Wizards' dispute a 'stain' on NBA

LongWire · 01-03-2010, 04:29

Shocking or Not? Bad for the NBA is right, who thinks there aren't "Thugs" in the NBA, or any other Major sport for that matter.

I'm betting that the guns weren't unloaded as claimed, and that the team management/lawyer is covering up that fact. Who brings an unloaded gun anywhere?

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SP5G1BCPOT.DTL

Wizards' dispute a 'stain' on NBA

Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, January 3, 2010
(01-03) 04:00 PST PORTLAND - --

Reports this weekend of two Washington players pulling guns on each other reverberated across the country to the Warriors' locker room and affected each NBA city in between.

"People who read this might not pay full attention as the story develops," guard Stephen Curry said. "All they see or hear is 'players with guns,' and that's going to be a negative mark on the league.

"Even if it turns out to have been blown out of proportion or completely untrue, it's a negative stain on the league."

On Thursday, reports surfaced of a dispute between Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton. The altercation allegedly escalated from a disagreement on the team plane Dec. 19 to a gun-presenting standoff after practice Dec. 21.

Arenas told the Associated Press on Saturday that it was "bad judgment" to bring unloaded guns into the Wizards' locker room, and he has a meeting with law enforcements authorities Monday. He had previously tweeted, "I wake up ... and see I'm the new John Wayne. Media is too funny."

Regardless of how the story plays out from here, it will tarnish the league's long fight against the stigma that its players are "thugs" and all of the negative connotations that go along with that word.

The Warriors interviewed said they didn't know any players on the team with guns, and Curry added, "I couldn't name one guy in the NBA who would brandish a gun."

The NBA collective bargaining agreement prohibits firearms at league facilities. The clause was added in 2005, following a 2002 incident involving Chris Mills - then a teammate of Arenas' with the Warriors. After a fight with Portland's Bonzi Wells, Mills allegedly pulled a weapon on the Blazers' team bus.

"Of course, this is bad for the league," center Andris Biedrins said. "We can't have things like that happen."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz0bXlMVsFB

Ret10Echo · 01-03-2010, 05:53

"Washington" Wizards....now, I don't follow the NBA but I do follow the news and anti-gun legislation. These two chumps were (allegedly) at the practice facility in downtown Washington right? Surprising that they have carry permits.

L.W. I don't find it shocking, regardless of the truth of the story. I think it reinforces the opinions of those who look down on most professional athletes and it elevates these wannabe losers in the eyes of the thug society they appear to represent.

Maybe next time they will be loaded.

BigJimCalhoun · 01-03-2010, 09:31

Can we change the name back to the "Washington Bullets?"

**Box** · 01-03-2010, 09:38

Why is it that humanity somehow grossly over-associates money and fame with "class" and legitimacy?

Money doesn't equal class... hell just look at Dennis Rodman.

How many celebrities fail to pay child support, get arrested for drug abuse, beat their spouses and girl friends, etc etc etc...

I've met dirt farmers in Afghanistan that have more class than many of our American celebrities and cultural "heros"

Thugs. Nothing more nothing less...

**The Reaper** · 01-03-2010, 10:09

Let me ask a question.

If two PS.com board members (or any normal citizens) were caught brandishing firearms and threatening one another in a public place in DC, do you think the discussion would be taking place without us visiting jail, or at least the courtroom?

Some animals are more equal than others, indeed.

I would say that Stephen Curry is not just a rookie, but also has his head solidly in the sand. He cannot name a single NBA player who would do this, and he knows two who actually did

TR

**Box** · 01-03-2010, 10:15

hahaha... SO true in our current society

"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."

Utah Bob · 01-03-2010, 18:49

If the NBA gets another stain on it, how can you tell? Just business as usual.

Imagine the scandal if it had been two MLB players . Front page news for weeks.

Five-O · 01-03-2010, 18:55

I say give all guns, lock them in a room and let them see who the best gangster is..

ZonieDiver · 01-03-2010, 19:40

Quote:

I would say that Stephen Curry is not just a rookie, but also has his head solidly in the sand.

