NEW YORK -- NBA owners, losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year, wanted an overhaul of the financial system to ensure themselves a chance to profit.Nike Air Max Thea Australia Cheap . Players, believing they were the driving force behind record TV ratings and revenues, wanted to keep what they felt they deserved. Now, negotiations that have lasted nearly two years need to end in the next few days. Commissioner David Stern said he will cancel the first two weeks of the regular season if there is no agreement on a new deal by Monday, costing both sides money and driving away some basketball fans who might never come back. "There is an extraordinary hit coming to the owners and to the players," Stern said. Not to mention the people who work in the game and the businesses that depend on it. Stern has repeatedly said owners had two goals in the talks: a way to escape losses and a system where all teams could compete equally, noting that the NBAs small-market clubs arent nearly as successful as Super Bowl champions like Indianapolis and Green Bay. The problem, they said, was a system that guarantees players 57 per cent of all basketball-related income, which includes gate receipts, broadcast revenue, in-arena sales of novelties and concessions, arena signage revenue, game parking and sponsorship dollars. Another problem is a salary cap structure that allows teams to go well beyond it if they were willing to pay a luxury tax, which the big spenders in big markets such as Los Angeles and New York could easily afford. The sides are still divided over the revenue split and the cap, and players insist they would rather sit out games than take a deal that would eliminate gains they fought for years ago. "Theyre going to sacrifice -- if they lose games, they miss money and all that. They feel they have to take a stand the same way players took a stand for them before they were here. Its actually quite inspiring to listen to them articulate that," said players lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, who also represented NFL players during their four-month lockout this summer. "I think they saw how the NFL players stood together through tough times and ended up with a deal the NFL players thought was fair. Theyre thinking theyre going to do the same thing." The cost, for both sides, would be staggering. Stern predicted a US$200 million loss just for the cancellation of the NBAs entire pre-season schedule. If arenas are dark on Nov. 1, when the real games are supposed to start, the damage will be even greater. "Theyre in the hundreds of millions of dollars," Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. "Were not prepared to share the specifics. But, yes, weve spent a lot of time with our teams walking through those scenarios of lost games, and the damage is enormous, will be enormous." Players association executive director Billy Hunter said players would lose $350 million for each month theyre locked out. The hardest hits likely will be felt by those off the court -- from the 114 people the NBA laid off in July to businesses that depend on fans flocking to the games. From the parking lot of his Crown Burgers restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City, Mike Katsanevas can see the edge of EnergySolutions Arena, its blue-and-green lights already twinkling at dusk. What he may not see at all this year are the hundreds of fans who routinely pack his 224-seat restaurant before each Utah Jazz game, parking their cars for free if they order $14 in food, including his famous made-to-order patties crowned with pastrami. "For us, its a tremendous impact if these games dont go through," said Katsanevas, whose family owns the restaurant just a block north of the arena and five others in the metro area. "Before it used to be our gravy. But now with the economy and everything else thats going on, its become a necessity." He said all of his 41 employees will see their hours cut if the lockout continues. Players and owners did narrow the financial gap before talks broke down Tuesday. Players proposed lowering their BRI guarantee to 53 per cent and owners increased their formal offer to 47 per cent. Stern also said he discussed the idea of a 50-50 split, which was rejected by players. With each percentage point equivalent to roughly $38 million of last years BRI total of $3.8 billion, the union believes a reduction from 57 per cent to 53 per cent is enough of a concession, saying it would transfer more than $1 billion to owners in six years. So while sharing 50-50 sounds great in kindergarten, it may not work for NBA players. Stern said the league had backed off other demands, like salary rollbacks and non-guaranteed contracts, while offering players a chance to opt out of the agreement after seven years. So there is hope of a compromise in the coming days. Both sides insist they are committed to making a deal, although Silver confirmed last season that some money-losing teams would be better off if there were no season. Fans wonder how the NBA could be on the brink of self-destruction over a few measly percentage points when its popularity has soared. The historic free agency period of 2010, which put LeBron James in Miami alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, brought a new level of interest that carried right through the Dallas Mavericks victory over the Heat in the NBA finals. But in announcing the lockout on June 30, Stern noted that small-market owners didnt particularly enjoy the season or feel included in it, and many have little incentive to go back to a system that looks like the old one. Nor would players want to play under a system that restricts free agency or limits their earning potential. Hunter and union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers have said they are prepared to sit rather than accept a bad deal. That could be the outcome, as damaging as it seems, without a big change in a short amount of time. "I havent talked to all 400-plus guys, but the guys that I have talked to are all on the same page. While it would be devastating for fans and everything like that, right now were dealing with some serious business," Detroits Ben Gordon said. "One thing Derek said is we have to stand for something. Its not only today were playing for -- its also tomorrow, for the guys who arent in the league yet." Air Max 90 Ultra Essential Black . Parker scored 25 points and Duncan had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and San Antonio never trailed, cruising past the Dallas Mavericks 112-90 Wednesday night. Both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back, with San Antonio winning in overtime at Memphis and the Mavericks topping the Los Angeles Lakers in Dallas. Air Max 90 Essential Australia . Now the brothers from West Vancouver hope to be teammates for Canada at the world junior championship.Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke came to the defence of embattled Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel over his refusal to speak to the media after Saturday nights 6-2 blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Why should Phil Kessel have to talk to these pukes every day? Burke said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning at the Prime Time Sports Management Conference in Toronto. Burke served as Maple Leafs president and general manager from 2008 to 2013 and acquired Kessel from the Boston Bruins in 2009. Following the Leafs loss in Buffalo, TSN Radio 1050s Jonas Siegel approached Kessel for comment, but the 27-year-old brusquely refused. The 59-year-old Burke had his own notoriously testy relationship with Toronto media and feeels that Kessel is currently the target of undue scorn. Cheap Nike Air Max 90 Australia. Burke cited Anaheim Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin, a Leaf from 2009 to 2011, as a player who couldnt cope with the media crush in the city. Its a miracle some nights that these guys dont drill these guys, Burke said of the Leafs and the media. Theres a hailstorm after every loss and they dont care whether they get it right or not. For his part, Kessel addressed the controversy on Monday. I think Ive talked a decent amount, Kessel told reporters. Ill come out sometimes to talk, but sometimes I dont. But I dont have too much to say about losses like that. Kessel and his Maple Leafs return to action on Tuesday night when they play host to the Nashville Predators. 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