More Proof that the League treats us like crap

[HereWeVivek]

Rondo today got a 2 game suspension for his FIGHT with Kris Humphries last night. the same as DeMarcus got for arguing with a spurs broadcaster.

ya that sounds about right

[tyreeeke]

I'd like to see someone put Rondo on his ***.

[UK_King]

Not sure i'd call what happened last night a "fight."

More like the grapple hold they do in WWE at the start of every bout.

[Npliam]

Rondo today got a 2 game suspension for his FIGHT with Kris Humphries last night. the same as DeMarcus got for arguing with a spurs broadcaster.

ya that sounds about right

You don't see the difference in pushing and shoving during a game between players and going after a media member after the game is over for what he said during a broadcast?

[Npliam]

I'd like to see someone put Rondo on his ***.

Me too.

But I dislike Garnett more.

[rainmaker]

Not sure i'd call what happened last night a "fight."

More like the grapple hold they do in WWE at the start of every bout.

True, but imagine if Cuz had pushed Humphries like that. The other aspect is Rondo has a history as well. He chucked a ball at a ref last year, and then bumped a ref later in the ATL playoff series, yet he still only got two games. Cuz has never done anything like that to refs, nor pushed a player like Rondo did last night.

[UK_King]

True, but imagine if Cuz had pushed Humphries like that. The other aspect is Rondo has a history as well. He chucked a ball at a ref last year, and then bumped a ref later in the ATL playoff series, yet he still only got two games. Cuz has never done anything like that to refs, nor pushed a player like Rondo did last night.

Cuz was ejected for pushing Ridnour once i seem to remember, he also got a tech for shoving Rondo once.

In any case i agree with you, i really don't know why handbags at dawn carries a suspension in any case.

[Npliam]

True, but imagine if Cuz had pushed Humphries like that. The other aspect is Rondo has a history as well. He chucked a ball at a ref last year, and then bumped a ref later in the ATL playoff series, yet he still only got two games. Cuz has never done anything like that to refs, nor pushed a player like Rondo did last night.

I think I remember Cuz going after Devin Harris last year.

[rainmaker]

Cuz did push both Rondo and Harris and got t'd up for it. Don't remember anything with Ridnour. But, those were both slight shoves, and actually I think with Rondo that Rondo pushed Cuz and Cuz just stood there, right in front of the Kings bench. But Cuz has never pushed a player into the stands and left scratches on head and neck like Rondo did yesterday. And if he did, I highly doubt it's only two games.

[Section 101]

I think I remember Cuz going after Devin Harris last year.

Harris flagrantly foul him first and wasn't called for it.

[UK_King]

Cuz did push both Rondo and Harris and got t'd up for it. Don't remember anything with Ridnour. But, those were both slight shoves, and actually I think with Rondo that Rondo pushed Cuz and Cuz just stood there, right in front of the Kings bench. But Cuz has never pushed a player into the stands and left scratches on head and neck like Rondo did yesterday. And if he did, I highly doubt it's only two games.

This is the one I'm talking about.

[Glenn]

This is the one I'm talking about.

I wonder what Cuz did before the camera got to him. The way it looked, he got tossed for allowing himself to be shoved without retaliation. Sometimes I just shake my head and although I am not a conspiracy theorist, I wonder why the refs can't just be rational about a lot of the calls on Boogie. Do they think they are teaching him a lesson? I doubt if this kind of thing teaches Boogie anything except that they are out to get him.

Somebody else, in a hyperbolic way, said he needed to charm the refs more. I think that would help. He's a funny guy and it would do him a lot of good to share a few witty remarks with the refs during breaks in action. He needs to react to calls differently, of course, but the more the refs know him as a person, the less likely they will be to make calls on him especially those kinds of calls that are iffy. Boogie is not a dumb cave man but I think that's what people see.

When we see Kobe and Duncan get away with stuff that would get a tech called on Boogie, I think what we are seeing is the result of many years of experience with the individual refs.

[Padrino]

its simple: the nba likes to protect its winners, because its winners = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. i mean, christ, the nba is actually considering sanctions against the spurs because gregg popovich thought it best to rest his star players last night after a brutal stretch of four games in five nights, their sixth game of a road trip, and their 11th road game in november. but of course, it was a tnt matchup against the heat, which, again, = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for the league, so how dare the spurs do what's best for their franchise's success?! i mean, they're only one of the most stellar examples of small market management, coaching, and longevity in all of professional sports, and the nba wants to punish them for doing what they've done best in the last few years: keeping their team in the playoff hunt by carefully managing their rotations. its bull****. what i love about gregg popovich, though, is that he'll stand by his decision and refuse to care one iota for what the nba or anybody else thinks about his process...

as for rajon rondo, he, like demarcus cousins, has a history of temper tantrum, and the league also has a history of punishing him for it. however, he plays for the boston celtics, one of the most storied franchises in the history of the nba, and a team that must play well for the eastern conference to look like anything other than a joke when compared to the western conference. rondo sets the tone for his team. as he goes, so do the celtics. the league will not suspend him for any longer than they deem good for the nba, rather than for the sake of fairness. demarcus cousins plays for the sacramento kings, a beleaguered franchise that the nba has had to pour countless millions into just to try and keep them afloat in their small market, so of course the league has no interest or investment in treating him or the kings fairly. parity, my ***...

