in irrational conclusions for a lot of fans. I think Sarver will always try to make the best financial decision. The problem is, no matter his understanding of the financial world, he doesn't know jack when it comes to the NBA world. The best we'll ever be able to hope for with Sarver is that he has hired or will eventually hire the right people - people that he feels confident enough about to actually let them do their job.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah, it probably would have been better to call it a "rational hatred for Sarver" although it probably does result in irrational conclusions for a lot of fans. I think Sarver will always try to make the best financial decision. The problem is, no matter his understanding of the financial world, he doesn't know jack when it comes to the NBA world. The best we'll ever be able to hope for with Sarver is that he has hired or will eventually hire the right people - people that he feels confident enough about to actually let them do their job.

Steve

I don't think the word "hatred" should have been inserted period by SirStefan32. That is too harsh. My hope is that Sarver sells the Suns. This is my fondest wish. He has already proven he will not pay top money for a coach (although I really like Gentry) or an experienced NBA GM.