I don't think the rule is stupid in theory, and if there weren't idiots running the NBA then it wouldn't be a problem. Brawls are bad, I agree with you there, and you need to have a consistent rule. Don't step off the bench.
But the rule becomes idiotic when it's interpreted horribly and inconsistently, as it was in this series. What annoys me is that the people who agree with the NBA keep saying that it's a hard and fast rule. No, it's not. If it were hard and fast Duncan and Bowen would have been suspended. The Kings players who went into the tunnel would have been suspended during the Christie/Fox fight. Exceptions have been made in the past, and the rule is completely open for interpretation -- AS IT SHOULD BE. There should be room to say, "Hey, you know, extraordinary circumstances, we'll let this one slide." Just like the "elbow to the head = automatic one game suspension" was relaxed for Baron Davis when he cheap-shotted Fisher. But for some reason now we're getting all letter-of-the-law on Phoenix?
The rule isn't stupid. The interpretation on the other hand, is stupid and inconsistent. The NBA should have said, "Hey, they weren't escalating the fight, they just took a few steps, we're going to let that slide." The next time someone steps off the bench and escalates a fight, suspend the heck out of them. How is that inconsistent?
Every suspension the NBA makes is a judgement call and open to interpretation -- they just happen to make ridiculously stupid judgement calls. This event has horribly damaged the NBA, and sooner or later they're going to have to figure out how to convince people it's all not pro wrestling. And the way to do that isn't by choosing to adhere to the letter of the rules, it's by using common sense and fairness.
