Evans suspended one game for incident

[Section 101]

You're misrepresenting my position. I'm not "defending" Tyreke. I'm not defending anyone for that matter. My sole point is that legal matters should be handled legally and NBA matters should be handled by the league. What happens on a player's own time shouldn't be an NBA matter. He wasn't on the court, he wasn't on NBA time, so it really isn't an NBA matter. If Joe Blow the average citizen did what Tyreke did, on their own personal, private time, would their jobs suspend them? Of course not. They'd let the law handle the matter appropriately which is what the NBA should have done here. Your duty to your job ends when you're on your own personal time.

Wrong. People get suspended and lose their jobs all the time for stuff they do on their own time.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

You're misrepresenting my position. I'm not "defending" Tyreke. I'm not defending anyone for that matter. My sole point is that legal matters should be handled legally and NBA matters should be handled by the league. What happens on a player's own time shouldn't be an NBA matter. He wasn't on the court, he wasn't on NBA time, so it really isn't an NBA matter. If Joe Blow the average citizen did what Tyreke did, on their own personal, private time, would their jobs suspend them? Of course not. They'd let the law handle the matter appropriately which is what the NBA should have done here. Your duty to your job ends when you're on your own personal time.

You can argue that he's "affecting the bottom line" with his off court behavior buy I don't buy it. The response on sports radio and forums like this one from fans was overwhelmingly one of OK, he's a kid, he made a stupid mistake, let's move on and let him learn from it. I doubt many folks changed their minds on purchasing those season tickets because Tyreke decided to play real life Need for Speed on I 80. As for the "he could have hurt himself" approach, I don't like the precedent that sets. There's a million risky activities that people engage in every day. If we start suspending folks for "putting themselves at risk" that opens up a whole new world of Draconian punishments and overtly reactionary policies.

 

[JJ22L]

Hmm. Well, on the plus side, 'Reke is the first King in purple to charge the lanes in a very very long time (don't you just love double entendres?)

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Wrong. People get suspended and lose their jobs all the time for stuff they do on their own time.

Examples? And I'm talking about examples where the action someone is suspended for isn't job related in any way. So that excludes things like being suspended for failing a drug test, losing your driving job for getting a DUI, etc.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Im hoping he can appeal this. Im fine with him losing a game, but losing the opener is rough. Now we have to waste practice time doing some things without Reke, and then after the first game we have to insert him back into the offense and all that takes time. Chemisty is a hard thing to figure out, and shuffeling the lineup for the first two games of the season is going to make two very winnable games less winnable. Sucks all around.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Sorry, but I have to pretty adamantly disagree with your assessment. It's not about being a role model. It's about not doing something so incredibly stupid that it could have killed numerous people, including the athlete in question. A one-game suspension is a slap on the wrist. Tyreke was dumb; granted most of us have also done something dumb so I don't think people are ready to tar and feather him over the incident. You're making excuses for Tyreke Evans that I quite frankly find rather puzzling. Would you make the same excuse for Joe Blow, average citizen, especially if you were on the freeway and the two cars blew by you and your family?

I, for one, want to see accountability at all levels. In this case, Evans has been put on notice by his employer - the NBA - that this kind of action is unacceptable. Did you voice objections when Nocioni and even Musselman faced penalties from the league because of their improprieties?

I know this response wasnt directed at me, but I would say the Nocioni and Musselman suspensions were fine because that was the same treatment everyone was getting. We rarely even hear about professional athletes getting caught for speeding, We have no comparison to make here ... To my knowledge, Evans is the first player to be suspended for speeding. Wether he deserved it or not is one thing, ( and I happen to be fine with the suspension, just hate the timing ) but I hope that in the future other players get this same treatment.

 

[Section 101]

I know this response wasnt directed at me, but I would say the Nocioni and Musselman suspensions were fine because that was the same treatment everyone was getting. We rarely even hear about professional athletes getting caught for speeding, We have no comparison to make here ... To my knowledge, Evans is the first player to be suspended for speeding. Wether he deserved it or not is one thing, ( and I happen to be fine with the suspension, just hate the timing ) but I hope that in the future other players get this same treatment.

Once again, it wasn't just a speeding ticket. He pleaded no contest to reckless driving.

 

[PurpleHaze]

A one game suspension is not a big deal in grand scheme of things for Tyreke. It was an embarrasing and dangerous matter and I expect Tyreke does not appeal it - he shouldn't.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

A one game suspension is not a big deal in grand scheme of things for Tyreke. It was an embarrasing and dangerous matter and I expect Tyreke does not appeal it - he shouldn't.

You know what else isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things? Going 130 on I 80.

