Well, I wasn’t worried about the lockout before, but now that Jesse Jackson is saying it’s bad...

In a solid piece about the NBA Lockout and the inherent implications of race within it, Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke to the Washington Post’s Mike Wise. And while Jackson’ insights on Bryant Gumbel are actually thought-provoking, regarding the actual tone of the talk and their potential damage to the game itself, Jackson’s a little behind the curve.

“I hope it doesn’t degenerate into names and language that’s hard to take back once it’s started,” Jackson said from his Chicago office late Thursday afternoon. “If it goes down this road, that could amount to irreparable damage. If it goes away from labor negotiations, things could become irretrievable.”

via NBA lockout: Negotiations could be hijacked by racial perceptions - The Washington Post.

I feel like Chevy Chase at the end of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” “Look around you, Helen! We’re in hell!”

The reality is that we’ve already hit this point. The damage keeps piling up. And while the two sides will keep negotiating, at some point the provocation at both sides will most likely lead to a court battle. Once that happens, there’s no turning back... and likely no season.