Stern Stays Strong Against NBA Brawls

Nearly a week has passed since the ugly fight that broke out Saturday evening during a game between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets. We still don't know why George Karl left his starters in the game with a comfortable lead and less than two minutes remaining. Some columnists theorize that Karl was avenging good friend Larry Brown by running up the score on Brown's nemesis Isiah Thomas, a theory supported by Karl’s recent comments about Thomas. Karl contends he left his best players in because "I didn't want the score to get under 10 points because if it would've gotten under 10 points it would've had a negative feeling on my team," according to the AP. We can't be sure exactly what Isiah said to his team in the huddle either, although replays clearly show him mouthing, "You don't want to go to the basket right now," to the Nuggets late in the game.

But all of that speculation currently dominating the national airwaves is irrelevant next to what clearly did transpire that Saturday night, a terrifying brawl which ended in the stands and endangered the fans that are the very backbone of this game. The bottom line is that regardless of why it started, the fight further sullies the image of a league already tarnished by the melee at Auburn Hills nearly two seasons ago. The despicable actions on display Saturday forced David Stern to take strong action, not just to send a message to his players but to show America and the world that such behavior will not be tolerated.

The Commissioner has become increasingly concerned with the image of his league in recent years, especially since the brawl at the Palace. The new NBA dress code and the increased publicity and emphasis on the "NBA Cares" program are all efforts to promote a classy and caring league. It follows then that he would not be forgiving in his punishment – A 15 game suspension for Carmelo Anthony, who landed a vicious yet cowardly punch on the unsuspecting Mardy Collins (and then nearly tripped over himself running away from the imposing Jared Jeffries), along with 10 each for instigators Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith, and 6 games for Mardy Collins, whose hard foul started the whole thing. In an 82-game season, a 15 game suspension to the league's leading scorer (Anthony) could cripple the Nuggets, and there are already rumbles that Stern's suspension was too harsh. Critics complain that fights in baseball and hockey occur regularly with little punishment; certainly nothing more than a few games at worst. But what these people don't understand is that the NBA cannot afford to be at the same level as its counterparts – it must hold itself to a higher standard.

Unfortunately, for a number of reasons the NBA is widely perceived by America to be more "gangster" than other sports, representing a more "thuggish" culture. Part of this is the game's urban roots and widespread popularity in the inner cities. Basketball also allows much more freedom of expression than any other major sport, just by the nature of the game; NBA players are not hidden behind helmets and pads so they are more easily seen by fans, along with their tatts, 'fros, dreads and 'rows. And of course there is the giant elephant in the corner – most NBA players are black, and many Americans and international fans are still not quite comfortable with that. Even though the majority of people do not consider themselves racist, they still carry their prejudices and stereotypes. The uncomfortable and sad truth is that many people's prejudices tell them that people who look, walk, and talk like NBA players are just street thugs and gangsters.

David Stern's primary goal as commissioner is to grow the game's popularity and to maximize profits. He has to cater his league to his fans' tastes, and the most influential and profitable fans are the corporate upper-class types that can afford to pay for NBA tickets. As miserably as this reflects on our society the NBA dress code was implemented so NBA players would dress less street and more like something that rich white folks are comfortable seeing. Stern's lengthy suspensions are just another step towards eliminating the gangster perception.When NBA players get into brawls it just reinforces the notion that the league is full of thugs; when two white hockey players fight its seen as just two guys letting out aggression. Unfair? Absolutely. But the reality is that a fight on the court feeds stereotypes that drive away customers and is therefore much more costly to the NBA than any other league. The players are right when they say the higher standard Stern holds them to is unfair, but the bottom line is the NBA is a business, and Stern understands that to expand the game and maximize profits he has to clean up the perception of his league. And until our society learns to let go of its prejudices, that standard will have to exist.