The NBA Players Association’s not-so-tough choice

It's a simple, almost insulting way of describing the ongoing NBA lockout, but we're sticking with the premise. The lockout is the owners' fault. They failed to use the last two collective bargaining agreements to their advantage, they spent unwisely, then battled against the players to save the owners from themselves. But if the 2011-12 NBA season is lost? Then it will be the players' fault. This has been the case since the two sides starting meeting in earnest two months ago. How is that fair, when the owners were the ones who wanted to miss games initially? When the owners have barely budged in negotiating? When it was the owners that refused to talk until the kids were back in school? It isn't fair. Nothing's fair, here, but the players have a deal in front of them and they'll vote early next week to decide whether or not to take it. If they take it, the season starts on December 15th, 72 games will be played, and the players will get a lousy deal. Th...