http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792 I wouldn't say any of this to the faces of these football and basketball players. They are too big and they've shown by their actions that they would beat me up or spit in my face. But Terrell Owens, receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, and seven NBA players on the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, you are a bunch of high-priced punks. And I'm glad Owens got fined $35,000 for spitting, both basketball teams got fined $500,000 for brawling and each of the seven players got suspended from one to 15 games for throwing fists, pushing and shoving in a Saturday fight. Basketball and football are fiercely competitive games and good players fight hard to win. But athletes are role models to young and old alike and it's so unnecessary to fight like brats. Referees can take care of fouls and unfairness in games. As for Owens, he knows he has a volatile reputation, so it would behoove him not to make it worse. NBA Commissioner David Stern in addition to the fines and suspensions he imposed suggested that continued antics by players would mean they will not have long careers in the NBA. Sounds fair to me. Posted by Steve E. Swenson I wouldn't say any of this to the faces of these football and basketball players. They are too big and they've shown by their actions that they would beat me up or spit in my face. But Terrell Owens, receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, and seven NBA players on the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, you are a bunch of high-priced punks. And I'm glad Owens got fined $35,000 for spitting, both basketball teams got fined $500,000 for brawling and each of the seven players got suspended from one to 15 games for throwing fists, pushing and shoving in a Saturday fight. Basketball and football are fiercely competitive games and good players fight hard to win. But athletes are role models to young and old alike and it's so unnecessary to fight like brats. Referees can take care of fouls and unfairness in games. As for Owens, he knows he has a volatile reputation, so it would behoove him not to make it worse. NBA Commissioner David Stern in addition to the fines and suspensions he imposed suggested that continued antics by players would mean they will not have long careers in the NBA. Sounds fair to me. Posted by Steve E. Swenson en-us <p>As disgusting as the actions of TO and the hoodlums of the NBA were, I was more shocked by how Isiah Thomas handled the press conference after words. He placed all blame on the Denver, something to the effect that they (NY)  had surrendered and certain players shouldn't have been in the game! I was a big fan of the NBA in the 80's & early 90's, I loved watching the great teams of that era. The Boston Celtics, Showtime, the Motor-city Bad Boys and Air Jordan's Bulls! I remember how great a competitor Isiah was at IU under Knight and with Detroit. I couldn't believe he said what he did.  </p> <p>Although now that I think about it, just as I wrote this I have to correct myself. I had a recollection of sort. I am not surprised by what Thomas said, he just showed his true colors AGAIN!!! All of us that were fans of the NBA's golden era will remember the comments that he made about Larry Bird, how he only got recognition because he was white and that if he was black he would be just another player. I remember Bird stole a pass (that Thomas threw) passed the ball to a teammate and the Celtics won the game!! How can we expect anything else from a guy that when things are going bad he makes excuses and lays blame on someone else. Of course his team is down he is of low character himself and low character people are not and will never lead anyone to better than mediocre.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792/#c_45910 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792/#c_45910 <p>As disgusting as the actions of TO and the hoodlums of the NBA were, I was more shocked by how Isiah Thomas handled the press conference after words. He placed all blame on the Denver, something to the effect that they (NY)  had surrendered and certain players shouldn't have been in the game! I was a big fan of the NBA in the 80's & early 90's, I loved watching the great teams of that era. The Boston Celtics, Showtime, the Motor-city Bad Boys and Air Jordan's Bulls! I remember how great a competitor Isiah was at IU under Knight and with Detroit. I couldn't believe he said what he did.  </p> <p>Although now that I think about it, just as I wrote this I have to correct myself. I had a recollection of sort. I am not surprised by what Thomas said, he just showed his true colors AGAIN!!! All of us that were fans of the NBA's golden era will remember the comments that he made about Larry Bird, how he only got recognition because he was white and that if he was black he would be just another player. I remember Bird stole a pass (that Thomas threw) passed the ball to a teammate and the Celtics won the game!! How can we expect anything else from a guy that when things are going bad he makes excuses and lays blame on someone else. Of course his team is down he is of low character himself and low character people are not and will never lead anyone to better than mediocre.</p> <div style="FLOAT: left"><em></em></div> <p><em>I wouldn't say any of this to the faces of these football and basketball players</em></p> <p><em></em></p> <p>I would, though&nbsp;with&nbsp; a .38 on me belt. Pro-athletes <em>are</em> high-priced punks, if not mobsters, as are the sugar-daddy team-owners who pay 'em.&nbsp; Sport, Inc.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792/#c_45912 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792/#c_45912 <div style="FLOAT: left"><em></em></div> <p><em>I wouldn't say any of this to the faces of these football and basketball players</em></p> <p><em></em></p> <p>I would, though&nbsp;with&nbsp; a .38 on me belt. Pro-athletes <em>are</em> high-priced punks, if not mobsters, as are the sugar-daddy team-owners who pay 'em.&nbsp; Sport, Inc.</p> As far as the recent outbursts of NBA players go, well frankly what do you expect when you take somebody out of high school and make them multi-millionaires with no supervision. They start thinking they're gods and everyone must treat them as such. Boo hoo to the NY Nicks for getting blown out of a game. That's no excuse for that type of behavior. The punishment was correct in this situation.<br /> <br /> While there are fights in Hockey, they are soooooo different. Most of the time the guys fighting aren't even mad at each other, and there's a higher level of respect between the players that isn't seen in other sports. http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792/#c_45915 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/insidesports/2792/#c_45915 As far as the recent outbursts of NBA players go, well frankly what do you expect when you take somebody out of high school and make them multi-millionaires with no supervision. They start thinking they're gods and everyone must treat them as such. Boo hoo to the NY Nicks for getting blown out of a game. That's no excuse for that type of behavior. The punishment was correct in this situation.<br /> <br /> While there are fights in Hockey, they are soooooo different. Most of the time the guys fighting aren't even mad at each other, and there's a higher level of respect between the players that isn't seen in other sports.