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Anthony snubbed, 3 Suns picked for All-Star game
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
February 1, 2007 Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony (15) pulls his jersey over his head after a collision with a Portland Trail Blazers player during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in this Jan. 31, 2007 photo, at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Ore. Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer, was not among the seven reserves announced Thursday night, Feb. 1, 2007, for the Western Conference team that will play in the NBA All-Star game.
AP - Feb 1, 7:36 pm EST
More Photos
NEW YORK (AP) -- One bad night may have overshadowed all the good Carmelo Anthony has done this season.
The NBA's leading scorer was not among the seven reserves announced Thursday night for the Western Conference team that will play in the NBA All-Star game.
Denver teammate Allen Iverson was chosen, extending his streak of consecutive All-Star appearances to eight. He started the last seven games while playing for Philadelphia. Anthony, who is averaging 31.3 points but missed 15 games while suspended for his role in the brawl at Madison Square Garden, was the most obvious omission.
Earlier Thursday, Anthony said he hoped his suspension wouldn't prevent him from earning his first All-Star spot.
"I hope no one holds that over my head over anything," he said. "Things happen. One incident like that is held over one person's head, life ain't fair.
"I did my punishment. I could've easily kept my name out there by appealing it and doing other stuff about it, but I just did my 15 games suspension and hopefully put that behind us."
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were all chosen from the Phoenix Suns, the league's highest scoring team. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni will lead the West.
"It will be great to be able to go with our coaches and teammates," said Nash, the two-time NBA MVP. "It will be great to have them there and have them be recognized, too."
Stoudemire, averaging 18.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, made it after sitting out most of last season because of knee surgery.
"It was a goal of mine," he said. "I told you guys that before the season started, back in training camp, that I was planning on making it. So I was really striving for it.
"The past two years have been tough for me and it's definitely paid off. There may be people who doubt you but you can never doubt yourself."
Dirk Nowitzki was the only player picked from the Dallas Mavericks, who have the league's best record. The Mavericks had been hoping Josh Howard would be selected as well.
"I think Dallas having the best record and only one guy, I thought that was surprising," D'Antoni said.
Detroit and New Jersey had multiple reserves picked for the Feb. 18 game. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, who both made their first appearances last season, are going back, and Jason Kidd and Vince Carter will represent the Nets in the game at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.
"I'm happy that Rip made it, too, because he's having a career year," Billups said. "If I only made it, a piece of me would've been disappointed. I've always felt like we're a package deal."
Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and first-timers Dwight Howard of Orlando and Caron Butler of Washington round out the East reserves.
The seven reserves were voted on by the head coaches in their respective conferences. Coaches couldn't vote for their own players, and had to select two forwards, two guards, a center and two players regardless of their position.
The remainder of the West reserves were San Antonio guard Tony Parker and Utah forward Carlos Boozer.
The starters were announced last Thursday. LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas were picked in the East. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant were voted in by fans to start for the West.
Anthony still has a chance to play in Las Vegas. NBA commissioner David Stern will choose a replacement for Yao, who is still recovering from a broken bone under his knee, and Boozer also could be unavailable because of a hairline fracture in his left leg.
He's expected to miss a few weeks, but said Thursday he hopes to return in time for All-Star weekend. He doesn't know when he would need to resume running for that to happen.
"Hopefully if everything works out, it will be right on time," he said. "I'll put it like that."
Anthony and Josh Howard are the most likely replacement choices, but could face competition for those spots from Seattle's Ray Allen, Portland's Zach Randolph, the Clippers' Elton Brand and another Denver player, Marcus Camby.
Stern said he expected to make his decision in the next few days, and that when doing so he wouldn't consider the suspension he gave Anthony for the punch the Denver star hit the Knicks' Mardy Collins with on Dec. 16.
D'Antoni will lead the West squad because Dallas coach Avery Johnson is ineligible after coaching last season. The same three Suns were chosen as reserves to the 2005 game.
