Here's the ESPN link: Howard NOT suspended for hit on Anderson I don't even care what Howard was "thinking" when he slammed into Derek Anderson of the Spurs. It was a poor decision that ended the season of a player who was an important part of San Antonio's success. I saw replays of the foul. It was more than just a hard "playoff" foul. Howard hit him just about at full speed and didn't let up when contact was made, as in an effort to lessen the seriousness of the collision. What I disliked most was when the contact was made it was obviously a foul, but in true Oakley-esque fashion Howard still swung his arms downward which made Anderson go sprawling at an even greater unbalanced fashion. I think Howard should've been suspended for at least 2 games and 3 probably would've been more fitting. I don't have a preference over either the Spurs or the Mavericks. Neither of them are the Rockets. In fact, I'd probably prefer Dallas to win the series because I don't want Robinson or Duncan to get another ring. But, the league is sending a very poor message to its players on what kind of contact is acceptable during the playoffs. Ugh, I just read this quote in the article from Howard. "It wasn't done intentionally," Howard said. "Like I said, I went for the ball to try to block the shot, and as I hit the basketball, my arm came down and got tangled with his. As his momentum was moving forward, he lost his balance and fell." The bold is my emphasis.... what a loser Howard is. I only hope he gets Ralph Sampson disease and scores only 2 more points the rest of the series. ------------------ DREAMer's Rocket Page [This message has been edited by DREAMer (edited May 07, 2001).]
I think this is the right decision. It was definitely a hard, flagrant foul, but Howard was not trying to inflict pain on Anderson. Even Gregg Poppovich admitted that. In the playoffs you get hard fouls. Sometimes people get hurt. Just because someone was hurt in a flagrant foul doesnt mean that the fouler shoudl be suspended. You can not really tell what was happening in the heat of the moment. Perhaps it just looked as if Howard was flailing his arms pushing Anderson down. But I didnt see anything of that nature and Howard has been as sincere as possible in restating that it was not deliberate. ------------------ I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
Honestly I'm torn Why should dallas benefit from the unfortunate play which is what they are doing. Like I said . .I'm just torn on the issue Rocket River ------------------
JayZ750, Remind me never to play ball with you. No, remind me to foul you hard if I do play with you and see what happens. You'll be pissed and if not hurt will want to fight. But, I'll remind you of your position on hard fouls, which will piss you off more, then we'll go at it. It'll be fun. It won't be basketball but it'll be fun. Here's another article: No Justice for the Spurs ------------------ DREAMer's Rocket Page
Oh and as a side note, but still related: Jose Lima Suspended FIVE GAMES for Hitting Jay Payton Payton was hit in the elbow not the head, and I'm not sure, but I don't think he'll be missing 3 - 6 weeks of action... during the playoffs. ------------------ DREAMer's Rocket Page
If Howard had been suspended, the NBA office could count on about 1000 emails per day from me. It was a complete joke to even eject the guy, much less suspend him. No rationale behind it whatsoever. Howard was going at full speed to try and block a wide open dunk for Derek Anderson. This again was a case of the refs overreacting to the looks of the situation. Anderson gets so high, and then you have Ferry making Howard out to be a bad guy, etc... Juwan was merely trying to break up the play, and at very fast speed it's hard to completely let up once contact is made. And I certainly never saw him swinging his arms further downward. Unfortunately, injuries happen in basketball, and Juwan was just trying to break up a wide open dunk attempt. Don't want that risk? Then don't attempt the high flying dunk with a defender nearby. He will always try and break up the play. It came off looking bad, but to even eject Howard was a complete joke (I was stunned at the time), but I cannot in the slightest way even comprehend any reason to consider suspending him. ------------------ President of the Mo Taylor, Jason Collier, and draft Richard Jefferson fan club! Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! Sign up for season 2 of the CC.net NBA Sim League! http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000328.html
What Cat said. ------------------ WIN NOW! The Protrolls.com message boards! Hey, I've got posts now! Feel free to join in the trolling fun! Protrolls.com!
