Amare sticks to his guns: Spurs dirty, Suns should be in finals

[exstatic]

Journal Entry, June 6, 2007

Our interesting study in group psychology continues, with the Spur-obsession of Suns fan showing no signs of abating. Even on the eve of the Finals, they are starting threads about the suspensions. It doesn't appear anything can shake this monkey off their collective back.

[Shred]

Curiously, the Sacramento players didn't come within the ambit of the rule that Amare and Boris violated. The rule is intended to keep altercations on the floor from escalating into brawls by keeping extra players off the floor. The Sacramento situation didn't involve an altercation on the floor -- the Suns poor choices occurred during an altercation on the floor.

That, and obviously, the league likes the Kings more than it likes the Suns. Perhaps because Kings organziation and its fans aren't whiny es like Suns organization and fans are.

And you're right, I've never complained about a speeding ticket, because every time that I've gotten one, I broke the rule and got caught. Even if I had complained about those tickets, though, getting caught breaking the rule doesn't en le me to an exception if I complain enough about it -- it compels me to pay the no-exceptions penalty for breaking the rule.

So you're saying the Suns should've gone into the stands, instead? Not the floor, right?

[ClingingMars]

I missed the part about the rules applying only in non-exhibition games. Can you point that out for me? thx

THE SUSPENIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN A JOKE! EXHIBITION GAMES MEAN NOTHING!

-Mars

[ChumpDumper]

So you're saying the Suns should've gone into the stands, instead? Not the floor, right?

Yes, the precedent for that means no suspensions, right?

[FromWayDowntown]

I love asterisks -- they mean that the Spurs are champions and that the rest of basketball fandom can't figure out how that happened again.

It's so wonderful to watch my team piss off the "need to see bright, shiny objects frequently" crowd. Really, really great.

[exstatic]

So you're saying the Suns should've gone into the stands, instead? Not the floor, right?

There's interpretation room there, or in the tunnels leading to the locker room. Likely, the stands gets them suspended. We know that going onto the playing floor did.

Of course, if pussy-boy decided to pursue Horry into the tunnels/locker room, he would have missed more than one game.

[FromWayDowntown]

So you're saying the Suns should've gone into the stands, instead? Not the floor, right?

No, I'm saying they should have stayed on the bench.

Please do try to keep up here -- it's really not that hard.

[G-Nob]

Just another example of Amare's immaturity. We saw it all series.

[ChumpDumper]

Wasn't Amare just checking in?






Really, really fast?

[Johnny RIngo]

*

So you agree that Bulls should have asterisks? Thanks for confirming.


NBA'S BRAWL RULE GOT IT RIGHT

May 18, 2007 -- SO every now and then a calamitous, scandalous, bench-clearing riot breaks out in an NBA game, the kind that spills into the stands and inspires ESPN and Fox Sports Net to break out and add to their Best of Violence reels.

And the media line up to condemn the NBA for its lack of foresight and crime prevention. We scream for a week, at least.

And then the NBA ins utes firmer, zero-tolerance rules, the kind designed to diminish the likelihood of such shameful episodes and to save the NBA from itself.

And then a hassle on a big stage breaks out - Monday's, for example. And then the NBA applies its no-exceptions rules.

And then, wouldn't ya know it, we do a flip-flop. We in the media condemn and ridicule the NBA for over-reacting, for excessive harshness, for depriving fans of the best players at an important time of year, for failing to factor in the human condition.

On ESPN, throughout the week, people who ostensibly follow the NBA - Stephen A. Smith and Jackie MacMullan, to name two - slammed the NBA's decision to suspend Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw one game each for leaving the Suns' bench to rush to the aid of Steve Nash. A travesty of justice!

They declared the NBA's application of its rules as ignorant to the dictates of "human nature" and as too severe, especially in Stoudemire's case, because he's a key player.

Well, for starters, if rushing from the bench to Nash's aid was instinctive, no matter how fast one arrived, he'd have gotten there in time to break up something that had already ended. Nash was lying on the deck, and the guy who put him there - Robert Horry - was done doing what he did. And Horry would have been left the only one penalized.

So there was nothing more that players rushing from the bench could have done than make matters worse. There never is.

And that's precisely what the NBA's rule against leaving the bench was designed to do - prevent bad scenes from growing worse. And Monday, it worked.

But instead of "Hooray for the NBA!," we turn on our all-sports network to hear the league bashed for its failure to recognize, of all things, human nature.

If rushing from the bench simply was a by-product of human nature, then how do we explain the inaction of the rest of the Suns' bench? And why didn't the Spurs' bench deploy?

[Shred]

THE SUSPENIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN A JOKE! EXHIBITION GAMES MEAN NOTHING!

-Mars

As opposed to the big joke the Western Conference playoffs became?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

That's a good one. It can replace the old "Mack Brown holding all his championship trophies" pic.

Except Mack won a championship. I also can't expect you to know I dislike most of what UT-Austin stands for.

[Shred]

Except Mack won a championship. I also can't expect you to know I dislike most of what UT-Austin stands for.

Went right over your head.

I am a Longhorn. For years, aggies and Sooners sent around the pick of Mack at a press conference with nothing in his hands, representing all of his trophies. There was also the one with the empty trophy case. The Amare pic reminded me of that. Do I need to keep explaining?

[Marcus Bryant]

[ChumpDumper]

Went right over your head.

You keep saying that.

I do not think you know what it means.

[Johnny RIngo]

As opposed to the big joke the Western Conference playoffs became?

Suns getting swept by the Jazz wouldn't have made it anymore exciting

[ShoogarBear]

Please do try to keep up here -- it's really not that hard.

Apparently, it's really really really really really hard.

[ClingingMars]

As opposed to the big joke the Western Conference playoffs became?

This post was so idiotic that I chose to answer in a special way.



-Mars

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Thread starter:

SammyDavis
Believe.

Position: Pass-First Guard
Team: Boston Celtics
vBookie Cash: $500
Post Count: 3

---------

Shred, you lose.

[Marcus Bryant]

Damn, it sucks to lose. But I'll take 3 out of 5. Certainly beats 0 for 40 or whatever.

[Shred]

Thread starter:

SammyDavis
Believe.

Position: Pass-First Guard
Team: Boston Celtics
vBookie Cash: $500
Post Count: 3

---------

Shred, you lose.

Journal Entry--ADDENDUM

Five pages later, the obsession continues. Fascinating.

[Johnny RIngo]

Shred, you can go back to Arizona fans.com now. I hear it's time for their nightly circle jerk. You don't want to miss out.

[ClingingMars]

Also,



-Mars

[exstatic]

As opposed to the big joke the Western Conference playoffs became?

Because the Phoenix players were stupid, and ran on the playing floor.

[ChumpDumper]

Journal Entry--ADDENDUM

My butt hurts even worse now.