Sprewell Suspended One Game for Comments Made to Fan

[cisco]

I wish this guy would have a career-ending injury :cursin:






Dec 7, 4:55 PM (ET)

By CHRIS SHERIDAN
NEW YORK (AP) - Latrell Sprewell was suspended for one game by the NBA on Tuesday for yelling a sexual vulgarity at a female fan during a game, the latest episode of a player clashing with spectators.

The penalty was harsher than those issued in the past by the league office for on-court outbursts. The NBA has been particularly concerned about conflicts between players and fans following a nasty brawl in Detroit 2? weeks ago that spilled into the stands.

Sprewell responded to a female heckler with a sexually vulgar term that was clearly picked up by a courtside microphone and broadcast by television stations KTLA in Los Angeles and KSTC in Minnesota.

Commissioner David Stern has said the NBA needs to re-examine what will be tolerated in terms of civil behavior between fans and spectators, and Tuesday's penalty issued by league vice president Stu Jackson made it clear that vulgar exchanges won't be.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said league policy prohibits directing obscenities at fans.

"Our policy is that you can't do it," he said. "When you do it, you're going to get suspended."

Sprewell was to miss the Timberwolves' game Tuesday night against Dallas.

Players' union Billy Hunter did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

This is the latest in a series of problems for the 34-year-old Sprewell. He was suspended for one year - later reduced to 68 games - for choking Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo at practice in 1997.

In December 2003, Sprewell was fined $25,000 by the NBA for cursing at New York Knicks chairman James Dolan and screaming at the team's bench. In 1999, Sprewell was fined $10,000 for making profane remarks to fans during game.

Last month, he received a misdemeanor citation after arguing with a police officer during a traffic stop. Sprewell, who was a passenger in the vehicle, claimed he was treated unfairly.

The former All-Star also demanded that the Timberwolves extend his contract or trade him, saying, "I've got my family to feed." Sprewell, who will make $14.6 million this season in the final year of his deal, drew criticism from Stern for the remark.

 

[Agent 0659]

Tired of the thugs :sadwave: :thefinger

 

[FUZZY NUTZ]

GOOD, THOSE MO FUHKERS NEED TO STOP DAT WILDIN'. NBA IS FINALLY STARTING TO TAKE SHIT SERIOUSLY. :clap:

 

[Nick Douglas]

What did he say? What did she say to him? Anyone want to find out before they shoot their mouths off?

 

[homedog]

I heard he said "Suck my d***". If that is true, doesn't really matter what she said.

I take it you have a problem with that Nicky.

 

[Nick Douglas]

I just have a problem with people making incendiary comments about subjects that they have little knowledge of.

 

[cisco]

Apparently it was enough for David Stern to take action and that's good enough for me, especially with this dingbat's track record.

 

[FUZZY NUTZ]

YO NICK, HE SAID YOU CAN SUCK A D**K. AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TOO PAL. DO WE HAVE YOUR APPROVAL TO MAKE ANYMORE COMMENTS? BTW, YOU STILL GOT DAT JUNGLE FEVER?

 

[spang]

Thats got to cost him some major coin. Poor Latrell, how will he ever feed his family.

Just another example of why I don't care a lick( no pun intended) about the NBA

 

[Nick Douglas]

My guess is that none of you have seen the actual footage. What we appear to have here is a bunch of closet (or open) racists calling someone out over an incident that they've heard about second or third hand. Sprewell may have deserved a suspension and he definitely has carried himself poorly throughout his career, but all of these reactionary idiots commenting on him are revealing more about themselves than they are about Sprewell.

For the record, I believe that both fans and players that direct profane statements at the other party should be punished. Also for the record, you can really tell that Jack and the moderators have let this board go to shit when people in this thread are allowed to make openly racist comments without being suspended from the message board and having the thread locked.

 

[dawgball]

Nick -- I have seen the clips (on SPortscenter) and he should be suspended. I don't care what the fan said. He was not physically in danger. Athletes need to learn that they are not thugs. They are HIGHLY paid professionals who also need to learn to deal with things through the proper channels. I think Sprewell has cleaned up his act in the last few years, but NBA or not the players MUST control themselves in a professional manner. Just like Davis Love did last year, if a fan is abusing an athlete while they are trying to work they should report this to security and that fan should be removed.

