Aren't we fortunate (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/12/16/nuggets.knicks.brawl.ap/index.html?cnn=yes)? Sit at home in front of the big screen and watch multi-millionaires battle it out.

According to the Knicks, the whole thing happened because the Nuggets still had their starters on the floor with 1:15 left and a 19-point lead. Denver won 123-100.

"They just wanted to embarrass us," Robinson said. "It was a slap in the face to us. As a team, as a franchise, we weren't going to let that happen ..."

And for this kind of behavior, these clowns are paid millions annually. Real special people, aren't they?

What needs to happen is very long suspensions for all the players involved. I would suggest one year for every player who threw a punch, and for the original instigator, two years. I would also stipulate that while suspended those players still count against the number of players allowed on the roster for each team. If the teams can't play, then they forfeit the games. The owners can try to sell season tickets to the forfeits next year.
In addition, I'm sure some criminal charges should be filed, and arrests made.

Would you guys be this upset if it were a couple of hockey teams?

Good question, but I have to answer, "no". Fighting and hockey seem to go hand-in-hand. It has a tradition of being a very rough sport. What has been displayed by NBA players in this latest fracas is plain poor sportsmanship. " ... They just wanted to embarrass us, ... " Poor baby - never had his ass handed to him before? A very poor excuse for that kind of behavior.

Actually I am a big fan of college hockey. You may not realize that a few years ago the rules of college hockey nwere changed to reduce fighting. It improved the game greatly, and fighting is now virtually non-existent in college hockey. The new rules are simple. If you engage in fighting you are manditorily ejected from the game and from the next game as well. If you are ejected a second time for fighting, you are out for an entire season.
The game now is fast, and the hitting mostly clean. A much better game.

I am curious what will happen to Carmelo Anthony.. a baby-faced poster child for the NBA.. and now in this fight he's trying to sucker punch some guy from knicks while he wasn't even looking.. that reminds me of poor, inner city, urban bball... not NBA.

I hope he gets 20-30 games at least.

You don't see Lebron doing that crap...

The NBA responds (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/12/18/brawl.suspensions.ap/index.html?cnn=yes)

NEW YORK (AP) -- NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games Monday and six other players were penalized as commissioner David Stern came down hard on both teams after the Nuggets and Knicks brawled at Madison Square Garden.
Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith each got 10 games, and four other players also were suspended. Stern fined each organization $500,000. But there was no separate penalty for Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, who had warned Anthony not to go into the lane before the mayhem started Saturday night.

:hitout:

Those suspensions seem light for how much the NBA is trying to watch their image...

But there seems to be some suspected deep-rooted ties within this whole fight. Not between the players, but the coaches. It's no secret that George Karl is a Larry Brown guy.. they both came from the same system. It seems that PERHAPS Karl was leaving his starters out there to "stick it to" Isiah Thomas because he was part of the reason for Larry Brown's collapse last year.

IF that is the case, then Karl should have much of the blame, being the instegater. However, he can hide behind the "unwritten rule" excuse... saying that it is perfectly legal to leave his starters out there even though they are up 19 points with a little under 2 minutes to go... even though 99% of the people asked would probably say that it's low-class.

Not to mention.. one of the guys from the Nuggets was doing reverse dunks and showboating.. also a classless no-no. It seems the Nuggets asking "gee, i wonder how much we can do before the Knicks will do anything?"... and they got their answer. I don't condone what any of the guys did, but the Nuggets had it coming.

As for Isiah Thomas... people want to say he had a "hand" in this whole thing for telling Carmelo to "stay out of the paint"? I say no way. Thomas was just telling it how it was. The game was out of hand, and yet he was still on the floor. Frustration and Tempers can make pro-athletes become playground children in a matter of seconds. Having your star player on the court is a classless move.. and Thomas was actually probably LOOKING OUT for Carmello, because he KNEW how frustrated HIS players were, and he KNEW that Carmelo probably shouldnt even be out there. The whole situation was like smoking a cigarette at a gas station.. a bunch of unstable elements just waiting to blow.. and it sure did.

Professional atheletes crying like spoiled children - " ... They just wanted to embarrass us, ... " - poor baby. Sometimes life just pours a can of whup ass all over you. Millions of folks look up to these clowns and what is being displayed by them? That it is OK to throw a tantrum when you're getting your butt kicked and then blame it on the ones kicking that butt? How twisted is that?

What is the NBA?:@@:

What is the NBA?:@@:

A group primarily composed of minorities that has unionized in order to force rich business owners to share the wealth. You'd love it.

A group primarily composed of minorities that has unionized in order to force rich business owners to share the wealth. You'd love it.

Also known as millionaires oppressed by billionaires.

It's a dull boring sport where the guys just stand around and shoot a basket now and then.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzz
Watch college ball to see real basketball!

Airline pulls Carmelo magazine cover

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Northwest Airlines Corp. has pulled the December issue of its in-flight magazine in the wake of an NBA brawl involving the magazine's cover subject,Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony was suspended for 15 games earlier this week for his part in Saturday's brawl between the Nuggets and the New York Knicks.
"Northwest does not want to appear to condone in any way the behavior of some of the players during Saturday's game, including Mr. Anthony, by continuing to offer the current edition of WorldTraveler," the airline said in a statement.
The January issue of the free magazine was being rolled out early as a replacement, the airline said.
Northwest spokesman Dean Breest declined to comment beyond the statement.
***
Nowhere Man (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/12/20/northwest.anthony.ap/index.html?cnn=yes)

Of course Denver just had to acquire Alan Iverson as a replacement for Anthony. He'll fit right in there.

Airline pulls Carmelo magazine cover



Good..i hope that guy loses millions in endorsements for what he did during that "brawl"

The whole altercation was over and then Carmelo had to come back over and throw and "open-handed" slap??? Hey Carmelo, don't go to the Boxing Circuits anytime soon buddy...

It's a dull boring sport where the guys just stand around and shoot a basket now and then.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzz
Watch college ball to see real basketball!
Every now and then? They do it 50 times a game per team.

Want to talk about boring? Cars driving around in a circle.

When we watch the Pacers, I see lots of standing around punctuated by bursts of sporadic action/scoring.
Or, brawls.
Coach said he'd rather watch paint dry. In this I agree. Just not a fan of the NBA.

Northwest Airlines Corp. has pulled the December issue of its in-flight magazine in the wake of an NBA brawl involving the magazine's cover subject,Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony.


The sad part is that if they hadn't pulled the magazine, people would actually complain.

The NBA barely has any fighting in it at all. Hockey and Baseball easily have it beat. Theres no reason to hand out year-long bans until brawling becomes more common.