 

[ElRey]

Tyreke did a stupid thing and put other people's lives in danger. But if it weren't for the video, this would have just passed, lesson learned, and there would have been no suspension. The Sac Bee requested the video and posted it. Sometimes I feel the Sac Bee likes the Warriors and the Lakers more than the Kings... ie coverage of Stephon Curry and Lakers championship

 

[Superman]

You can argue that he's "affecting the bottom line" with his off court behavior buy I don't buy it. The response on sports radio and forums like this one from fans was overwhelmingly one of OK, he's a kid, he made a stupid mistake, let's move on and let him learn from it. I doubt many folks changed their minds on purchasing those season tickets because Tyreke decided to play real life Need for Speed on I 80. As for the "he could have hurt himself" approach, I don't like the precedent that sets. There's a million risky activities that people engage in every day. If we start suspending folks for "putting themselves at risk" that opens up a whole new world of Draconian punishments and overtly reactionary policies.

No.

I didn't argue that him speeding affects the bottom line. I argued that his personal behavior off the court affects the bottom line, which is why his personal behavior off the court is related to his job status.

As for the "he could have hurt himself" approach, that's only partly the reason his behavior matters to his employer as it pertains to public relations. My point was that engaging in particularly dangerous activities could be reason for the Kings to void his contract. Remember Vlad Radmanovic? Jay Williams? Ben Roethlisberger? Kellen Winslow Jr.? It's not Draconian or overtly reactionary. It's prudent, and it serves a good purpose.

 

[Superman]

You know what else isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things? Going 130 on I 80.

Unbelievable.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

But if it weren't for the video, this would have just passed.

If it's true that there would have been no suspension without the video makes the whole thing even stupider. I'd like to think that the public as a whole and people in positions of power were a bit more sophisticated than that but I guess that's wishful thinking.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

No.

I didn't argue that him speeding affects the bottom line. I argued that his personal behavior off the court affects the bottom line, which is why his personal behavior off the court is related to his job status.

As for the "he could have hurt himself" approach, that's only partly the reason his behavior matters to his employer as it pertains to public relations. My point was that engaging in particularly dangerous activities could be reason for the Kings to void his contract. Remember Vlad Radmanovic? Jay Williams? Ben Roethlisberger? Kellen Winslow Jr.? It's not Draconian or overtly reactionary. It's prudent, and it serves a good purpose.

I don't understand your position. You're claiming that the speeding effects the bottom line, but "personal behavior" does. Isn't speeding personal behavior? And if the speeding doesn't effect the bottom line, then what's the grounds for suspension? And in the case of Radmanovic, he had a clause in contract preventing him from engaging in risky activities. That's wholly different from the league stepping in and handing out punishments for things that were not specifically contractually restricted.

 

[ElRey]

If it's true that there would have been no suspension without the video makes the whole thing even stupider. I'd like to think that the public as a whole and people in positions of power were a bit more sophisticated than that but I guess that's wishful thinking.

well when the story came it, it was Tyreke Evans getting arrested for reckless driving over 130 mph. When the video came out, the public saw the speed and the racing and it just magnified everything and more news. So yes the video did play a role in the suspension bc most players don't get suspended for reckless driving. why is that so hard to understand? We all agree with you that Tyreke did a stupid thing.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

well when the story came it, it was Tyreke Evans getting arrested for reckless driving over 130 mph. When the video came out, the public saw the speed and the racing and it just magnified everything and more news. So yes the video did play a role in the suspension bc most players don't get suspended for reckless driving. why is that so hard to understand? We all agree with you that Tyreke did a stupid thing.

Who said it was hard to understand? Thinking something is stupid is hardly tantamount to not being able to understand it.

 

[Superman]

I don't understand your position. You're claiming that the speeding effects the bottom line, but "personal behavior" does. Isn't speeding personal behavior? And if the speeding doesn't effect the bottom line, then what's the grounds for suspension? And in the case of Radmanovic, he had a clause in contract preventing him from engaging in risky activities. That's wholly different from the league stepping in and handing out punishments for things that were not specifically contractually restricted.

You know what else is personal behavior? Tap dancing. I'm not arguing that all personal behavior affects the bottom line. I'm saying that what a player does in their personal lives has a bearing on the franchise and the league, and it's proper and acceptable for the franchise and the league to take disciplinary action related to personal behavior.

I am not arguing that Tyreke's speeding ticket is going to cost the Kings money.

And I believe that EVERY NBA and NFL contract has an "unnecessary risk" clause and a "personal conduct" clause. Because it's impossible to list all potential grievances in the contract, the wording is vague and a team would certainly be contested if they tried to void a contract, but that doesn't mean the clause is worthless. And again, this type of behavior IS contractually restricted. But that has nothing to do with the suspension.

