If you were holding out hope that the players and owners would eventually be able to set aside their differences, well, bless your little heart. The two sides are further apart philosophically than they are financially, despite ownership’s asinine claims that their offers represent meaningful moves toward the middle in ongoing negotiations.
To wit, the owners’ most recent — and perhaps final — proposal represents a total of around $71 million more compensation for the players. That might seem like a pretty sizable number absent context, but it’s a pittance when placed in proper perspective. Like how it’s less than 5% more than the last offer or how it amounts to less than three games of prorated pay.