http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/94443.html
Ailene Voisin: Macho men? Anything but
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:00 am PST Monday, December 18, 2006
Saturday night's fights at Madison Square Garden occurred because a rookie lost his mind and went for the head, because several players and coaches have ridiculously fragile egos, because some adults have the maturity of 6-year-olds, and because people in general have pathetically short memories.
Life can change in that New York minute.
Limbs can be shattered. Necks can be broken. Careers can be crippled.
Anyone happen to watch the Golden State-Toronto game Sunday when the Raptors' José Calderon was slammed to the floor after colliding with Mickael Pietrus? And that was an accident. And those were two players merely pursuing a rebound.
In a scene that was chilling even from afar, Calderon landed awkwardly, then immediately clutched his back and, in obvious pain, motioned toward the bench for help. As he was being tended to by the team's medical staff, close-up television angles revealed sweat on his forehead and what appeared to be tears trickling down his face. His neck and body had to be stabilized before he was placed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.
So go ahead, fellas. Keep flexing those muscles. And keep throwing those punches, as if reacting to dunkfests and embarrassing defeats in a physical, violent manner has any relation to manhood. It's really nothing but macho nonsense.
The New York-Denver fracas -- two years after the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills -- should be the final blow, frightening enough to prod the players (and coaches) into policing themselves.
There should be no need for David Stern, in concert with union leader Billy Hunter, to assess the damage and determine the appropriate punishment. Outraged players and coaches should conduct their own internal poll. (Five games? Fifteen games? More?)
That will never happen, of course, and while the investigation is being conducted, the replays will continue to roll and viewers continue to be revolted. Fans will see rookie Mardy Collins hooking J.R. Smith from behind. They will see little Nate Robinson inflame tensions with his angry, intimidating bluster. They will catch the NBA's young darling, Carmelo Anthony, delivering a sucker punch reminiscent of Jermaine O'Neal's blow during the November 2004 Detroit-Indiana brawl that spilled into the stands and resulted in record suspensions, including the season-long banishment of Ron Artest.
Maybe there is a lesson here, after all. Stern caught someone's attention. Artest, whom the Kings obtained for Peja Stojakovic last January, has been a model for behavior modification and on-court civility. He has been pushed, hacked, taunted, targeted and provoked in every way imaginable, yet his emotional eruptions have been limited to complaints about his perceived lack of offensive opportunities. If not exactly a changed man -- and he maintains the league's penalties were too harsh -- certainly he is a calmer one.
Calmer, increasingly adept at self-censoring and admittedly intent on shedding his image as an outcast.
"I just hope no one got hurt," Artest replied via e-mail Sunday when asked about the Knicks-Nuggets incident. "That was a playoff-type atmosphere."
Which is absolutely no excuse or justification for what occurred at the Garden. Isiah Thomas was irritated with George Karl for running up the score? Zeke suspects Karl might have been attempting to retaliate for pal Larry Brown's firing? Collins can't distinguish between a hard, clean foul and the incredibly dangerous act of hooking someone around the neck while he's in the air? Robinson honestly believes he was "trying to protect" family, according to the New York Daily News? And what about 'Melo? What about 'Melo? What the heck was that?
No, the league didn't need this, didn't need another demerit, didn't need another issue. Stern has spent the last several weeks trying to salvage the arena situation in Sacramento and save a franchise, coping with similar problems in Seattle, Portland, Orlando and, soon, Milwaukee. He has ownership and economic troubles in numerous markets, empty seats in far too many of his buildings (the obvious and inevitable fan rebellion against outrageous ticket prices) and thousands of synthetic basketballs to sell now that the league is changing back to leather balls.
Now this, again. Fists flying. Egos clashing. Fans watching.
It's time for the players and coaches to think about the kids out there and stop acting like them. Or, in the alternative, think about Calderon. That was ugly, and it was only an accident.
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@ sacbee.com.
Ailene Voisin: Macho men? Anything but
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:00 am PST Monday, December 18, 2006
Saturday night's fights at Madison Square Garden occurred because a rookie lost his mind and went for the head, because several players and coaches have ridiculously fragile egos, because some adults have the maturity of 6-year-olds, and because people in general have pathetically short memories.
Life can change in that New York minute.
Limbs can be shattered. Necks can be broken. Careers can be crippled.
Anyone happen to watch the Golden State-Toronto game Sunday when the Raptors' José Calderon was slammed to the floor after colliding with Mickael Pietrus? And that was an accident. And those were two players merely pursuing a rebound.
In a scene that was chilling even from afar, Calderon landed awkwardly, then immediately clutched his back and, in obvious pain, motioned toward the bench for help. As he was being tended to by the team's medical staff, close-up television angles revealed sweat on his forehead and what appeared to be tears trickling down his face. His neck and body had to be stabilized before he was placed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.
So go ahead, fellas. Keep flexing those muscles. And keep throwing those punches, as if reacting to dunkfests and embarrassing defeats in a physical, violent manner has any relation to manhood. It's really nothing but macho nonsense.
The New York-Denver fracas -- two years after the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills -- should be the final blow, frightening enough to prod the players (and coaches) into policing themselves.
There should be no need for David Stern, in concert with union leader Billy Hunter, to assess the damage and determine the appropriate punishment. Outraged players and coaches should conduct their own internal poll. (Five games? Fifteen games? More?)
That will never happen, of course, and while the investigation is being conducted, the replays will continue to roll and viewers continue to be revolted. Fans will see rookie Mardy Collins hooking J.R. Smith from behind. They will see little Nate Robinson inflame tensions with his angry, intimidating bluster. They will catch the NBA's young darling, Carmelo Anthony, delivering a sucker punch reminiscent of Jermaine O'Neal's blow during the November 2004 Detroit-Indiana brawl that spilled into the stands and resulted in record suspensions, including the season-long banishment of Ron Artest.
Maybe there is a lesson here, after all. Stern caught someone's attention. Artest, whom the Kings obtained for Peja Stojakovic last January, has been a model for behavior modification and on-court civility. He has been pushed, hacked, taunted, targeted and provoked in every way imaginable, yet his emotional eruptions have been limited to complaints about his perceived lack of offensive opportunities. If not exactly a changed man -- and he maintains the league's penalties were too harsh -- certainly he is a calmer one.
Calmer, increasingly adept at self-censoring and admittedly intent on shedding his image as an outcast.
"I just hope no one got hurt," Artest replied via e-mail Sunday when asked about the Knicks-Nuggets incident. "That was a playoff-type atmosphere."
Which is absolutely no excuse or justification for what occurred at the Garden. Isiah Thomas was irritated with George Karl for running up the score? Zeke suspects Karl might have been attempting to retaliate for pal Larry Brown's firing? Collins can't distinguish between a hard, clean foul and the incredibly dangerous act of hooking someone around the neck while he's in the air? Robinson honestly believes he was "trying to protect" family, according to the New York Daily News? And what about 'Melo? What about 'Melo? What the heck was that?
No, the league didn't need this, didn't need another demerit, didn't need another issue. Stern has spent the last several weeks trying to salvage the arena situation in Sacramento and save a franchise, coping with similar problems in Seattle, Portland, Orlando and, soon, Milwaukee. He has ownership and economic troubles in numerous markets, empty seats in far too many of his buildings (the obvious and inevitable fan rebellion against outrageous ticket prices) and thousands of synthetic basketballs to sell now that the league is changing back to leather balls.
Now this, again. Fists flying. Egos clashing. Fans watching.
It's time for the players and coaches to think about the kids out there and stop acting like them. Or, in the alternative, think about Calderon. That was ugly, and it was only an accident.
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@ sacbee.com.