You can call it planning ahead, but I’m calling this part of the plan.
The NBA reportedly has a number of secret (or not so much) contingency schedules that can be rolled out as more cancellations are made throughout the lockout. Via CBS sports:
The New York Post reported last week that modified versions of shorter schedules have been formulated.
Although the league called the move a “cancellation” and not a postponement, games eventually could be shifted or re-arranged. As The Post has reported, the league has contingency plans for various scenarios, including schedules calling for 75, 70 or 60 games. The last lockout caused the season to start in February 1999, with a Munchkin-sized 50-game season that included numerous back-to-backs and three games in three nights.
Then, ESPN.com reported that the NBA even has a delayed-start, full 82-game schedule in the works.
Strong rumblings continue to be conveyed to ESPN.com about the league preparing a secret schedule that starts Dec. 1 and still manages to pump out 82 games.
When David Stern came out and cancelled the first two weeks of the season, every NBA team site’s schedule was updated within seconds. They knew going in that the cancellation was imminent, and they had their fingers on the button once the announcement was made. Now, they’ve got a number of different schedules already set up and ready to go.
This goes beyond good back-up plans. This level of preparedness speaks to how willing David Stern is to come out and cancel portions of the season as a bargaining tool. Knowing that he even has an 82-game back-up plan makes his dour “wish I didn’t have to do this” type of announcement very easy to make. He knows each cancellation puts added pressure on the players, and he knows he can make these announcements almost without consequence.
It’s like threatening to break up with a girlfriend over something when you know you’ve got dates lined up for Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
It’s no wonder Stern can throw out these deadlines that are earlier than seemingly necessary. This has been part of the plan all along. So even if he comes out of tonight’s mediated negotiations saying “we’re not playing on Christmas,” it may only be because the delayed-start 82 game schedule has Christmas as an off-day.
David Stern is a master of semantics. We’re going to have to really try to keep up if we’re going to be reading into anything he says from now on.
