Miami Heat announcing layoffs that includes former NBA player W...

The economic downturn has reached the AmericanAirlines Arena offices of the Miami Heat , with the NBA team this week announcing a round of layoffs that includes popular Community Affairs Liaison Wali Jones, among others.

[jesse james]

why doesn't "Mr Ego" Dwayne Wade give up a few measly dollars of his huge salary to support the little guys.

[critic 1]

Disgusting, players making multi-millions, $10 beers and the league and teams are laying off normal working people

[Cammy]

When are the players cutting 10% of their salaries?

[todd]

good luck Wali, you're a class act

[Sum]

The Heat group is the worst! The business side will pay for all of there bad decisions

[Broward Voter]

Sheeyit, the folks getting cut make chump change compared to the players.

[ric]

A mutlimillion dollar industry laying off 20 people is absurd period. the players spend the salary amounts of those laid off on cars they never drive!

[Jxrey]

How true. I can't imagine how I would feel if my $30,000 salary was dumped while knowing that the team is paying its players an average of $5 million. The worst part is that half these guys don't do jack except practice, party, and watch games from the bench. The millionaire employees have a union and guaranteed contracts while the little guys get $7 and hour plus the perk of sniffing D-Wades socks once a week.

[gac]

how about the players "kicking in" their big bucks and keep Wali.

[JAK]

Arison is making good on his 2006 pledge to stay white.

[Observer]

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T SUPPORT THE TEAMS.... Period....

Don't spend your money to go see them, and turn off the TV....

THAT WAS SIMPLE (to fix)...

[Celtics Fan]

My neighbor was just cut by the Heat organization but fortunately secured a good job with Nova University - he is a black man with a Masters degree
so disregard the comment by JAK.

[naugle]

top people including players would be fing heroes if they took a pay haircut so these people would stay, would be a huge positive pr move

[Local Guy]

Seems like bad economic times is a good excuse. I think it shows a lack of character.

[eger]

Meanwhile you are paying these players Millions of dollars a year while people making 30k -100k get laid off. Makes perfect sense to me.

[David Dweck]

Wali is a class act. Met him on the Heat Cruise years ago. He had a positive impact on my children and volunteered to do a clinic in Parkland. He will be missed!

[OLD PRO]

The anwer is to let Spoalstra go. Rothstein can take over and not be replaced! Look at he win-win!

[Outrageous]

The team is paying the players, above the salary cap, and willpay the league penalty. But they are firing the real workers? The people who run community programs? I hope attendance is down 50% for them next season. The stands were looking empty this year.

[Investors]

Go ahead and listen to Obama and Pelosi. The economy has green shoots. Yea right I shorted the market with another 250 k today and will take the million in profits to the bank in a few months. Raise taxes, run up deficits by trillions in the most severe recession in 100 years. Ship of fools wants National health care? These idiots can not run there own families.

[Bobby Logston]

eger wrote:

Meanwhile you are paying these players Millions of dollars a year while people making 30k -100k get laid off. Makes perfect sense to me.

I would like to see fans express outrage and boycott the games. That would really make an impact. Unfortunately, the fans, no matter how financially limited they are, continue to feed the mon$ter.

Players, owners don't give a damn about the little guy, even if it's from their own organization.

The Dwayne Wades and Koby Bryants will not lose sleep over the layoffs, that's for sure!

I've gone from a casual fan to barely caring what the games' outcomes are.