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David Stern doesn't give .
This is just AWESOME (thought about putting it in Spurs forum; someone should definitely re-post if you think it's worth it):
"In responses to the league's demands, Julie Davis, the wife of veteran NBA official Marc Davis, wrote this letter to the National Basketball Referees Association executive board to provide a family's perspective.
FanHouse obtained a copy of the letter from the NBRA.
"These past few weeks have been a very trying time for our family, as I am sure they have been for the families for all of the 57 NBA referees. The stress of worrying about a lockout has been, at times, overwhelming. We have three small children to feed, clothe, and educate. Like most American families, we have a mortgage and bills to pay. These bills do not know what the word "lockout" means.
"What has been most disheartening, however, is accepting the fact that the sacrifices that all of our families make year in and year out appear to be meaningless to the NBA and David Stern. The 'offers' made by the NBA are insulting to our families.
"The NBA has repeatedly stated that their goal this year is to bring the referees compensation and benefits more in line with the rest of the NBA office employees and its administrative staff. But referees are not office and administrative staff. They do not wake up at home each morning and see their kids off to school before heading to a job from which they get to return home each night, if not for dinner, then to tuck their kids in and kiss them good night. They do not get to sleep in their own beds with their spouses by their sides.
"While I don't know for certain, I would guess that most of the NBA office employees do not miss their kid's school plays, parent-teacher conferences, sports practices and games, graduations, Christmas mornings, and other holidays. Their husbands and wives do not have to explain to their children each morning and night for 10 months of the year that daddy or mommy will not be coming home again today and won't be home again for the next ten days either. I can tell you from first-hand experience that three, four and five year olds do not get that concept very well. All of this is not to diminish the value of the NBA office and administrative staff. They obviously play a crucial role in the day-to-day workings of the League. But in reality the jobs of an office worker and an NBA referee are not the same. Comparing the two is not comparing apples to apples, but instead it is trying to make an apple an orange.
"By even making the comparison in the first place, David Stern runs the risk of changing a 'craft' into a job. Though the NBA office staff is some of the best in the world, you can find anyone to do a job, not everyone is a true craftsman. The men and women who work this job are true craftsmen. Though frequently criticized by fans and the media, they are the best in the world at what they do and I am proud to be the wife of one. They cannot be replaced by placing an ad in the classifieds and picking out a new hire from the folks who line up at the door. If they could, then perhaps the deal the NBA is offering makes sense.
"It does not, however, make sense given the sacrifices our families make every day. I would even go so far as to say that the sacrifice we make is larger than that that made of anyone in the NBA, including the players. Whatever the public perception may be, the referees do not have huge contracts, fly on private planes, or get to work half of their games at home. They are regular people, who trek around from city to city, airport to airport, arena to arena, and practice their craft to provide for their families.
"In any given season, we are lucky if my husband works three home games in a 75-game schedule. We are lucky if he is home more than five 24-hour periods a month. Who else on the NBA staff can say they do the same? Players can't. David Stern can't. Office staff can't, nor can anyone else who works for the NBA. Referees are unique in what they give to and what they give up for the game.
"And so what are all of these sacrifices for? Why are we missing holidays together and games and school events? So that the NBA can tell all of us that our sacrifice is meaningless and that it is worth no more to them than what the office worker, who jumps on and off the train, each day does? That seems ludicrous by any rational measure.
"It was not my dream to be an NBA referee. It was not our kid's dream to have a father who is one either. But it is a dream we are fully committed to supporting because it is my husband's dream. I take on single parenthood and being a 'referee widow' because I love my husband and believe in him and his dream. All that has happened with this contract just has me questioning whether the NBA realizes the sacrifices 57 families of their employees make to continue to put out the 'best product in the world.'""
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/l...-nba-referees/
David Stern doesn't give .
how much do refs get paid for 3 hours of work a night again?
... and those in the league office don't get 4 months off every year (finals ending in mid June, season starting up again in late october).
BS, if you don't like the job get another one.
It varies for ref to ref. They do sacrifice a lot of their family time, and personal lives to do what they do. Until I read this letter I never really thought about all the things they have to give up in order to do their job.
It's not about disliking the job. It's about someone telling them to take a 10% pay cut, and money taken out of their pension.
I will give them that they work more than 3 hours a night since they have to watch tape too in order to prep, but still almost 1/3 of the year is spent not working
150k a year for 8 months for a new ref. That is all I needed to know.
how bout the 3 months break during the summer? Dont that make up for the lost time?
Im sorry....150k for a new ref is pretty good money. I wonder how much commercial pilots make.
