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Informative Articles

Gary Sheffield: Big bat, Big mouth
Yankees star outfielder Gary Sheffield claims he was misquoted, even suggested he was outright lied about in a column that will hit the papers in the morning, which he was quoted as saying, “ I know who the leader is on the team. I ain't going to...

Ness Notes (Jan 11)
Was it really just a week ago that Texas beat USC 41-38 in the Rose Bowl? Can Vince Young possibly be as good in the NFL as he was in his two Rose Bowl appearances? Is the 'monkey' finally off Mack Brown's back? Putting to rest the CFB...

Take a Number: Five Ways to Look at Age
One for the Ages Satchel Paige was a great baseball pitcher, one of the greatest of all time. He was an African-American and, due to the racial discrimination of the time, most of his outstanding career was not spent in the (white) major...

"The Concept of Value in Sports Betting!"
In sports betting you need to make sure that your bets (and trades) are good value in order to make a profit. If you do not do this you will still win bets but profits may be harder to achieve. Let me explain this last statement. I actually lose...

Why I Would Rather Be A Slugger Than A Pitcher
During the last NLCS, I asked Brandon Backe of the Astros what the hardest thing was for him in making the conversion from outfielder to pitcher in the minors. He said it was "not playing every day." That is why I would rather be a slugger, to...

 
NBA Notes (March 23rd)

Could the NBA regular season end a couple of weeks earlier?

Yes.

The season now ends on April 20 and the playoffs begin April 23.

If the regular season ended on April 6 it would fit nicely with hoopla that surrounds the NCAA’s men’s Final Four plus the NBA’s playoffs could begin April 9.

This maneuver would reduce the regular season from the current 82 games to 74.

Would this provide for more meaningful late season games, and more inspired play?

Absolutely.

Approximately one-third of the league is realistically out of the playoff picture. They have lost a combined 500 games. Who wants to watch New Orleans and Atlanta square off?

Another large group are heading into the playoffs and are trying to stave off the threat of injuries. San Antonio’s Tim Duncan has sprained his ankle twice in the last two weeks, and may not play again this regular season. The second sprain may not have even occurred if the season ended April 9. Obviously the loss of a key


player can severely jeopardize a team’s quest for a championship. Ray Allen of Seattle is a similar example.

The most interesting games now belong to a few teams battling for the 8th and final playoff spot.

In summary, with approximately a month left in the NBA regular season, many of the games have hardly any value to the fans.

Would this severely reduce revenue for the league?

No. Of the thirty teams in the league only a select few consistently fill the seats of their arenas. And by the beginning of March many sports fans are preparing for baseball, golf, and auto racing. The NBA teams would be better off keeping the fan’s interest and selling tickets to those already empty seats. In addition teams have two weeks of expenses off the books.

Plus, with the NBA finals ending just past mid-May instead of going into June, television ratings could be better equating into a more lucrative TV contract.

About the Author

Dan Wilson writes for http://www.hoopsavenue.com