Re: NBA "justice"

[Kestutis.Kveraga@dartmouth.edu (Kestutis Kveraga)]

--- You wrote:
Can we lobby to have Snoopy sent to the NBA to manage player discipline?  I
returned to the list, after having been away for several weeks, just in time to
read his reasoned response to the outrageous behavior, but it's obvious no one
in the NBA saw it, or perhaps the resulting "discipline" would not have been
the gentle "slap on the wrist."  Shaq joins a long list of felons who play NBA
ball.  It is truly unfortunate that sportsmanship is no longer a value in
professional sports.  
--- end of quote ---

I don't understand why you people are so up in arms about this incident (other
than Shaq being a Laker, of course :>). You're making judgments like you know
what you're talking about. I get fouled hard a few times in a pickup game, and
I'm ready to punch someone out. Shaq has been subjected to this for many years,
ever since he entered the league, and probably in college, too. Listen to NBA
players - those who know what it's like to be on the NBA's "must-be-stopped"
list, like Paul Pierce - have to say to about it.
Shaq had exhibited a saintly patience with "Hack-a-Shaq" defenders up to this
point. He had his hand broken by that goon Matt Geiger, for chrissakes. What do
you think, it doesn't hurt because he's big? 
As for his fine, the "slap on the wrist" actually cost him almost $800 000
($784 000 in pay and the $15 000 fine). If he's a felon for lashing out at his
abusers, then Bird and Parish (and many other Celtics) are felons, too, for
lashing out at Laimbeer and others. But I bet you didn't call for Bird's or
Parish's  arrests after they struck back. 
Some of you people need to get into a pickup game and get hit, hard, by
multiple defenders, every time you get near the basket. Then you won't be so
self-righteous about it. 
Kestas