I looked and didn't see this posted anywhere else. Sorry if it's already up.
Getting Dirty: Why Amare and Diaw Deserved Suspensions
Authored by Elliot Cole - 18th May, 2007 - 12:28 am
http://spurs.realgm.com/articles/58/..._suspensions_/
For a team that has made a living by sliding under the public radar en route to three championships, the 2007 San Antonio Spurs are sure getting a lot of attention these days. Whether it's the antics of Bruce Bowen, the accusations by Amare Stoudemire, or a hard foul by Robert Horry, the Spurs have suddenly become public enemy no. 1 to the casual NBA fan. And with that tag, a new perception has gained a chokehold on the team.
But the modern Bad Boys? Really?
We are talking about the boring, milk and cookies Spurs, right? The team that's best player is so ho-hum that his best nickname is the ever creative “The Big Fundamental”? The team with half a roster of foreign born players? A team that quietly ushers out all the knuckleheads that come their way (read: Dennis Rodman, Antonio Daniels, Stephen Jackson)?
It takes more than a kick to the shoe, a knee to the thigh, and a hip check foul to cement the Spurs as the Bad Boys. The difference in perception is a matter of media focus. Writers love to have a protagonist, and the Suns have become the darlings of the NBA (and why not? They are fun to watch and have recognizable faces). In the wake of front page suspensions after game 4, the Suns were able to parlay a “we were cheated” mentality into a near upset in game 5.
But let's get a few things straight. You want to know the “dirty” little secret of the suspensions? How about this…they were completely justified.
Robert Horry wasn't being rewarded for his hit on Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were being punished for ignoring a rule that his been in place since before they even came into the league. The rule was installed for a reason; it is difficult to control an altercation when 10 guys are running onto the court from each bench. Everyone knows this rule, so why didn't Amare and Diaw?
I know what you're thinking. “It's a gut reaction…totally a natural thing to rush out to protect your best player”. This has been the main argument for those fans who feel the NBA cheated the Suns, and it's completely wrong. It's not a natural reaction to rush out onto the court towards an altercation. With 7 bench players on each team along with a few trainers, coaches, and players in suits, only two guys decided to run onto the court. Two. Out of more than 20, we're talking less than 10% of the players had this “natural reaction” to an altercation. Why didn't Jalen Rose, Matt Burke, Marcus Banks, or any of the Spurs players have this reaction? Because it isn't natural. It's strange, awkward, and in obvious violation of a longstanding rule.
The general outcry of the public has centered on how the Suns were wrong, how David Stern and Stu Jackson had followed the letter of the law too strictly in their suspensions. Analysts are asking for wiggle room under the rule. However, as David Stern says, you can't judge intent. Did Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw run out onto the court to be peacemakers? Probably not, but we can't know that. Neither can the opposing team's bench. If one team is allowed to have players run to the court, the other team will do the same. All of the sudden 24 players on the court at the sight of any altercation…but no suspensions should be warranted because nothing was made worse and they needed some “wiggle room”. And all this bench activity will in no way will make an altercation worse.
Nope, not buying it.
You want someone to blame for the game 4 suspensions?
Blame the players that broke the rules. That simple.
And if you want to pigeonhole the San Antonio Spurs as the new bad guys on the NBA, do so at your own ignorance. Few teams have been more influential in the city, donated more to their community, and been more loyal to their fans. For years the Spurs have been dedicated to fighting for children's literacy, health advocacy, and at-risk youths through dozens of programs (many of which, you'd be surprised to know, are fronted by none other than Bruce Bowen). If that's dirty, let the NBA have their martyrdom of the Suns, and I'll take dirty any day of the week.
was and still proud of the spurs... who's the next sun to fall down? hehe... i want bell!!!! harharharhar
Wow, a writer who actually gets it! Very nice.
For life's little questions, turn to Calvin.
Nice read.
I still haven't got an answer to my question I posed earlier.
Why do the Suns and their fans feel their players are above the rules?
So when do fans get a chance to own some "Dirty" t-shirts? There has to be someone printing up bootleg shirts as we speak.
Honestly, this whole subject is getting old. Some Spurs fans claim they're embarassed...for what? The only reason that this is a big deal is because there are a bunch of casual fans with no real interest in the game feeling sorry for Phoenix. At least Amare admitted he broke the rules and accepted his punishment. The fans should take a cue from him.
It's kind like all these people taking up for Paris and trying to get her out of her jail sentence. I think she's even getting an abbreviated sentence for good behavior. WTF? She hasn't even served any time. Break the rules, accept the punishment.
I don't recognize the tiger, but why is Steve Kerr wearing a Bruce Bowen shirt? I thought he was a Suns fan.
It's really a shame the kind of beating the Spurs have taken from the media and press for criticism that should be all aimed at the league. If the Spurs are so damn dirty, take it up with the league. They're the ones who let the Spurs play this style for the last decade or so and win three championships doing it. Blame the league for the rule that got Stoudemire and Diaw suspended. The amount of vitriol that has arisen out of this mess makes it seem like Horry, under orders from Pop, leveled Nash just to bait some Suns off the bench. And it's all a matter of visibility. If Stern wants to make an unpopular decision he can do it, issue a press release, and disapear to an undisclosed location for the next few days. The Spurs had to go to work on Wednesday no matter what the decision was.
It's sickening to think about all the times the press has bemoaned the NBA culture while conveniently ignoring the character of the Spurs only to see them pile on this bull now.
In real life...
The article is correct. Hard foul from Horry is no excuse to sprint off the bench when they know the rules.
Hallelujah!!
A Suns fan gets it.
Wow. Only took him 4 days to write it.
I really think the media is responsible for all the furor over the Horry/Nash thing. I just don't see what the big deal is...I think the NBA gets very few of these kind of storylines and because this series has been so compe ive it adds to the mystique I guess.
I just think it has been distracting and drawing attention away from the great basketball that is being played night in and night out.
I know the fans have been ing but since when does the media listen to the general public? God, if that worked, they'd storm the White House and drag Bush and Cheney out by their gonads.
great article!
Lovely~ haha, I'm not saying this because Spurs is my team. But this article makes tonnes of sense.
a refreshing article from someone who actually understands what really happened.
Go SPURS Go...blow them out by 40 tonight!!!
Seriously. Like this is a refreshing new viewpoint on a topic that hasn't been discussed into the ground.
good stuff
For that matter, if the media were somewhat balanced and not so obviously biased against Bush then his poll numbers would likely be higher and not nearly as many people would want him tossed out to begin with!
Back to the original post... was Antonio really that much of a knucklehead?
is this a request? i can make some.... i wont though unless the majority requests them and it's worth my while.
"It's not fair"
- NBA Stu Jackson
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