"It's hard to say if anybody ''won'' the NBA lockout. But six weeks into the abbreviated 2011-12 season, it's crystal clear who the losers are:

The players. The coaches. The trainers. And the fans.

The ridiculous pace of the post-lockout season has assured that NBA owners will get 33 of their usual 41 home dates to ease the hit on their precious bottom line. But the rest of us are paying for it.

Too many games. Not enough practice. Too many injuries. Not enough days off. Did NBA owners really think their product wouldn't suffer by forcing teams to play 25 or more regular-season games in 58 days after training camp opened — after having no organized offseason activities and two preseason games? "