By now you've seen the fight with Candace Parker, posted it to at least one of your social networking sites and formed an opinion on how much street cred these girls should get.
But have you looked at the suspensions? They make no sense.
Stunned to learn that some people think Parker started this fight, let's use her lenient one-game suspension as the jumping off point for all this chatter.
Of the 11 people who received suspensions from Tuesday night's game between the Sparks and Shock, Parker was one of the principle players involved. She and Detroit's Plenette Pierson -- who received four games "for initiating and escalating the altercation." Parker got her jail time for "throwing a punch," which by the way, more than one person feel never even happened.
For those who believe Parker got this party started, be outraged. One person has gone as far as suggesting the WNBA's actually protecting the reputation of its superstar rookie. If that's the case, maybe that's why the league listed Parker last on the list of 11. Either that, or they wanted you to look at everyone else involved.
Conspiracy theorists, chew on that.
Moreover, if you think Parker's most culpable, then you must be livid about Pierson's four-game knock. After all, this must factor into why the Shock signed 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman to a seven-day contract Thursday. I mean, that's just plain (fill in the blank).
Wondering too, why exactly did Lisa Leslie receive a one-game suspension for throwing a punch? Did she even throw one? Or did she really just get knocked to the floor by Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn? He got two games for that unfortunate move but so did Sparks rookie Shannon Bobbitt -- "for leaving the area of the bench and becoming physically involved in an on-court altercation."
"It makes me feel good that everyone had each other's back. I feel sorry for (Shannon)
Bobbitt and for Muriel (Page) getting two games for coming off the bench, but that is what
the league felt necessary," said Parker in a statement released by the Sparks' public relations department Thursday. "We're a good team, and I think this will just make us stronger."
Did Bobbitt throw a punch? Nuh-uh. Then why does she gets two games and Parker (who supposedly threw a punch) only one? Dunno...
I'm not lobbying for Parker to receive additional penalty. I'm just saying that it makes no sense for her to receive less than someone who had nothing to do with exactly why this happened in the first place.
Pierson and Parker probably should have been punished equally, along with the referees, but that's a whole 'nother story. They both played physically up to the point where Pierson quickly approached Parker and made contact with her on the ground, forcing Parker into defending herself with more physical action.
Again, there are people out there who actually think Parker started this whole thing. Yet she comes out of this with the minimum amount of punishment. That doesn't add up, and that's what causes me to take issue with the league's ruling.
What do you think? Did the WNBA rush itself into poor judgment? Did it protect Parker?
Heck yeah the league protect Parker...it needs to. If not, you are going to get some jealous player with nothing to lose, take that kid out. Candace generates revenue like no other player, there is no way they are going to let someone intentionally hurt her.
Mahorn shouldn't have been suspended, but he should have been verbally reprimanded for not controlling his own players. They were storming off the bench and he went directly to the LA players. That's his only error here.
The "former face of the WNBA" Diana Taurasi got a two game suspension for arguing with a ref! No punches pulled, no throw-downs, no going face-to-face with a player having to be pulled away by a teammate etc. But, the current "face of the WNBA" Candace and Lisa Leslie who, unfortuntely are also representatives of the USA Women's Basketball team, get away with only a one game suspension. Everywhere, on all the chat boards, the word is, Candace Parker is getting away with the whole business. Donna O needs her to play in New York, the WNBA's home address!! Go figure??
The ruling makes little sense to those who choose not to understand it.
Bobbitt did throw a punch...at Rick Mahorn. Thus, she received one game for the punch (as did everyone else who threw a punch) and one game for leaving the bench (as did everyone else who left their benches). There's debate as to whether Lisa threw a punch at Mahorn. Some say she did, and some say she didnt't...the league obviously felt that she did and gave her a one game suspension.
You wrote that "they both played physically up to the point where Pierson quickly approached Parker and made contact with her on the ground, forcing Parker into defending herself with more physical action". I absolutely agree. Thus, I believe Orender is justified in only suspending Parker for the susequent punch she attempted and NOT for defending herself while she was on the ground.
If Pierson had not gotten up and walked over Parker, none of this would've happened. If Mahorn had held back HIS players and not shoved Leslie (whether the intent was malicious or not, he DID shove her) several players would've never become involved. Orender decided to go lighly on EVERYONE (DMJ certainly could've received a more lenghthy suspension and Deanna Nolan certainly could've been suspended for her actions)except those who either instigated (Pierson) or escalated (Mahorn) the "brawl".
The suspensions make perfet sense to me.
To correct you Bobbit did throw a punch. It was more of a slap actually. If you watch all the video, after mostly everything had died down and right after Delisha hits Mahorn, Bobbit comes up and hits Mahorn on his right side and then backs away from him.