Haywood will not be suspended, fires back at Brown
Posted April 22nd, 2008 by bwindhorst
I just heard from the NBA office. After reviewing the film, NBA discipline czar Stu Jackson will not be taking any further action against Wizards center Brendan Haywood for his flagrant foul on LeBron James Monday night. The Cavs and LeBron were campaigning for Haywood to get suspended for Game 3 on Thursday, which is an option Jackson has after flagrant-2 fouls. It was indeed a “non-basketball” move because Haywood did not attempt to go for the ball when he fouled James as he went down the lane with 6:59 left in the third quarter.
“They have to keep this game clean with as much talk that has gone on back and forth and as much talk from them about how they were going to hit LeBron when he was going to the basket,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “From watching the tape and watching the game, there is a difference in going for the block and not going for the block. I didn’t think he tried to make a play on the ball.”
I do not know this for a fact, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Haywood has been warned to avoid any further flagrant fouls against the Cavs. Especially after he was involved in a confrontation with LeBron in Game 1. Maybe the Cavs, who committed a flagrant-1 when Anderson Varejao hammered Andray Blatche in the first half, have been warned, too.
So anyway, Haywood thinks it was Mike Brown who was a bit out of line. He didn’t like how Brown came out on the court in Games 1 and 2 after the LeBron/Haywood tussles. Here is what he told reporters today in Washington:
“That’s just how it is. You know, any time LeBron gets touched, Mike runs out there like LeBron got shot or something. Calm down Mike. It’s not that serious. We’re not trying to take him out. It’s all within the confines of the game. I don’t see how coaches should be running out on the court like that anyway. Isn’t there a coach’s box? Since we’re talking about the confines of the league rules, he shouldn’t be out of the box.”
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Good. We don’t need to give them any excuses for their pathetic showing and inevitable playoff exit.
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Brenda catches a break.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
[...] Caves of Kôr created an interesting post today on Haywood will not be suspendedHere’s a short outline [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Nice consistent rulings by Stu. No matter what, if the thuggery is against LeBron and the Cavs, it’s cool. See McDyss throwing Andy to the ground last year with no next game suspension. But against Nash? Automatic next game suspension. The NBA is sending the message to hit Gilbert in the knees with a shoulder; give a knee to Haywood; and take out the legs next time Butler leaps for a dunk. Look for the fans to storm the Court the next home game. It was pretty loud yesterday at the Q and imaging even more louder and rowdier next home game, especially if LeBron gets hurt after the NBA fails to take any action against one of their big stars. Look for a host of class acton lawsuits against Stu and Stern if LeBron gets seriously hurt. It is totally foreseeable and the NBA is risking lots of cash on this decision.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
[...] A.l.i.e.n magazine wrote an interesting post today on Haywood will not be suspendedHere’s a quick excerptHaywood will not be suspended April 22nd, 2008 I just heard from the NBA office. After reviewing the film, NBA discipline czar Stu Jackson will not be taking any further action against Wizards center Brendan Haywood for his flagrant foul on LeBron James Monday night. The Cavs and LeBron were campaigning for Haywood to get suspended for Game 3 on Thursday, which is an option Jackson has after flagrant-2 fouls. It was indeed a “non-basketball” move because Haywood did not attempt to go for the [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
It’s incredible that Washington fans and players can find a way to complain today after getting beat by 30. It’s one thing to complain about a single call that might have cost your team a game (like GSW earlier this month), but when you get beat by thirty you need to look in the mirror. Also interesting that the Wiz shot more free throws last night. What is there to whine about?
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Whining bunch of sissies. Notice how everyone is making excuses now? Gilbert has a bad knee. Caron has a bad hip. Brendan has sore ovaries. Just unbelievable, these guys.
I like Eddie Jordan as a coach, and he seems to be a stand-up kind of guy, but let’s be honest here… how many coaches in the league are given three borderline All-Stars and a decent supporting cast as he has gotten, and done nothing with it without being fired within 3 years? The guy does less with more, yet Washington fans make every excuse they can think of when they dont get it done. Just imagine if the poor guy coached here in Cleveland!!!
We have it pretty good as Cavs fans, class coach, class players (mostly), and a first-rate organization. Look around the league, Cleveland fans. It could be much, much worse…
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Eddie Jordan is a terrible coach who can’t coach, so he turns his all stars into goons. If you can’t beat the Cavs, beat them up. Jordan should be suspended since he admitted they were going to beat up LeBron. Don’t worry. If Haywood comes back to the Q, I see about 200 fans coming after Haywood on the Court with so much fury he’ll wish he was suspended. Can’t wait. Yesterday’s crowd was a hockey crowd. Dirty player Haywood will get his in Cleveland, home of ten cent beer night where the fans stormed the field and bottlegate. Keep yappin, Haywood, keep yapping. You’ll get yours….soon.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Josh - well said. We don’t give our organization enough credit for being classy.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Josh, you were right about this too - “Whining bunch of sissies. Notice how everyone is making excuses now? Gilbert has a bad knee. Caron has a bad hip. Brendan has sore ovaries. Just unbelievable, these guys. ”
I hear Brenda’s got a baby, but Brenda’s barely got a brain, a damn shame, the guy can barely spell his name - Tupac said it best!!!
