As it stands now in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and its players, 57% of all basketball related income goes directly to the players.

According to Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver,

“We need a new system. The current system is broken and unsustainable… If we continue to pay 57 percent off the top to the players association, it would require such an enormous amount of additional revenue to reduce losses beyond where we are.  We are only going to make very small, incremental changes.”

The latest stand by the NBA is that it is losing money. Apparently 22 NBA teams lost money last season at a total of $300 million. That fact coupled with having to pay top dollar to acquire great talent plus other business expenses can understandably lead to debt. While the NBA has some unprofitable teams, it also has some very profitable teams. Yet instead of creating a revenue sharing system or something along those lines to keep the entire league healthy, the NBA has instead proposed a deal that includes a $45 million hard salary cap. Not only would that hurt player salaries by removing the ability for teams to go over the cap, but it would also cut the current salary cap by 25%. I personally don’t view this as a possible option but I must say the current system was put in place by the Association, NOT the players or anyone else so it is no wonder why the burden has fallen on them to fix this mess.

NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver says that the NBA and NBAPA are scheduled to have discussions about an agreement for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in whichever city hosts the Western Conference Finals. The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and its players will expire on July 1.

The current NBA business model is backwards in favor of the athletes. Yet and still, a change needs to be made in which neither side is likely to budge. These are the perfect makings for another NFL situation. As negotiations continue Quarterlife will keep the sports world updated.

For some it’s the reason you watch the Superbowl. For others, it’s a means to launching (or re-launching if you’re Betty White) a brand, a career, even an idea. When it comes to TV advertising, this is pricey real estate, and the Super Bowl is Beverly Hills baby.

I can barely ever remember who won the game let alone who played. But you know I always remember the commercials. And really…isn’t that where the real competition is nowadays? Here are the top 10 Best Play Makers for this year’s Super Bowl Commercials:

10. The Movie: Super 8

I think this commercial caused a 10 minutes discussion on ET. Granted that’s not the movie it’s advertising…but it kept you talking

9. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Because any commercial that utilizes the Zack Morris Cell Phone deserves a place on this list… The Zack Attack!

8. Best Buy: Buy Back with Ozzy and Bieber

Anything that calls Bieber a girl…even if it’s Bieber himself…is good

7. Audi A8

Who doesn’t love Kenny G and the Dodo bird? Otherwise would be “scandalous”.

6. The New Volkswagen Beetle

Admit it…you’re curious to see it

5. HomeAway.com

This commercial seemed like it was heading for dullsville. Until two words… “Test Baby”

4. Doritos…

Tell me that you didn’t gasp and clutch your pearls at the halfway mark….Doritos!

3. E*TRADE

I’m not sure how I feel about the use of a new baby. But he does do a PERFECT Enzo.

2. Verizon on the iPhone

OH SNAP!!! No. They. Didn’t. And has that guy gained weight since his last commercial?

1. Volkswagen: “The Force”

The force was with the Passat on this one. I could watch it over and over. Perhaps I am biased though…I too was a Star Wars fan at an early age.

What do you think? Were there other spots that had you laughing up your dip and chips? Do you know who won the game or was that just the break between commercials to refill your cup with another frothy beverage? Should they just get rid of the game but keep the commercials?

Being a twenty-something athlete has some advantages. You are probably at or nearing the peak of your career; your muscles throb with excitement, legs feel faster than a car…hell, you could lift a ton with one hand. Yes the world is yours; well, partly yours. These young people hold the major chunk of it, as they are the ones making the big bucks and making us jealous of their athletic talents, and bank accounts.

5 Top Paid Athletes

Lewis Hamilton – Easily one of the best drivers in Formula One right now, Hamilton can make a car move, and he makes it look easy. Recognized by many as possibly the next Michael Schumacher, Hamilton from age 8 has been driving karts and has not stopped progressing since. He has won numerous races and championships including – The British Championship, the Super one series, Formula Renault UK championship, and the GP2 championship. Now this is by no means any small feat as anybody who watches motorsports will tell you.

While doing this he was listed as SI’s 11^th highest paid athlete in the world in 2008, and also given the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” title (member level… or MBE), and is in place for a great future in f1.

