July 8th update

NBA Lockout: The Grown-ups table of labor disputes

• As the NFL lockout is seemingly nearing its conclusion, all seems like it's right in the sports world, right? Well not so fast... as of July 1st, the NBA is locked out as well. Unlike the NFL lockout, the NBA looks like it may have a bloody labor battle ahead.
• 22 of the 30 NBA teams claim to be losing money due in part to long, guaranteed contracts that are handed out to players who turn out not to be worth it. Most of the trading over the past 5 or 6 seasons in the NBA has simply been teams trying to throw away bad contracts and save money as opposed to both sides trying to improve their teams by acquiring better players.
• Making the salary cap more rigid (and less expensive), revenue sharing that would give poorer teams a better chance and other issues are being debated as well and the early indications are that the two sides are nowhere close to agreeing on nearly anything. For a more detailed description, check this article out.
• The 2004-2005 NHL season was canceled and in 1994 the MLB season was halted a little more than halfway through and the World Series was canceled. The 1995 MLB season was even shortened as well.


NBA All-Star to play in Turkey?

• New Jersey Nets Point Guard Deron Williams (pictured) says that he will sign a contract with a Turkish Professional Basketball team for $5 million dollars if the NBA Labor situation is not figured out by the fall. While it hasn't been confirmed that Williams' agent reads Sportico, he's apparently telling his client the same gloomy news we're hearing about this coming season. Other NBA players have played in Europe, but Williams would arguably be the first big time star to play overseas during the prime of his career.
• Williams was traded last season from the Utah Jazz in what seems to be a risky move by the Nets. Since he is only under contract through the rest of the 2011-12 season, and if he chooses not to re-sign, the Nets gave up a lot of young talent for a fleeting glimpse of Williams’ talent.
• The Turkish team, Besiktas, is famous for signing the mercurial Allen Iverson last year after he could not sign with an NBA team. They have signed other players with NBA experience, but unlike those players, Williams is still under contract with an NBA team and he could be blocked from signing elsewhere.
• Besiktas has also publicly said the team would try to get Kobe Bryant to play for them if the NBA season does not start on time.


Clemens' jury selection begins

• Former major league pitcher Roger Clemens, who has been indicted on charges of lying to a federal grand jury, had the beginning of his jury selection today. Along with Barry Bonds, Clemens is recognized as the face of the MLB's steroid issue over the past decade.
• Brian McNamee, who was the personal trainer for Clemens for a long time has been linked to steroids and testified that he injected the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with steroids. Also, Andy Pettitte said Clemens told him he used human growth hormone. Clemens says Pettitte misheard him and that McNamee lied.
• Jury selection moved slowly as the trial is such a hot-button issue that many jurors were cut due to one side or the other being uncomfortable with preconceived ideas or opinions that they may have had. Additionally Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, has stated that he's gotten more hate mail with regard to this case than any in his career because of how passionate baseball fans are about the steroid issue.