The Rest, Only Noise

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Chapter 114: Greetings to you who will surely get what you want

Conventionally, unions are going to strike, but this is not a mandatory measure, not an executive order. The union is for the players and has no right to order the players to do anything.

Therefore, for the union to let players strike, it requires the players' spontaneous consciousness.

All teams are led by their captains, hold a player meeting, and vote on whether to strike.

This tradition stems from the blizzard night in Boston in 1964. The players of that generation did not have high salaries, no perfect benefits, no guarantee after retirement, the schedule was the devil, and the flying conditions were terrible - none of them. compared to today's players.

It was the result of that night's vote that determined the average salary of today's players of $200,000, and that they had the confidence to ask their bosses for a share of the TV contract.

In this historical background of great responsibility, no player will occupy his will by his selfish nature.

It took ten minutes for the Celtics players to gather for a meeting, but the voting process took less than five seconds.

No one objected to the strike.

Bird, who held the team's hope like a leader, said: "I'll take a stand for the team, I'll tell Bill and Reed, let them know our decision."

Isaiah Thomas asked: "What if they threaten you with the future and the law?"

"I could lose this job or go to jail." Bird didn't even look at Thomas, he just made sure everyone saw his determination, "but I'm not going to let you down."

On March 6, Fitch proposed an intra-team meeting.

All the players, the entire coaching staff, management and owners, are in attendance.

The atmosphere was tense, and the atmosphere within the Celtics had never been so tense. Not even after a bad ball and Fitch scolded everyone.

No one wanted to speak first.

The owner, Harry Mandrian, who was recently caught up in a contract dispute with the Boston Garden, was distraught and could be described as the most low-key boss in this labor turmoil.

There are rumors that he is considering selling the Celtics.

If he's serious, his low profile is understandable, he doesn't even want to be a boss, so where does he care about the salary cap?

Louis sat beside Auerbach, and the boss spoke first.

Mandrian said softly: "You all must have known about the recent labor dispute. The players' union has announced that if you can't reach a new agreement before April 1, you will strike. Now I just want to know what you really think."

As has been agreed before, it is up to Bird to negotiate with the team.

Bird stood up and said, "The attitude of the union is our attitude."

Mandrian's tone was very mild: "You think about it, strikes mean reduced revenue, and may anger CBS, they have the right to shorten or even cancel the broadcast contract. Once there is no TV broadcast revenue, the team will only rely on normal operations. It is impossible to maintain the current operation, and then the income of all of you will be drastically reduced."

"Sir, we're not businessmen," Bird said. "Everyone of us is confused, but we believe in the unions, we believe in Mr. Larry Fleischer. Although the future is uncertain, this is definitely the right path, and we must the way."

Mandrian's determination to persuade the players was not very strong, and Luis noticed the tiredness on his face, and he no longer wanted to get involved in these things.

"I don't know what reason you have to strike!" Auerbach said, "I gave each of you a good contract. The amount of the contract was signed after negotiating with your agent. What do you have to be dissatisfied with now?"

Bird replied with a stern face: "Because we can't just think about ourselves."

Bill Fitch couldn't listen anymore.

"You're doing this and you're only making the other teams more difficult! Do you know that 23 teams are losing money? Do you know that many of them are just barely holding on? If you don't control it more and more The more exaggerated the salary level, the more teams will go bankrupt! There will be many players without jobs, is this your goal?"

"Stop messing with Bill!"

Another player spoke up, and the speaker was veteran Archibald.

"The bosses in 1964 also said they were going bankrupt; the bosses in 1972 said the same; you still said the same in 1976, what's the result? To the players, we're part of this league, we play hard, bring great games, attract more fans, and now we're asking to share the revenue from the broadcast contract because we're the guarantee of ratings, isn't that too much?"

Fitch angrily said, "You know the shit!"

"The league's revenue has increased, but now the cost of signing players has also increased. The Celtics have not sorry for any of you. You all get salaries that match your worth. The salaries of others have nothing to do with you. What you have to do is Be worthy of your salary, train and play on time, then go home and sleep!"

Fitch's growl filled the room.