GO CAVS!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Dale:
Deep breath…..1, 2, 3…..and exhale. Seriously, everyone can go ahead and calm down about the physical play in this series. Nobody is in danger of having their careers ended. A fan base isn’t going to storm the court. Haywood isn’t going to pull a gun on Lebron in game 4. Seriously, the Wiz are a bunch of fines jump shooters that can’t intimidate anyone. So what if they want to get preoccupied with administering hard fouls instead of actually playing real defense. Do you think the Cavs care? Do you think the guy who is 6′9 260 cares? If he had to take it for 162 games, it might be a problem but I’m pretty sure that Lebron will gladly exchange a few bumps and bruises for an easy 5 game series.
Keep pretending to be hard Washington. Really, it’s working quite well for you. The Cavs are almost to the breaking point as exhibited by game two’s final score. A few more elbows and flagrant fouls and you might see a towel thrown in.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:48 am
Windy, you have some serious competition out there…..
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/SPORTS05/919665302/1005&template=nextpage
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
What a complete jacka$$. This just further illustrates the immaturity of the Wizards team and the inability of Eddie Jordan to control his players. Down 2-0 and licking their wounds, they should shut their mouths and play. But instead, they still choose to keep talking. I’m looking forward to closing this series out soon.
http://clevelandchamps.blogspot.com
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 am
Thanks for posting that link mike, I’ve been reading Tom Knott’s columns during the last three playoff runs and this is nothing new. What kind of self respecting publication would allow their “marquee” sports columnist to write this kind of trash?
I know that a lot of writers in this town (Windhorst excluded) have their own fallacies, but could you imagine Terry Pluto writing after a Browns loss to the Steelers that Pittsburgh is irrelevent and all their fans are stupid doo-doo heads? That is essentially what the Washington Times has allowed Knott to write over and over again. He’s not the only one either. Two days ago Ivan Carter was mocking the cleveland beat writers on his blog for writing that Lebron was getting roughed up.
I know that this point has been brought up by others recently, but THANK GOD that our players, coaches, organization, fans, and media have taken the high road. When you take a step back and see that the Wizards really could not be embarrassing themselves any more right now with the actions of their 9th rate wanna be thug team and their apologist enabler beat writers and columnists, it makes you proud to root for a team that if nothing else shuts it’s mouth and just plays ball.
I never thought that we’d see another group as delusional as the Detroit media and players, but D.C. has blown by them in the last 5 days in my book. What a joke they are.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Tom Knott cracks me up, is he serious? He doesn’t even mention his team got blown out by 30 points and were completely demoralized by the end of the game. He’s so absorbed with hating Cleveland, what a joke!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:01 am
Whinning Wizards! If you cannot play and win, then beat up the other team so they play the next series injured! I do believe that is what Eddie Jordan is telling them! This is a plot to ruin the future for the Cavs. The Cavs have to play smarter than the Wizards and keep the injuries at a minimum. Just win the game…..30 points is great, but it only takes one point more than the opposition to win! Win Smart, Cavs.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:16 am
This has got to be the most ridiculous decision by the NBA. Robert Horry hipchecked Steve Nash and was suspended 2 games, James Posey rammed his shoulders on Kirk Hinrich and was suspended a game, an off-balance Dirk Nowitzki accidentally took down Andrei Kirenko and was suspended a game. Yet here is thug clearly not making any play for the ball and could have ended the career of a fellow professional ballplayer. The nerve of all this Washington punks, everyone form their players to their media to their fans to even howl foul!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:40 am
Cedric:
There are more than 8 million people in the Baltimore-Washingotn Metro area. As of March 2007, the Washington times had an average daily circulation of 102,351 (roughly 1/7 of the Washington Post). Do you think that just maybe its because they are a third rate barely credible high school newspaper quality publication? Anyone who has been reading Mr. Tom Knott’s thorough and well thought out analysis of this series would certainly be led to that conclusion.
Honestly, Cleveland has some crappy beat writers (not to mention any names Mr. rhymes with Will Bivingston) but nothing even approaching this clown. It’s not even just that his thoughts are so ridiculous and childish…its that he can’t even articulate them in a manner that would suggest that he is actually a real live grown-up journalist.
