Sportsaholic Anonymous, Take One

I decided it was high time that the world get my opinion on everything sports. I love writing and I love sports. While I reserve the right to change it up, this blog is going to be all sports, all the time. I'm sure you'll grow right along with me while I get used to doing this. I don't promise to do it daily, but I will update it often. If you don't know me or what I'm about, read the About Me section in this blog; that being said, let's get right to work.

I posted this earlier this week on my facebook, but there's going to be some additional elaboration in this version. Youtube will probably take the video down soon due to copyright issues, so enjoy it while you can.

This week is the 5th anniversary of "Malice in the Palace." Just thought I'd celebrate by reminding everyone of this. Definitely a dark day in NBA history...nonetheless...fun to watch!




As a result of this brawl, however, more stringent "zero tolerance" rules were put in place regarding players leaving the bench area during any altercation by Commissioner David Stern. For all Suns fans, these rules resulted in the suspension of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for leaving the bench area during the infamous Robert Horry/Steve Nash hip-check altercation in the 2007 Western Conference Finals.





While I have to painfully admit that Amare and Boris did come up the sideline, they did not actually get involved in the altercation. Clearly, their reaction was out of concern for a teammate and friend; their leader, Steve Nash. I know that if someone cheap-shotted one of my teammates, my gut-reaction would certainly be to rush to their assistance. David Stern suspended both players from game 5.


As so many have waxed poetic about this incident (fans of many teams, not just the Suns), I'll keep my opinion brief. If Amare and Boris were suspended one game, why was Robert Horry only suspended for two? There is no question that he was the instigator by throwing this cheap shot. He started it, but only received two games, while the two Suns were suspended for one game a piece. Clearly there is a discrepancy as the punishment did not fit the crime. If Stern was going to stick to his guns about players leaving the bench, then Horry unquestionably should have been suspended longer for starting the incident in the first place.

In regards to the strict lettering of the rule in question, why was it only enforced on the Suns. Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen also left the bench area during the first half of the SAME GAME in a play which Francisco Elson fell on former Sun James Jones after a dunk. They left the bench area OUT OF CONCERN for their teammate. They were not suspended. NBA executive VP of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson contradicts himself on the conference call the following day announcing the suspensions in the below excerpt from a Marc Stein article on ESPN.com;


"NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson told reporters in a conference call after announcing the suspensions that the league's longstanding policy of invoking its leave-the-bench rule without considering additional factors made the Suns' suspensions automatic."

"'A precedent wasn't necessary here,' Jackson said. 'The rule with respect to leaving the bench area during an altercation is very clear. Historically, if you break it, you will get suspended, regardless of what the circumstances are.' The Suns countered by saying that Duncan and Bruce Bowen were guilty of a similar leaving-the-bench offense in Game 4's first half when San Antonio's Francisco Elson fell on the Suns' James Jones after a dunk. That play was also reviewed, but Jackson -- while conceding that Duncan 'should not have been on the playing court' -- said that the league determined there was 'no cause for the suspension rule' to be applied."

So essentially, Stu Jackson decided that the rules applied to the Suns and not the Spurs. I have nothing else to say as it disgusts me to this day. As it was the Suns never recovered from the suspensions and lost the series. Spurs fans who are honest with themselves have to admit that Robert Horry's cheap shot probably won the series, and possibly prevented the Suns from going to the finals and defeating a weaker Eastern Conference team. Another sad chapter in the 'so close but so far' 50 year history of my beloved Suns.