Where Else Can You Get Away with This!
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Where else but in our wonderful sport that is the NBA can you get away with sexual harassment and not lose your job? Nowhere, our society does not put up with this kind of conduct but the NBA does. Commissioner David Stern should be jumping right in the middle of this but he is not.
If this was the NFL, Isiah Thomas would be suspended right now and possibly for an extended period of time. He just cost the Knicks franchise $11.6 million dollars and they didn't even flinch. That just shows the sad state of affairs in the NBA. Thomas should have been relieved of his duties and removed from MSG all together. And I think he not the team should have had to come up with the cash.
According to the AP, the jury found Thomas, MSG and James Dolan (MSG Chairman) guilty of harassing the former Northwestern basketball star. Let see if the court finds you guilty shouldn't your League find you guilty as well? It's time for David Stern to man up and step up to this blemish on the NBA's already tarnished name and get this thing turned around!
MSG on the other hand are responsible for this sorry state of affairs and they have another lawsuit coming up from the former captain of the Rnagers skating cheerleaders who makes similar charges as Browne Sanders. Until James Dolan leaves MSG, I don't think this type of behavior will cease. It is up to the fans to send a message to the Knicks that this is not ok by hurting them at the box office. The problem is with the amount fo corporate seats at the arena, this is not likely to happen.
As for the $11.6 million, that is chump change for the Knicks and Dolan. Consider this, as pointed out in yesterday's NY Daily News. The Knicks have paid:
$18.5 million for Larry Brown not to coach
$20 million for Shandon Anderson not to play
$14.5 million for Jalen Rose not to play
Maurice Taylor $7 million not to play
Jerome Williams $21.3 million not to play
So whats another $11.6 million to allow Thomas to try to relieve his stress by hitting an an executive and being able to call black women "bitches" and "hos?" Apparently thats just a part of doing business if you are MSG.