Here is my impression of a Tom Knott column:
Not to make any excuses for my team but the Cavs cheat and our guys are hurt right now. Plus, it doesn’t make it any easier that the NBA has long been conspiring to make Lebron and Cleveland NBA champions. Oh well, I guess in the end it doesn’t matter because Cleveland is a dirty irrelevant city full of Nazis. I hope every Clevelander drowns in that cesspool they call a lake!
…….Not to blow BW but for a mid-market city, we are fortunate to get the kind of coverage that we do.
Go Cavs
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 am
I read Tom Knott’s article as well and was completely shocked and surprised this went to print from a ‘professional’ newspaper from a ‘professional’ writer! Shame! I sent an email to the editor of the Washington Times that Tom Knott should be fined and it was an embarrasement to their paper. Nothing about basketball, just a knock on Cleveland, their fans, their coach, and their players. Classless!!! I suggest everybody send an email to the editor of the WT with their complaints!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:33 am
OKAY NOW WASHINGTON THINKS THAT BY TRASH TALKING US THAT CLEVELAND WILL EVER BACK DOWN. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO THIS TOWN FACES CLEVELAND WILL ALWAYS RISE UP. WHAT ARE THE WASHINGTON WHINERS WHEN WE ALSO PUT UP WITH THE STILLER FANS IN FOOTBALL, THE YANKEE AND BOSTON FANS IN BASEBALL, AND YET TO SPEAK WE TRASHED THAT SAME THUG TYPE MENATALITY FROM FROM DETROIT LAST YEAR TO GO TO THE FINALS. SO WASHINGTON FIND A LAKE, BECAUSE YOU WILL ALL BE FISHING IN IT VERY SOON. GO CAVALIERS!!!!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
This has become standard fare for us Cavs fans. Not everyone hates LeBron or thinks that the league favors him, but the voices that do think that will always be loudest. As long as he is here in Cleveland the writers in LA, NY, CHI, DC, Boston etc. will all hate on him incessantly and complain complain complain. Like he is the only superstar in the history of the league to get calls that go his way. Occasionally. The beautiful thing about sports is that it’s a bottom line business. We win the series, they go home. Bottom line. Next year no one will remember anything other than the Cavs won and Haywood took a cheap shot on LeBron. Have fun licking your wounds in the off-season Wizards fans.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Wow what big news.
The league also decided not to suspend Damona for dressing like Elton John in the post-game interviews. Who cares.
I like Arenas, but when he said that ‘everyone wants to get the Cavs’, I think he was projecting, because everyone wanted the Wiz. It’s like Agent Zero hasn’t found his touch so he’s trying to impersonate Bruce Bowen, albeit unsuccessfully. That’s good for us, but a very poor show by him.
I think Andy, Big Ben and Z could take that whole team if in a fight if they wanted.
The former owner of the Sonics got his lawsuit in today. I can’t wait to see how this goes. If these leagues want more teams, it seems like they should expand instead of pandering to crooked owners. I’m tired of the name changes too. The Jazz, Lakers, etc just don’t work in the new cities. Why not move Phoenix to Minnesota so you can have the Phoenix Timberwolves and Minnesota Suns. It’s so stupid, and the league actually seems to be behind these moves, as they always seem to support them.
Go Cavs manana! Should be a physical game 3 but I think we’re clickin’ now.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
They should Change their name, how about:
Washington Whiners
It is an interesting strategy though: if you can’t beat them or even play competitively against them, then just foul them hard.
Washington sucks!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
In my 53 year old opinion,Knott like the Whiz is in deep trouble and they are trying to unite the fans to HATE Cleveland,like we showed them,albeit with good reason,they are trying to pull out all the stops,they know their on the brink of elimination.Sending 90,000 emails to the editor will probably get this MORON a raise,the best option is not to respond,shrink the ratings and after the fact expose it on a national level, just to show the corrupt ethics as an orginazation,the media,and the fans.Let the Cavs do are talking,then we can RAZOR them off the planet.It has to be very dark times when an orginazation,the media,and the fans have to resort to hostile confrontations just to get themselves feeling better.Go Cavs.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Good They Were Going To Lose Anyway, So Hopefully Now When They Lose They Won’t Have Any Excuses. They Wanted Us In The Playoffs And Now They Got Us. Go Cavs Sweep Them And Of Course We Will Be Going To The Finals. Watch Out Celtics Because The Cavs Are Coming To Town And Not For Nothing But To Win, Of Course!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I call it ‘artificial indignation’. The Washington Generals knew as soon as they got the Cavs, it would be vacation time in 5 or 6 games. However, many of them seem to pride themselves on being street tough, so rather than bow out quietly, they decided to go out looking like a tough (or perhaps bush league?) team. Basically, pretending they had a chance when they had none, and this whole fiasco is the result.