"I'm sure they'll be out there at some time but I haven't thought about it," D'Antoni said. "I'm thinking about San Antonio and Utah and everyone else in between."
Washington's Eddie Jordan clinched the East's coaching spot on Thursday night when Cleveland lost to Miami. That ensured the Wizards will have the East's best winning percentage through games of Feb. 4.
Butler's career year has been key to Washington's success. The forward is averaging 20.6 points and 8.0 rebounds, both career highs.
"Coach Jordan gave me more and more freedom and I really thought I had a chance," Butler said. "I dedicated my time last summer and look what came out of it. I couldn't be happier with this, but I know there is still work to be done."
AP Sports Writers Pat Graham in Denver and Doug Alden in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.
Updated on Thursday, Feb 1, 2007 10:59 pm EST
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I applaud the coaches the for having the guts to make this decision, and I hope Stern backs them up. It can be argued that missing 15 games is too much time lost for a potential all-star, but I think it's fairly obvious the coaches want to send a message to the players and the young fans who idolize them that this type of behavior is not that of an all-star. I don't think this is about further punishing Anthony. Anthony half got it when he said he could have appealed the suspension but instead chose to take his punishment, but his comments make it clear that he still does not understand the full impact of his actions on his younger, more impressionable fans who may still think it was alright to take a swing on the court. All-stars need to be above that, and I hope someone can explain that to Anthony before he makes a bigger ass of himself than he has already.
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
The starters were announced last Thursday. LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas were picked in the East.
 
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So, the fans voted. It's a populatirty contest. The coaches voted in Rib and Billups. That's what really matters. Had the coaches not voted in a Piston, then you would be correct.
That's improper use of pwn4g3!, Phil. Don't make me mention Ohio State...
Last edited by Brad Lee; 2007-02-02 6:49 PM.
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Brad Lee said:
***You are ignoring this Michigan scumbag.***
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Quote:
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were all chosen from the Phoenix Suns, the league's highest scoring team. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni will lead the West.
The Suns are well represented 
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Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
***You are ignoring this Michigan scumbag.***
And how many players from your home town team made the All-star game? 
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Quote:
PixieP said:
Quote:
Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were all chosen from the Phoenix Suns, the league's highest scoring team. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni will lead the West.
The Suns are well represented
Indeed they are. If the Pistons can't win it this year, I hope the Suns do.
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Does anyone have an opinion on the Anthony snub?
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Carmelo Anthony shouldn't be playing basketball at all this season, let alone in an allstar game.
I think he's better suited for track and field, seeing as how after the sucker punch, nobody was able to catch him.
JLA for MO....oh....
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Quote:
The Watcher said:
I think he's better suited for track and field, seeing as how after the sucker punch, nobody was able to catch him.
Yeah. I love when i see basketball stars act all hard and as soon as some crap goes down they're the first ones headed for the locker room. hell even little nate robinson stayed....melo should be more ashamed of that then the not being on the allstar team. And yes i do agree with him not being on it.
big_pimp_tim-made it cool to roll in the first damn place! Mon Jun 11 2007 09:27 PM- harley finally rolled with me "I'm working with him...he's young but, there is much potential. He can apprentice with me and then he's yours for final training. He will remember the face of his father... Some day, Knutreturns just may be the greatest of us all...."-THE bastard
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I would be very surprised if Stern didn't select Carmelo as Yao or Boozer's replacement, so this is kind of a non-story.
Carmelo's scoring feats kind of mask his one-dimensional game, in my opinion. He's not a top five Western Conference forward. The only problem is most of the forwards ahead of him are 4's, and would be playing out of position against the smaller Eastern Conference.
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who would you have picked in 1978?
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Quote:
Animalman said:
I would be very surprised if Stern didn't select Carmelo as Yao or Boozer's replacement, so this is kind of a non-story.
Carmelo's scoring feats kind of mask his one-dimensional game, in my opinion. He's not a top five Western Conference forward. The only problem is most of the forwards ahead of him are 4's, and would be playing out of position against the smaller Eastern Conference.
