Will the Contagion Spread?

[NorthCoast]

I'm not an NBA fan and don't follow any teams but what is going on there could be the end of professional sports.

If you have not heard, there are certain players now dictating how many games they will play during the season. Eight games in and Leonard is taking a few nights off....

Imagine you and family shelled out $300 for tickets to see your favorite player play, and it ends up being 'his night off'?
I hope this doesn't spread to the NFL or that will be the last straw for me.

[flippy]

They've already been doing this. I don't think it's a big deal especially in basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. where the seasons are infinitely long and regular season is less significant.

If resting a player more often over the course of a long season keeps you healthier and ready for the playoffs, great for your franchise. In the case of Leonard, he played something like 60 games last year. Would he have been effective come playoff time if he played a full 82 games?

It's probably different for different people, but for me and my team, I want them to do what's in the best interest of winning a championship. So I'm ok with this. But I get the other side of the argument. Especially in the NBA where 1 player is often the entire team. It's closer to being an individual rather than team sport.

Plus, the NBA like MLB isn't really a sport imho. There's only a small number of teams that can compete in either league. I liked playing both sports as a kid, but no football and hockey are the only competitive sports out there. And football's becoming less watchable and hockey isn't really designed for tv.

Maybe we've got to get into bowling. Or video game sports.

[Oh wow]

NFL players rest the last game or 2 if they already clinched a playoff spot.

It will never spread to the NFL unless if they changed to a 20 game schedule.

Pretty sure this happens in the MLB and in hockey. With so many games it makes sense to rest every so often. Especially if you are a playoff team. We are talking 7 game series. Not single elimination.

[Northern_Blitz]

I'm not an NBA fan and don't follow any teams but what is going on there could be the end of professional sports.

If you have not heard, there are certain players now dictating how many games they will play during the season. Eight games in and Leonard is taking a few nights off....

Imagine you and family shelled out $300 for tickets to see your favorite player play, and it ends up being 'his night off'?
I hope this doesn't spread to the NFL or that will be the last straw for me.

I think it means that people should pay less for tickets because you never know if you'll see the best product or not. Leagues are probably generally OK with this because they make more money on TV.

Resting players in the NBA is actually a good move IMO.

It happens in the NFL, but only at the end of seasons when seeing is already determined. Single games are too important in the NFL otherwise.

[Mr.wizard]

They don't really care about the fans going to the arena, the TV contracts are where the money is at. Since the NBA is star driven it's in the NBA's best interest to have these guys healthy and able to play for a full season. Does it suck for the family who shells out $300 bucks, sure does, I would be pissed, but it's not something that will end the NBA. I mean how packed is an NBA arena going to be on a Tuesday night, it is just better to have these guys full go in marquee matchups and prime time games.

[NorthCoast]

Then the real cause is TOO MANY GAMES.
Take note NFL!... fewer games = more important games = greater fan interest.

[Steel Maniac]

They've already been doing this. I don't think it's a big deal especially in basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. where the seasons are infinitely long and regular season is less significant.

If resting a player more often over the course of a long season keeps you healthier and ready for the playoffs, great for your franchise. In the case of Leonard, he played something like 60 games last year. Would he have been effective come playoff time if he played a full 82 games?

It's probably different for different people, but for me and my team, I want them to do what's in the best interest of winning a championship. So I'm ok with this. But I get the other side of the argument. Especially in the NBA where 1 player is often the entire team. It's closer to being an individual rather than team sport.

Plus, the NBA like MLB isn't really a sport imho. There's only a small number of teams that can compete in either league. I liked playing both sports as a kid, but no football and hockey are the only competitive sports out there. And football's becoming less watchable and hockey isn't really designed for tv.

Maybe we've got to get into bowling. Or video game sports.

It's a big deal if your a person who's paid hard earned money out to see your favorite player and he decides to take the night off. Heck ya , it's a big deal.

[Steel Maniac]

Then the real cause is TOO MANY GAMES.
Take note NFL!... fewer games = more important games = greater fan interest.

In the Clippers pursuit of Kawhi, the Clippers were desperate for him not to go to the Lakers. Desperate. So while he had the advantage, he told them that if he came to them, he would be able to take nights off if he choose. Clippers were so desperate that they agreed to this. Along with giving up 7-8 draft pick and draft swoops of position to get him and George.

I don't think this will be the norm but it goes to show you how soft these guys are becoming. They work 6 months out the year and yet they don't want to play all the games. And then they are screwing their fan base who do pay their hard earned money to see them.

[papillon]

Eliminate regular season games and shrink the league, then you'll have more competitive regular season games and less reason to sit out a meaningless game, make the games mean something.

NFL - 16 games
MLB - 162 games
NBA - 81 games

Losing a game in the NFL is like being on 10 game losing streak in MLB and a 5 game skid in the NBA, so missing a game here and there isn't that damaging, not to mention, the NBA and MLB playoffs are pretty much fait accompli before the season gets started. The NFL, not so much, it's a wild ride right up through the 17th week of the season.

Pappy

[Steel Maniac]

NBA owners are not going to lose games. That translates to less advertising money for them.

[Oh wow]

The Spurs started this with Tim Duncan. I don’t remember anyone having a problem with it back then.

This isn’t new.

NBA season is loooong. It’s just started and the finals aren’t until June. It’s more like a 9 month schedule abs sometimes these teams play back to back nights or have 4 games a week.

Also, the NBA is 48 minutes of action. Star players play 40 to 48 minutes. They play offense AND defense.

Hockey players usually play in 3 minute spurts. 3 lines too. Besides the goalie most average 20 minutes of playing time a game.

Football has like 13 minutes of actual action. The rest is huddle time and pre and post snap.

If anything NBA players are being smart and extending their careers.

[NorthCoast]

Only in professional sports.

walk into your boss's office and tell him you need the day off because you need some rest ...then see how long you remain employed.

[Buzz]

They don't really care about the fans going to the arena, the TV contracts are where the money is at. Since the NBA is star driven it's in the NBA's best interest to have these guys healthy and able to play for a full season. Does it suck for the family who shells out $300 bucks, sure does, I would be pissed, but it's not something that will end the NBA. I mean how packed is an NBA arena going to be on a Tuesday night, it is just better to have these guys full go in marquee matchups and prime time games.

I don't buy that they don't care about fans in the arena. It's embarrassing -- not a good look at all -- to have professional games being played in half-empty arenas. At some point, it starts to have a negative impact on support for the game.

[Oh wow]

Only in professional sports.

walk into your boss's office and tell him you need the day off because you need some rest ...then see how long you remain employed.

You don’t have PTO?

We also get our birthday off.

Our company is really good at encouraging a day off every now and then because there is more to life than work.

My boss emailed encouraging me to take them because only 2 days can be rolled over to next year.

If you are valuable to your company you should be able to take off without management throwing a fit.

[Oh wow]

I don't buy that they don't care about fans in the arena. It's embarrassing -- not a good look at all -- to have professional games being played in half-empty arenas. At some point, it starts to have a negative impact on support for the game.

Sure the owners would love to have full arenas but they realize a Tuesday night game vs a bad team will probably have a half empty arena in a lot of markets.

What’s crazy is baseball. Games at 2PM on a weekday... unless it’s opening night no one shows up for those games.

Baseball really needs to move to a 90 game schedule. Doesn’t make sense IMO to have so many games you have to play some of them at noon on a weekday.