http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or....ssf?/base/sports/1123063495114990.xml&coll=7 The Blazers already have competition in the front court, apparently. If you had walked into the practice facility July 22, you would have witnessed one of the Blazers' centers cursing and running around like a madman, swinging a 6-foot wooden pole at another center, and you would have said, "Same old Blazers." But you'd have been wrong. Centers Ha Seung Jin and Nedzad Sinanovic have been locked in a gym together since mid-June, competing. Ha, under contract for two more years, came back from his offseason visit to South Korea out of shape, then was hampered by tendinitis in his knee, and to compound matters, he's been getting schooled by the 7-foot-4 Sinanovic, a 22-year old rookie from Bosnia. The two have been tussling and tangling on the court. There has been ribbing and verbal exchanges. And as the players usually do at the end of a workout, that particular Friday the two were shooting free throws together in silence. Peaceful enough. That is, until Sinanovic made his final free throw, then retrieved the basketball and held it. Ha walked over and snatched it back. Then, Sinanovic said something under his breath and two men -- 7-4 and 7-3 -- ended up on the ground in a pile of wildly swinging elbows and fists. The fight was broken up by Blazers staffers, and insiders said Ha, who got punched, was left shouting, "I'll sue! I'll sue!" The two were escorted to different areas of the practice facility, and normally the story would end here. Except Ha's neutral corner was the team weight room. And so he picked up one of those wooden poles that players use to stretch and went after Sinanovic, who blocked one swing with his forearm but took another in the ribs before someone ripped the pole (think: closet dowel) from Ha's hands and threw it across the courts. Now, violence isn't funny. And Ha is lucky he didn't injure Sinanovic with that pole. But this doesn't feel as sinister as some of the old Blazers antics. And you'll know this because your friends are going to giggle and shake their heads when you tell them about it. This isn't the same as Zach Randolph cold-cocking Ruben Patterson two seasons ago, breaking his eye socket, then being chased around the facility, and later having to spend the night, in hiding, at Dale Davis' house because Randolph feared for his life. The Ha-Sinanovic bout was about good competition, and frustration, and boiling points. And Nash said the players were fine with each other and even hanging out 24 hours after one was trying to shish kebob the other. Ha's agent, John Kim, said the Blazers haven't contacted him about the incident, so he figured it was "nothing that serious." And Nash declined to comment directly on the brawl, because you're "damned if you do, damned if you don't," but anyone who has played a heated game of pickup basketball or competed against someone for a promotion knows how rapidly things can escalate. It doesn't make what happened right. It just makes it understandable.
Don't mean to be a smartass about this, and I'm not usually one to bring race into these things -- but is this supposed to be funnier or less inflammatory because these are two overseas prospects? If the fight was between Przybilla and Randolph, two full-fledged hip-hop enthusiasts (if you don't believe me, talk to Przybilla for 20 seconds), the media would shake their heads at yet another example of these wild and out of control "wannabe thugs." Instead, because it is two fringe players from overseas, it's just fine? Just two "hard workers" going at it? What if Udonis Haslem and Wayne Simien go at it during practice this year? They're "hard workers" who play the same position. Would the reaction be the same? EDIT: I've talked with John Canzano before, read his blog all the time, and think he's a fine writer. His work with the Darius Miles incident last season was exemplary. Still, this isn't something to be laughed at -- some dude hit another guy with a giant pole in the ribs and was aiming for his head. Just because it may have resembled a Shawn Bradley/Chuck Nevitt fight doesn't make it any better.
We have disagreed on pretty much all topics on this board, but I agree with you on this. The insinuations of this article are deplorable. The Korean guy was assaulting the other dude. How can you look at this differently from any other fight? I am not saying fighting is right or wrong, but the standards applied are very hypocritical to previous situations--by the same writer. How can this guy laugh at this situation when he takes every chance to rip a Blazers confontation? This is just WRONG
Don't take this the wrong way, but I have no clue who in the hell you are. If we've disagreed before, then I must not be too aware of my online "conflicts."
How about Ha's reaction? Instead of saying something like, "I'll get you, you dirty @#(*&#*#," he comes back with, "I'll sue, I'll sue." He may want to check out InformationShack.com.
I think part of the unintentional comedy part is that they're both reaallly tall scrubs. It would be kind of like seeing Manut Bol and Shawn Bradley brawling...
I think thats what made this funny is that. 1. no one really hurt the other. 2. both players got hit (Ha punched in the face, Sina hit in the ribs) 3. there both tall skinny, lanky players (bet it looked funny) both laughed it off and hung out together afterwards. but the Manute/SBradley example sounds funny and true. J
I'm not denying the hilarity behind it. Anything that involves Patterson is beyond funny to me. I'm just not comfortable with Canzano taking a message board-esque tone with his initial report.
I am the guy who rips the Magic and you're the guy that defends them. I wouldn't expect you to remember it
LOL! The funniest thing I have read in a while! "I will sue! I will sue!" CLASSIC! At the same time, that Ha kid is crazy, he's always struck me as someone who is a bit kooko that you don't want to upset, I just hope he doesn't hit Yao hard somewhere in his ribs or something next time we play them. The kid's body movement is out of control.
I don't remember defending the Magic on here, unless you're using the sarcasm font. That said, the Vasquez issue isn't that big, mainly because he wouldn't be much more than an Andrew DeClercq next year anyway (with giant upside). And I'm pretty sure Nelson is gone by Christmas, while his value is still high. Then again, it's Dave frickin' Twardzik we're talking about. Mark Price? Sign 'im!
Personally, I think it's funny because it's Portland. Although, I am a little surprised that Randolph wasn't involved. Dude, try finding a Rockets fan on this site that DOESN'T rip the Magic.
wow, this is hilarious...as is EVERY incident coming out of jailblazers camp. they sure know how to find the "good character" guys out there. this is one of the funniest because can you really imagine to 7'4 stiffs going at with wooden poles??? classic...
They should have just let 'em go at it bare handed. Talk about a sorry fight to witness. Two neandrathal dudes with zero coordination and the quickness of a 25 ton crane. These guys.............getting paid millions just because their pituitary gland was overactive.
