Reply #7: Not the Same

[erpowers]

What you talked about could not happen in the NBA due to the criticisms that would be leveled at the NBA. Do you not remember the Palace brawl or what happened earlier this year. If these mainly black athletes beging to hack each other people will begin to kick and stream that the NBA is too violent and the hip-hop culture has destroyed the NBA even more. I do hate to bring race into this, but the reality of it is that the white athletes of Hockey can get away with the hack act, but not the black athletes of the NBA. For anyone who wants to bash me for bring race into this and playing the race card the only thing I will say is look at the past three years in the NBA compared to Hockey.

About three years ago we had the Palace brawl and many people were saying the NBA needed to change its age and dress rules. Even though there were and still are fights every night in hockey noone called for a age restriction in hockey. I know some people will argue that the Palace brawl is not the same as retalitating against a team whose player(s) attacked a player from the opposing team; however, I would argue that I just do not think people will accept black athletes attacking each other. There are hockey fights every night and noone says anything, but when a fight in the NBA breaks out many people talk about how the athletes in the NBA are thugs and the sport has an imagine problem. So, I just do not think your idea will work. I think it would do more damage than good for the NBA.