scott,
The owners are not united in any traditional sense, given that the Yankees, Cardinals, Expos and A's each have very few common interests or concerns. Because they each have dramatically different business needs and agendas, they can't even decide what "management" wants and needs the way other companies and/or industries do. Certain owners have definitely dug the graves of other teams.
The players, on the other hand, are 8 for 8 in labor negotiations because they are completely united with a common purpose. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have any greater respect for the ultimate consumers (us fans) than the owners do.
I am definitely a capitalist at heart, both from a business ownership perspective AND with the notion that any employee or performer should be free to earn whatever he/she can get. My own employees, for example, are completely free to stick with me while asking for more money or to go elsewhere if they wish, and I begrudge them neither (in fact, I hope we pay slightly above the norm to keep them because we're happy with their performance and commitment). In the baseball context, however, I still get tired of guys earning an AVERAGE of $2.4 million complaining that they aren't appreciated sufficiently. Strike or no strike, deal or no deal, I'm not sure how much longer I want to support any of them (owners and players alike).
I guess that ends this rant. -g-
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