[Glenn]

We all may have our suspicions as to why some teams seem to get the benefit from the refs and more obviously, why some players get the benefit. Many years ago, it was explicitly stated that the fans came to see the stars and therefore the stars would be protected by the refs. This may have been the beginning of the Stern era. He was very concerned about money and was not shy in stating that. Now this idea of star preferential treatment may have gone underground but I suspect it is still alive and kicking. There are numerous examples. If the league is considering sanctions against the Spurs, this is indirect evidence that the star protection system is still in effect. The league is sensitive that the people come to see stars and are aggravated that a team would be so self serving as to hide its stars from the viewing public simply because they needed rest. Whether they win or lose is not the issue.

We all think this is so or at least strongly suspect it is so. I am just stating there was a time when the league wasn't so coy as to what it was doing.

It was also a not so hidden league goal to get Boston or Lakers in the Finals because they would draw the biggest TV audiences. The rivalry between these two teams goes back beyond the time when many posters were born.

As Padrino says, it is about money. For those not aware, the Kings/Royals have never been in a position to receive team star treatment and rarely player star treatment. I think we have two players now who, if on another team with a different coach and organization, would be protected. This star treatment directed at any thing vaguely within smelling distance of Sacramento may never be seen in my lifetime. The organization has put the team where it is and the team is easily ignored. The coach/organization has mismanaged the players. So here we are. I think we deserve better than this as a group of fans but in the grand scheme of things in the league, we are merely yet another team for the star players and the storied franchises to boost their stats on.

Until we do something grand, it will always be so as we have a very deep historical hole to dig ourselves out of.

[LWP777]

I wonder what Cuz did before the camera got to him. The way it looked, he got tossed for allowing himself to be shoved without retaliation. Sometimes I just shake my head and although I am not a conspiracy theorist, I wonder why the refs can't just be rational about a lot of the calls on Boogie. Do they think they are teaching him a lesson? I doubt if this kind of thing teaches Boogie anything except that they are out to get him.

Somebody else, in a hyperbolic way, said he needed to charm the refs more. I think that would help. He's a funny guy and it would do him a lot of good to share a few witty remarks with the refs during breaks in action. He needs to react to calls differently, of course, but the more the refs know him as a person, the less likely they will be to make calls on him especially those kinds of calls that are iffy. Boogie is not a dumb cave man but I think that's what people see.

When we see Kobe and Duncan get away with stuff that would get a tech called on Boogie, I think what we are seeing is the result of many years of experience with the individual refs.

What is so hard to understand about this play? Ridnour got T'ed for the initial push. Cousins got a T when he got in Ridnour's face. Those T's would have offset. But then Cousins pushed another T-Wolves player and got the 2nd T. If he would have just walked away initially after Ridnour pushed him he would not had been penalized at all. Instead, he had to "puff" his chest out and act like a child like we've seen before and get himself kicked out of the game. This is where his mental weakness comes in play. He obviously was frustrating Ridnour which would have earned us a trip at the FT line. But instead of walking away, he gets thrown out and now the T-Wolves end up with a FT.

EDIT: Actually after watching again, he pushed 2 other T-Wolves before getting thrown. The first push the refs were not going to throw him out but the 2nd one they had no choice. Again, I ask....Why is this so difficult to interpret?

[Npliam]

I thought Cuz pushed Ridnour first.

[Glenn]

What is so hard to understand about this play? Ridnour got T'ed for the initial push. Cousins got a T when he got in Ridnour's face. Those T's would have offset. But then Cousins pushed another T-Wolves player and got the 2nd T. If he would have just walked away initially after Ridnour pushed him he would not had been penalized at all. Instead, he had to "puff" his chest out and act like a child like we've seen before and get himself kicked out of the game. This is where his mental weakness comes in play. He obviously was frustrating Ridnour which would have earned us a trip at the FT line. But instead of walking away, he gets thrown out and now the T-Wolves end up with a FT.

I don't memorize plays and little of that was shown on the video. Thank you for your generous explanation.

[sidney]

This is the one I'm talking about.

Yeah I remember being pissed about this one at the time. Ridnour initiates the big shove on Cousins, Cousins gives him a lesser push back. A couple Timberpups come over and play tough guy. Two refs ignore everyone else and follow Cousins down the court giving him the big "you're outta here" arm signals multiple times while yelling at him. Man the refs really can't stand Cousins.

[LWP777]

I don't memorize plays and little of that was shown on the video. Thank you for your generous explanation.

It was all shown on video. You just needed to watch the whole thing. But instead you wrote a long post about how the referees are basically screwing DMC. I'm not trying to be rude and I think you make a lot of good posts but this is another example of a knee-jerk reaction defending Cousins. Part of the reason he never grows up is because coaches, teammates, and fans never hold him accountable for his actions.

[LWP777]

Yeah I remember being pissed about this one at the time. Ridnour initiates the big shove on Cousins, Cousins gives him a lesser push back. A couple Timberpups come over and play tough guy. Two refs ignore everyone else and follow Cousins down the court giving him the big "you're outta here" arm signals multiple times while yelling at him. Man the refs really can't stand Cousins.

Again, Cousins would not have been penalized if he would have walked away from Ridnour. You can see in the video Violet Palmer calling a foul on Ridnour and running in to get in between them. The 2 other T-Wolves were just trying to keep Cousins away. They weren't being combative at all but anyone who touched Cousins ended up getting pushed by him. He was the one being combative. It's not that the referees "can't stand" him. It's just that he was the only player at that moment who was trying to escalate the situation so they wanted to make sure he got off the court.