NBA停擺掌門人是頭號罪人

????一群百萬富翁聚在一起，斤斤計較地抱怨收入的細微變化時，沒有一個人的姿勢是漂亮的。NBA球員工會與球隊老板本月爆發的最新一輪混戰，就是一個很好的例子。

????雙方的談判實際上已經嘟嘟囔囔地延續了大約兩年半了。老板們一直在想著法子增加球隊的利潤——他們說，有些球隊是賠錢的買賣。雙方已經在如何分割收入等財務細節上你來我往地爭執了好幾個回合。上周一，由律師代表的球員們拒絕接受代表聯盟球隊老板的NBA總裁大衛?斯特恩提出的一項協議。如何分配球員工資是雙方產生分歧的另一個焦點問題。老板們希望建立更嚴格的工資上限規則；球員當然不愿意。

????這些障礙促使球員和老板雙方都采取了法律行動，從而有可能使NBA陷入訴訟風暴，報銷2011-2012整個賽季。上周，球員們已經錯過了本賽季的第一張薪金支票，每少打一場比賽，他們都將損失一筆錢。老板們同樣也會賠錢，但許多老板仍然在咬牙堅持，要求達成更有利的協議，以便更好地保護其球隊盈利水平。

????盡管這次停擺事件涉及許多憤怒的富翁，但肯定需要一個出頭的人。有鑒于此，“大衛?斯特恩最終將成為替罪羊?！泵髂崽K達州大學的體育管理學教授斯蒂芬?羅斯說。

????斯特恩在沖突中為球隊老板代言畢竟是他應盡的本份。但這位NBA總裁（他拒絕接受本文作者采訪）在引導這次談判期間犯了幾個重大錯誤。路易斯安那州立大學（Louisiana State University）運動學系的體育管理專家乍得?塞弗里德認為，這些失誤令人遺憾?！耙驗槿藗冋f起大衛?斯特恩的遺產，肯定認為他是職業體育史上最偉大的總裁之一，”他說。

????斯特恩擔任NBA總裁的時間已接近30年，指導聯盟做出了幾項重大變革。去年，NBA獲得了差不多40億美元與籃球相關的收入，是斯特恩于1984年接任總裁一職時的20倍。然而，保證一個健康運行的球員對話機制延續這么長時間，卻沒有那么容易。這些年來，斯特恩肯定得罪了不少人，最終導致了目前的僵局。這次停擺事件引發的對立情緒有可能使斯特恩的職業生涯蒙上污點，塞弗里德說。

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????When a bunch of millionaires get together to complain about what seems like marginal shifts in income, no one looks pretty. This month's case in point: the latest scuffle between the NBA's players association and the teams' owners.

????The negotiations have actually been rumbling for about two-and-a-half years. Owners have been trying to figure out how to make their teams more profitable -- they say some are losing money. The two sides have ping-ponged over how to split revenue and other financial details. Last Monday, the players, represented by their lawyers, refused to accept an agreement put forth by NBA Commissioner David Stern, who represents the league's team owners. Among other sticking points, the two sides disagreed about how to allocate players' pay. Owners want tougher rules on salary caps; players, of course, don't.

????The roadblock has sparked both players and owners to take legal action that could ensnare the NBA in litigation and sink the 2011-2012 season. The players already missed their first paycheck last week, and they will keep losing money with every missed match. The owners lose money on lost games too, but many want to hold out for an agreement that will better protect the profitability of their franchises.

????Even though there are plenty of angry wealthy people involved, one person stands out as the poster child for the lockout. For this one, says University of Minnesota sports management professor Stephen Ross, "The fall guy is going to end up being David Stern."

????It is, after all, Stern's job to speak for the owners during a conflict. But the commissioner, who declined to comment for this story, has made key mistakes while steering this discussion. That's too bad, according to Chad Seifried, a sports management expert at Louisiana State University's kinesiology department. "If you think about David Stern's legacy, he's certainly known as one of the great commissioners that we've had in professional sports," he says.

????Stern has served as commissioner for close to 30 years and has overseen major changes at the league. Last year, the NBA generated almost $4 billion in basketball-related income, a twenty-fold increase since Stern took over as commissioner in 1984. Yet, it's hard to keep a healthy running dialogue with players for that long, and Stern has antagonized many, leading up to the current stalemate. Hard feelings about this lockout, Seifried says, could tarnish Stern's career.