Summary of players’ talk with media (must read)

Doug Farrar does a nice job putting a bow on things

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  • Mawae confirmed the report that the players were willing to take $1 billion in an equity stake instead of cost credits, and the owners refused.
  • The players were asked more than once why they didn’t extend the league year so that they could better review the last offer, and the answers were more general re: the financials and the “sham” nature in perception, but my sense is that the rancor and mistrust had hit the point where there was nothing to be gained by a 24-hour extension, and the players weren’t getting enough concessions for a longer extension.
  • Mawae had this zinger: “Maybe you should ask the owners if they trust each other to see each other’s books. Maybe that’s the real question.”