Honourable Mention: Sebastian Vettel

Michelle Wie – Wie is an American golfer born in Hawaii of Koren parentage, who started playing golf at the young age of 4. (Yes–while you were busy discussing which power ranger was cooler, Wie was playing a golf.) In the year 2000 at 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for the womens US Amateur Public Links Championship, a year later she won the Hawaii Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Jennie K. Wilson women’s invitational.

Her early wins at many events and drew the eyes of sponsors throughout her youth, and eventually in to 2005, when she decided to go professional, signing sponsorship deals with Nike and Sony. She later signed a deal with Omega Watch Company raking in (reported in 2007) over $19 million dollars a year from sponsorship alone. Currently ranked 14^th in the world, which may bring naysayers, Wie is only 20 and she has a bright golf future ahead of her.

Honourable mention: Jiyai Shin

Lionel Messi – A name most Americans will say, “huh…who?” when they hear. Despite that, Lionel Messi is a world renowned name in the football (soccer) world. Messi, an Argentinian football player who currently plays for Spanish La Liga giants, Barcelona. Messi has been receiving accolades from a young age, winning world young player of the year awards for 3 consecutive years between 2006-2008. He has also been regarded as Sports Illustrated’s 4^th highest paid player in 2008 raking in over $35 million dollars a year, a minority of that figure which comes from endorsements by companies like Adidas. He is also estimated to be worth a transfer fee equal to or more than Christiano Ronaldo’s, aka: £80 million pounds.

Honourable Mention: Christiano Ronaldo

Lebron James – Come on, you cant tell me you didn’t expect to see this name on the list. Lebron james is right now at the top of the basketball world, I mean seriously, his nickname is King James. At age 18 (2003) he was the number 1 draft pick and had already signed a shoe deal with Nike – the monetary value of which I will tell you later. He has won numerous awards including Rookie of the year (2003), Most valuable player (2008), and has also been both an NBA all star for every season since 2005. In addition internationally he has also won Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing games and bronze in the 2004 Olympics. Now remember that Nike Sponsorship deal I spoke about earlier? That was for $90 Million dollars, but he also has endorsements with Sprite, Glaceau, Bubbilicious, Upper Deck and State Farm. Sports Illustrated estimates that James made over $167 million during his first 5 seasons in the NBA and currently places his yearly earnings at $40 million most of which come from endorsements. The man is simply a ball playing, money making fiend.

Honourable Mention: Rajon Rondo.

1. Usain Bolt –  For all you people whom were living under a rock, Usain Bolt is a Jamaican (yea, I’m biased) sprinter who is a 3 time Olympic Medalist and also a 2 time World Youth Champion. He took the world by storm by winning and destroying the world records in the 100 metres, 200 metres and the 4×100 metres races (which he shares with teammates Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and Nesta Carter). In 2009, he then furthered his dominance in sprinting by not only winning in these events but yet again breaking the records he set the year before (minus the 4×100 metre record)…By the way, his nickname, freakin’ “Lightning Bolt!” This man is so fast, he has broken records which scientists had deemed impossible to break. Also to add to his awesomeness, Blot is also an avid footballer and cricketer as has been shown in recent accomplishments.

Bolt is endorsed by Puma, Gatorade and a Jamaican Telecoms company named Digicel, earning him a paltry $3 million dollars in earnings per year; but his endorsements have grown and he has been offered a $115 million deal from a Chinese sports company, and also commands $250,000 in appearance fee’s – as in, each time he races he is paid $250,000 (remember he races the 100 and the 200 so multiply by 2 if he runs both), if he enters 4 races in a week, he would earn a million dollars, if he does that for 4 weeks, 4 million dollars… you do the math. Also to be added in is the fact that he’s given a bonus each time he breaks the world record (he’s done it 5 times) and is planning to enter the IAAF diamond league next year which will be 14 different races (28 if he decides to run both the 100 and 200), and if he manages to gain the most points he will then be awarded a 14 karat diamond. Lets just say, money is no object to this lightning Bolt.

