Tony Clark

the league try and use this against you guys or just how do you stay together through something like this yeah i think it's the bond of the fraternity but i think more importantly with this group of players we've been through a lot you know this group of players especially the guys who you know myself dansby brag like a lot of the guys that are in our position or even you know the guys machado harper that have have seen four of three four of these things now is that um

Yeah, we've seen a ton.

We've been through a lockout.

We've been through 2020.

And I think that keeps the players very informed and very aware.

And so having gone through those experiences, I think will only help us in this one.

Yeah, I think that's the, you know, we'll figure out when the details come out, if that was the case.

Right now, you know, I don't have any information to speculate on whether, you know, either of those things should be true.

Oh, poor Paul.

This is always the cycle, and you guys know, we get a year out of bargaining.

In this instance, or at that time, it was almost two years out of bargaining.

You start having dialogue and having conversations with players in preparation for the expected negotiation.

The commentary that had been started at the beginning of the year was exactly as you were referencing, what it was that the league was otherwise interested in doing.

For us, it's always about engaging the players, educating the players and talking about the issues and ensuring that we understand where they are.

So to the extent that we did that, we did.

to the extent that our board meeting this year will be focused in on the heels of those conversations it will be and then we'll be in a position as we always are to negotiate in good faith with the league once we're formally sitting at the table consider sitting in on those meetings rob had like could you guys have sent someone from staff

The opportunity to sit in on those meetings is available.

Our players, to the extent that they would have an interest in us sitting in, could make that request.

But as I just highlighted a little while ago, we engage and educate our players to the extent that

They have those meetings.