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January 11, 2010
Ban NBA Player Gilbert Arenas For Life For Bringing Guns To Wizards' Locker Room?!?
January 4th video
Arenas should be banned from NBA
Gilbert Arenas doesn't get it.
He doesn't understand the importance of weighing the consequences of his actions before he acts.
That's what prompted NBA commissioner David Stern to recently suspend the Washington Wizards guard and declare that he "is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game."
Not only did Arenas bring guns into the Wizards' locker room last month, he and teammate Jarvis Crittenton, according to ESPN.com, drew on each other after a heated discussion over a gambling debt. And to top off the list of Arenas' questionable decisions, he smiled as he pointed his fingers at his teammates as if they were guns while they encircled him before a game against Philadelphia recently.
"If I really did something wrong, I would feel remorse for what I did," Arenas said. "I didn't do anything."
Arenas does not get it.
In announcing Arenas' punishment, Stern warned the Washington Wizards guard that his conduct will "ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse."
"Perhaps worse." Those words should keep Arenas awake at night because Stern has zero tolerance when it comes to guns in the workplace.
"The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us," Stern said in a statement released by the NBA.
Arenas, in the second year of a six-year, $111 million dollar contract, has been suspended indefinitely — without pay. He would have made $16.2 million this season, but he will lose about $147,200 per game. That's pocket change for Arenas.
If the NBA really wants to send a message, it should ban Arenas from the league. His contract with the Wizards should be voided, and he should never be allowed to participate in an NBA game again.
That would send a message that even Gilbert Arenas could understand.
NBA needs to ban Gilbert Arenas for life for bringing guns to Wizards' locker room
David Stern's next move should be to throw Gilbert Arenas out of the NBA.
For life.
Stern needs to make an example out of Arenas and send a zero-tolerance message to his players.
Stern has to make it crystal clear that the NBA now has a gun ban.
After announcing the indefinite suspension, will the commissioner do what needs to be done by instituting what should be known as the "Arenas Rule?" Or is he merely going to suspend Arenas for a year and then allow him back into the NBA in January of 2011?
As Stern himself said, "the possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us."
Arenas engaged in damage control Wednesday, releasing a statement in which he admitted his attempts at humor "showed terrible judgment."
That's the same "terrible judgment" he used in showing up at his team's locker room with his stash of unloaded weapons.
Arenas tried to make nice Wednesday with Stern when he called to apologize, but the damage has been done.
Then again, Arenas has given Stern the kind of opening he needs to trash his current gun policy and make it a fireable offense if any player is caught with a weapon.
No exceptions.
If Stern were to implement "the Arenas Rule," players might think twice about owning a gun. Nowadays, it seems like everyone is packing. Devin Harris of the Nets estimates that as many as 75% of players own guns. That would amount to about 300 players.
"That sounds about right," said an official with one Eastern Conference team, whose duties include reminding players that they need to register their weapons and keep them off team property. "Guys have guns to protect themselves when they go out. They don't own them to use on anyone. It's for peace of mind."
Regardless, the NBA has already gotten enough terrible publicity with players and guns over the last few years. Even if Arenas never pulled a trigger.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Why should Stern ban a man for exercising a right? Do you suggest speech next? Having the gun isn’t the problem.
If they think this is bad just wait until he finds out how many fans are carrying guns.
Rape, drugs and other criminal acts can be tolerated but having a gun is unpardonable. If Michael Vick, who was convicted of a felony and served prison time, can be allowed to return to the NFL, and Mike Tyson forgiven and was back in boxing, then why should Arenas, who has not been convicted of anything, be banned for life? In fact, other than brandishing the firearm(s) in question, he has not committed a crime that he’s been charged with. His guns were not loaded. No Bullets
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at January 11, 2010 03:49 AM
Comments
Is it just me or is professional sports just hardcore anti-second amendment? Even 50 years ago this would have been common in America. Now, you even mention the word "Gun" and everyone gets scared. It's f*cking pathetic!
I need to get a gun rack for my truck.
Posted by: JohnE at January 11, 2010 05:46 AM
This is how stupid the NBA is. Four additional players were fined $10,000 for smiling too much when Arenas did his finger pointing gun imitation to his teammates.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/01/08/wizards.guns.ap/index.html
Posted by: BobF at January 11, 2010 07:54 AM
That they "drew down" on eachother with unloaded guns isn't of concern to me. That they did it over a gambling debt is. Aren't Professional athletes in the USA prohibited from gambling? Ala, Pete Rose? It ain't the gun, it is the way of the user that is the dangerous element here.
And, if the commish has a fetish about not having guns, let him work it out. Ownership of a gun in no way makes someone a criminal. It is faulty laws, or misuse of a gun that create the criminal.
"Never Forget the Ft. Hood Texas 14 of 11/5/09!"
