Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and 13 others wrote an open to the League and its players, asking them to end this darn lockout already. The full text is below, courtesy of the Deseret News:
“An open letter to the National Basketball Association and the NBA Players Union from America’s Mayors:
We are the Mayors of our country’s NBA cities. Every year, our residents pack the arenas where our teams play. They buy the NBA’s products. They cheer for their favorite players with passion and intensity. They attend games and make lasting memories with family and friends. Many own or work at small businesses that depend on NBA games for survival. No matter how you look at it, our NBA teams are a vital part of the economic and social fabric of our cities.
Unfortunately, lost in the debate over a new NBA collective bargaining agreement, has been the perspective of those very residents and the negative impact a cancelled season might have on them, our cities and our local economies.
We know the issues being discussed between NBA owners and players are complex and need to be addressed to ensure the long-term wellbeing of the league.. We are not interested in taking a side. The United States Conference of Mayors has always maintained impartiality in major leagues sports negotiations.
Rather, we respectfully ask that you consider the consequences to our cities should the lockout continue. We ask that you work quickly to find a way to compromise so that we might salvage the upcoming NBA season.
We are proud to call our cities home to NBA franchises. As basketball fans, we know winning and losing is part of the game. Rest assured; everyone loses if there is no season.
If we can be of any help to the process of securing the upcoming season, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely.
Mayor Gregory A. Ballard, Indianapolis; Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando; Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento; Mayor A. C. Wharton , Jr., Memphis; Mayor Vincent Gray, Washington, D.C.; Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia; Mayor Phil Gordon, Phoenix; Mayor Annise D. Parker, Houston; Mayor Mike Rawlings, Dallas; Mayor Anthony Foxx, Charlotte; Mayor David Bing, Detroit; Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City; Mayor Julian Castro, San Antonio; Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver”
