|
|
|
NBA Announces Suspensions
Commissioner David Stern announced the suspensions resulting from the brawl in Friday night's game between Detroit and Indiana. RON ARTEST 72 games, STEPHEN JACKSON 30 games, and JERMAINE O'NEAL 25 games were the big ones. BEN WALLACE received 6 games for his role in instigating the melee.
The suspensions were tough. In this situation though, I think you have to error on the side of toughness. As commissioner, Stern could not go light on this. The entire country, not just sports fans, were looking to see how the NBA would react and they did the right thing.
The Indiana Pacers are hurting. They are without about 70% of their scoring for the next 25 games. It will be tough for them to make the playoffs, but they are not completely out of it
As for Artest, he is a psycho. He needs help. He alluded to retiring after this season. He now will have plenty of time to contemplate his future.
This situation reflects society. We live in a violent culture. Many people would have reacted the same way that Artest did when getting hit with a water bottle. That does not make it right. People often throw out the analogy "what if you got hit with a beer on the street, would you go after the guy". This wasn't on the street. If you were on the street and somebody yelled "hey you suck, your mother is a whore" you probably would go after them, but if you are on a professional stage you don't go after the person.
The fans in Detroit did act like a bunch of jackasses. That can't be lost in this all either. Just as "players don't go into the stands" is a rule "fans don't throw things on the field/court" is just as important. Anybody who throws something on the field is a moron.
Again, a lot of people may have reacted in a manner similar to Artest. That does not make it right. He is a professional athlete and should act in that manner. He should be above brawling with fans. As a player, if you ever jaw with a fan or go in the stands after a fan, you lost your cool and it is on you. Artest cost himself about 5.5 million, his team a chance at a championship, and the sport of basketball a black eye.
|
|
|
NBA BRAWL
The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game ended in a fan vs. players brawl last night. I'm sure you've seen the video by now, I'll offer up my comments now...
As a player, you don't go in the stands.
Never. You don't do it. You have to be a professional, you have to be above it. I understand that getting hit by a beer, like RON ARTEST did can set a person off. But with that said, you don't go into the stands. Once Artest chased in the stands, that's when this riot exploded. Then you had STEPHEN JACKSON follow him to "protect his teammate", but in reality all he was doing was throwing haymakers at the nearest person. As Artest walked off the floor, he basically sucker punched a fan who was standing on the court. The fan definitely should not have been there, but you don't walk up to a person and punch them, especially when they are posing absolutely no threat. Then that same fan got decked by JERMAINE O'NEAL, who came flying out of nowhere to deliver a vicious punch.
This was one of the worst fan vs. player incidents ever. Definitely the worst in the NBA's history.
I understand that many people understand that Artest went after the person who he thought threw the beer at him and probably would have done the same themselves. As I said before, it is understandable, but it still does not justify it.
BEN WALLACE, who started this all by pushing/punching Ron Artest, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal and a few others are looking at huge fines and suspensions from the NBA.
As for the fans involved, there is video of them and they should be receiving tickets and maybe even going to jail for their actions if it is warranted. The NBA, and all of professional sports needs to do what they can to prevent this from ever happening again.
|
|
|
Monday Night Football Controversy
The "Desperate Housewives" introduction to the Monday Night Football game between Philadelphia and Dallas has made a lot of noise in recent days. For those of you who did not see it, one of the show's stars, NICOLETTE SHERIDAN, removes her towel and jumps into the arms of TERRELL OWENS. I have several takes on this...
...After watching the introduction Monday, my first thought was "wow that was lame". It wasn't at all funny. The funniest thing about it was Terrell Owens trying to act. Never did I think that people would be outraged over it.
...I can understand if somebody was offended by the introduction, I realize not everybody has been completely jaded by our culture like I and many others have been. What I don't get is, if Nicolette Sheridan in a towel is so offensive, and the sexual innuendo is so bad, how can you stand watching a football game? Football is loaded with camera shots up cheerleaders skirts and down their tops. The commercial breaks are loaded with advertising for erectile disfunction medicine. I think a voice-over saying "patients that experience erections for more than four hours should seek a doctors care" is more offensive than the Desperate Housewives.
...How hypocritical is the NFL? They immediately denounced the ABC introduction to the game Monday night, but then they have RICH EISEN, the voice of the NFL Network saying "and twins" in one of the Coors Light commercials. This is the same sport that had the Miller Lite women disrobing and wrestling in mud.
...Can I stop hearing about "The Desperate Housewives"? Please? You can't turn ABC on without seeing a promo for it every fifteen minutes, now I have to hear about it on sports-talk radio, ESPN, CNN and everything else in between.
|
|
|
BONDS WINS 7TH MVP, 4TH CONSECUTIVE
I can't believe that anybody even debated this. ADRIAN BELTRE had a great year, and probably did carry the Dodgers' offense on his back. ALBERT PUJOLS, SCOTT ROLEN, and JIM EDMONDS all had big years for the team with the best record in baseball, but still, none of those players add up to what Bonds did.
