Editorial: NBA players back to work -- anyone care?

Make no mistake, sports is big business, and the financial terms of these labor deals could mean millions more -- or less -- for those involved. But at some point you have to ask yourself how much is enough. When athletes' salaries stretch into the millions of dollars, most working people start losing interest in the "plight" of players.

It really is hard to generate much sympathy for the owners, either, because they allowed salaries to escalate beyond control in the first place. No one put a gun to their heads when they got into this business.

The reality is that sports at the professional level is no longer sports -- it's entertainment. The emphasis on working together as a team doesn't seem as important. Teamwork has taken a back seat to finding the best endorsement deal from a shoe maker or fast-food chain.

It is tough to find a situation more depressing than the bickering in Congress over President Clinton's impeachment, but this collective assortment of owners and players actually was able to outdo those in our nation's capital. In the same way that the mean-spirited battles sometimes have worked to depress voter turnout, players and owners shouldn't be too surprised if their childish behavior results in smaller television audiences and fewer fans turning out for the games.

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