I know through our conversations in the past, you are a reasonable person. You have become more sensitive lately. You have to remember that some people online will behave out of order, but you also have to remember that some things can still be in a humorous light. I don't want to live in a PC world myself. I certainly don't get offended when people joke about Christians or more specifically Catholics. It's just the way it is.

 

[SixFive]

My guess is that none of you have seen the actual footage. What we appear to have here is a bunch of closet (or open) racists calling someone out over an incident that they've heard about second or third hand. Sprewell may have deserved a suspension and he definitely has carried himself poorly throughout his career, but all of these reactionary idiots commenting on him are revealing more about themselves than they are about Sprewell.

For the record, I believe that both fans and players that direct profane statements at the other party should be punished. Also for the record, you can really tell that Jack and the moderators have let this board go to shit when people in this thread are allowed to make openly racist comments without being suspended from the message board and having the thread locked.

3 thoughts. On Sprewell, I haven't heard what he said or did. I do like him as a player as I think he has great skills and plays very hard. My favorite player, Allen Iverson, get talked about poorly all the time, and it's not for his performance on the court, it's for his tats, his rap album, his record, etc. I think people are reactionary towards Spree, but not because of racism, but because of his past antics.

Don't worry about Fuzzy nutz. He has really ticked me off a few times and played the race card himself. I just let his stuff slide now. Anybody with stones knows this redneck is not a racist nor are all my hillbilly brethren.

Third, I think u came in this thread with a chip on your shoulder for some reason, and you were trying to incite a heated response. posting "shooting mouths off" and "little knowledge" tends to pi$$ people off.

 

[MadJack]

BTW, YOU STILL GOT DAT JUNGLE FEVER?

nick, is this the racist comment directed to you? sorry, i must be stupid because i don't read it that way. if btj said it, that would be a different story but he would just be trying to get a rise outta you. and you wouldn't take him seriously, would you?

i'll close the fcuking thread if it'll make you happy.

and, big deal. sprewell told some taunting bitch to suck his dick. we all probably would have done the same thing. geez

 

[Agent 0659]

and, big deal. sprewell told some taunting bitch to suck his dick. we all probably would have done the same thing. geez

Not me..I would have told her to toss my salad.

 

[Nick Douglas]

I probably overreacted to that comment. The reason is that when I had my page, I would get infrequent racist emails, sometimes written in the same tone with the same ignorant all-caps style. It made me more sensitive than I should have been.

The reason I came into this thread with a negative tone is that I have noticed that overreactionary tone from sports and political talk radio spreading into the rest of society. Seems like everything has to be, "awesome," or, "terrible," with little temperance. When I saw the people commenting in this thread adopting those same traits, I wanted to make a comment about it. In retrospect, I probably should have been more polite.

 

[AR182]

i heard today that originally spreewell cursed when he was standing near the fans. a woman said to him that there are children nearby......he then said to the woman to suck my d........


a one game suspension is not enough.spreewell should have been suspended for more like a week.

 

[bully93]

He told her do suck his dk and then she said there are kids nearby, you think he should suspended for a week, get real! If they started suspending people for swearing the NBA would be suspending people every night.

If it wasn't for the artest fight, he would of just received a fine. Yeah he shouldn't of done it but have you been to a sporting event lately, apparently it's the thing to do if you are a fan, these fans think because they buy a ticket they are entitled to do anything they damn well please, at some point they need to start doing something with the fans, kick them out for the night. If you had kids would you want to sit next to some idiot that throws out f-bombs all night, I don't think so. It's getting out of hand and most people think it's the players fault for all the problems, there are plenty of fans enticing these people, people need to open their eyes a little bit. But since the players make more money it is all their fault. My main point here is that all the blame should not be on the players.

 

[AR182]

He told her do suck his dk and then she said there are kids nearby, you think he should suspended for a week, get real!


no that's not what i heard......

he first cursed....the woman said that there are kids nearby....he then told her to suck my d.....


the attitude of the athletes have to change....instead of acting like they're doing us a favor.....they should be thankfull that they are blessed with their talent.....and yes if what i wrote above is true...spreewell should be suspended for a week, & not for one game.

i think with the steroid scandal & what has happened in the nba, there can be a fan back lash.and the players & their unions should wake up.