????一群百萬富翁聚在一起，斤斤計(jì)較地抱怨收入的細(xì)微變化時(shí)，沒有一個(gè)人的姿勢是漂亮的。NBA球員工會(huì)與球隊(duì)老板本月爆發(fā)的最新一輪混戰(zhàn)，就是一個(gè)很好的例子。

????雙方的談判實(shí)際上已經(jīng)嘟嘟囔囔地延續(xù)了大約兩年半了。老板們一直在想著法子增加球隊(duì)的利潤——他們說，有些球隊(duì)是賠錢的買賣。雙方已經(jīng)在如何分割收入等財(cái)務(wù)細(xì)節(jié)上你來我往地爭執(zhí)了好幾個(gè)回合。上周一，由律師代表的球員們拒絕接受代表聯(lián)盟球隊(duì)老板的NBA總裁大衛(wèi)?斯特恩提出的一項(xiàng)協(xié)議。如何分配球員工資是雙方產(chǎn)生分歧的另一個(gè)焦點(diǎn)問題。老板們希望建立更嚴(yán)格的工資上限規(guī)則；球員當(dāng)然不愿意。

????這些障礙促使球員和老板雙方都采取了法律行動(dòng)，從而有可能使NBA陷入訴訟風(fēng)暴，報(bào)銷2011-2012整個(gè)賽季。上周，球員們已經(jīng)錯(cuò)過了本賽季的第一張薪金支票，每少打一場比賽，他們都將損失一筆錢。老板們同樣也會(huì)賠錢，但許多老板仍然在咬牙堅(jiān)持，要求達(dá)成更有利的協(xié)議，以便更好地保護(hù)其球隊(duì)盈利水平。

????盡管這次停擺事件涉及許多憤怒的富翁，但肯定需要一個(gè)出頭的人。有鑒于此，“大衛(wèi)?斯特恩最終將成為替罪羊?！泵髂崽K達(dá)州大學(xué)的體育管理學(xué)教授斯蒂芬?羅斯說。

????斯特恩在沖突中為球隊(duì)老板代言畢竟是他應(yīng)盡的本份。但這位NBA總裁（他拒絕接受本文作者采訪）在引導(dǎo)這次談判期間犯了幾個(gè)重大錯(cuò)誤。路易斯安那州立大學(xué)（Louisiana State University）運(yùn)動(dòng)學(xué)系的體育管理專家乍得?塞弗里德認(rèn)為，這些失誤令人遺憾。“因?yàn)槿藗冋f起大衛(wèi)?斯特恩的遺產(chǎn)，肯定認(rèn)為他是職業(yè)體育史上最偉大的總裁之一，”他說。

????斯特恩擔(dān)任NBA總裁的時(shí)間已接近30年，指導(dǎo)聯(lián)盟做出了幾項(xiàng)重大變革。去年，NBA獲得了差不多40億美元與籃球相關(guān)的收入，是斯特恩于1984年接任總裁一職時(shí)的20倍。然而，保證一個(gè)健康運(yùn)行的球員對(duì)話機(jī)制延續(xù)這么長時(shí)間，卻沒有那么容易。這些年來，斯特恩肯定得罪了不少人，最終導(dǎo)致了目前的僵局。這次停擺事件引發(fā)的對(duì)立情緒有可能使斯特恩的職業(yè)生涯蒙上污點(diǎn)，塞弗里德說。

?

????When a bunch of millionaires get together to complain about what seems like marginal shifts in income, no one looks pretty. This month's case in point: the latest scuffle between the NBA's players association and the teams' owners.

????The negotiations have actually been rumbling for about two-and-a-half years. Owners have been trying to figure out how to make their teams more profitable -- they say some are losing money. The two sides have ping-ponged over how to split revenue and other financial details. Last Monday, the players, represented by their lawyers, refused to accept an agreement put forth by NBA Commissioner David Stern, who represents the league's team owners. Among other sticking points, the two sides disagreed about how to allocate players' pay. Owners want tougher rules on salary caps; players, of course, don't.

????The roadblock has sparked both players and owners to take legal action that could ensnare the NBA in litigation and sink the 2011-2012 season. The players already missed their first paycheck last week, and they will keep losing money with every missed match. The owners lose money on lost games too, but many want to hold out for an agreement that will better protect the profitability of their franchises.

????Even though there are plenty of angry wealthy people involved, one person stands out as the poster child for the lockout. For this one, says University of Minnesota sports management professor Stephen Ross, "The fall guy is going to end up being David Stern."

????It is, after all, Stern's job to speak for the owners during a conflict. But the commissioner, who declined to comment for this story, has made key mistakes while steering this discussion. That's too bad, according to Chad Seifried, a sports management expert at Louisiana State University's kinesiology department. "If you think about David Stern's legacy, he's certainly known as one of the great commissioners that we've had in professional sports," he says.

????Stern has served as commissioner for close to 30 years and has overseen major changes at the league. Last year, the NBA generated almost $4 billion in basketball-related income, a twenty-fold increase since Stern took over as commissioner in 1984. Yet, it's hard to keep a healthy running dialogue with players for that long, and Stern has antagonized many, leading up to the current stalemate. Hard feelings about this lockout, Seifried says, could tarnish Stern's career.