The story is whether or not Anthony deserves to snubbed for his actions on the court. If Stern does select him, it will prove his hypocrisy. It will still be a story, because then the debate will shift to Stern as an NBA commissionor, and his technical foul rule. If he does select Anthony, then his stance on technical fouls comes into question.
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
The story is whether or not Anthony deserves to snubbed for his actions on the court.
The All-Star Weekend is an exhibition. It's for the fans, and has no direct connection with the regular or post-season.
Quote:
If Stern does select him, it will prove his hypocrisy.
Can you elaborate?
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Quote:
britneyspearsatemyshorts said:
who would you have picked in 1978?
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Quote:
Animalman said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
The story is whether or not Anthony deserves to snubbed for his actions on the court.
The All-Star Weekend is an exhibition. It's for the fans, and has no direct connection with the regular or post-season.
And if the fans would have voted in Anothony, there wouldn't be a story. But the fans did not vote Anothony in, so it was up to the coaches, who chose to send a message to him. That message would mean a lot more if the commissioner backed it up.
Quote:
Animalman said:
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Brad Lee said:
If Stern does select him, it will prove his hypocrisy.
Can you elaborate?
Stern instituted a very tough interpretation of the technical foul, which many fans and players have called into question. Maybe I'm a little biased here being a Piston's fan and rooting for the Sheed and Rip, who lead the league in techs. That aside, I see a lot of them, and I see how they are handed out, and while I agree with maybe half them (Sheed can be an ass to the refs when he wants to the point that I can't argue against the tech), I feel that Stern is trying to send a message about how players should behave. The fact is, the techs are about sportsmanship, and yelling at the ref over every single call is not sportsman-like at all. Stern wants that out of the game.
However, if he choses to take that stance, then he can't protect on of the best players in the game when that player chooses to act in a very unsportsman-like manner. The coaches have all voted that he is not worthy of being an All-star, a positive example of the league. Maybe some have a different definition for what All-star behavior is, but I believe it includes being above the "punch and run" tactic that Anthony exemplified. This year, Anthony is not an All-star according to the coaches. If Stern truly wants to eliminate all unsportsman-like behavior from the game, and have a league of players that can be an example to children and parents of how to act on and off the court, then he has to back this up or risk being called a hypocrite, on this issue.
That said, I still think he's a hypocrite as divers like Wade are rewarded for faking fouls, instead of being punished like the NHL tries to do to its divers. I remember last year after a game Lebron James commented that he wasn't fouled at a key moment. And he didn't do the "Wade Flop" either, he was just playing the game. This is a real problem in the league, and it is hypocritical to go after one aspect of sportsmanship without going after the other. I still want to vomit every time I hear Wade being referred to as Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. 
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
And if the fans would have voted in Anothony, there wouldn't be a story. But the fans did not vote Anothony in, so it was up to the coaches, who chose to send a message to him. That message would mean a lot more if the commissioner backed it up.
Well, as I'm sure you know, the fans only decide the starters. If the entire roster was decided by the fans, Carmelo would have been voted in. He finished fourth in the voting among west forwards. So, the fans did want to see him in the All-Star game.
Either way, I think you're missing the point. It's an exhibition game. Preventing him from being in the event isn't penalizing him(unless he has some all-star appearance clause in his contract), or the team he represents. It's just penalizing the fans that want to see him play.
Quote:
Stern instituted a very tough interpretation of the technical foul, which many fans and players have called into question. Maybe I'm a little biased here being a Piston's fan and rooting for the Sheed and Rip, who lead the league in techs. That aside, I see a lot of them, and I see how they are handed out, and while I agree with maybe half them (Sheed can be an ass to the refs when he wants to the point that I can't argue against the tech), I feel that Stern is trying to send a message about how players should behave. The fact is, the techs are about sportsmanship, and yelling at the ref over every single call is not sportsman-like at all. Stern wants that out of the game.
But when Sheed and Rip get too many techs, they're suspended from regular season games.
