Stevie Francis, BasketBRAWL and the Media
Posted December 21st, 2006 by George Thomas
I love it when people blame the media for reporting problems that other people create. In this case I'm talking about he New York Knicks - Denver Nuggets brawl that took place last Saturday and with the dishing out of fines Monday was set to die.
Then little Stevie Francis of the Knicks has to open his hole and make the asinine statement that this fight's coverage is race-biased. PLEASE. I'd sincerely like to know what alternative universe Mr. Francis resides. Wait, it's one where you have a multi-million dollar salary and you're coddled from the moment someone realizes you're good with a ball until the day you've used up all of those skills.
Francis doesn't get it. A few players are to blame for the NBA's image woes. Without mentioning any names (Ron Artest), they single handedly ensured that the any on-court fracas would get maximum coverage when they leaped into the stands to go mano y mano with fans. While I don't deny there's an element of racial bias in some news reports, sorry this isn't one of them.
It was an ugly sight watching a group of players go after one another (but, hey at least they didn't go after any fans), but it was a story - primarily because the NBA has that thugh image that's perpetrated by a few individuals with questionable character.
I also don't buy into the media race bias because I've seen plenty of hockey fights or muggings end up on ESPN's SportsCenter. Todd Bertuzzi anyone? Then there's the numerous bench-clearing brawls that hit the airwaves during baseball season.
Francis' comments go back to that little being coddled thing. When someone wipes your nose for you for most of your life, you only possess a sense of entitlement and never ever a common sense compass.
Whenever you read ridiculous statements such as that, it always helps when someone else makes sense. For that, it was good to hear members of the Cavaliers act as a voice of reason on the topic.