.362 average
.609 on base percentage
.812 slugging average
45 homeruns, 101 RBI, 232 walks and only 41 strikeouts. This all coming in 373 at-bats.
Yes, he probably is a Balco-formed 'roid monster, but you cannot deny what he did in 2004. When will Bonds' run end?
I still would contend that Bonds is not the greatest offensive player of all-time, but Bonds is definitely on the most dominating run in baseball history without question.
I mentioned it a few weeks ago, but it is worth revisiting...
Career AVG OBP SLG
Bonds .300 .443 .611
Williams .344 .482 .634
And I would give the benefit of the doubt to Williams for three reasons, even if their numbers were the same or slightly favored Bonds
I list the 'roid thing last, because (although Bonds looks extrememly guilty), he is innocent until proven guilty.
Okay, I've said my piece. Have a good day.
|
|
|
WALLY BACKMAN HIRED...THEN FIRED
In a situation that resembles Notre Dame's hiring of GEORGE O'LEARY a few years back, the Diamondbacks hired WALLY BACKMAN and then fired him.
He was arrested for drunk driving and for assaulting a female family friend. He also filed for bankruptcy. His former wife also wanted to file a restraining order against him back in 1995 after he struck her and threatened to do it again.
The Diamondbacks liked his "fiery" attituded. Yeah, well he was pretty "fiery". Especially when he struck two women.
How do you not do a background check? Type in "Wally Backman" in Google if nothing else. I mean this is ridiculous.
Arizona is a huge mess. They lost 111 games last year and don't appear to be getting much better in the near future.
|
|
|
FORMER NFL KICKER FIRES AT SIEGFRIED AND ROY'S HOUSE
Former Raiders kicker COLE FORD was arrested in Las Vegas after firing shots at entertainers SIEGFRIED and ROY's house. Ford allegedly drove by in a white van and fired shots at the house. He has been charged with multiple counts of felony firearm charges.
Ford is expected to plead insanity when the case goes to trial. Hmm...You think?
Dude went off the deep end, that's for sure. It's sad that Ford went from kicking in the NFL to nomad in the desert who looks like he could play lead guitar for ZZ TOP. He obviously has some sort of mental illness and hopefully he can get help. What did Siegfried and Roy ever do to anybody? Why them Cole Ford?
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE BUCKS SEASON BEGINS TONIGHT
The Bucks open up in Orlando tonight. This is about the 18th year in a row that the Bucks have opened up on the road. I predicted the Bucks to finish 34-48 last year and I was a little off as they finished 40-42. This year I don't think the Bucks will be that good, so I'm predicting a 35-47 campaign. Unfortunately for them the East is much better this year, and 35 wins will not qualify them for the playoffs.
As for tonight's game I think Orlando will win. STEVE FRANCIS averages about 52 points a game against the Bucks in his career.
|
|
|
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TODAY
You better vote today, or else Puffy will kill you.
Actually, I think the best reason to vote today is to be a part of the largest clusterf*** in American history. There are tons of lawyers just waiting to file tons of ridiculous law suits today. Today will probably be the most embarrassing day in American history (surpassing that of Election Day 2000).
So go out and vote not because you care about politics, do it because twenty-years from now when people look back at the circus that was the 2004 election you can say "I was a part of that!". Also, more importantly, vote or else Puffy will kill you.
VOTE OR DIE YO!
|
|
|
BO SOX TAKING SHOTS OF WHISKEY BEFORE GAMES?
KEVIN MILLAR was on the Best Damn Sports Show on Friday and said that the Red Sox players took shots of Jack Daniels Whiskey before Game 6 of the ALCS. Since the team did well they continued the tradition for the rest of the playoffs, on their way to Boston's first world title since 1918.
After the initial outrage that these comments, Millar attempted to back down from his statement (espn.com article here). Here is what Millar had to say on the subject...
"It was one of those group team things, like shaving our heads last year,"
Millar said. "What we had was one small Gatorade cup, with a little Jack
Daniel's in it. We passed it around and everyone symbolically drank out of the
same cup, because we are a team. It wasn't as if guys were drunk. Can you
imagine Trot Nixon or Jason Varitek or Mike Timlin actually sipping alcohol before a game? No way."
I have a few comments on this...
...Does anybody really believe that they all shared a Gatorade cup with 25 guys?
...One shot wouldn't make any of these guys drunk, so I believe Millar when he says nobody was intoxicated.
...Guys hit the chronic before NBA games, why not take a shot before a baseball game?
...At least they weren't doing lines of blow before the game like the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1980s (and probably a lot of other teams as well).
...Since when is being drunk bad in a baseball game? MICKEY MANTLE and BABE RUTH put together Hall of Fame careers while being completely hammered during games.
All kidding aside, really this shouldn't have happened. However, if it did happen, Millar really shouldn't have publicized it. It just reflects poorly upon the entire organization, even more so than JOHNNY DAMON's hair or PEDRO MARTINEZ's jehri curl.