I could have sworn his head was "elsewhere"! (i.e. "4th point of contact)

Sigaba · 01-04-2010, 18:04

Quote:

Wizards' dispute a 'stain' on NBA

Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer

It is interesting that Mr. Simmons wants to talk about "stains" on the NBA but he is consistently silent on the front office and coaching issues that plague the team he covers. Two guys maybe draw weapons on each other and Mr. Simmons expresses moral outrage. He covers a team that steals millions of dollars a year from Warriors fans by letting Don Nelson run the team, and he consistently writes about how things are looking up, and what a great bunch of guys are on the Warriors roster.

Quote:

Regardless of how the story plays out from here, it will tarnish the league's long fight against the stigma that its players are "thugs" and all of the negative connotations that go along with that word.

It is good to know that one can always count on a journalist to tell us what is going to happen in the future regardless of what facts are known (or not known) in the present.

FWIW, Mr. Simmons's article not only contradicts itself but willfully ignores the alleged facts as reported by other outlets. Source is here.

Quote:

Multiple sources have confirmed that Crittenton became upset with Arenas over a card game on Washington's team flight from Phoenix on Dec. 19. Crittenton was annoyed about losing money in the game. After Arenas mocked Crittenton, the two began arguing with trash talk escalating, according to sources. A person who was on the plane and witnessed the squabble said Crittenton joked with Arenas that he would shoot him in his left knee, which has kept him sidelined for much of the past two seasons.

When the players arrived for practice on Dec. 21, Arenas placed three guns on a chair next to Crittenton with a note that read, "Pick one." Two sources said the guns were the same guns Arenas had brought to the arena following the birth of his third child early last month. Arenas, according to sources, was expecting Crittenton to see it as a joke, based on his earlier comments. But Crittenton wasn't laughing. He grew enraged and tossed one of the guns across the room, saying that he had his own gun, according to a person who was in the locker room at the time.

According to a league source, when President Ernie Grunfeld was informed of the incident shortly thereafter and he immediately called the league office, which led to an investigation that CBSSports.com first reported on Dec. 24. Grunfeld, according to the same source, has been in communication with the league office on a daily basis.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has yet to make a public statement about the situation, but he has a history of coming down hard on players for off-court incidents that place others in danger. The collective bargaining agreement bans firearms from league facilities.

The NBA and the Wizards have both said they will wait until legal authorities complete their investigation before deciding on a punishment for Arenas and Crittenton. They both could face stiff fines and suspensions.

My two cents, the account above tracks better with what is known publicly about Arenas, who has a well deserved reputation for having a mercurial sense of humor and known for moments of questionable judgment rather than being a "thug" or a "gangster."

FWIW, the Washington Post published an account of Mr. Arenas's youth in 2006. That article is available here.And by the way, for those who may not follow closely the Association, it may well be worth noting that there's speculation that the story is not just being driven by the facts but by the front offices of teams (including the Wizards) to engineer trades for Mr. Arenas. Source is here and there.

So before one concludes that this is story is just another example of a certain category of professional athlete being this or not being that, maybe it is also an example of a certain category of ownership seeking to avoid taking responsibility for poor leadership, deficient vision, bad managerial decisions (i.e. the hiring of certain GMs and coaches), and just putting out a crappy brand of basketball.

Just my two cents.

stickey · 01-04-2010, 20:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaba

So before one concludes that this is story is just another example of a certain category of professional athlete being this or not being that, maybe it is also an example of a certain category of ownership seeking to avoid taking responsibility for poor leadership, deficient vision, bad managerial decisions (i.e. the hiring of certain GMs and coaches), and just putting out a crappy brand of basketball.

Just my two cents.

I wish i could pull a weapon on some folks at work, then say i was joking, then have people say it's not my fault and defend me by accusing lack of leadership at work. To be exempt of all responsibility of right or wrong would be nice every once in a while if my leaders are to take the heat for it.

