Let's Hope The NBA Talks Don't Get Gumbied - The Downbeat - #607

  So you're telling me there's a chance?  After yesterday's half-marathon meeting, the NBA and NBAPA emerged last night with the most optimistic talk about ending the lockout since the lockout began.  According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the discussion yesterday revolved around system issues (luxury tax, MLE, etc.),

The two sides didn't discuss the split of revenue - a contentious issue in previous negotiating sessions - instead taking Hunter's suggestion they "park" the discussion while negotiating system issues. Stern indicated the talks likely won't return to the split until the league and union have finished with the system. 

The BRI split is where things could get ugly again.  The owners of course still want 50/50 while the players have come down to 52.5%.  Both Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher have stated that the union might be willing to come down to 50% if the system issues are resolved and most things are kept.

So we'll see.  Things could go swimmingly the next few days and we get a joint press conference on Monday announcing a the new deal has been struck or we could get this.

   Let's hope this doesn't happen,

Tentative plans are in place to hold a charity exhibition game Nov. 7 in Salt Lake City that would feature Jazz players versus NBA players, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.    

Even if a deal is struck this weekend, maybe this still happens.  The players won't report to training camp until everything has been ratified and signed off on which would take a couple of weeks.  So I guess let's hope it does happen and a new deal gets signed.

 CJ Miles was at his high school where the gym was named after his basketball coach, JD Mayo.  This story about CJ came up,

"It's already been mentioned that CJ is here," said Mayo from the podium. "I do have one request CJ -- if you would tuck your shirttail in..."

With that, everyone laughed, and Miles smiled and retreated to a corner of the gym to tuck in his white dress shirt. He then told a story from his high school days.
 
"My freshman year of high school, when I first got here, he caught me with my shirt untucked," said Miles, "and he pulled me in front of his class -- it was full of seniors -- and he took my pants, and he stuffed my shirt into my pants, in front of his whole class."

Sounds like another certain coach that Miles had.  Sloan has benched players for having their jerseys untucked but I can't see him going up to a player and stuffing his jersey in for him.

  Yeah, this was definitely the weirdest thing that happened to Jazz fans this past season.

  Thursday open poll courtesy of Hayward's girl,