Chicken Stu

TOUGH TO ARGUE WITH WHAT THE NBA DID WITH RESPECT TO SUSPENSIONS YESTERDAY. BUT I WILL.

ROBERT HORRY GETS A PAIR OF GAMES - ONE GAME FOR HIS FLATTENING OF STEVE NASh, THE OTHER FOR STRIKING RAJA BELL ABOVE THE SHOULDERS IN THE ENSUING SCRUM.

AS FOR THE SUNS, BOTH AMARE STOUDEMIRE AND BORIS DIAW WILL WATCH GAME 5 AS THEY EACH GET AN AUTOMATIC GAME FOR LEAVING THE BENCH. DID THEY DO ANYTHING? NO. BUT THE RULE IS CLEAR AS DAY. YOU LEAVE THE BENCH, YOU GET SUSPENDED. THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO GREY AREA. OR IS THERE?

THE SUNS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A CASE HERE. IN THE FIRST HALF OF GAME 4, SAN ANTONIO's FRANCISCO ELSON THREW DOWN A DUNK AND WAS INADVERTANTLY UNDERCUT BY JAMES JONES WHO WAS TRYING TO GET UP COURT. TIM DUNCAN AND BRUCE BOWEN BOTH LEFT THE BENCH. DUNCAN, IN FACT, CAME ONTO THE COURT. IN REVIEWING THE MATTER, THE LEAGUE SAID THE RULE DIDN’T APPLY BECAUSE THE ELSON-JONES SITUATION WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE AN INCIDENT. BUT THE FACT REMAINS – 2 PLAYERS LEFT THE SPURS BENCH BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY PERCEIVED TO BE A BLATANT CHEAP SHOT ON THEIR TEAMMATE. HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE SUNS WERE DOING?

WATCH THE REPLAY OF THE HORRY ALTERCATION. YES, STOUDEMIRE AND DIAW START TOWARD THE SCRUM, BUT THEY NEVER ACTUALLY GET THERE. IN FACT, THEY ARE RESTRAINED BY THEIR COACHES LONG BEFORE THEY GET THERE. THEY DID NOT ESCALATE THE SITUATION IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. SO WHY SUSPEND THEM??

THIS IS A COP OUT TO ME. STU JACKSON DECIDED TO INTERPRET THE SITUATION IN ONE CASE BUT NOT THE OTHER. HAD THERE BEEN NO OTHER INCIDENT TO SPEAK OF, JACKSON WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL WITHIN HIS RIGHTS AS LEAGUE DISCIPLINARIAN TO GIVE BOTH STOUDEMIRE AND DIAW A TIMEOUT. BUT THIS SMACKS OF FAVORITISM AND NOW THREATENS THE INTEGRITY OF THE BEST SERIES THIS YEAR'S PLAYOFF HAD TO OFFER.