Not only that, but I'll argue to anyone who will listen that Artest, O'Neal and Jackson didn't get what they deserve either. What I think they deserved was justice. What they got instead was made an example of. It's the prerogative of the commissioner to decide what's best, and sometimes that means making hard decisions. But don't confuse the punishments David Stern handed out with justice. Did they deserve to be suspended? Absolutely. But the sentences handed down were totally out of line with precedent, as well as with justice. Justice, in my mind, would involve punishing some (or all) of the Pacers (a bit) less and on the other hand holding the Pistons fans and management more accountable. Maybe that will still happen. But the Star ran an article this morning that pretty much sums up my expectation on that point.
[Aside: On another, expectation related note, I'd like to say that if you're going to leave comments calling out me or one of the commenters here, I do sort of expect you to leave an e-mail address as well. Now, I'm not Bill O'Reilly. I won't delete your comments, no matter whether I disagree with them or how inane (or poorly typed) they are, but I do think that it's better to leave a return address than to throw out a comment (or cup full of beer) and rely on anonymity to save you from direct responses. Besides, we here on the Island want to get to know all our readers, if possible.]
If we can put the issue of the suspensions aside (or even better, behind us) then I think the Pacers still have one of the best organizations in sports. I think the decision to stand behind the suspended players was the right one, and I think the decision to appeal the punishments was the right one as well, whether or not the process produces any results. That, to me, is a sign of an organization that cares about its fans and its season ticket holders, as well as its players.
I also think that the rest of the non-suspended and uninjured (or slightly injured) Pacers who have played the last four games deserve a whole lot of credit for what they're doing. I can't possibly say enough about this bunch of over-achievers. Charlotte, Minnesota and Boston aren't exactly the 3 best teams in the NBA right now, but beating Boston and then winning the back-to-back with Charlotte and Minnesota was a noteworthy accomplishment when your roster is only 7 or 8 players deep. If the results of the last week's play are any indicator, perhaps there is a silver lining to this situation after all. I can say now without reservation that I'm pretty pumped to go watch the Pacers play Golden State once I'm back on the Left Coast next weekend.
From now on, I don't want to hear anything suspension-related unless it's something to this effect: "David Stern tried torching the Pacers' season, but the only thing to catch fire was Tinsley."
No comments:
Post a Comment