"I warn you! If you dare to strike, you will all lose 50% of your salary, the team has the right to do so! If you cause more damage to the team, then you will have a lawsuit, I promise. You will lose everything!" His eyes swept to Archibald like a beast, "If someone dares to strike in the name of the team, I hope that person can pay the whole team's salary, if there is no such thing as Financial strength, I promise, he will go to court, I hope he finds a good lawyer!"

Archibald was furious, and Fitch's words ripped apart the bond between him and the others.

With an icy smile on Bird's face, he asked sarcastically, "What if we decide not to strike?"

"We will find a way to increase your salaries, we will find a way to let you sit first class on the road trip, and we will find a way to improve your benefits." Fitch is well versed in the lobbying of big stick carrots, "As long as you Don't give up!"

College coaches like Fitch, who don't know much about NBA history, can't understand the choices of players at this moment.

"Well, I'm their representative, I can represent them, Bill, and in your words, I'm the one who acts on the team's behalf."

Bird looked like he was about to score a lore on the court, his eyes swept over the management and the owner, and finally turned to Fitch: "No matter what happens, if the league and the union don't reach a new agreement on April 1st , we will strike."

"What did you say?!" Fitch roared, "you better know what you're talking about!"

Larry Legend said proudly: "If the negotiation fails, we will be a model for the entire league and respond to the call of the union to strike on April 1st!"

Fitch's face was full of anger. Bird was the player who supported him most on weekdays, and now he is also the player who opposes him the most.

His anger was just useless.

In the end, the meeting ended with a firm statement from the players.

When the boss Mandrian got up, he said, "I'll wait and see."

Auerbach looked angry and left with a sneer.

Fitch even slammed the door angrily and left.

Louie opened a bottle of Heineken and held it in front of Bird.

"Louis, what are you doing?" Bird asked.

Louis smiled lightly and said, "Congratulations to those of you who will surely get what you want."

Fitch's threat, an empty threat, an illegal threat, he clearly violated the Labor Code.

His deterrence couldn't come true, and he stirred up rebellious emotions from all players.

The same thing happens with many teams.

If the Celtics are a battlefield, the Seattle SuperSonics are a bayonet battle.

The boss threatened the players that if they dared to strike, he would fire everyone in the team and quickly found 12 players to play.

Intimidation from owners and management, oppression from the coaching staff, dissatisfaction from fans, and various threatening letters threatening personal attacks continued to appear.

Larry Fleischer, a fine leader, sent a memo to all players: "I've said in various meetings in the summer and fall that if we get closer to the 'strike date' we won't be able to. Don't face all kinds of attacks from bosses. Turns out my predictions were correct. They will threaten you, and some teams have already done so.

First, the league's office sends each general manager a memo and instructs them how to deal with you. Some teams have a three-page memo in your locker; some have had the general manager talk to you; some have had the boss talk to you. The purpose of this is clearly to beat you psychologically. They have improperly stated from a legal point of view that they will withhold your wages, both now and in the future...there will be a constant threat in the coming weeks.

I have told you that they will try to divide us, their initial attempt was to discredit me, and they have always done that. There will be a trust attack on our negotiating team in the report they give you, more precisely on me. The next step will be to divide us by teams, salaries, high-paid players versus low-paid players, and other means. Again, this is what I told you could happen, and it has happened.

Be patient~www.readwn.com~ Have a firm belief, this is not for you and me, this is for the young players who are active, retired and will enter the league in the future! It all started with the founding of the Players Union by Bob Cousy, continued with the great strike in 1964, and inherited the four-year-old lawsuit of Oscar. This is a historical responsibility that our generation will shoulder, and we cannot retreat. Finally, we can't bow our heads, we will be firm until the last moment! "

In just one day, all teams, all players, including the indecisive 76ers, said through the media that they would answer the call of the union.

If the new agreement is not reached on April 1, then they will directly strike.

This is what the NBA looks like today. They are composed of a group of arrogant, arrogant and greedy players. Nearly half of them are drug addicts. They don't care about the world, they only care about themselves, but they have inherited the will of their predecessors. At a moment when this is related to the future well-being of the players, the selfish ghosts are eliminated by the sense of responsibility. They collectively manifest themselves and make the strongest voice to the bosses and the league who do not believe that they really dare to strike.

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