It sounds like a lot of money, but my brother makes that, and his money situation is still pretty tight. once you have kids, and mortgages to pay, and tuitions that number gets to be a lot smaller. In the ref situations they are probably the only income coming in as well because of the wife/husband having to stay home to take care of everything else. I understand your feelings somewhat though. 150k for me would be sooooooo nice.
$150K isn't a lot of money for the sacrifices they make. It's good money, but most senior managers/VP levels of a normal company makes that.
The NBA doesn't even know what is wrong with the league. The league has past the stage of star power, people are now more knowledgable about the sports, and one way to do that is to provide good discipline, processes and incentives for referees to do a great job. You don't want to perception of being a WWE organization.
The wife could possibly get another job, kids in school/daycare. Bills in the evening. The rest of us do it that way, oh and we do it on 65k between the two of us. Oh and the 150k is for a new ref. A seasoned ref makes over half a million under the proposed agreement.It sounds like a lot of money, but my brother makes that, and his money situation is still pretty tight. once you have kids, and mortgages to pay, and tuitions that number gets to be a lot smaller. In the ref situations they are probably the only income coming in as well because of the wife/husband having to stay home to take care of everything else. I understand your feelings somewhat though. 150k for me would be sooooooo nice.
lol at this , she sounds like spreewell
a ref earns about 500k a year, thats more than the middle class taxpayer, now after taxes and he should have about 200-250k...now where is all that money gone too?
lol at this , she sounds like spreewell
a ref earns about 500k a year, thats more than the middle class taxpayer, now after taxes and he should have about 200-250k...now where is all that money gone too?
Money hungry .
She does not seem to be too informed about the front office league exec's and what their job entails.
troops dont get paid half of that for fighting for our safety, they sacrifice a lot more as well. They choose the job just like the refs, shut up take your check and move on. If not take your ass to work like most other americans have to just to make ends meat. NEXT!!!!
While I agree that nobody is going to be happy to take a paycut, it's better than taking a pink slip. This was a very poignant letter and I completely sympathize with the referee's plight; even if they are being absorbingly overpaid, nobody generally has a 10% decrease in pay planned into their lives, mortgages, tuitions, etc. Part of me wonders how much of that 10% would be factored into lessened expenses like travel and lodging, but nobody could expect the refs to be happy about it.
I think the referees are overzealous in the amount of leverage they think they hold in this situation. When it comes down to it, the NBA is a business, and if they can get out and find reasonable replacements for a better price, they will.
what a .
If your husband makes that much money and you don't have enough in savings to cover a few months' bills, you're an idiot.
Edited to say that sounded harsh, but I'm married to an accountant and have heard the "3 months' bills" lecture many, many times.
i definately understand your point...i dont make 100k but i make somewhat close to that with 2 kids and a 4k/month mortgage....money is definately tight, but i also work my ass off withhour days (without 3 month summer breaks)...i dont and moan about pay in a crappy economy while taking a risk to get "locked out".It sounds like a lot of money, but my brother makes that, and his money situation is still pretty tight. once you have kids, and mortgages to pay, and tuitions that number gets to be a lot smaller. In the ref situations they are probably the only income coming in as well because of the wife/husband having to stay home to take care of everything else. I understand your feelings somewhat though. 150k for me would be sooooooo nice.
If i were the wife...i would have told my referee husband to tell the union to STFU and dont mess with his job security. lol
It's NOT a 10% pay cut. It's a 10% budget cut, of which pay is only one part. Their pay won't be any different, they just won't be flying first class or staying at the Hyatt. They're fighting over $750,000 in amenities split between 57 referees over two years. That's $6,000 per ref per year in amenities (food/lodging/air). Normally, the NBA wants a 5 year deal. They acquiesced to the refs and agreed to only do a two year deal at this lower figure so that if the economy improves, the refs can get theirs back.
The refs spend 8 months travelling back and forth reffing games, attending their training sessions. Oh ya, they are the only people on the basketball court running the entire time while a scrub gets the vet minimum on the inactive list. Nothing wrong with fighting for their rights, although they are certainly paid well.
This is complete and utter bull . I understand how hard it is to sacrifice family/personal time in order to do your job. When I was in the military, I had to do that all the time. I had all the same issues and then some, but wasn't getting paid no damn 150k a year. I have sacrificed alot more than an NBA referee (especially considering that I am now a disabled vet and unable to work), and I am perfectly happy. Sure I would love to make more money. Who wouldn't? I for one would NEVER use my family as leverage to fill my personal greed. This in my eyes is low, and an insult to all those who know what true sacrifice really is.
There are plenty of illegals who would be willing to do the refs job for $25k a year.
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