**Box** · 01-04-2010, 21:40

...so then am I to assume there are three levels of responsibility beyond the actual ball player that just has an 'odd' sense of humor?
the coach
the GM
the Owner

Now if I am to put this into perspective:
A soldier does the same thing, instead we let him slide and blame:
the recruiter
drill sgt
current company cdr

...somehow I thing Joe Snuffy would find himself behind bars waiting for the ink to dry on his 'field grade AR-15'
The entire 'pro-sports' industry is little more than a dog and pony show. The owners look the other way until it benefits them to show some moral outrage.
That still doesn't excuse the "professional" athletes from acting like "professionals".

overall... I could care less: I don't follow sports any more.

Sigaba · 01-04-2010, 22:18

My point is simply this.

These days when there's agreement with the thrust of a news story or an editorial, the article generally receives a lot less critical inquiry than items with which there's disagreement.

IMO, the fourth estate and its associates in the blogosphere are counting on that kind of a reaction. By fostering this dynamic, they keep Americans on their agenda when they should be accommodating ours.

In this instance, is the story really about "spoiled athletes" in the Association or is the story about the news media and their whispering campaign against the Second Amendment?

YMMV.

Quote:

I wish i could pull a weapon on some folks at work, then say i was joking, then have people say it's not my fault and defend me by accusing lack of leadership at work. To be exempt of all responsibility of right or wrong would be nice every once in a while if my leaders are to take the heat for it.

Stickey--

First, please show me where I said that Mr. Arenas or Mr. Crittenton should not be held responsible for their actions.

Second, IIRC, you're an educator at the start of his career. It may be worth your while to touch base with a mentor or a college you trust about incidents in which accusations of wrongdoing in the workplace turn things upside down before an investigation even takes place.

Third, please correct me if I'm misreading you, but you seem to be saying that were it not for the consequences you'd behave like Mr. Arenas.

Ret10Echo · 01-05-2010, 05:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

...somehow I thing Joe Snuffy would find himself behind bars waiting for the ink to dry on his 'field grade AR-15'
The entire 'pro-sports' industry is little more than a dog and pony show. The owners look the other way until it benefits them to show some moral outrage.
That still doesn't excuse the "professional" athletes from acting like "professionals".

overall... I could care less: I don't follow sports any more.

Well Billy, I guess we get to see what sort of sense of humor the Feds have and how far up or down the foodchain this goes. Maybe some space in the Burris suite?
....oh and by the way...they are now HIGH POWERED HANDGUNS...

The clown car is getting pretty full on this one already. Should reach critical mass shortly.

Front Page of this morning's Washington Examiner:

Quote:

Grand jury mulling gun charges against Wizards' Gilbert Arenas
By: Bill Myers
Examiner Staff Writer
January 5, 2010

Federal prosecutors have convened a grand jury to explore an incident in which Washington Wizards All-Star Gilbert Arenas allegedly brandished high-powered handguns in the team locker room, The Examiner has learned.

Arenas and his lawyer, former U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein, huddled with police and prosecutors Monday afternoon trying to explain the Dec. 21 incident with teammate Javaris Crittenton. There have been conflicting reports about whether the two men faced off in an angry confrontation over gambling debts or whether displaying the weapons was part of a bad joke.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/lo...-80662317.html

Dozer523 · 01-05-2010, 07:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

Now if I am to put this into perspective:
A soldier does the same thing, instead we let him slide and blame:
the recruiter
drill sgt
current company cdr

...somehow I thing Joe Snuffy would find himself behind bars waiting for the ink to dry on his 'field grade AR-15'.

Never seen a "Command Climate Witch Hunt"? Had a Company Commander in Afghanistan who had his "Command Climate" investigated after an Neg Dis in formation. Turns out the young man had been set up after he got into a barracks fight the day before. The MP investigation revealed the SL and some of the squad mates had been hazing him for months. (With photos of smiling faces, duct tape and tea-bagging.) There was no way the PSG and PL could not have know of it, and tacitly encouraged it. SL was relieved and busted. Nothing for the PSG / PL. Company Commander was relieved and exiled to the other side of the country . . . . "Command Climate".
Oh and the 15-6 Investigating Officer a female transportation officer.