Knicks - Nuggets Brawl, Comments, Aftermath

There was this recent brawl in the NBA involving players from both the New York Knickerbockers and the Denver Nuggets. I didn't get to see it live but thanks to the magic of youtube you can see it here.

Now I was expecting harsh penalties for the players involved (including Carmelo Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer and one of my favorite players to watch). And today at ESPN I read about the penalties given. You can read about it here.

Now while I may be a big fan of Carmelo Anthony I do not agree with the penalties Commish Stern handed out. 15 for 'Melo? 10 for JR Smith and Nate Robinson? 6 for Mardy Collins?!? Six? He started it all with his flagrant foul, and from what I heard he committed a flagrant foul the previous game too.

If it were up to me, I'd suspend Collins, Anthony, Smith, and Robinson the entire season. Jared Jeffries would get 45 games.

How come I'd give out suspensions that long? The NBA is still recovering from the "Malice at the Palace" brawl two years ago, and the suspensions were harsher then. Sure fans were involved, and now fans weren't really involved in this brawl. But still. Players are being paid millions of US dollars to play a game of basketball, entertain the fans, and they still manage to let tempers flare? Give me a break.

I say teach the players a lesson. Strike fear into them so that any stupidity on their part will hopefully be prevented. If the players know that they'll get in serious trouble for making trouble, then perhaps they'll think twice before doing anything stupid.

These guys all think the world owes them everything, that they can get away with anything. Someone ought to remind them that they're also human, and that laws apply to them too.

I'm most disappointed at 'Melo. Despite all the negativity that happened to him in previous years I was always rooting for him. I was always a fan, despite that DVD and the pot found in his bag, and now he does this.

Damn.

Out.