Play out the string and get your golf clubs cleaned up, Wizards. Thanks for coming.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
WHY SHOULD HE GET SUSPENDED WHEN HE DID NOT TRY TO HURT HIM LETS JUST PLAT BALL AN MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Very intelligent commentary,just what Cleveland fans need,another vulgar mouth moron,being some kind of advocate?Papa you are way out of line with your choice of words,profanity,it’s nothing anyone would ever condone,and just shows how media often disrepects Cleveland,but there is a bad apple in every bunch,do you kiss your Mom with that mouth.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Guys, i think its weird that everyone thinks he should be suspended. He got pushed, fell, got up, and played the rest of the game. Ive been pushed in the air before and i did the same, never a scratch and i am only 6 foot 150 pounds. Also, i hope we win game 3 because the cavs are my team but their is no comparison of a hip check and a light push, does anyone know if lebrons mouth is hurt? He was holding it a few times after he went down and was wondering if their were any reports?
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I’m not sure what the NBA’s criteria for suspension is. Seems unfair that Haywood didn’t get suspended given the nature of his Flag 2. A two handed shove to another player in mid air is about as dangerous as it gets. And it’s very apparent there was ill intent since he has not apologized to Lebron. What thug! All he can do is criticize Mike Brown for stepping out of the coaches box! The Washington beat writers are bemoaning the fact that Lebron elbowed Blache. Guess they missed the earlier play were Blache almost took Lebrons’s head off. Washington is trying to take the focus off of their substandard performance. I hope they get swept in 4 games and then can sit at home and watch the rest of the NBA play some real B Ball!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Again, pushing a player, softly, isnt grounds for suspension. This is the playoffs and not the regular season. Players are allowed to play more. Also, Haywood did apologize from what i heard. Go Cavs, our fans need to stop whining a bit tho, all the wiz fans were crying on their boards and our fans have been killing them and then we do it on the same thing, ehk Cavs in 5
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:54 pm
We, cavs fans, are whining too much about this suspension, very hyporcritical
April 24th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Haywood should be suspended , He is a very dirty player, He sucks .. Lebron play better than him .. Haywood is the dirty player
April 24th, 2008 at 4:19 am
“Again, pushing a player, softly, isnt grounds for suspension.”
—GoCavs
Sorry GoCavs, this is not entirely directed at you. But I saw something more than a “light push” on that play. LeBron went hurdling out of bounds because he was shoved near the waist while in mid-air. A little lower and he would have been undercut, possibly risking SERIOUS injury. While I am not necessarily calling for a suspension, I think the flagrant 2 was valid and if the NBA would have suspended Haywood it would have been justified.
Also, all this
“back in the day, players could fire rifles at one another and it would just be a good, hard playoff foul,”
nonsense is just that; nonsense. Someone, please ANYONE show me the clip where Jordan gets SHOVED out of bounds in mid-jump and the culprit doesn’t get tossed. I beg of you.
Give me a f***ing break.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:55 am
…Says, well, says it correctly. That was most definitely not a light push. Pushing someone, and making absolutely no play for the ball, while they are in mid air is about as dangerous as it gets. And please gocavs, you playing in a rec league is no comparison. I’m betting the guy who pushed you wasn’t 7 foot 280 pounds either. The result of the foul doesn’t warrant the penalty, but the intent sure does. The intent was obvious.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:30 am
This guy is just another ghetto garbage loser who makes too much money and thinks it buys him status and respect.
Maybe if they come back here me and my guys will have a little something for him….
April 24th, 2008 at 11:06 am
GO Cavs…it definitely wasn’t a light push if it resulted in 270 lbs flying through the air to a thumping crash landing. Haywood told the press he apologized but the press asked Lebron and he said “No”. The least Haywood should do is clear the air and apologize even if it is privately to Lebron. But wait…I forgot…thugs don’t have to apologize! There will atleast be a few more T’s and possible ejections on both teams if the Wizards strategy to thump Lebron without making a play on the basketball continues. They think their thumps will keep him out of the lane, but it only rallys the team and motivates Lebron to take it to the hole even more. I understand hard fouls are part of the game, but the way the Wizards talk about it to the media is not smart!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
What Haywood did should get him suspended, but I’m glad it didn’t. I don’t want excuses after we win the series. What he did, if someone did that in a rec league and didn’t apologize or help the guy up, there would be a fight. The guy getting hit wouldn’t have to worry about being suspended if he punched haywood and there would be a fight. Haywood knows this so he pushed LeBron with intent to injure. I can’t wait for the game tonight
April 24th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Step on their throats, Cavs. Dont even let them get up.