Quote:
Maybe some have a different definition for what All-star behavior is, but I believe it includes being above the "punch and run" tactic that Anthony exemplified.
....
This year, Anthony is not an All-star according to the coaches.
If you're trying to suggest that the fight was the main reason the coaches didn't vote him in, then I think you're giving them a bit too much credit. The Western Conference is packed with elite forwards. Carmelo didn't make it because he's just not better than Dirk Nowitizki, or Carlos Boozer, or Amare Stoudemire, etc.
Quote:
That said, I still think he's a hypocrite as divers like Wade are rewarded for faking fouls, instead of being punished like the NHL tries to do to its divers.
The NBA protects its stars, yes. So does the NFL. You've yet to make any sort of argument showing how that makes Stern a "hypocrite". He's always been that way...as were his predecessors. I bet if you looked pretty closely, you'd find the NHL is similar.
If not...well, I can't imagine why anyone would want to take a page from the NHL on running its league, anyway. No offense, but they're a joke.
Quote:
I still want to vomit every time I hear Wade being referred to as Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
Look. I was physically present for every Mavericks finals home game. I've heard the "Wade flops" argument a million times, and its even come out of my mouth a good bit, too.
But Dwayne Wade is the best player in professional basketball right now. Period. I shouldn't have to cite stats he leads the world in like PER, player wins, etc. to prove it; just watch the games. The refs may help him out every now and then, but he still outplays every single guy on the court every single night, and I say that as someone who has every reason in the world to say otherwise.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- John Amaechi is gay, and now the first NBA player to come out publicly is ready to talk about it.
Amaechi, a center who spent five seasons with four teams, is scheduled to appear on ESPN's Outside the Lines on Sunday, and his autobiography Man in the Middle, will be released Feb. 14.
"He is coming out of the closet as a gay man," Amaechi's publicist Howard Bragman said Wednesday.
NBA commissioner David Stern said a player's sexuality is not important.
"We have a very diverse league. The question at the NBA is always 'have you got game?' That's it, end of inquiry," he said.
Three years after his playing career ended, Amaechi has become the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major American sports (NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL) to publicly discuss his homosexuality.
Former NFL running back David Kopay came out in 1977, and offensive lineman Roy Simmons and defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo came out more recently. Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A's in the 1970s, and Billy Bean, a utility player in the 1980s and 1990s, also have come out.
"What John did is amazing," Tuaolo said. "He does not know how many young kids he has saved. He does not know how many lives he's saved by speaking the truth."
Martina Navratilova, perhaps the most famous openly gay athlete in the world, also praised Amaechi's courage and wondered why so few athletes have made the same decision.
"We are the most closeted of any profession, especially on the men's side. It's astonishing how few have come out, considering how many athletes there are," she said. "It's all about education and making us tangible instead of a group you can say terrible things about."
In his book, Amaechi describes the challenge of being gay in a league where it is assumed that all players are heterosexual. He writes that while playing in Utah, coach Jerry Sloan used anti-gay innuendo to describe him.
Sloan said Wednesday that although his relationship with Amaechi was "shaky" because of the player's attitude, he didn't know Amaechi was gay. Sloan had no comment about Amaechi's contention that Sloan used anti-gay innuendo when referring to him. Amaechi said he found out about it in e-mails from friends in the Jazz front office.
When asked if knowing Amaechi was gay would have mattered, Sloan said: "Oh yeah, it would have probably mattered. I don't know exactly, but I always have peoples' feelings at heart. People do what they want to do. I don't have a problem with that."
Amaechi, 36, who is British, competed for Penn State, then played 301 NBA games over five seasons. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in the NBA. He began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995-96, then spent a few years playing in Europe. He rejoined the NBA to play for the Orlando Magic from 1999-01, then played two seasons for the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz traded him to Houston, which traded him to the New York Knicks. When the Knicks waived him in January 2004, he retired.
We all wear a green carnation.
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
Maybe I'm a little biased here being a Piston's fan...
 Surprise!
