May 13, 2011

The Shirt Off His Back

So the biggest controversy of the NBA playoffs so far this year was the Lakers' meltdown in their last game against Dallas, which included Andrew Bynum essentially clotheslining Dallas' JJ Barea, getting ejected from the game, and then taking off his shirt as he left the court.

Bynum got a five-game suspension for the hit and was fined an additional $25,000 for taking off his shirt. When I listened to the "MIke and Mike" show, Greenberg was beside himself about the shirt, and even argued that Bynum should be in even more trouble for that than for the flagrant foul.

WHY? Who gives a shit that he took his shirt off? Why in the world is that any sort of major violation? I know David Stern's biggest nightmare is for the fans to think black players are "thugs," but I don't see how in any universe the removal of one's shirt could be more punishable than an actual act of physical violence that could've hurt someone.

Posted by Stephen Silver at May 13, 2011 11:01 AM
Comments

There were more wrestling moves in that Lakers/Mavs series then there have been on some recent Raws!

Bynum used a pretty nasty elbow smash on Barea in the same game that Odom used a shoulder block/elbow shot hybrid. And earlier in the series Artest hit Barea with a nasty lariat (we can say lariat since the series took place in the west, LOL).

Its pretty ridiculous that anyone would see the Bynum's shirt removal as worse then the foul but the NBA has some serious identity issues right now that has plagued its enforcement and PR all season. The worst part is clamping down on all referee criticism or on court emotion.

That aside, it's been a pretty good playoffs in terms of games and new teams rising up :)

Posted by: JordanNY at May 13, 2011 04:56 PM
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