Solidarity!

During the past summer, the NFL lockout headlined most of sports media with the NBA lockout tiptoe-ing its way up to the top. Without football, millions of Americans would frantically find so much free time that they would make their own fantasy football drafts based on Madden '12, which by the way is fun as hell! But by August after concessions were made on both sides, Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith struck a deal that allowed Americans to return to their billion dollar business.

With the NFL's popularity back at its peak, the NBA lockout is under the microscope now. The owners want to maintain their profits; the players want to maintain their salaries. The owners get the arenas and marketing teams; the players play in the arenas and are the marketing team. Billionaires bitching about several hundreds of millions; millionaires bitching to keep the several hundreds of millions. The losers? the hundreds of thousands of workers who maintain facilities and, in essence, the NBA.

With #OccupyWallStreet in full swing, it's surprising that people are clamoring for the NBA to return when the bigger picture should be seen. The ever-increasing income gap has been revealed by the Congressional Budget Office to support the 99%'s rhetoric. Why are the rich getting richer as the poor get poorer? As of right now, I am neither for or against the movement. The poor can be poor for many reasons - drugs, alcohol, addiction, stupidity. The poor can be poor for other reasons - deregulation, nepotism, racism, Ponzi schemes. In the grand scheme of things, the movement has started discussions that important for politics. Democrats and Republicans alike are hesitant to give their unbiased opinions about the movement as 99% of the country controls their job security.

I am a huge NBA fan and a history fanatic. To see history unfold before my eyes with two different examples telling the same story brings me sadness and joy. It's disappointing to see that the game I enjoy playing and watching is being sacrificed as the rich fight between each other instead of coming to a quick agreement for the sake of the millions who support them. The OWS movement is disappointing to hear that all they're doing is protesting and not being proactive in political discussions. Many politicians are endorsed by some special interest group and everyone knows it. The parallels are striking as David Stern is the senator who plays towards the interests of the owners and Billy Hunter is the senator who plays towards the interests of the players. The lame-duck Congress has definitely brought the trickle-down effect to the people, but not in the money sense. The polarization between people is what causes progress to stagnate.

As the recession continues, I find no hope that Congress will fully agree on anything as both sides are unwilling to negotiate a new CBA for the country. Ronald Reagan's "greatest" economic accomplishment bit America in the ass, and the people have to pay for it. (How? Many statistics about the growing income gap start from 1979, when Reagan started the trickle-down effect known as Reaganomics. Not a coincidence.)

But even during harsh economic times, people find ways to happiness. Music and movies are at its heights as the quality of each appeal to audiophiles and movie buffs. Other people may resort to substance abuse. [And this is when shit gets serious] I quit smoking cigarettes during the summer and fell back again once school started. I caught myself in the midst of smoking half a pack to a pack a day in addition to 4 to 8 cups of coffee. I am weening myself nicotine at the same time as I zombie my way through days without caffeine. I struggle to find the motivation, but I somehow make it through.

On this note, I want to state that I have tried to stop others from their substance abuse. Their weapon of choice may range from gluttony to ecstasy. Some have progressed; others have regressed. As a friend, to watch them change before my very eyes is disappointing and to say that I didn't try is a lie. From this point on, I give up on those who seek to further destroy their minds and bodies with the persistent advice from their peers. It is illogical for myself and others to make concessions with ourselves as the other side continues to gain in these CBA meetings. All I can say is "Solidarity!" for each side and only hope that an agreement can be reached.

Man, this NBA lockout shit sucks.