Honourable Mention: Shelly Ann Fraser

Gaines Adams (1983-2010)

“It’s like, that man’s playing his heart out, and we have to do the same thing.” – Gaines Adams

Coached in his formative years by former University of South Carolina quarterback, Steve Taneyhill,  Gaines Adams was setting records and making a professional name for himself during his high school football career. He carried his star football skills from high school to Clemson University, choosing the Tigers over Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

In 2002 Adams’ did not see much on field action as a freshman Clemson Tiger, though he had the skills, it wasn’t until his sophomore year at Clemson we were able to see Adams shine as the star he was. Where any true Clemson fan will remember, towards the end of his college career where he gave the Tigers the famed 66-yard fumble return against Wake Forest in 2006.

Because of his star performance on Clemson’s defense, Adam’s considered a professional career in football early on, however maintained his career with Clemson University which led to various awards an accolades. He was named to all 5 All-America teams acknowledged by the NCAA in 2006, as well as 7 unanimous All-Americans that same year.

Adams passed away on Sunday, January 17, 2010 of an enlarged heart, a condition which can lead to a heart attack. Reported to ESPN, by Chris Hovan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Adams’ was, “one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met.” The Buccaneers was where Adams’ made his NFL debut, picked fourth in the 2007 draft.

Adams was highly liked and remembered for his positive outlook, and  though he was not with his most recent team, The Chicago Bears long, Adams’ presence was still felt, and his death still fell heavy with his teammates.  Linebacker Brian Urlacher said to the Chicago Tribune regarding Adams’ passing, “You just don’t know how to handle it. It’s just sad, man. It’s a bad deal.”

RIP Gaines

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira: Brazilian Footballer

Ronaldinho, Portuguese for “Little Ronaldo,” was first given the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches. Following in the footsteps of his brother Ronnie, Ronaldo joined the Gremio’s footballing school and made the first team in 1997, heralded as one of the best young hopes in Brazilian football.

Despite his career low with his exit from Barcelona and his difficult adaptation to Italian soccer, he is still considered a great example of the Brazilian “jogo bonito” (colorful play) brand of soccer and is enormously talented.

Ronaldinho became a father on 25 February 2005 with Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes who gave birth to their son, João named after Ronaldinho’s late father.

References and More Information:
ESPN
Ronaldinho Fan Site
Wikipedia

Christian Olsson: Olympic Athlete

Swedish athlete and Olympian Gold Medalist Christian Olsson has made many strides as a Generation-Y athlete. Olsson had his international breakthrough in 2001 when he won silver at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics.

He has overcome injuries and rehabilitation in his career to be a shining light of athleticism, despite not being able to participate in the 2008 Olympics, he did carry the Swedish flag. Recently, he competed and won the high jump at the 2009 Swedish Championships in Malmo.

References and for more information:

Wikipedia

Biography

Kasey Kahne: NASCAR Prodigy

Kasey Kahne, “No. 9” – this is how this 29-year-old North Carolinian NASCAR is known. Kahne has been racing officially since 17, and had his first NASCAR race and win in 2004.

Now with 11 wins and 64 Top-Ten’s under his belt – Kasey is on his way to a full career.

Outside of racing he enjoys basketball and grilling with friends and family, as well as philanthropic activities including his own Kasey Kahne Foundation.

Resources and for more information:

Wikipedia

KaseyKahne.com

I do not know why it is I love motorsports so much but I do. Sadly, living in Jamaica I do not have much of a choice in terms of motorsports.

So, I asked myself the question, where would one live, ideally and solely to fulfill all my Gearhead fantasies?

This is a challenging question to ask a Gearhead as there are so many factors which influence the decision. The U.S. certainly deserves a nomination; while I do not disagree, I simply dislike NASCAR and Indy racing (driving in circles… not that exciting for me) and so choosing America is already losing its lustre.

One, though, cannot forget the American Le Mans Series, or the monster-truck series or the D1GP series (among others) all of which have numerous rounds or are solely done in the U.S. But, where the U.S. loses is in its international events. There are very few top level international events which have a round in the U.S. and most Gearheads would be still left wanting.

