O'Neal vs. Miller incident

[Guerilla_Ninja]

since this card tonight does not have me excited, i am going to say a little something about my subject line.

quickly, i am a bulls season ticket holder (have been for some time) and was at this game. my seats are pretty darn good (fllor seats) although i was not on the side of the court when the incident took place. as a matter of fact, home TV probably viewed this action the best.

anyway, i have a serious problem with o'neals actions. let me ask anyone this question... is it news that teams/players are going to foul o'neal to force him to the free throw line? is it news that it is going to take more than a "tap" to foul this man and not allow him to follow through with his shot?

the answer is no, this is not the latest news and probably never has been news for any of us - let alone o'neal. i don't know o'neals career pre-LSU but, i know he was getting mugged there with double and triple teams. that has carried over to the NBA where it is quite obvious that teams would prefer to foul this horrible FT% shooter than give him free will within 4 feet of the basket.

so what is the big surprise here? do we blame teams for choosing to foul o'neal? do we blame the ref's for god only knows what?

hell no!!! i blame o'neal for his actions on friday! accept your past as it is your present and future. nail 77%+ at the free throw line and maybe things change. the physical punishment you are taking has led to this action?!? get another job! god forbid your employer puts you in such danger. if your role and responsibility puts your life in such danger that you attack others, i would update that resume and search for a less physical occupation.

the mental anguish and mental beating i take from my employer does not lead me to take a swing at him. if it gets to be too much, i will move on.

just my two cents...

p.s. if i was brad miller (and my letter to him has already been sent), i would file assault charges. there is no place for this in action in sports and/or life in general.

 

[THE KOD]

Guerilla -

You have some good points but I have to disagree with you here.

I saw the replay on TV about five times and wish I could have been there on floor level for a Chi/Laker game . What utter chaos that was.

To get to my point , yes O Neal knows that teams are going to foul him. He also knows they will not just tap him. But if you are
7' tall and weigh in at 357 lbs. there comes a time when you have to let the league and the NBA players know that if you go too far there could be consequences. Over the years I have seen this happen many times in the NBA. It is part of the game. Anyone who has played ball knows that it is a demanding and physical game. You also know that in a backyard game if things start getting too rough, that most hoopers will let someone know that it will not be tolerated if it is flagrant with intentions to hurt. He could sustain a carreer ending injury. . He sends a message.
And lets face it Oakley was in there too.

You notice ONeal didnt swing at Oakley. And lets face it Oakleys reputation is as a enforcer. This didnt help this situation.

Let me make it clear that I dont ever want to see anyone hurt in any league sport. And I dont condone what he did. He really was out of control. He will get a suspension and fine. Message sent.

If O neal went to Jackson and said ...Coach what do I do they are fouling me harder and harder and it is disrupting my game.

What would Jacksons advice be ?


All I know is that when LA Lakers play Chicago next and I hope its in Staple Center, that will be a good time to give up the points
as there is going to be big time hard feelings left over and plus LA lost the game.

Thats my opinion hope its ok to disagree.

I would be open to additional thougts or information you have that could sway my opinion as I dont have my concrete boots on right now.




Scott-Atlanta

 

[ferdville]

I've seen almost all the Laker games since Shaq has been in L.A. I get the L.A. papers and listen to his whinning all the time. I don't feel any sorrow for him, but some of the blame needs to go to the type of officiating that has permeated the NBA for so long. Shaq does get hacked and hacked and hacked. Of course, if he could hit 66% instead of 50% of his ft's, maybe there would be less. However, you seldom see Shaq or any of the Lakers or L.A. papers talk about the fact that every game Shaq lowers his shoulders, takes a few steps and a hop, bowling over anybody and everybody in his way. The result - usually a defensive foul. You only need to remember the finals versus Philly last year and the look on Motumbo's face when Shaq continued to blast his way through a crowd and send Motumbo flying - only to have the foul go on Motumbo. Shaq needs to remember that it works both ways.

 

[Guerilla_Ninja]

scott - your comments are welcome and appreciated.

this is a situation that has none/zero bearing on a players physical state. fouling is allowed in the NBA. personal, flagrant and technical (i believe i got them all). punishment for these types of fouls vary. but, these fouls and there punishment are predetermined (predetermined just like our paychecks). ref's enforce the rules. players adhere to them. some don't (touching on the various fouls: i.e. shaq, wallace, camby, kermit washington, etc...).

there comes a time when you have to let the league and the NBA players know that if you go too far there could be consequences

this is where i have issue. the NBA and its referees are the ruling bodies that decide when/if something goes to far. they and only they can act against the set rules and regulations. no player does that. what would i/you do if we didn't like our paychecks? probably ask for a raise. would we get one? i don't know? what are we going to show our employers to act against the set rules and regulations to merit a raise?

in shaq's case, he took matters into his own hands and disregarded set rules and regualtions. he did this without any of the NBA governing bodies set rules and regulations being broke.

so, you have to be against his action's. CHI miller, oakley did nothing wrong. they fouled shaq. they were going to be "punished" accordingly. and while shaq is still in the NBA, he has to deal with it!

now, what if our merit doesn't warrant a raise in our employers eyes? do we plan on taking actions into our own hands and taking action as shaq did?

if we did, its called assault and battery. for shaq its called a 3 game suspension and donating of chump change.


ferd - your right on

 

[Valuist]

We have to be objective here. I'm a Bulls fan also but Oakley definitely deserves a suspension. He entered that fight not as a peacemaker, but as a participant. I guess this is the "new" Bulls that Cartwright wants.

 

[ddubs]

First, I don't condone the punch/slap that Shaq did, he was out of line. But if it's ok for Shaq to get hacked as hard as he did night after night, then my message to Shaq is to foul them back as hard as he gets it, lets see how many of them sissies can handle his hacking. I've only seen Shaq go after the ball when he fouls someone, not the body, and certainly not to hurt anyone.

The refs have to take a big part of the blame for this. If they're gonna let Shaq lower his shoulder and charge everyone out of the paint for open shots, then eveyone should be able to lower their shoulders and get away with it. Because the refs don't call charge on Shaq, his opponents have no choice but to "foul" him and send him to the line for much lesser percentage shots. But for crying out loud, make an effort to go after the ball, don't just mug him as soon as he gets the ball.

Again, if the refs won't call charge on Shaq for lowering his shoulder, then don't call charge on anyone else. And if the refs won't call flagrant fouls when Shaq gets mugged as bad as in the Bulls game, then Shaq, hack them back. When you have a foul to burn, or two, throw someone down, give them a message you're not gonna take it any more. Because when you complain, everyone calls you a whiner. Instead, do something about it, hack them back. But don't start a fight. There's no place in any sports for that....well I guess except Wrestling.

 

[Felonious Monk]

Shaq is a pussy

Shaq is a pussy

Here is a little hint for you to help cut back the "they always foul me" crying.
a) Develop a jump shot from beyond 3 feet.
b) Start making free throws.

And of course the ever-slumping NBA only gives him a 3 game suspension. Camby wasn't the draw that Shaq is so he got 5 games last year. And explain to me why Miller got fined so much. His head almost hurt Shaq's fist?

Way to take on the wimp in that situation Shaq. I guess Oakley would have fought back so you had no choice with the rabbit punch. How pathetic.