NBA would be better with a shorter season
The NBA canceled the preseason Tuesday – and sports fans yawned.
The league says the first two weeks of the season are in jeopardy, too, if the ongoing labor dispute isn't resolved by Monday. That would mean the Kings would lose about eight games if the league sticks with the current schedule.
We say bring it on.
In fact, canceling eight games isn't nearly enough. How about canceling 20 games – permanently? And some playoff games, too?
There has been a lot of offseason chatter online about the NBA "contracting" – reducing the number of teams from 30 to, say, 28 or even 26.
If the NBA is going to cut back, we'd rather see them cut games.
Who needs a bloated 82-game season, especially when 16 of the 30 teams make the playoffs?
Many NBA fans don't even tune in until after the Super Bowl, viewing the regular season – especially the first three months – as a tuneup for the playoffs.
Here's a simple plan:
• Play 62 regular- season games – three against each team in your division and two against the other 25 teams.
• Reduce the number of teams in the playoffs to eight – the six division winners and one wild-card team in each conference. And make the first round a best-of-three series.
To us, fewer games means better basketball. And better basketball is what fans really want.
What to watch I
Baseball, Detroit at N.Y. Yankees, 5:07 p.m., TBS: Many baseball fans are hoping the Tigers can knock out the Yankees.
What to watch II
College football, Cal at Oregon, 6 p.m., ESPN: Can the Bears compete with the ninth-ranked mighty Ducks?
Today's poll
How many games should be played in an NBA regular season?
• 82 • 50
• 62 • None
Vote above or leave your comments in the comment field; Or, go to www.sacbee.com/sports
Wednesday's results
How would you have punished the McClatchy and Kennedy football teams for their fight?
• Kick offending players off the team: 40%
• Order forfeits of their next games: 12%
• Kick off players and order forfeits: 48%
Total votes: 130
The last word
What you're saying on sacbee.com comments: • "There is NO CHANCE of an 82-game season. Most likely the season will be wiped out and the NBA will become like the NHL. It will become a fringe sport like the NHL became after its wiped-out season." – hawk95 on "Ailene Voisin: NBA lockout will be resolved by next week – bet on it"
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Contact Tom Couzens at tcouzens@sacbee.com or (916) 321-1097.
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