Flagrant fouls. Does the penalty fit the crime?

by Hawk42 on Jan 28, 2009 6:37 PM MST

Flagrant fouls have become a joke in the NBA, and it is time to come up with an idea to reduce or eliminate them, This is not hockey.

Some of you may have seen part of the Charlotte-Lakers game last night. This post is to vent about on the NBA’s flagrant foul rule. It is fast becoming almost as irritating and subjective as the offensive foul rule where you see defenders rushing to a spot an inch outside the circle, hoping a ref will bail out their awful defense. Never mind what a flagrant foul is, or what is a 1 or a 2. How about when a player injures another player and gets back out on the court after a one or two game suspension, and the injured player is out for a month or more?

Late in the game, Gerald Wallace was taken down in a drive to the basket by Andrew Bynum. Bynum makes no play on the ball, but simply levels Wallace in a football play, much like Adrian Wilson might take out an opposing receiver. See for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q2cBYKvYJw

This reminds me of a time a few years back when Barbosa was kicked in the groin by Ginobli, and missed a month, while that scrawny louse Manu gets a game and is right back on the court. I think whenever a flagrant foul causes loss of time, the flagrant fouler must miss the same number of games, plus his one or two game suspension. And yes, I am aware that under these rules Shaq would have been out a few more games in his career, but it is time these guys learned that football is played on a much bigger field with pads.

Oh, and by the way, I can’t close a post without the much deserves refrain that never goes out of style:

LAKERS SUCK!!!

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

amen

I am almost happy with our loss to the cats just because it could have given them enough confidence to down that purple and gold blimp. I hate them so much. lakers or spurs who do you hate more?

by STUCK IN LA on Jan 28, 2009 7:09 PM MST reply actions

spurs

without a doubt.

by ryansunsfan on Jan 31, 2009 9:49 AM MST up reply actions

I think it'd be way too hard to enforce a rule like that

I mean, it was obviously intentional with no play on the ball, but Bynum wasn’t trying to collapse the dude’s lung. Think about if Thornton ended up spraining his ankle as a result of Hill’s flagrant, would Grant have deserved to sit out for a month because he accidentally knocked the guy down?

Two games, three, that’s fine, but you can’t go handing out suspensions like that for anything short of throwing punches.

by hcblankscreen on Jan 28, 2009 8:02 PM MST reply actions

Why not?

I think it would take care of the flagrant play. Eventually teams would make it clear that this type of play is not acceptable. Unless such play is encouraged, but of course Popovich would never do that. Oh man, did I say that?

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jan 28, 2009 10:29 PM MST up reply actions

I believe, in hockey, your past record of offences is used as well to determine the lenght of time suspended. Players with a bad rep. usually get more time.

by overthere on Jan 29, 2009 9:38 AM MST up reply actions

good idea

What’s the difference between assault and murder? Aim.

That’s how we deal out the severity of penalties in the real world — the result.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Jan 29, 2009 12:52 PM MST reply actions

That's retarded

If you give out suspensions that way, then everytime DWade trips over some guys leg and twists his ankle, the “offender” will be missing games. Are you kidding me? The Basketball Jones had it right. You really want refs to wait around to see how a player is doing before calling out fouls? “Hmm how are you doing Player X? Feeling ok? Alright then, let’s go with 2 ft’s. Oh wait, you might have to miss the rest of the game? Alright flagrant 2, throw the bum out of here”. That’s just absurd.

by Worthy J. on Jan 30, 2009 4:19 PM MST reply actions

Like other sports…hockey and soccer you let the ref call the play and the league reviews the call if asked. This is when a penalty/suspension occurs. It works in those sports.

by overthere on Jan 31, 2009 8:44 AM MST up reply actions

There's a difference

There’s a difference between a foul and an intentional/flagrant foul.

“Tripping” is not a flagrant foul unless it involves something more than being out of position and/or making a mistake. Just like getting into a car accident is not a criminal matter unless you’re doing something reckless (e.g., 100 mph in a school zone or .15 BAC).

And don’t pull out the “how can you really know if it was intentional?” argument. People are sent to jail all the time for crimes that a jury of 12 determine were “intentional” as opposed to “reckless” or “negligent”

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Feb 2, 2009 2:23 PM MST up reply actions

That idea would never work

Hawk42 you and your over 20 years of hatred for lakers (and 5-8ish years of spurs) is changing your view a little. It was a reckless move but it wasn’t out of anger. Accidents happen, that shouldn’t ruin a whole season (which could happen if they followed your way) if they make a mistake. If they show remorse, apologize I see no reason to not keep the system the way it is.

Shaq:"The kobster, he's an assassin" Answer for who should be mvp.

by ldeep on Jan 31, 2009 3:42 PM MST reply actions

Can't you distinguish

between “accidental” and “intentional” acts? see my comment above.

Karma’s a bitch, though, ain’t it?

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Feb 2, 2009 2:24 PM MST up reply actions

20 years???

Try almost 40. I’ve hated them since they knocked the Suns out in 1970 in a tough 7 game series. They were SO ARROGANT.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Feb 2, 2009 2:50 PM MST up reply actions

No matter

I think that the judgement has been passed down. While all you guys are debating the merits of a harsher penalty on Bynum, a penalty has been assessed by The One Who Knows and Sees all. 8-12 weeks for AB.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Feb 2, 2009 2:48 PM MST reply actions