With the recent resolution of the NFL lockout, another more perilous lockout is looming in its background. The NBA and it's players association have yet to reach any agreement whatsoever and according to officials are in fact regressing . The CBA or "Collective Bargaining Agreement" is a set of terms reached by the NBA, its owners, and the players. These terms determine, things like the amount of money a player can be paid, to the length a practice can be. Obviously with that many effects to agree on, it takes some serious negotiating on both sides in order to reach a resolution.
With all that said, the questions that local markets (including Orlando) need to ask themselves are: What affect will the impending lockout have on our local economy?, Can our team recover from this mess and rebuild?, and How can we keep something like this from happening again? 

When talking about the affects of the lockout in Orlando specifically, you can't ignore the already grim outlook local business owners will likely face due to a struggling economy. This lockout could be the dagger that most of the businesses have been holding at bay since the opening of the Amway Center. The fact is: If there are no events, there is no money. On the other hand, outside of local businesses, this will affect every Orlandonian...or wait Orlandon...whatever we are, this will hurt. The city generates and collects revenue at Magic games from ticket sales to parking garages. That money in turn goes towards funding city municipalities such as parks, roads, and the $17 MILLION  annual operating cost of the Amway Center. And guess who gets to cover that cost if the city falls short in recouping the money? Local taxpayers, thats who.

At this point probably the biggest question on the minds of Orlando Magic Fans is, "Will Dwight stay in Orlando?" Leading to the next question, "How would the Magic recover without him?" I consider myself a pretty optimistic person and a huge Magic fan as well, both which should lead me to the conclusion that the Magic will recover just fine and Dwight will keep his digs in the O. However, I don't believe that to be the case. Various sports agencies have estimated Dwight will lose an estimated $10 Million annually if he remains in Orlando for the remainder of his career. Countering the possibility of being outbid by larger markets such as L.A. and New York, Orlando still might have a bargaining chip on its side. Mayor Buddy Dyer has been quoted as saying, the new CBA could possibly allow the Magic to "offer Dwight more money than any other team and (entice him) to stay home." With that said, there are still a lot of "what if's" in that scenario I wouldn't be willing to bet on.


The problem with situations such as these is, the fans are unfortunately overlooked when they shouldn't be. Collectively, the Orlando Magic fans and fans across the country for that matter, have no idea how much power they truly have. I've seen firsthand the clout a large fan base maintains and how that clout can affect the bottom line. That being said, the players, owners, and NBA officials alike need to wise up and remember what happened after the last lockout. Regardless as to who is at fault, the fact remains that the NBA fan support dropped approximately 18% after the last lockout and will undoubtedly face the same fate unless drastic measures are taken.   

And now an anthem for the city...
(click HERE if you can't see the video)

Tags: amway center, downtown, feature, blog, review, magic, orlando, nba lockout, whats2hot