Arenas suspended indefinitely

[Donoghus]

The original gun incident was just total stupidity.  The stunt he pulled in Philly the other night just reeked of more stupidity and ignorance of the severity of the situation.  It certainly exascerbated the issue.

[Surferdad]

Stern is gonna lay the hammer down. You can't have players glorifing gun play. I bet when its all said and done Arenas gets a longer suspension than Artest for the Detroit brawl.

If that happens I will judge that punishment as unfair.  You want thug?  Look no further than Artest.  I'm no Arenas fan but there was not even any malice intent in his act, much less anyone getting hurt.

[Surferdad]

His contract won't be voided.  He will file a grievance under the CBA and likely win if no legal action is taken against him.  Gun ownership is legal in the United States.  What is Arenas "guilty" of?  He's certainly not the only complete idiot walking around with a gun.  We have whole states full of them in this country.

LOL!!  I like that.

[Brickowski]

And why isn't Crittenden suspended for a year?  According to the Globe, he's the one who loaded a clip of ammo into his gun. Arenas' guns were unloaded if what I've been reading is true.

[BASS_THUMPER]

why theses brothas be messin up like this?...

"i need to ride with my gun in case somebody try and rob me"

well fool dont ride in ya escalde 30 in gold plated rims with ya music bumpin "i dare you" by black rob...

why did gilly need to bring 3 gats into the lockeroom in the first place..vick woods arenas...al sharpton help!!!!

[guava_wrench]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

[Roy Hobbs]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

So, if someone suggested that you pick out a gun for a gun duel, you wouldn't think there was any threat there?   Crittendon obviously took it that way, and responded like a gangster himself.

[GreenFaith1819]

When you have Al Sharpton calling the NBA racist because it *didn't* suspend Arenas, and numerous non-sports outlets calling for his suspension, it's no surprise that Stern would act.

When a piece of human excrement, race baiter, and a collossal poverty pimp like sharpton speaks, everybody should ignore him or shout him down.  

I sincerely hope Stern ignored him.  I agree with what was said about Delonte.  I'm sorry....I see little difference.  Delonte is lucky to be playing.  I'll bet Arenas doesn't see the court for at least a year.

Wow.....(To the Second Paragraph) .

That's all I'm going to say. Sometimes the best thing to say is Nothing.

Al Sharpton isn't perfect, but some of us respect him as a person.

I'm one of them.

[Bankshot]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

So, if someone suggested that you pick out a gun for a gun duel, you wouldn't think there was any threat there?   Crittendon obviously took it that way, and responded like a gangster himself.

I don't understand why Stern isn't suspending Crittendon.

[Brendan]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

I agree. I also think there's a huge difference between the use of hunting weapons for hunting in rural areas and hand guns being used the way they are in urban areas.

Also, I think it ridiculous to ever play or joke with weapons. I don't care if they were not loaded. Do you know how many accidents happen a year with hand guns because people take out the clip and forget the bullet in the chamber? It's significant.

Nick - actually I don't, how many? What's the percentage?

[Fafnir]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

I agree. I also think there's a huge difference between the use of hunting weapons for hunting in rural areas and hand guns being used the way they are in urban areas.

Also, I think it ridiculous to ever play or joke with weapons. I don't care if they were not loaded. Do you know how many accidents happen a year with hand guns because people take out the clip and forget the bullet in the chamber? It's significant.

Nick - actually I don't, how many? What's the percentage?

700-1000 people die every year due to accidental shootings. Most accidental shootings are non-fatal but statistics for those are much harder to compile.

There are roughly 200,000 non-fatal gunshot injuries in the US, usually 1/10th are accidental. So 700-1000 deaths and 20,000 injuries a year is a rough estimate.

[Fafnir]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

So, if someone suggested that you pick out a gun for a gun duel, you wouldn't think there was any threat there?   Crittendon obviously took it that way, and responded like a gangster himself.

Especially after you've been arguing about a large amount of money earlier.

[Roy Hobbs]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

So, if someone suggested that you pick out a gun for a gun duel, you wouldn't think there was any threat there?   Crittendon obviously took it that way, and responded like a gangster himself.

I don't understand why Stern isn't suspending Crittendon.

Yeah, if the media reports are accurate about his role, I don't, either.  It gives Arenas' attorneys a very good argument that he was suspended not for the alleged crime -- which is apparently similar to Crittendon's -- but for his public jesting.  If that's the case, much of the suspension will ultimately be reversed, as an indefinite suspension for distasteful joking would be unprecedented.

[Fafnir]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

So, if someone suggested that you pick out a gun for a gun duel, you wouldn't think there was any threat there?   Crittendon obviously took it that way, and responded like a gangster himself.

I don't understand why Stern isn't suspending Crittendon.

Yeah, if the media reports are accurate about his role, I don't, either.  It gives Arenas' attorneys a very good argument that he was suspended not for the alleged crime -- which is apparently similar to Crittendon's -- but for his public jesting.  If that's the case, much of the suspension will ultimately be reversed, as an indefinite suspension for distasteful joking would be unprecedented.

Well Stern also has his admission that he broke the league rules about guns at a team facility.  That's the other part of the suspension, clearly both contributed to Stern's wrath.

Crittendon has kept his mouth shut and has made no such admission.

[Schupac]

I think people are overreacting to a stupid, not malicious, act.  And I think people are too quick to condemn athletes as gangsters and thugs just because of their profession.  If a vice president were to own guns and say accidentally shoot someone in the face while hunting, would people say it was a stupid accident or he is just a gangster?

Now what if an NBA player made a stupid decision using guns as props for a joke?  Yeah, I know you can say one had a 'legitimate' reason (hunting) and one didn't (joking).  I would counter that by asking what makes shooting birds for entertainment more legitimate than a joke?

The real question here is what is going on in Arenas' head?  Was he even thinkingabout my fantasy team?  There goes a solid sleeper pick...

There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?

Yeah. Someone actually got hurt in the former. No one did in the latter.

Did Gilbert threaten to shoot someone? I must have missed that.

So, if someone suggested that you pick out a gun for a gun duel, you wouldn't think there was any threat there?   Crittendon obviously took it that way, and responded like a gangster himself.

Certainly, I would, and so apparently might Crittendon.  But Gilbert Arenas, notoriously 'off beat' (RE: lacking common sense) didn't.  He thought it was a joke.  How does that make him a thug, or gangster?

"There's a difference between a hunting accident and threatening (even if in jest) to shoot another person over a gambling debt, isn't there?"

Is there?  Does Dick Cheney need to kill pheasants to feed his family, or he is out running around in the woods discharging a deadly weapon and killing things for entertainment?  Gilbert Arenas made a stupid decision, but in his mind it was a joke, or entertainment.

You can say Gilbert's actions were reckless and endangered someone, but how is that different from going out with a group of friends with the intention of firing guns at low-flying birds in an environment with limited visibility, and apparently not enough gun safety knowledge or regard?