Basketbrawl

Scott Hardie | November 23, 2004
I'm surprised nobody started a discussion about the brawl yet. (link) How is it we've gone in less than a century from athletes as paragons of gentlemanly conduct to athletes as brutish, hairpin-trigger thugs? (That's not to say that athletes were gentlemen, just that they were expected to be. If this brawl had happened in the thirties, the players would never be tolerated playing in public again; now we're pounding on the plexiglass at hockey games cheering for them to fight like animals.)

In the athletes' defense: What the fuck was that guy thinking throwing the cup of water? "I just watched two seven-foot-tall badasses nearly come to blows, so how about I antagonize one of them and get him to come after me!" I bet this guy spends his weekends going to the zoo and yanking on lions' tails.

Todd Brotsch | November 23, 2004
I was too afraid of causing a giant flame thread that would result in un-calcuable personal anguish of others at my amusement.

Scott Horowitz | November 23, 2004
I thought it was both one of the funniest and saddest things I have ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if they eliminated court-side seating and put glass around the court, like they do in hockey.

Todd Brotsch | November 23, 2004
Well...that's pretty much why there was a fight in the first place. The total lack of brawling in hockey this season, they had to make up for it. I wonder why that is....

Anna Gregoline | November 23, 2004
Awesome fight, nonetheless.

Scott Horowitz | November 23, 2004
Does anyone think the suspensions were excessive in some cases or not enough in others?

Jackie Mason | November 24, 2004
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Anthony Lewis | November 25, 2004
"What happened to our star players that used to win every year?"

Jackie, the answer is...the rest of the Basketball playing world has caught up to America. The success of the original Dream Team, and the worldwide popularity of the NBA has spawned an incredible interest in basketball. However, unlike in the USA, the rest of the world has embraced teaching the fundamentals of basketball and playing as a team. In the USA, our players are influenced by isolating a player one-on-one, and performing some incredible dunk so they can get on ESPN and all the highlight shows. Before the original Dream Team, international players in the NBA were rare. During the '92 Olympics, these players were just happy to be on the same floor as Jordan, Bird, Magic and Barkley.
Basically, what they said aftewards was "Fuck that shit...we're coming to whoop your ass next time". It took them awhile but damn if they didn't do it.

Jackie Mason | December 10, 2004
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Anthony Lewis | December 11, 2004
I think Ming is now signed by Reebok. I understand that he used to be in the Nike camp, but that expired earlier this year (I think).

Robert Phillips | December 13, 2004
Isn't it funny as well that Mr Artest's CD is the 29,000 best selling album on the charts. It has sold 1200 copies ..He probably bought them all. I think he better attempt to keep his basketbrawl career.

Anthony Lewis | December 14, 2004
LOL. I'm shocked. I though the young kids today had no taste.

I stand corrected.

Scott Horowitz | December 14, 2004
Here's one of my favorite things about Ron Artest

(link)

Jackie Mason | December 14, 2004
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Scott Horowitz | December 14, 2004
Yeah, Crossroads was the worst soft-core porn movie I have ever seen!

Scott Hardie | December 16, 2004
Ashlee Simpson is filming her first starring role (link) if you're not depressed enough yet. (HSX says it's her first movie; that was "The Hot Chick.")

Anthony Lewis | December 17, 2004
Jackie: I don't know if I'd call Ron Artest a jerk for applying for a job so he could get the employee discount. In fact, I think it's shows that he has a modicum of intregrity. I mean, he didn't try to bum them off a store for free because he's an athlete. And he didn't try to persuade someone else to get the job. He was willing to do some work to get the goods. I kinda respect that.

Jackie Mason | December 17, 2004
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | December 19, 2004
I dunno; Bears fans can always be proud of 1985. And I don't mean the big game, I mean the Super Bowl Shuffle.

Anna Gregoline | December 20, 2004
Shuffling on down, doing it for you! We're so bad, we know we're good....

Oh man, that's embarassing.