Countries like England are host to a number of motorsports events including the British Touring Car Championship, a round of the World Rally championship, a round of the formula one championship, a round of the Moto GP, World and British superbike championships…etc.

If all the racing series above wasn’t enough to persuade you to move, England is close to mainland Europe, which puts other races such as the Dutch Touring Masters (in Germany) and other rounds of other major worldwide motorsports events really close by.

Undoubtedly London, England would win as “Best Motorsport City” …if Japan didn’t exist.

While England is certainly noteworthy, it lacks the “car culture” which dominates Japan. Japan is home to so many of the world’s major motor vehicle brands such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi.

Additionally, the country also boasts a heavy tuner culture, where people modify their cars and race them over the many race tracks. Tracks such as the Fuji speedway, Tsukuba circuit, Suzuka circuit, and Motegi speedway are internationally known and hosts races almost weekly.

Japan is also home to the drifting culture that has been taking the world by storm. In addition to all of this, Japan hosts an F1 race, a GP2 race, a WRC race, the JGTC and the JTCC, D1 Grand Prix, Super GT, Drag Races, Local Rallies among many many other races.

Certainly this is a country which is worthy of the title. As far as cities are concerned, Tokyo wins out as it is a train ride away from all the major raceways in Japan.

I fail to see a city or country which would have motorsport written all over it bigger than Tokyo, Japan. If you cannot get your fix here, I wouldn’t know where to send you.

Honourable mention goes to Melbourne, Australia where you may see many international races and is home to the Australian V8 supercars series.

Now, readers may disagree with my list (more or less, people from everywhere except the U.S.) but allow me to explain myself. The cities listed are surprisingly not “football (soccer) cities” for the simple fact that they only focus on football. Additionally, other athletes in these same cities are not paid as well.

This is why Manchester is not listed as one of the top three cities (although Manchester United and Manchester City are such exceptionally well-paid teams), but neither are Milan (home of AC and Inter Milan to the uninitiated) or even Madrid (Home of Athletico and Real Madrid).

These cities are too focused on one sport alone and while the pay is excellent, they do not rival the following:

No. 3: Washington, D.C.

Washington has eight top-flight professional teams: Orioles, Nationals, Capitals, Redskins, Ravens, Wizards, Mystics and D.C. United. The city is also formerly home of the Colts (now in Indianapolis). In addition, these teams have brought home 15 titles to the city.

For math wizzes out there, that is roughly two titles per team.

This city then becomes a top-paying city because as it is well known, teams that have actually won a title have more clout in terms of sponsorship and also tend to get higher quality athletes, thus are guaranteed to pay more money (I’m hoping that my wonderful readers will understand my deductive reasoning here). D.C. is also home to one of the largest stadiums (Fedex field) in the NFL, and also has quite sizable stadiums for all other sporting events as well. 

No. 2: Boston

While there are less top-flight teams in Boston with only six to its roster: Red Sox, Braves, Bruins, Patriots, Celtics and Revolution, the quality of these teams certainly stands as a testament to the rich (pun intended) sporting heritage that is Boston. These six teams alone have won 31 major championship titles.

Math wizzes will quickly calculate that to be five championships per team! FIVE!

While one can say that it is simply because the Celtics should basically be dubbed the gods of basketball, as they have 16 titles all to themselves, I’m quick to point out that next to the Braves and the Revolution, all the other teams have won multiple titles. If you want a better understanding of the money that is spent in Boston, look at the big names Boston is home to:

Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Joey Galloway, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, David Ortiz, etc.

Unfortunately, I’m not able to elaborate on the MBL and NHL teams, but the names listed above alone are worth enough money to buy yourself an entire team.

No. 1:  New York (pretty obvious to me)

I mean, do I really have to expand here?

Home of the Yankees, Giants (both NFL and MLB), Mets, Dodgers (well, formerly), Rangers, Islanders, Jets, Knicks, and Red Bulls. I can further expand this list by simply adding teams which are based in New Jersey. I mean look at the Madison Square Garden, this arena is simply one of, if not the most, famous arenas in the world.