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Quote:
Captain Sammitch said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
Maybe I'm a little biased here being a Piston's fan...
Surprise!
Biased about techs, but yes, I admit it. That's part of being a man when talking about sports. Plus, that way I eliminate that part of any counter argument, and force people to respond on the merits of what I am saying. You should try it sometime.
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Quote:
Animalman said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
That said, I still think he's a hypocrite as divers like Wade are rewarded for faking fouls, instead of being punished like the NHL tries to do to its divers.
The NBA protects its stars, yes. So does the NFL. You've yet to make any sort of argument showing how that makes Stern a "hypocrite". He's always been that way...as were his predecessors. I bet if you looked pretty closely, you'd find the NHL is similar.
If not...well, I can't imagine why anyone would want to take a page from the NHL on running its league, anyway. No offense, but they're a joke.
I made my point that he has taken a stand on one aspect of sportsmanship, yet ignores another. How is that not being hyporcritcal? And if his predicesors did the same thing, then they are just as guilty.
Quote:
Animalman said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
I still want to vomit every time I hear Wade being referred to as Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
Look. I was physically present for every Mavericks finals home game. I've heard the "Wade flops" argument a million times, and its even come out of my mouth a good bit, too.
But Dwayne Wade is the best player in professional basketball right now. Period. I shouldn't have to cite stats he leads the world in like PER, player wins, etc. to prove it; just watch the games. The refs may help him out every now and then, but he still outplays every single guy on the court every single night, and I say that as someone who has every reason in the world to say otherwise.
I can't argue the fact that Wade is the second best player in the NBA, but that doesn't make him a sportsman. He's a diver, all skill aside, and he's made an art out of it. In the NHL, there is a penalty for diving, and there are fines. It still happens, but it is punished, if not during the game, then after. Just ask Sean Avery. I respect Wade's skill, and I enjoy watching him play. But I vomit at his flop.
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
I made my point that he has taken a stand on one aspect of sportsmanship, yet ignores another. How is that not being hyporcritcal?
Wait...you're lumping flopping and punching a guy together in the same category of poor sportsmanship?
C'mon now. Embellishment is something all athletes do, in every sport. Rip Hamilton is certainly a flopper. Everybody's crime is no crime at all.
Quote:
I can't argue the fact that Wade is the second best player in the NBA, but that doesn't make him a sportsman.
It seems like you have a pretty narrow definition of that word, dude.
Quote:
But I vomit at his flop.
Ok, but you do realize you're comparing this to a sport that 90% of the fans watch primarily for the in-game brawls, right?
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Jim Jackson said:
NEW YORK (AP) -- John Amaechi is gay, and now the first NBA player to come out publicly is ready to talk about it.
Amaechi, a center who spent five seasons with four teams, is scheduled to appear on ESPN's Outside the Lines on Sunday, and his autobiography Man in the Middle, will be released Feb. 14.
"He is coming out of the closet as a gay man," Amaechi's publicist Howard Bragman said Wednesday.
NBA commissioner David Stern said a player's sexuality is not important.
"We have a very diverse league. The question at the NBA is always 'have you got game?' That's it, end of inquiry," he said.
Three years after his playing career ended, Amaechi has become the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major American sports (NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL) to publicly discuss his homosexuality.
Former NFL running back David Kopay came out in 1977, and offensive lineman Roy Simmons and defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo came out more recently. Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A's in the 1970s, and Billy Bean, a utility player in the 1980s and 1990s, also have come out.
"What John did is amazing," Tuaolo said. "He does not know how many young kids he has saved. He does not know how many lives he's saved by speaking the truth."
Martina Navratilova, perhaps the most famous openly gay athlete in the world, also praised Amaechi's courage and wondered why so few athletes have made the same decision.
"We are the most closeted of any profession, especially on the men's side. It's astonishing how few have come out, considering how many athletes there are," she said. "It's all about education and making us tangible instead of a group you can say terrible things about."
