04/24/24
December 14, 2015
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Yikes! I'm sure the Patriots love their one millionth fan.
posted by NoMich at 02:36 PM on December 14, 2015
Rajon Rondo keeps doing trashy Rajon Rondo things.
posted by Ufez Jones at 03:20 PM on December 14, 2015
Wow. A one game suspension? Right when I think that maybe I could start interested in the NBA again, the NBA sends a message that they're kinda alright with this type of thing. Oh well, the Pistons are probably not making the playoffs again anyway.
posted by NoMich at 10:12 PM on December 14, 2015
I think the suspension was announced before the ref made his announcement.
posted by yerfatma at 09:03 AM on December 15, 2015
Does that really matter, though? How is this any different if, say, Kevin Love dropped a number of n-bombs on the same ref? A hateful statement is a hateful statement. Then there's the issue of undermining the ref's authority on the court by not only dropping hateful statements on him but also by showing him up and taking his sweet time getting off the court after being ejected. And it took the league a week to hand down this one game suspension?
posted by NoMich at 09:18 AM on December 15, 2015
Plausible deniability. Kobe got the same punishment for the same word a few years back so as long as they can claim it was simply a word he uses as an insult and not intentional hate speech they're going to. Also, how would it have worked if the ref didn't come out? "We suspended Rondo for 10 games because reasons"?
posted by yerfatma at 01:59 PM on December 15, 2015
I don't see how You're a mother------- f----t. ... You're a f------ f----t, Billy. is *not* hate speech whether Rondo knew that about the ref or not. I mean, that's a rather vicious statement that is usually followed by a couple of punches to the jaw.
posted by NoMich at 02:15 PM on December 15, 2015
Damn, you are one smart mofo, Westbrook.
Was this a designed play? Watch Westbrook's teammate who is being guarded by the defender who acts as the backboard on the is play. The teammate doesn't even move. He doesn't raise his arms, he doesn't give Westbrook ANY target at all. He makes sure his defender stays right where he is standing.
I'm probably reading too much into it...