The NBA has the RIGHT to suspend a player for inappropriate behavior, no matter the nature of said behavior. Tyreke's speeding certainly falls under that classification. I can't believe that anyone is complaining because he got a one game suspension. I'm grateful that he didn't wind up in jail and that no one lost their life, and I think that the NBA should begin to hand out suspensions for excessive speeding and reckless driving and DUI and all that, automatically.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

You know what else is personal behavior? Tap dancing. I'm not arguing that all personal behavior affects the bottom line. I'm saying that what a player does in their personal lives has a bearing on the franchise and the league, and it's proper and acceptable for the franchise and the league to take disciplinary action related to personal behavior.

I am not arguing that Tyreke's speeding ticket is going to cost the Kings money.

And I believe that EVERY NBA and NFL contract has an "unnecessary risk" clause and a "personal conduct" clause. Because it's impossible to list all potential grievances in the contract, the wording is vague and a team would certainly be contested if they tried to void a contract, but that doesn't mean the clause is worthless. And again, this type of behavior IS contractually restricted. But that has nothing to do with the suspension.

The NBA has the RIGHT to suspend a player for inappropriate behavior, no matter the nature of said behavior. Tyreke's speeding certainly falls under that classification. I can't believe that anyone is complaining because he got a one game suspension. I'm grateful that he didn't wind up in jail and that no one lost their life, and I think that the NBA should begin to hand out suspensions for excessive speeding and reckless driving and DUI and all that, automatically.

I’m not disagreeing that actions should be taken when something effects the league or franchise. I’m just stating that speeding by a player has no bearing on the league or the franchise. It’s a matter between the offending player and the law.

As for any "unnecessary risk" and "personal conduct" clauses, I believe those would be in his contract with the Kings and thus should be left up to The Kings organization to hand out any punishment if they see fit. The league has too much power when it can step in and issue suspensions for off court behavior, superceding even the Kings’ authority.

 

[est.1999]

I think it should have just been a hefty fine, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Section 101]

I’m not disagreeing that actions should be taken when something effects the league or franchise. I’m just stating that speeding by a player has no bearing on the league or the franchise. It’s a matter between the offending player and the law.

As for any "unnecessary risk" and "personal conduct" clauses, I believe those would be in his contract with the Kings and thus should be left up to The Kings organization to hand out any punishment if they see fit. The league has too much power when it can step in and issue suspensions for off court behavior, superceding even the Kings’ authority.

Ya and Tiger Woods adultry had no effect on his sponsors. He didn't even do any illegal. Doesn't matter how small or big the news if you put the image of something you belong to in a bad light there can be consequences.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Ya and Tiger Woods adultry had no effect on his sponsors. He didn't even do any illegal. Doesn't matter how small or big the news if you put the image of something you belong to in a bad light there can be consequences.

That's different because his sponsors are the ones directly paying him and thus have the right to terminate endorsement for any reason they see fit if they feel he's no longer "endorsable". The NBA doesn't pay Tyreke Evan's salary though, The Kings do and therefore The Kings should be the ones with the final authority on what, if any, punishment gets handed out.

 

[Superman]

That's different because his sponsors are the ones directly paying him and thus have the right to terminate endorsement for any reason they see fit if they feel he's no longer "endorsable". The NBA doesn't pay Tyreke Evan's salary though, The Kings do and therefore The Kings should be the ones with the final authority on what, if any, punishment gets handed out.

It's simple: the NBA is the governing authority that dictates league matters. They can fine or suspend whomever they want, player, coach, owner, etc., because they're the sovereign power when it comes to league matters. So whether's it's reckless driving, DUI, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc., the NBA has the RIGHT to suspend players for whatsoever they please. Doesn't matter that they aren't cutting the checks.

And I find this rather disingenuous, primarily because you stated earlier that going 130MPH on a busy highway "isn't a big deal." You'd have a problem even if it WAS the Kings handing out the suspension. This whole "the NBA doesn't have the right" thing is a straw man.

 

[Section 101]

That's different because his sponsors are the ones directly paying him and thus have the right to terminate endorsement for any reason they see fit if they feel he's no longer "endorsable". The NBA doesn't pay Tyreke Evan's salary though, The Kings do and therefore The Kings should be the ones with the final authority on what, if any, punishment gets handed out.

The Kings and players are also part of the NBA and agree to the terms to be a part of it. Just like if you join any association you agree to the terms of joining which gives them the right to punish for anything they see fit. Homeowners, trade and other associations fine people all the time for infractions.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

The Kings and players are also part of the NBA and agree to the terms to be a part of it. Just like if you join any association you agree to the terms of joining which gives them the right to punish for anything they see fit. Homeowners, trade and other associations fine people all the time for infractions.

