alamo50
12-13-2005, 09:22 AM
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Sonic says he's being singled out
By GARY WASHBURN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
His latest ejection and suspension burns deeply and hurts more than in the past. Three months from his 30th birthday, Danny Fortson sees his career decaying slowly, marred by flagrant fouls and technical fouls.
In his first public statements since his one-game suspension for failure to leave the court in a timely manner during Friday's game against the Utah Jazz, Fortson went on a tirade that summed up his increasing frustration with the league and its officials.
Fortson was tossed after official Mike Callahan called him for a technical in the first half and then a second with 9:10 left in the game following a Fortson elbow to Jarron Collins' head. It was Fortson's fifth technical foul this season and second ejection.
Fortson said he is being singled out by oversensitive officials who make him a scapegoat for the league's physical style.
"They want me to be physical. Kind of like make up your mind. Am I here to play basketball, set screens, do the things necessary to win," he said. "Technicals? Ejections? And the fines? I don't agree with it one bit. As a matter of fact, I am going to fight it. I don't deserve to get thrown out of the games all the time. It's wrong. I think I am being singled out. It's unfair."
Since his rookie season, Fortson has garnered the reputation as an enforcer and has been criticized on several occasions for roughhousing in the paint. But he blamed the officials for his excessive amount of fouls and his poor image.
"There are a lot of old referees that they should probably re-evaluate," he said. "Everyone sees the same thing that I see. I'm not as crazy as everyone makes me out to be. Clearly, things are set against me, as simple as that. It's hard to come out here and play every day and you've got some old man that's bitter about something who wants to take it out on you. I don't know if he had a bad day during the day, whatever it is, they're just all bitter."
The low point, Fortson said, was the aftermath of a flagrant foul against Phoenix Suns forward Zarko Cabarkapa on Nov. 26, 2003, that shattered Cabarkapa's wrist. Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo called Fortson a "thug" and New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey wrote Fortson was a "meaningless mass."
"My reputation has been destroyed by Jerry Colangelo and Peter Vecsey from the New York Post, as simple as that," Fortson said. "Ever since they went out and talked about me, my life sucks and my career and I blame them."
Fortson filed defamation lawsuits against both.
"I know every official that's out there," he said. "I'm just frustrated. I just hope somebody else don't have to go through it. I just want to play hard and help my team win. It seems like every time I do that, I get thrown out of the game and made to look like a fool."
Fortson practiced Monday and is expected to be on the active roster for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors. Sonics coach Bob Weiss was very careful when approaching the topic.
"He's definitely under a microscope and he's got to realize that going in," Weiss said. "He just needs to be aware of it. He's just got to be mentally tested to compete. Danny doesn't mind getting fouls called on him, he just gets a little hot when he thinks he's fouled and they don't call it."
Link (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/251847_sonx13.html)
:lol
Sonic says he's being singled out
By GARY WASHBURN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
His latest ejection and suspension burns deeply and hurts more than in the past. Three months from his 30th birthday, Danny Fortson sees his career decaying slowly, marred by flagrant fouls and technical fouls.
In his first public statements since his one-game suspension for failure to leave the court in a timely manner during Friday's game against the Utah Jazz, Fortson went on a tirade that summed up his increasing frustration with the league and its officials.
Fortson was tossed after official Mike Callahan called him for a technical in the first half and then a second with 9:10 left in the game following a Fortson elbow to Jarron Collins' head. It was Fortson's fifth technical foul this season and second ejection.
Fortson said he is being singled out by oversensitive officials who make him a scapegoat for the league's physical style.
"They want me to be physical. Kind of like make up your mind. Am I here to play basketball, set screens, do the things necessary to win," he said. "Technicals? Ejections? And the fines? I don't agree with it one bit. As a matter of fact, I am going to fight it. I don't deserve to get thrown out of the games all the time. It's wrong. I think I am being singled out. It's unfair."
Since his rookie season, Fortson has garnered the reputation as an enforcer and has been criticized on several occasions for roughhousing in the paint. But he blamed the officials for his excessive amount of fouls and his poor image.
"There are a lot of old referees that they should probably re-evaluate," he said. "Everyone sees the same thing that I see. I'm not as crazy as everyone makes me out to be. Clearly, things are set against me, as simple as that. It's hard to come out here and play every day and you've got some old man that's bitter about something who wants to take it out on you. I don't know if he had a bad day during the day, whatever it is, they're just all bitter."
The low point, Fortson said, was the aftermath of a flagrant foul against Phoenix Suns forward Zarko Cabarkapa on Nov. 26, 2003, that shattered Cabarkapa's wrist. Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo called Fortson a "thug" and New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey wrote Fortson was a "meaningless mass."
"My reputation has been destroyed by Jerry Colangelo and Peter Vecsey from the New York Post, as simple as that," Fortson said. "Ever since they went out and talked about me, my life sucks and my career and I blame them."
Fortson filed defamation lawsuits against both.
"I know every official that's out there," he said. "I'm just frustrated. I just hope somebody else don't have to go through it. I just want to play hard and help my team win. It seems like every time I do that, I get thrown out of the game and made to look like a fool."
Fortson practiced Monday and is expected to be on the active roster for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors. Sonics coach Bob Weiss was very careful when approaching the topic.
"He's definitely under a microscope and he's got to realize that going in," Weiss said. "He just needs to be aware of it. He's just got to be mentally tested to compete. Danny doesn't mind getting fouls called on him, he just gets a little hot when he thinks he's fouled and they don't call it."
Link (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/251847_sonx13.html)
:lol