The NBA lockout is ridiculous. David Stern and Derek Fisher are screaming at each other over a 5% (between 49% and 53% of basketball related income) difference of hundreds of millions of dollars, and I'd be willing to bet both of them, as well as anybody involved in the sides they represent, could right now buy something for $5,000 with no effect on their lifestyle or financial situation.

What about the beer vendors, ticket takers, cleaning crew, locker room attendants, gift shop retailers, and security guards that don't get to go back to work this winter? What about the undrafted rookie who has dedicated his life to basketball and is now in jeopardy of losing his only chance to sign a one year, life changing contract as a walk-on? What about the college students who may need a sports internship as a graduation requirement and now have to look elsewhere? What about the waitresses and chefs at sports bars across the country who are being informed they may be laid off because there simply wont be enough winter business to keep them without NBA crowds? What about the Mavericks fans who didn't get the summer long, team sponsored celebrations that they waited their entire lives for? What about the dedicated and loyal fans who get to miss a year of watching young superstars like Derrick Rose, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant?

Owners will be fine with their billions of dollars and players will be fine with their millions. But waitresses and beer venders don't get to go work overseas for a year when the NBA lockout robs them of their income. Fans will never get back any buzzer beater and overtime thriller that would have been played this season. Right now I should be picking out what games i'm going to and getting ready for my fantasy draft. But that isn't happening because rich people want other rich people to give them more money. Whenever the lockout ends, the players and owners will still be very wealthy, no matter what the final numbers are.

The lockout is about greed, it's completely stupid, and the leaders of both parties need to take a look at the fans who each year adjust their income and lifestyle in order to go to watch the teams they love so much. I just want to watch basketball, but I don't get to because rich people want more money. The NBA lockout needs to be resolved today because for most people who will be affected, there is a lot more at stake than 5% of hundreds of billions of dollars for people who are already very rich.