"infraction" is too ambiguous. In order to supersede The King's authority, It needs to be a clearly defined infraction that's a direct violation of specific NBA rules. Otherwise it's nothing more than an arbitrary reaction. If there's any infraction per his contract with The Sacramento Kings, then it should be to The Kings organisation to handle the matter.

 

[fnordius]

Examples? And I'm talking about examples where the action someone is suspended for isn't job related in any way.

If you want to complain to the NBA about such things, you've had years & years.

10/14/02 - Zydrunas Ilgauskas suspended 1 game for drunk driving.
8/27/04 - Gilbert Arenas suspended 1 game for driving without a license + a misdemeanor concealed weapons charge.
4/6/06 - Rashard Lewis suspended 1 game for reckless driving.
2/1/07 - Eric Musselman suspended 2 games for drunk driving.
8/31/07 - James Posey suspended 1 game for reckless driving.
10/31/07 - Larry Buss suspended 2 games and fined $25,000 for drunk driving.
8/29/09 - JR Smith suspended 7 games for reckless driving (that resulted in the death of one of his passengers).

Law enforcement, politicians, teachers, doctors, lawyers, all sorts of people can get reprimanded, fired, or banned from their career field for breaking laws, even if those laws were broken during their off time and were in no way job related. And even if you're a retail clerk or something, you can still get fired for flunking a drug test because you smoked a little herb when you were on vacation.

Heck, people get fired for things they do on their own time which are legal, or for which they're never charged. Just the list of people who've been fired for posting tasteless or ill-advised things on Facebook is really long. Take the case of Caitlin Davis, NE Patriots cheerleader, fired for her involvement in writing rude stuff in felt pen on a guy who was passed out at a party. A high school teacher in Georgia was fired for (non work-related) posts online which included pictures of her holding glasses of beer and wine, and in which she typed a single swear word. Imagine if the NBA applied that to DMC's tweets.

I'm not saying that bosses are always right when they do that sort of thing, but that's how employment in America is. Get over it.

 

[Bricklayer]

This is obviously less than the drunk driving and idiots with a gun charges, but its good, in away, to see the earlier reckless driving suspensions. Means this wasn't so unprecedented after all and may in fact just be the norm for reckless driving.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

It's simple: the NBA is the governing authority that dictates league matters. They can fine or suspend whomever they want, player, coach, owner, etc., because they're the sovereign power when it comes to league matters. So whether's it's reckless driving, DUI, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc., the NBA has the RIGHT to suspend players for whatsoever they please. Doesn't matter that they aren't cutting the checks.

And I find this rather disingenuous, primarily because you stated earlier that going 130MPH on a busy highway "isn't a big deal." You'd have a problem even if it WAS the Kings handing out the suspension. This whole "the NBA doesn't have the right" thing is a straw man.

I never disputed whether the league had the right or the power to do what they did. Obviously they do. I only pointed out that I don't agree with their policies or actions. I also never said that what he did was no big deal, or that I'd have no objection to it if it had been issued by The Kings. Straw man? You want to know what's a straw man? Stating that I claimed or argued that the NBA "didn't have the right". Ironic that you'd accuse me of using a straw man, with a straw man.

 

[Superman]

This is obviously less than the drunk driving and idiots with a gun charges, but its good, in away, to see the earlier reckless driving suspensions. Means this wasn't so unprecedented after all and may in fact just be the norm for reckless driving.

They all were related to DUI, or in JR Smith's case, someone died. So, to be fair, they were all worse than Reke's, but especially does Smith's highlight the danger of being reckless in an automobile.

 

[est.1999]

I'm not in total disagreement with the suspension but I don't buy the whole "image of the NBA" excuse. Kobes alleged rape and admitted adultery case was not only bad for his image but for the NBA as a whole considering the rumor/fact that he called out shaq and insisted that he and other players do the same thing yet they pay the girls off to keep their mouths shut. Was Kobe suspended? Nope.

I don't think any fan cares about the "image" of the NBA. The players do stupid things but we all get over it and we keep watching. Suspending someone for their actions is perfectly fine by me, but as a way of keeping the leagues image clean is pure BS to me.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I'm not in total disagreement with the suspension but I don't buy the whole "image of the NBA" excuse. Kobes alleged rape and admitted adultery case was not only bad for his image but for the NBA as a whole considering the rumor/fact that he called out shaq and insisted that he and other players do the same thing yet they pay the girls off to keep their mouths shut. Was Kobe suspended? Nope.

I don't think any fan cares about the "image" of the NBA. The players do stupid things but we all get over it and we keep watching. Suspending someone for their actions is perfectly fine by me, but as a way of keeping the leagues image clean is pure BS to me.

I agree. Back the suspension if you want but the appeal to "preserving league image" is just hogwash.