<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">Don't make assumptions, and secondly, yes it is my opinion. Feel free to counter it.</div> Not sure this is the appropriate thread (or even whole forum) for that sort of discussion.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting unbeliever:</div><div class="quote_post">I want to make it absolutely that the following statement is not intended to be racist... but I almost wonder if Stern jumped at a chance to really penalize a white player so he wouldn't get blamed (again) for being racist himself. Outlawing recreational drug use creates a whole class of criminals for no reason. It's nothing more than classism/racism and a means of control.</div> How is it racist? Last time I checked the rules have been used to punish players of all races. Class has nothing to do with drug use. I would guess that people experiment with drugs everywhere, suburbs and the ghetto. Brent Barry was suspended for sipping a fan's beer during a game, Sheed and Damon have been suspended for weed. Players of different races being suspended for violating the rules, it's not racist. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">A) They're illegal and they're not recreational, in any way.</div> You don't think that hard drugs are recreational? They're certainly not medicinal. Nobody said that they aren't illegal either, so why point it out? We all agree with that. It's funny how Jerry West and Unbeliever are arguing, but neither is making any sense.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">How is it racist? Last time I checked the rules have been used to punish players of all races. Class has nothing to do with drug use. I would guess that people experiment with drugs everywhere, suburbs and the ghetto. Brent Barry was suspended for sipping a fan's beer during a game, Sheed and Damon have been suspended for weed. Players of different races being suspended for violating the rules, it's not racist. You don't think that hard drugs are recreational? They're certainly not medicinal. Nobody said that they aren't illegal either, so why point it out? We all agree with that. It's funny how Jerry West and Unbeliever are arguing, but neither is making any sense. </div> The racist thing was only in regards to how here, and other places, I've seen people call Stern racist for some of the fines/suspensions/rule changes etc he's made over the last year or so. All I'm saying is he was probably privately glad Andersen was white so he wouldn't catch more heat (whether deserved or not). As for drugs, obviously they're recreational. So are alcohol and nicotine. Anyway, as I mentioned.. I have no problem with him being suspended. He agreed to follow a set of rules and failed to hold up his end. I just think the 2 year ban is a bit harsh, based on what we know.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting unbeliever:</div><div class="quote_post">All I'm saying is he was probably privately glad Andersen was white so he wouldn't catch more heat (whether deserved or not).</div> That's ridiculous, there is nothing about this incident that would make Stern happy at all. If anything Stern is frustrated and miserable because this is just one more thing that hurts the rep of the league. You could also argue that Stern is happy that Andersen is not a marquee player, that would be silly too, but it's more realistic than saying than Stern is happy that Andersen is white.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">That's ridiculous, there is nothing about this incident that would make Stern happy at all. If anything Stern is frustrated and miserable because this is just one more thing that hurts the rep of the league. You could also argue that Stern is happy that Andersen is not a marquee player, that would be silly too, but it's more realistic than saying than Stern is happy that Andersen is white.</div> You're probably right.
