@ Eric the NBA is a different breed than the NFL.
The NBA plays with the numbers much like baseball does and smaller markets do have concerns but they created the market by signing journey men players for the money they do. NBA 12 to 15 players 42 home games @ on average 10,000 souls in the seats @ an avg of $50.00 dollars a seat not including sky boxes or floor seats lets see that is approx 21000 million per team. Throw in Local TV, sky boxes, floor seats, stadium sales (parking, food etc etc ) League revenue sharing & League TV sharing and quickly the money rises fast. The issue in the NBA is the smaller markets make far less money from local TV and Game ticket prices than does the larger markets and they now face the baseball effect where only the big cities truly have a chance to win the Championship. But they created the market. I think the CBA in that league will have to drop some for it to stay at is current popularity peak.

The NFL wants the players to assume all the risk while they rake in more money. An most players in the NFL do not make any where near $1,000,000.00 dollars a year only the stars and some starters do. Some do come close to that. Its more more of we (owners) want them to accept less so we can make more and since more talent comes out of school every year we hold all the cards so lets push them back as far as we can while the court of public opinion rest on our side! But to avoid the lookout next summer a rookie cap would be a great start.

I worked for the Raiders , I know tons of pro players from guys I played with in high school to college (now these guys should get payed but that is another thread altogether) to the guys I worked with during my Raiders years. I do realize my point of view has a lot to do with the damage the game does to their bodies and for that amount of damage they are way under payed. Yes they accept the risk willingly but does change the effects of the game long term. I would also be far less critical of the owners if they themselves lived up to contracts they signed the players to and not play take it or else drama come year 4 of your 5 year deal.