Read this on King Solomon's blog and just thought I'd point it out to you all. The guy is spot on and the letter is very well written. My respect for Doug Collins has gone to an all-time low after last night's game. He was not even hiding he wants the Lakers the win. The guy was just being the mouthpiece for 99% of the fans, Stern, and the so called experts who all want the Lakers to win. Maybe he knew the game was fixed, who knows. There's absolutely no limits to what could be going on behind closed doors. http://blogs.chron.com/jeromesolomon/2009/05/suspend_kobe_please.html Anyways, I registered a complaint via TNT's website. Anyone who agrees can go here http://support.tnt.tv/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5477 and make their voice felt. Just go to the contact button, and proceed from there. Here is the content of my email: Dear TNT, I am sending this email to register a complaint about Doug Collins' commentary during last night's Houston Rockets/LA Lakers telecast. I realize that Collins is a respected and well-liked member of both the NBA and broadcasting community, but his remarks after the Lakers' Derek Fisher cheap shotted the Rockets Luis Scola with an elbow to the face, were over the top. Collins rattled on for about five straight minutes about what a tough guy Derek Fisher is. Although the referees called a Flagrant Two on Fisher, which earned him an automatic ejection, Collins seemed to think this play demonstrated what a gritty player Fisher is. Essentially, he praised punching someone in the face when they are not looking. Is this something that TNT condones? Are we really at a point where it is not only OK to potentially seriously injure a player with a cheap shot, but the TNT staff endorses such tactics? Perhaps we in Houston are sensitive about this subject because in 1972, one of our greatest sports heroes, former Rockets coach and player Rudy Tomjanovich, almost died after being struck in the face by Kermit Washington while trying to break up a fight. Please ask Doug Collins if he thinks this showed how tough Washington was. Collins should apologize on the air to fans everywhere immediately. In Houston, we don't call a sucker puncher a tough guy. We call him a coward. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Mason H. Lerner
His comments on how tough of a guy Fisher is for laying that cheap shot on Scola really got to me as well. I found it absolutely disgusting that a man was being heralded for throwing the entire force of his body into an opposing player who is standing upright with his hands crossed in front of him at his waist, which is a completely defenseless position. I've watched a lot of football in my day, and I've never seen a commentator praise a defensive lineman for a blatantly late hit on a quarterback. It's the same thing in my book.
What do you expect? He's the same guy who thought Kobe elbowing Shane in the back of the head and kneeing him in the face was an excusable way for Kobe to motivate himself to play better. He's also the guy who screamed "aaaarrrrgh" in disappointment when Ron sunk a 3 with the shot clock running down.
Care to address the actual point, which is why an announcer would liken a cheap shot to toughness? I mean, I like how some posters try to keep an even keel and not let homer-ism shape all their opinions. But at the same time some of y'all get carried away playing your devil's advocate role.
this is dumb. if Sura did it, we'd praise it for toughness. I think he should be suspended, and he pisses me off.. but I also do think he was standing up for his team, sending a message, and being the "tough guy".
I agree completely that Collins was out of line. I want to hear the tape of him saying "arggghhh" about the three because that is priceless. I just think it hurts our credibility when we complain if we start exaggerating or using hyperbole.
That is what I was thinking. I would love to see a youtube clip of Collins screaming "Argh" when Artest hit a 3 near the end of Game 1.
Praised by us yes, but he is a commentator for cable network tv not a fan/homer. Dude wrong place to post this.