In his book, Amaechi describes the challenge of being gay in a league where it is assumed that all players are heterosexual. He writes that while playing in Utah, coach Jerry Sloan used anti-gay innuendo to describe him.
Sloan said Wednesday that although his relationship with Amaechi was "shaky" because of the player's attitude, he didn't know Amaechi was gay. Sloan had no comment about Amaechi's contention that Sloan used anti-gay innuendo when referring to him. Amaechi said he found out about it in e-mails from friends in the Jazz front office.
When asked if knowing Amaechi was gay would have mattered, Sloan said: "Oh yeah, it would have probably mattered. I don't know exactly, but I always have peoples' feelings at heart. People do what they want to do. I don't have a problem with that."
Amaechi, 36, who is British, competed for Penn State, then played 301 NBA games over five seasons. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in the NBA. He began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995-96, then spent a few years playing in Europe. He rejoined the NBA to play for the Orlando Magic from 1999-01, then played two seasons for the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz traded him to Houston, which traded him to the New York Knicks. When the Knicks waived him in January 2004, he retired.
You could start your own thread with this, yeah?
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We all wear a green carnation.
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Then I don't feel like talking about it.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Quote:
Animalman said:
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Brad Lee said:
I can't argue the fact that Wade is the second best player in the NBA, but that doesn't make him a sportsman.
It seems like you have a pretty narrow definition of that word, dude.
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"WordNet (r) 2.0"
sportsmanship
n : fairness in following the rules of the game
I relate being a sportsman to having sportsmanship. That's how I define it.
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Animalman said:
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Brad Lee said:
But I vomit at his flop.
Ok, but you do realize you're comparing this to a sport that 90% of the fans watch primarily for the in-game brawls, right?
Do you have the stats to back that up? I happen to know you can't. Many fans in the past did watch just for the fighting, but fighting is almost non existant in today's NHL, so if they are watching, it's because they want to see the skilled players like Crosby, Sakic, Datsyuk, Brodeur, etc. do what they do on the ice.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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10000+ posts
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
"WordNet (r) 2.0"
sportsmanship
n : fairness in following the rules of the game
You just defeated your own argument, then, because there's nothing in the rulebook that prohibits flopping, or exaggerating the intensity of a collision.
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Do you have the stats to back that up?
No. Do you have the stats to prove I'm wrong?
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Many fans in the past did watch just for the fighting, but fighting is almost non existant in today's NHL
Almost nonexistant?
I just went to hockeyfights.com and found data on nine fights from February 6th alone. That's nine fights in one day.
If you like hockey, that's great. Fine. Whatever. It's your cup of tea, and not mine. Cool. I just won't buy some crap about hockey having better sportsmen.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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Fighting is part of the sportsmanship. It's part of the game. There is a code that defines it. There was recently a book written about said code. It's called The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The Nhl. Read it if you care to know something about what you are saying. If Hockey is not your cup of tea, maybe you shouldn't run your mouth about it to someone who understands the sport. Hockey players are the most sportsman-like of all big sport leagues. Not just on the ice, but off it, as well. Hockey players are known for their family life, their charities, and their being regular guys on the block, easy to talk to, not all about them. And they don't get into bar fights at night clubs on an alomst nightly basis. You don't like the sport enough to educate yourself about the culture, fine. Then you don't get to run your mouth about it.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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10000+ posts
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Quote:
Brad Lee said:
Fighting is part of the sportsmanship. It's part of the game.
Two posts ago you were claiming it was virtually nonexistant. Now it's a part of the sportsmanship? A part of the sportsmanship of the sport whose players are "the most sportsman-like of all big sport leagues"?
There's something wrong with that sentence, and I don't mean the overusage of the word "sport".
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There is a code that defines it. There was recently a book written about said code. It's called The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The Nhl. Read it if you care to know something about what you are saying.
I have no interest in reading about the unwritten rules of fighting in hockey, nor writing about them. I don't know why you think I did.
All I've spoken on is the frequency and popularity of fighting in hockey, which I have backed up with evidence...evidence that contradict your statements, in spite of your vast understanding of the subject.
