NBA trips up too

Kevin Garnett can go to hell.

And so can the rest of the NBA. Every time it seems that all is right in the world of professional sports, a group of affluent sucklings seems to, pardon the pun, foul up the integrity of the game.

NBA Commissioner David Stern officially cancelled all of November's games last week and it looks like the owners and players may have jeopardized the entire regular season with their bickering and posturing. And for what? Greed, pure and simple. The now-famous creed 'show me the money' seems to be about the only thing to penetrate the thick-headed skulls of NBA athletes and officials.

Unfortunately, the labor dispute is hurting the players and owners the least. For the ball player making ten million a year, wages lost due to a lockout equate to one less Ferrari in the garage. For the vendors, small business owners, and restaurateurs that rely on the season to make ends meet, the dispute has become catastrophic. Although the lockout has, thus far, removed only four days from the scheduled NBA season, the hard working men and women who rely upon basketball and its fans for their annual income have already lost upwards of $30 million.

The NBA can ill-afford a labor dispute, especially with baseball's skyrocketing popularity. Apparently the owners and players are the only people in America who are ignorant to this fact. Nike has garnered the support of high-profile personalities to do various television spots elucidating the problems a lost season would cost. The NBA has turned a deaf ear.

So say good bye to the killer crossover, the reverse jam, and nothing but net. Forget about the Mailman and Shaq-Fu. Don't even think about his Airness. This season, it's all about the coast-to-coast salary cap, the pretty turn around revenue sharing, and licensing agreements from downtown. Omit Rodman grab rebounds, Stockton dishing assists or Jordan owning the floor. This year we get to see the NBA shooting nothing but bricks.