Posted by: Frankly Opinionated at January 11, 2010 08:28 AM
Yeah Gambling is suppose to be illegal in professional sports. The Golden Boy, Paul Hornung was suspended for gambling in the mid 60's, there are more of course but they didn't play for the Packers.
The pc press refuses to vote on 'Charlie Hustle' for the Hall of fame, why because Pete Rose admitted to gambling. Ray Lewis accused and tried for Murder was acquitted but never proved that he wasn't involved. He still playing for the Ravens. But no gun was involved.
Plaxico Burris took a gun to a nightclub and the dumbass shot himself in the leg, no he is incorrigible can't help him he had a "GUN". It looks like he will be banned for life.
You have these nitwit PC sports reporters, who think their version of society should prevail. Arenas had a concealed carry permit, so he did nothing wrong according to the law. Yet, it was the idea 'He had a GUN' and that is the villian here. Nothing else matters. Doesn't matter it his life was in danger, or if he felt his life was in danger. So much for the inherent right to self-defense.
Even in schools, the School Nurses are suppose to ask students about their home life. Does your father own a gun is one of the questions. How does that take care of the kids current problem...it doesn't, but it gives information to the prying eyes of Big Brother.
The Supreme Court even said the D.C.gun ban was unconstitutional yet these holier than thou liberals refuse to abide by the courts rulings. Unless it has to do with Abortion their sacred sacrament.
This is not about two putzes in a mock shoot out it is about control of the youth and the country and taking away our unalienable rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution. Which they dispise. Professional Sports especially NFL and NBA is filled with a bunch of petty tyrants.
Posted by: Mark at January 11, 2010 08:58 AM
Their contract which they freely signed, says 'no guns at NBA events' just like my employer says 'no guns on company property'.
Both Arenas and Crittenton should be punished for the gambling and for the guns on NBA property.
Posted by: Marvin at January 11, 2010 12:45 PM
Arenas is a bozo brain who is about 1 french fry short of a happy meal.
Posted by: Lynn at January 11, 2010 02:10 PM
Even if he has a concealed carry permit that does not permit Arenas to either take his gun where it is forbidden or to pull it out for horseplay. Why did he have more than one gun? It is the "unloaded " gun that kills so many people. Most CCL classes stress these as very important facts. What Arenas did ends up being bad publicity for all licensed gun carriers. As stated above, "terrible judgement" was exercised that day.
Posted by: TomR at January 11, 2010 02:52 PM
Ok Marvin, he violated his contract so this warrants a life time suspension from the Sport ?
Your government has violated the contract they have with you, US, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights which was added to the Constitution to give each individual certain Rights and they were not given by the government or Nancy Pelosi but they are given by God. This is what, this is all about stripping each citizen of their inalienable Rights. Once this is done they will have total control over you, your property and anything else you consider valuable. This may have been a stupid act but it reaches much farther than that. If you can't see that, then you are not looking for the truth. And the truth is, the Founding Fathers knew that they wanted to keep the Federal Government as far away from us as possible. Frankly opinionated writes, everyone should read the Federalist Papers, did you know their were people called the anti-Federalists, yes, Patrick Henry was an anti-Federalist, he believed that the Constitution gave the Federal government too much power and encouraged his representatives not to sign the Constitution. He thought the Articles of Confederation were enough.
Even, a first offense Weapons Charge is a misdemeanor. So where is the justice in pro sports. Like WT says, Rape, Murder, Durgs are forgivable but God forbid you have a Gun, then all bets are off.
It should NOT give licensed gun owners a bad name they didn't do it, most licensed Gun owners are responsible, No, two individuals did it. Again where is the individual responsibility. Yes it was stupid and that's all it was.
You say, Tom, Buy Ammo, buy Ammo this is a counterintuitive statement to your last statement because there must come a time when that is illegal too, owning too much Ammo. Got to be a law somewhere that says you can only have a certain amount and if we are responsible law abiding citizens we wouldn't want to violate the law.
My whole point, was to make the point that the laws are too far reaching and intrusive into our God given Liberties and this is how far we have come down the slippery slope of Socialism.
Posted by: Mark at January 11, 2010 06:29 PM
Marvin, does the basketball arena belong to the NBA or to the taxpayers? Most sports arena's belong to the taxpayers as they are taxed for its construction, maintenance, and renovation. The NBA, NFL, and MLB all hold communities hostage when it comes to new stadiums...build us a new stadium or we'll move the team to another city that will. Your employer can ban you from carrying a gun on company property because it's private property. But, arena's and stadiums are usually public property, owned by the taxpayers.
You never pull a gun on anybody unless you're ready to pull the trigger. What Arenas did was stupid and represents a gangbanger mentality...that's what Burris had. If Burris had his gun properly concealed in a holster, it would have never gone off and he would still be playing for the Giants.
Posted by: BobF at January 11, 2010 08:40 PM