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If Hockey is not your cup of tea, maybe you shouldn't run your mouth about it to someone who understands the sport. Hockey players are the most sportsman-like of all big sport leagues. Not just on the ice, but off it, as well. Hockey players are known for their family life, their charities, and their being regular guys on the block, easy to talk to, not all about them. And they don't get into bar fights at night clubs on an alomst nightly basis.
You don't like the sport enough to educate yourself about the culture, fine. Then you don't get to run your mouth about it.
I think we both know you aren't talking about the sport anymore. You're talking about idealizing its players. Whether or not they're nice guys is a silly debate(almost as silly as this "my sport is better" argument you've dragged me into here) to have; it's arbitrary. My only contention is that to say that fighting in one sport is cowardly and thuggish, while in another it's noble and sporting, is ludicrous. Asinine. Something knutreturns would say.
I have no problem with hockey...but, seriously, the guys take their gloves off and punch each other, which is something I stopped doing in the sixth grade. Let's reserve the pedestal for the truly deserving. Professional sports don't qualify.
Also, you've still yet to provide a credible argument for David Stern being a hypocrite. That did seem to be your first soapbox in this thread.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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Sorry Ani, I provide proof of Stern a long time ago. You just choose to ignore it. And I didn't drag you into any discussion. You don't have to discuss anything you have no interest in discussing. Don't blame me for wasting your time. If you feel it's a waste of time, then it's your choice to waste it.
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Not really. You cited Stern's new approach towards issuing technical fouls, but you never actually made a connection between that and Anthony being banned from the ASG(a connection would be flimsy at best, anyway).
The length of Anthony's suspension is certainly a reasonable debate, but banning him from the All-Star game does nothing except penalize the fans that are paying money to see him play in an exhibition event that was intended to be purely a crowd-pleaser. The integrity of the game itself isn't affected one or another, because he'll still be playing the rest of the regular season and, presumably, in the postseason.
You also kind of went off on a tangent about Dwayne Wade and sportsmanship awards, which had even less to do with the point you seemed to be trying to make. For one thing, SI's Sportsman of the Year is really just "athlete who had the best year". It's not like the Joe Dumars trophy or anything. If Carmelo wins either award for '07, you'd have a point.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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Whatever you say, Ani. Here's the only update I could find: Anthony, Howard added to Western Conference All-Stars
February 9, 2007 NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Less than two months after punishing Carmelo Anthony, NBA commissioner David Stern rewarded the Denver Nuggets superstar.
Anthony and Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard were selected Friday by Stern as injury replacements for the Western Conference All-Star team.
"It is an honor to be selected to my first All-Star team," Howard said. "This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid."
The league's leading scorer at 30.8 points per game, Anthony was suspended 15 games by Stern on December 18 for his role in an ugly brawl with the New York Knicks.
Undoubtedly hurt by the suspension and the negative publicity, Anthony was not voted into the All-Star Game by fans or chosen as a reserve by West coaches.
But with Houston center Yao Ming and Utah forward Carlos Boozer both sidelined with injuries, Stern needed to find a pair of replacements and settled on the 22-year-old Anthony, who will make his first career All-Star appearance on February 18 in Las Vegas.
However, the 6-8 Anthony may not have a chance to join teammate Allen Iverson in the midseason showcase.
A four-time scoring champion and eight-time All-Star, Iverson may miss the All-Star Game due to his sprained right ankle, an injury which has sidelined the star guard for four of Denver's last five games.
Like Anthony, Howard is in his fourth NBA season and will make his first career All-Star appearance. The 6-7 Howard has been one of the driving forces behind the mighty Mavericks, averaging career highs of 19.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Howard joins forward Dirk Nowitzki as Dallas' All-Star representatives. The Mavericks boast a league-best 40-9 record and own a one-game lead over the Phoenix Suns (39-10) for the top spot in the West.
