Sheridan article TRASHING Stu Jackson

[Muggum]

There's a Sheridan article on ESPN insider trashing Stu Jackson... any way we can see more of it without breaking forum rules?

M

 

[az1965]

Ruling Is Ridiculous


posted: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | Print Entry
filed under: Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw, Amare Stoudemire, Robert Horry

I'm just off a conference call in which Stu Jackson explained his decision to suspend Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for leaving the bench during the fracas at the end of Game 4 of the Suns-Spurs series, and I'm searching for the right words to describe my reaction.

Let's see if this does it: Jackson's decision is utterly, profoundly, alarmingly, unreasonably ridiculous.

Or how about this: Idiocy's advocate just unloaded another haymaker on common sense.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I'm just off a conference call in which Stu Jackson explained his decision to suspend Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for leaving the bench during the fracas at the end of Game 4 of the Suns-Spurs series, and I'm searching for the right words to describe my reaction.

Let's see if this does it: Jackson's decision is utterly, profoundly, alarmingly, unreasonably ridiculous.

Or how about this: Idiocy's advocate just unloaded another haymaker on common sense.

But I'm settling on something simpler: This is just plain stupid.

"This is a very unfortunate incident, but the rule is the rule," Jackson said. "It's not a matter of fairness. It's a matter of correctness, and this is the right decision."

Right decision? Upholding a black and white rule when there was so much gray area here is the right thing to do? Giving people another reason to unleash NBA conspiracy theories is the right decision? Being so rigid on this one rule when there are so many others open to interpretation, that is the right decision?

Puh-leeeze, Stu.

The 15-minute conference call with Jackson was one of the most contentious I have ever been on, with Jackson even acknowledging that if the leave-the-bench rule needs to be revisited, then the league office would be wide open to revisiting it. Jackson said the ruling to suspend Diaw and Stoudemire for a game each (and Robert Horry for two games) was ultimately commissioner David Stern's, but that Stern had accepted his recommendation.

The league office has historically enforced this rule rigidly, though Jackson would not speak to exactly which precedents he considered before imposing the suspensions.

But just because a rule was enforced with a lack of common sense in the past does not mean it must be enforced unreasonably in perpetuity.

I asked Bulls coach Scott Skiles about the suspensions before tonight' Bulls-Piston game, and here is what he said: "A rule is a rule, and in the past handful of years since they put that in, there have been I think less than five, maybe less than three, but there have been a couple occasions where someone just put one foot on the floor and got suspended. So if you're going to have a hard and fast rule like that, I think you've got to abide by it, and you can't make any exceptions."

So much for my previously held belief that Skiles was a reasonable guy.

This decision is just plain bad, and it's going to impact the outcome of that series.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=sheridan_chris

I did leave out the last sentance so there.

 

[TJ]

as he should....this is the most pretentious ruling in the history of the league.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Wow, that was an amazing article.

 

[arthurracoon]

right on the money

 

[Muggum]

Love it and couldn't agree more...

 

[az1965]

Unfortunately it does not have any implications on the decision. But if enough experts get on the phone with Stu and Stern, it may put some pressure... wishful thinking, I know...

 

[HardBall]

No way in Hell they would ever reverse a decision. Only thing we could hope for is that they would add a suspension of Duncan.

Still, a MAJOR longshot.

 

[Mainstreet]

I know it doesn't count but this was the first time I heard Charles Barkley go pro Suns after the game.

 

[haverford]

Stern made a big mistake with this decision. It will have unintended consequences.

 

[mcgophers]

Awesome article. Stern and Jackson should be held accountable for this, but who knows if it'll happen?