Talking about being fearful

One of my sons suggested I discuss "play for pay'' in a future column. Payment of athletes while attending school has been a continuing topic of debate for years.  Discussing this matter ventures into areas I'm unsure I am unable to provide enough and adequate points. The small amount of research I completed provided me with far more questions than answers. Here are my questions, I'm sure you can provide an additional number.

*If football and basketball players are paid would the same stipend impact tennis players or members of the swim team?  Tennis, swimming and other sports don't generate the amount of revenue football and basketball provide.

*Should a Jimmer Fredette receive a larger payday than a Carmelo Anthony? The difference based on one athlete playing four years versus the other only one year of play. 

*On occasion athletes have been declared ineligible due to grades and other issues, would payments continue as long as the athlete remains in school?

*Finally what role will a schools athletic department bear in a play for pay system?

What will we do?

Do you share my concern regarding the month old NBA lockout? The key to this lockout and the recently concluded NFL one is financial it's the same here, the owners want more the players are unwilling to give back. A couple of points, over the last two years at least three NBA franchises have changed hands, i.e. new ownership. Did these new owners purchase their respective team with dollar signs in their eyes? I have no problem with ownership profiting but to what extent? How can you give (huge player contracts) and then take-away (player revenue share) which is one of the sticking points to a new collective bargaining agreement. Second point I know owners especially the new group realize this is not the NFL or even major league baseball.

How can an owner state "I'm losing money" and not allow the financial picture to be examined by a neutral or third party? The New York Times disputes the figures ownership made public. The revenue stream is totally different and they should realize that, as for a side I choose neither. I'm not siding with the players nor owners, both have become far too greedy in these stressful economic times. A recent headline read "Billy Hunter, NBA on track for a lost season, " if the season is lost as the union president hints they might as well close shop. This is not the NFL, the fan base is much smaller and fans will not come flocking back after a year of no basketball. Will I return to NBA basketball once the impasse is resolved, of course I will and so will you provided we are not talking next year. The residual effects on the fans of this lockout can be temporary or permanent based on the length of time to hammer out a new agreement. An NBA owner needs to do what Patriots owner Robert Kraft did, get fully involved in these process. On the other hand Commissioner David Stern needs to solve this, isn't that why he is paid a reported $10 million dollars a year? (Sam Namiri, SportsBiz.biz, Sept 13, 2010)

I've grown to appreciate what he did

Former Spurs player Bruce Bowen was never one of my favorites. It all stemmed from the fact I thought he was a "dirty player", several of his NBA contemporaries shared the same view. An ESPN.com panel questioned if the window had closed on the Spurs run as a championship contending team. The answer to that question is a discussion for another time, back to Bowen. A fan pointed out the Spurs have not been the same since Bowen was traded, San Antonio had become his last NBA stop. He retired prior to the 2010 season before ever donning a Bucks uniform. For an undrafted player from Cal-State Fullerton he had a pretty good career. He played for four NBA teams before he eventually found a home in San Antonio. The old saying, "location, location, location" certainly applied with the Spurs, he arrived at a time his principle duty was to play tough hard-nosed defense. No scoring responsibilities other than to shoot a corner three now and then. Bowen contributed to three NBA championships and was 5X NBA All-Defensive First Team (2004-2008) and 3X NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001-2003). Was he a dirty player, you draw your on conclusions. I do think he might have modeled portions of his game after Dennis Rodman.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."

- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)