NBA players and owners met again this week and made scant progress on settling the wide gulf that divides them. While some talks regarding marginal subjects moved forward the primary source of contention, the revenue split between players and owners, continued to loom as the unresolved hurdle yet to be faced.

Derek Fisher, President of the players union, who stands to earn or lose a cool $3.4 million in the 2012 season with the LA Lakers, stated “We can’t say that major progress was made in any way, but some progress was made on system issues. Obviously enough for us to come back.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern, who reportedly earns $20 million per year, has already cancelled the pre-season and the first two weeks of the regular season. With no decision in sight and negotiations on the most contentious items still to come, it’s looking bleaker and bleaker for the full 82 game seasons.

While multi millionaire players squabble over small percentages and billionaire owners such as Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban ($2.5 Billion), Miami Heats Micky Arison, ($6.1 Billion), Portland Trailblazers Paul Allen, ($13.2 Billion), continue to fight for a larger slice of the pie, the discussions underway seem to have forgotten the people who pay the bills, the fans. Basketball revenues grew 4.8% last year from $3.643 billion to $3.817 Billion.

There is no representation for the fans that buy the tickets and fill the arena seats, or the millions of fans worldwide that purchase NBA related merchandise. Who is representing the interests of the thousands of people that will lose their jobs selling food and merchandise at the games? Is there anyone sitting at those meetings to speak for the income lost to those who supply the vendors? The people who print the tee shits, and make the sneakers. What about the lost revenue to hundreds of restaurants that depend on game day to fill their seats and pay their waiters and waitresses and purchase food and drink from thousands of other small companies?

I for one am disgusted by the spectacle of overpaid prima donnas and greedy billionaires stiffing the people that make it all possible. Regardless of whether the season is cancelled or shortened I will be boycotting the NBA and looking for other ways I can support the people that will lose out in this battle of the avaricious.