Updated on Friday, Feb 9, 2007 5:11 pm EST
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Kneel! 10000+ posts
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Quote:
Animalman said:
Quote:
Brad Lee said:
Fighting is part of the sportsmanship. It's part of the game.
Two posts ago you were claiming it was virtually nonexistant. Now it's a part of the sportsmanship? A part of the sportsmanship of the sport whose players are "the most sportsman-like of all big sport leagues"?
There's something wrong with that sentence, and I don't mean the overusage of the word "sport".
Quote:
There is a code that defines it. There was recently a book written about said code. It's called The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The Nhl. Read it if you care to know something about what you are saying.
I have no interest in reading about the unwritten rules of fighting in hockey, nor writing about them. I don't know why you think I did.
All I've spoken on is the frequency and popularity of fighting in hockey, which I have backed up with evidence...evidence that contradict your statements, in spite of your vast understanding of the subject.
Quote:
If Hockey is not your cup of tea, maybe you shouldn't run your mouth about it to someone who understands the sport. Hockey players are the most sportsman-like of all big sport leagues. Not just on the ice, but off it, as well. Hockey players are known for their family life, their charities, and their being regular guys on the block, easy to talk to, not all about them. And they don't get into bar fights at night clubs on an alomst nightly basis.
You don't like the sport enough to educate yourself about the culture, fine. Then you don't get to run your mouth about it.
I think we both know you aren't talking about the sport anymore. You're talking about idealizing its players. Whether or not they're nice guys is a silly debate(almost as silly as this "my sport is better" argument you've dragged me into here) to have; it's arbitrary. My only contention is that to say that fighting in one sport is cowardly and thuggish, while in another it's noble and sporting, is ludicrous. Asinine. Something knutreturns would say.
 . I actually agree with you about the who fighting should be viewed the same in every sport. I also think the NHL was being run pretty badly.(though they seem to be on the come-up.) But what ludicrous, asinine things have i said that would make u take a cheap shot at me while having an argument with someone else? To my knoweldge the only reason you dont seem to like me is cause i cheered for the Heat in the finals. (which if you havent already you really need to stop bithcing about)
big_pimp_tim-made it cool to roll in the first damn place! Mon Jun 11 2007 09:27 PM- harley finally rolled with me "I'm working with him...he's young but, there is much potential. He can apprentice with me and then he's yours for final training. He will remember the face of his father... Some day, Knutreturns just may be the greatest of us all...."-THE bastard
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The CLOW Master!!! 500+ posts
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Steve Nash will NOT be playing in the All-Star Game due to his shoulder injury. The decision was to rest him and get him ready for the playoff run. Good decision if I say so myself.
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Stern chooses Allen, Okur as injury replacements for West
February 13, 2007 NEW YORK (AP) -- Seattle's Ray Allen and Utah's Mehmet Okur were chosen Tuesday by commissioner David Stern as injury replacements for the All-Star game.
With Steve Nash (shoulder) and Allen Iverson (ankle) both pulling out of Sunday's game in Las Vegas, the Western Conference was in need of a guard. Allen is seventh in the league with 26.9 points per game.
Okur's clutch late-game play has helped Utah keep rolling despite the absence of Carlos Boozer, who was chosen for the All-Star game but also was forced to pull out because of a hairline fracture in his leg. That had left the Jazz, whose 34-17 record is third-best in the league, without a player in Sunday's game.
Allen is headed to his fourth straight All-Star game and seventh overall. Okur is a first-time selection.
"It's always a great honor to represent my team and our city at the All-Star Game," Allen said. "As an athlete, I cherish these opportunities to be recognized along with the league's best and to continue the Sonics' proud All-Star tradition."
Besides Nash, Iverson and Boozer, Yao Ming of Houston also had to pull out. New Jersey guard Jason Kidd is going to miss the next two games with a strained lower back, but the Nets didn't say if he would play Sunday.
Also, the NBA announced that Hornets point guard Chris Paul will replace Nash in the Skills competition on Saturday night.
Updated on Tuesday, Feb 13, 2007 7:54 pm EST
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