Fallout from the Brawl

As Bill Parcells likes to say, "put away the annointing oil". Just as NBA fans and experts were accepting Carmelo Anthony as an equal in the triumvirate (with Dwayne Wade and LeBron James), the NBA's leading scorer will start serving a 15 game suspension for his involvement in Saturday night's brawl at Madison Square Garden. The penalty was handed down earlier today when Commissioner Stern took another hard stand on cleaning up the image of his league. Teammate J.R Smith received ten games, as did Knicks guard Nate Robinson. Also receiving suspensions were the Knicks' Mardy Collins (6 games), Jared Jeffries (4 games), Jerome James (1 game), and the Nuggets' Nene (1 game). Along with the suspensions, both teams were fined $500,000 for their respective roles in the confrontation.

The "MSG Melee", as the media is trying to hype the brawl as close to the "Malice at the Palace" as they can, should be evaluated on several different levels. First, the involvement of Anthony escalates this issue in the eyes of NBA brass. The gifted class of '03 has become the face of the league. While James and Wade were quicker to gain elite status in the NBA, Anthony rose to prominence with a brilliant performance at the World Championships. That momentum carried in to the season where he is leading the NBA in scoring. Along with his sparkling play, Anthony began to erase the off-court issues that had marred the success he acheived in his first three seasons. He displayed his generosity with a $3 million dollar donation to his alma mater to build new facilities in Syracuse and by laying the foundation for a new recreation center in his original hometown of Baltimore. In the conference call Stern held to defend the league's actions he emphasized the punishment dealt strictly with Anthony's on-court actions. He continued to say he'd been proud of Carmelo's recent progress and felt that Saturday was not a proper reflection on the person he has become. Unfortunately, the league's actions will cost the Nuggets star fifteen games which could have the following repercussions. Despite averaging over 30 points a game, the extended absence could cost Anthony his first appearance at an All-Star game. Aside from the financial benefits he would receive from such an honor, it will deprive him of his first chance to take his place among the game's elite. From a team stand point, the Nuggets are 2-9 (entering tonight) without Anthony since he's entered the league. Currently they are holding the seventh seed in the Western Conference, but could lose ground in his absence. Anthony and J.R Smith were becoming one of the league's better 1-2 punches as the young Smith has found his rythym in the Rockies. Smith, the McDonald's High School All-American Game MVP from 2004, has rediscovered the great range and flashy athleticism that made him highly coveted out of high school. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by defensive star Yakoba Diawara and Linas Kleiza will assume Anthony's power forward duties. Although Coach Karl now faces an uphill battle, he claims no responsibility for the actions on Saturday night. He assigns that blame to Knicks coach Isiah Thomas.

Coach Karl is not alone in placing fault on the Knicks head man. Thomas, a member of the famous "Bad Boy" Pistons teams of the '80s, has never shied away from the physical nature of the NBA. His on camera warning to Carmelo Anthony and post game complaints about the Nuggets' questionable personnel decisions late in the game paint a pretty clear picture Thomas is no innocent bystander. However, this situation goes much deeper. Many believe Karl came to New York to defend good friend, and fellow UNC alum, Larry Brown's honor. This belief fueled Isiah to think Karl looked to run up the score, and it appeared that way with the Nuggets holding a secure double digit lead in the final ninety seconds with their stars still in the game. When Isiah told Anthony it would be a good idea to stay away from the paint with a devilish grin on his face, it is evident Thomas either knew his players were looking for a hard foul or personally ordered flagrance. However you slice it, Thomas needs to shoulder some blame. Anyone who's ever watched an NBA game knows flagrant fouls do not just die easily, so if Thomas specifically ordered the harmful foul it is unfathomable that he will go unpunished. As recently as November of this year, Thomas has been involved in bizarre on-court incidents. His high intensity as a player and now a coach often translate in to inappropriate displays on the court. Both teams were assessed a $500,000 fine but David Stern claimed it was a matter of setting a precedent. He wants to hold teams accountable in the future for the actions of their employees and said that the circumstances surrounding this particular incident did not play in to the levying of this fine.

When a group of competitive athletes get in to the heat of battle, there's always the possibility of extreme escalation. Fighting has always been a part of sports, but seems to be put under the microscope when on the basketball court. The biggest reason is the proximity to the fans. Unlike any other sport, fans are closer to the action in basketball than any other sport. There is an innate intimacy to sitting on the court, so when fighting erupts the spectators are perceived as being in real danger. If the criteria for handing out harsher penalties is keeping the fans safe, how come J.R Smith and Nate Robinson did not bare the brunt of the suspensions? The two of them wrestled in to the first few rows behind the basket and were most responsible for putting fans at risk.

For now, both teams will have to spend the holidays with a shortened bench. The Knicks are heading nowhere fast and the Nuggets severely complicated their hunt for a coveted Western Conference playoff berth. From an individual standpoint, Carmelo Anthony took a huge step backwards after an offseason littered with progression. He has handled a lot of adversity in his young career and hopefully will bounce back even stronger after this ugly incident.