So, Coronavirus has hit, and basically shut everything down.

Why?

BECAUSE PEOPLE WON’T STAY THEY ASS IN THE HOUSE WHILE BEING SICK!

Anyways, that can be a different topic for a different day. Anyways, while there is a hiatus on everything unfortunately, that includes sports, which is horrible. It means we’re missing two of the best events in sports:

The ramp up to the NBA Playoffs, and the Playoffs itself,

March Madness.

I know there are some people who will say spring training and the start of baseball season, but black people really don’t care about no damn baseball. Summertime is reserved for doing shit outside the house, because baseball is entirely too boring to sit and watch, especially on TV. Therefore, we don’ have anything to do during the summer, which is why you see black people going on trips and stuff like that.

But I digress.

Because the world has stopped, that meant that a lot of the workers that help to keep these multimillion dollar industries, like sports franchises, going were going home without a check. The athletes, coaches, and other support staff are going to be aight, because they’re paid salaries, which means that their pay is locked in, unless the owners decide to fight not to pay their people, which could be a thing, but most owners won’t do because it would show a level of greed that would make players and and staff want to leave. The lack of loyalty does not extend to the local staff that maintains the facilities, and there was no word of any type of compensation for them, even though they work for billionaires.

Enter Kevin Love.

On March 13th, he pledged to commit $100,000 to help the workers of the arena that are making less than him. He isn’t the only one, but he was the first. Zion Williamson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Blake Griffin, and Rudy Gobert, and other who have pledge to donate money, which is a great thing because they are multimillionaires.

However……….

They are not the ones who should be paying those people’s salaries. It should be the owners that should be paying the salaries.

The average team is worth $1.9 billion dollars, and there are 14 owners that are worth $1 billion dollars.

The average NBA player salary is $7.7 million, which is more than enough to take care of themselves and their families, and they could pay salaries if they really wanted to, and if they were smart with their finances, but that obligation shouldn’t fall on players for a few reasons. For one, players only play for the team, and do not hold a significant stake in them, as evidenced by certain players being blindsided by trades. There have been players who were assured by the team that they weren’t going anywhere, only to be traded hours later, and not told anything, and the first time they hear about not being on the team anymore is social media. There is no real loyalty between the team and the player, so anything the player does for the community, it is done out of the goodness of their heart, which makes whatever they do more significant.

The owners, however, do have a distinct loyalty to the city, and the people who help make their product what it is. Without the workers, the everyday people who help with the upkeep, maintenance, and flow of the amenities, what they own would not be attractive, and therefore, worth nothing. I understand that they own the places, so they COULD get whoever they want to clean, cook, and sell stuff inside the venue, but once you get a good staff, there should be a willingness to attempt to take care of them in good faith, and it seems as though there hasn’t been, in the midst of this pandemic. Being that what they would pay the collective would be pennies compared to what they make on a daily basis, they should cover the costs of those people. Pay those people, even though they aren’t working, because what the owner would be showing to those people, along with those associated with team, is a specific loyalty and commitment to go above and beyond the call of duty, which could make the owner’s team an appealing place to play. Do the right thing during a time when people are readily taking advantage of certain situations, and watch God reward the owners with that coveted free agent, or bounces, or some blessing that will show what God is capable of.

Sometimes you have to give some, to get some. Generous givers are often rewarded with gifts.