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Nov. 23, 2004 The Recklessness that comes with Power: NBA Commissioner David Stern The brawl that took place in Detroit this weekend has been captured on video and replayed on TV or on the internet numerous times. Anyone who is interested in viewing it may do so easily. It should be apparent to all this kind of behavior is inexcusable, it was a full-scale riot and certainly fortunate that no serious injuries have resulted from the fracas. The NBA Commissioner, David Stern, has a duty to hand out penalties subsequent to such an event. His verdict included the following suspensions without pay: 73 games (the entire season) for Ron Artest of Indiana. 30 games for Stephen Jackson of Indiana. 25 games for Jermaine O’Neal of Indiana. The above are the top three scorers for the Indiana Pacers 6 games for Ben Wallace of Detroit 5 games for Anthony Johnson of Indiana Four players received one game suspensions. Total suspensions were for 134 games for Indiana and 9 games for Detroit. When asked if there was a controversy over the suspensions when deliberations took place, Stern answered that the vote was “one to nothing”. In other words, he did not seek help in determining the penalties but just made a command decision. There are so many things wrong with this result it is hard to find a place to start. But let’s begin by looking at history. There was once a 68 game suspension meted out to one Latrell Sprewell when he attacked and choked his coach during practice. It was assault, no doubt, on a person and an authority figure. It was considered to be unprovoked. The NBA suspended a player (Kermit Washington) for sucker-punching an opponent (Rudy Tomjanovich) resulting in injuries so severe that at first they were considered life-threatening and certainly the most sickening thing I have ever seen on a basketball court. The punishment was 26 games. Vernon Maxwell went into the stands after a fan that was harassing him and was suspended for 10 games. Based on that history: Artest, who was not just verbally abused but hit in the face/neck by a full plastic container of beer, did what Vernon Maxwell did but is punished 7.3 times as greatly. His punishment is greater than that meted out to Sprewell. It is, in fact, almost three times as great as that given to Kermit Washington! Unbelievable. Jackson, who waded into the stands to fight the fans that were now beginning to gang up on Artest receives a sentence greater than that once given to Washington. O’Neal, heretofore a model NBA citizen, is given a sentence equivalent to the Washington sentence. Is this reasonable? Let us consider the circumstances. Indiana and Detroit are the two top powers in the East. Detroit beat Indiana in a tough series last year before going on to win the NBA title over the Lakers. In this game, Indiana was about to win (the game was called with 45 seconds left to go) at Detroit. Wallace had fouled Artest hard a minute or two earlier in the contest. As Wallace went up for a basket, Artest fouled him hard. It was not an unusually hard foul. But Wallace went berserk, hitting Artest in the neck hard with both hands and then seeking to go back for more. A potential brawl began, but peacemakers prevailed despite the crazed Wallace throwing his wristband and a towel at Artest, who tried to stay out of trouble by laying on the scorer’s table and avoiding trouble. Detroit’s Wallace had whipped the crowd into a frenzy of drunk, rowdy people, one of whom hit Artest in the neck and/or face with a full container of beer. Now that had to hurt, but still it was unwise for Artest to charge into the crowd after the guy. When that happened, the riot broke out in full force. Multiple fans jumped Artest; Jackson came into the stands to help him fight them off. Other players tried to break things up, but the fans were out of control and security was ineffective or in some cases perhaps joining in the riot. I saw two different people with stadium ID badges hitting Pacer players, one of which was sucker-punching Pacers guard Freddie Jones from behind. That man had been tentatively identified as one of Ben Wallace’s brothers. Artest finally made it back down to the floor, at which point two husky individuals came onto the court and came after him. He punched one of them as they both attacked, and other individuals became involved. When one of the two assailants came after Artest again, O’Neal came running and punched the guy in the jaw, knocking him down. For this, Stern wants to suspend him for as long as Kermit Washington! The Pacers finally began leaving the court and as they left they were hit with food, drink, items of clothing, bottles, even a chair. One of the referees was hit with a bottle and required stitches afterwards. Security? What security? Ben Wallace gets six games. He did the equivalent of yelling “fire” in a crowded theater, provoking a riot in which the Pacers were attacked by the crowd and now have been attacked by the Commissioner of their own league. He, and the Detroit organization, are now being rewarded by having their primary rivals for supremacy in the East decimated to the point they will be in danger of missing the playoffs and certainly will lose homecourt advantage in the playoffs. Because Detroit’s stadium security was lacking, because the crowd was apparently full of hoodlums and because Ben Wallace went absolutely berserk, his team greatly benefits. Indiana’s fans and the organization take a giant hit in large part because of Detroit failures. Should Artest have gone into the stands? No, and the precedent of a ten game suspension that was received by Maxwell should be taken into consideration. The penalty should be somewhere between the ten games and the 68 given to Sprewell. Jackson? He was protecting Artest and should be given something less harsh. 10 or 20 games is reasonable but 30 is ludicrous. But the O’Neal suspension is especially unjust. He was on the court, saw his teammate attacked by two large men and moved to protect that teammate from one of those men while still on the court. How can David Stern suspend a player for protecting a teammate from fans who have invaded the court area? Considering the ineptness of the security, O’Neal could well have believed that if he didn’t act swiftly, hundreds of additional fans might decide to come onto the court and join in the fray. His teammates were under attack and he could well have believed his personal safety was in question. David Stern has allowed a tremendous competitive advantage to the Detroit Pistons as a result of a riot caused largely by Piston players, fans and security. This is so obviously unfair that it amazes me. Stern is selling out the Piston franchise to make himself look like a decisive and tough commissioner. But the punishment, Commissioner, does not fit the crime. This is one time you need to back off and be reasonable. If you are incapable of this, it must be time for the NBA to find someone better able to handle the position. ------------ About the author: Kimbal Ross Binder is a husband of one wife and parent of six child units of various sizes. He is a tennis bum, karaoke singer, punster and a reformed liberal who now admires Rush Limbaugh and hates to miss Fox News in the evening. You can pass along plaudits and invectives to: radarbinder@comcast.net ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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