Think of all the events that have taken place in that arena, boxing, basketball, even hockey (talk about multi-purpose!). Think of all the Yankee hats and Giants jerseys you have seen around. To further add to the 48 titles shared among the MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA teams (yet another average of five per team,) New York City is also home to the U.S. Open Tennis Grand Slam, numerous golf events, and the list goes on and on.

It goes without question that New York would certainly win the title of best paying sports city in the world.

All in all, it depends highly on the type of sports you want to play. People interested in baseball, basketball or American football would certainly be able to make more than enough money in any of the top three cities I picked. However, if you are good at football (soccer), then America isn’t where you need to be – you will need to head over to England, Italy, Spain, or Germany. Oh, and if you are a motorsports professional, yet again, head to Europe!

Ah, sports – the home of the multi-million dollar paid athletes who live the lives we – most of us Generation-Yers in our quarterlife – all wished we could live. If only we had approached gym class with about as much enthusiasm as we do for happy hour, as opposed to spending every week coming up with excuses (I’m allergic to grass!).

Many sporting events and leagues, however, are actually quite affected by this recession. Athletes are now giving thought to how they are spending their recently acquired fortune, unlike before when athletes simply found the most efficient ways to go broke.

Yet, the problem doesn’t start at the athletes.

Let’s look at the organizations – companies like the NFL (National Football League for non-Americans) have had to scale back their staffing in order to survive despite the fact that it makes so much money off of advertising, TV rights and tickets.

The NFL is not the only one though; the NBA (National Basketball Association) has also fallen under the staff cutting group cutting 9% of its staff. Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL) seem to be exempt from these measures. However, with both organizations not making any noticeable staff cuts, they do have teams which are heavily in debt. 

For us football (American soccer) fans, FIFA has, for the most part, escaped the recession. Many pundits, however, say that this is only because of the 2006 World Cup and the money it made from this. Don’t forget – the World Cup & football on a whole is the second most watched event in the world – beaten only by the Olympics.

Which leads to my next point – heavily indebted teams. Do a Google search for “sports teams in debt,” and you will find that the NFL and its teams carry roughly $9 billion worth of debt; while the MLB comes in at $3.1 billion.

The NBA – who has not disclosed actual debt numbers –limits borrowings for each of its 30 teams to $175 million each, or $5.25 billion at most. This comes in stark contrast to the recently held drafts where millions of dollars were spent to recruit college players for the upcoming season.

Even soccer (football) teams have been experiencing monetary issues. As a result of global financial crises, large companies such as AIG can no longer afford to sponsor these soccer team. These corporation have found themselves heavily indebted or in receivership (as is the case with AIG), and more or less.

As for motorsports, more sponsors are going broke and breaking their sponsorships. Formula1, who has already lost a major manufacturer in Honda, is seemingly about to lose BMW as well. Despite the setback, F1 has begun implementing cost-cutting measures to ensure the continued support of the sport.

Now, most keen readers will realise that I have left out track and field athletics as a category of debt-ridden sports. This is simply because the sport is currently not experiencing any form of noticeable debt. Is it because track and field is better managed or makes a larger income than all other sports? Perhaps it is because the recently held Olympics and World Championships have made so much money that the organisation hasn’t had to worry about monetary problems?

Or is it because a combination of Usain Bolt, Yelena Isinbayeva, and Heille Gebreselassie have come together and are secretly using their inhuman abilities to rob banks and privately fund the IAAF? Most people would go for the latter, but that hasn’t been proven so I can’t comment any further on that. Although my first guess would be a combination of the 1st and 2nd options…until I get proof.

I have come to a conclusion that most readers may disagree with, but allow me to explain. What is the difference between the MLB, NBA, NFL, and the NHL, IAAF, the World Motosport Council, and FIFA?

In case you haven’t realised, the latter four organisations are all non-U.S. organizations (minus the NHL which is joint U.S. and Canadian) and these four are all quite fine monetarily.

Does this mean that U.S.-based companies simply are managed by incompetent buffoons? Not necessarily. Under these conditions these sports could not have become some of the most popular and most watched sports in the world. Yet, it leads me to question the managerial skills and level of competency of those responsible.