OT: Stoudemire, Diaw & Horry Suspensions...An Analogy to MLB

JackWESQ

I'm sure some of you know that Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended today for violating NBA Rule No. 12 A Section VII c which provides ...

"During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum of one game and fined up to $35,000."

Whenever this rule is enforced, I always think of baseball and how in MLB, nothing happens to the players who not only leave dugout, but also to those who run 400 feet from the bullpen to (presumably home plate) to join a fight. I'd imagine the distance from the dugout to home plate has got to be at least 100 feet, e.g. the full length of a NBA basketball court.

Can you imagine if the MLB had a similar rule, e.g., automatic one game suspension for leaving the dugout/bullpen to join a fight? I'd imagine there would be less "brawls" in MLB, but then there would be more columns about teammate A not sticking up or backing up teammate B. Thoughts? Comments?

/s/ JackWESQ

Graphix

IMO...I think the big difference in the two is that basketball is played at warp speed compared to baseball and is constantly in motion. Given that fact I think there are more chances for altercations as you have players physically banging and slapping each other every play. In baseball the game is played at a very slower pace and other then the pitcher and batter you rarely have any other physical type matchups (besides a play on the bases or most likely at home plate). I doubt the MLB really sees the need for such a rule as much as the NBA. The other fact is that I think David Stern made it a personal mission to clean up the league and try and make it more family oriented to draw revenue. So it may be that there is really no need for the rule and other professional sports do not feel the need to follow suit.

On a side note I think the suspensions are fair under the current rules but I think it sets a bad precedence for teams to follow. Trading a bench player for 2 starters is a trade off most teams would love to have. I think if the NBA made a rule concerning bench players and flagorant fouls effecting a fellow teammates eligibility for the next game it would tighten the fouls up a little more. Under the current rules a coach could send in a bench player to hard foul or flagorant foul an opponents key player in the hopes of drawing players to step one foot on the court. I don't know that any coach would actually do such a thing but you never know, especially if a title or their job might be on the line. In the press conference following the game Greg Popovich was asked about the obvious take out of Nash and his response was that it was just a foul nothing to talk about. I doubt he would consider it just a foul and no biggie if someone took out Duncan at the knee caps.

estang

NBA has a serious image problem. MLB does not. End of story.

jdip9

"During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench."

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Is that how the rule reads? I didn't realize it was that vague. Who is to say that Stoudemire and Diaw weren't in the "immediate vicinity of their bench"....they were.... what? ...10-feet away? Reading the language in that rule makes me more angry than I already am...and I'm not even a Suns fan....

cravetopps

the rule in the nba is meant to protect the fans as much as the players. the fans are perilously close to the action. you don't have that problem in baseball. also, nba players actually try and inflict injury on other players and fans, unlike baseball players who basically put on a show but rarely actually injure anyone. I also agree with estang...the NBA's image is suffering while baseball, in spite of all the yammering about steroids, seems to be doing just fine.