I've seen the replay a lot, and still photographs from different angles. One of Howard's hands was going for the ball but the other was on DA's shoulder almost across his neck. Howard also came from behind. Anderson had such an open path to the basket anyone would have tried to dunk it. Howard just flew in outta nowhere from behind. He also made a follow trough motion with his arm. I don't think it will matter that he wasn't suspended. Duncan is really mad. By the end of the series, Howard will probably WISH that he had been suspended, thus sparing him from the torching he will soon receive. ------------------ Hakeem, Hasaw, Haconquered.
as much as you're wrong about the lakers, you are right here. ------------------ http://www.democrats.com mgh 1925-2001
Dreamer , do you honestly believe Juwon Howard went up with the purpose of Injuring Derek Anderson? If so than I cant blame you . But Ive knocked some of my friends down while playing basketball pretty hard . It doesn't make me feel good to know I hurt someone . I've been knocked on my ass more than a couple times but it doesnt make me get up and sock someone in the face . So does that make me a loser who's gonna push somebody down eveytime I play Basketball? I dont think Juwon Howard should be classified as a Thug and his ejection is punishment enough . Come on this isnt a murder trial ------------------ Lisa : Dad did you know The Chinese use the same word for Crisis as they do for Opportunity? Homer: Yes! Crisis-tunity!
I thought it was definitely a Flagrant 2 and definitely warranted an ejection, but... Playing high school soccer, I broke a teammate's femur in practice. I made a hard slide tackle, just like I did against the same teammate almost every other practice, but his cleats caught on the turf and his femur snapped. I had no possible motivation for injuring a teammate and friend; it was a freak accident at practice. I also heard Howard's comments after (actualy, during) the game, and I thought he sounded sincere. Howard said he discussed the foul with Anderson, and Anderson understood that there was no malicious intent. I believed Howard after I heard him speak. I thought a Flagrant 2, and thereby ejection, was the correct penalty for the action.
As long as the game of basketball is played above the rim with these amazing athletes, these things will happen. Howard was going for the block, but he missed. Anderson's season is over, and that is sad, but you suspend players for purposely going after someone(which is what MLB thought Lima did), not for accidents. ------------------ Founder and President of the Houston Homers Club(HHC) - Are you a homer? Join now! The Rockets will be NBA champions. Believe.
Looks like youre going to have to assemble a mob squad of some sort to fould us all. Whahahahaha! Whahahaha! ------------------ I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins. [This message has been edited by JayZ750 (edited May 07, 2001).]
Derek Anderson and Juwan Howard are friends. They have been friends for years, going back to their college days. It's easy for people on the OUTSIDE to say he is a loser and he did it on purpose. Funny how Derek Anderson himself also said it was an accident. I guarantee that if Derek Anderson hadn't fell the way he did and got up people wouldn't think twice about it. But it was a horrible accident and he fell wrong, and now there are people painting Juwan Howard as some blood thirsty thug out to injure people. It wasn't done on purpose. It doesn't matter anyway because San Antonio is going to roll through Dallas, and then they're going to jump all over the Lakers anyway. ------------------ See the three, be the three. [This message has been edited by RocksMillenium (edited May 08, 2001).]
Nobody's saying he injured him on purpose or at least I doubt anybody is. What we're saying is that yes the foul was deliberate in that he wasn't just going after the ball. The way he followed through with his arm on that play is proof enough for me. Hopefully DA will get to play again before they meet the Lakers. GO SPERZ!!! ------------------ NBA Draft Lottery is May 20th. Start praying now.
I think the ejection was legit, and I also think it's right that he didn't get suspended. His words on camera were chosen because he didn't want to get suspended. The dude seemed really sorry that he hurt Derek Anderson, and even apologized for hurting him after the hit and again in the locker room. Honestly, from my view of it, he seems to go for the ball, but he pretty much knows he's gonna take the man down too. It was an emotionally charged play where Howard was out of control, and didn't exactly channel his aggression properly. You gotta get him outa there if he's playing like that. Sure, he probably cooled off after the foul but still, there's no room for that in basketball. And besides, when I'm playing ball & I'm up in the air for a layup, if someone takes my legs out or pushes me in the back, that's when I get ticked off. I've seperated my shoulder, cracked a rib, hyper-extended an elbow, because when I'm up in the air like that, I'm exposed and if I get hacked, I'm gonna come down hard. Players know that. You don't send someone flying like that. It's wrong, and it's gonna end up getting someone hurt almost 100 percent of the time. Still, he was a gentleman about it afterwards, and he has a decent reputation in the league, so he wasn't suspended. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
You can't decide suspensions or ejections on what happens after the fact. Just because this very hard foul resulted in him getting hurt doesn't mean he should be suspended. Would y'all who are ignorantly calling Howard a loser be doing the same if Anderson hadn't of been hurt on the play? S*** happens in sports, and this is just one of them. ------------------ www.swirve.com "Pre-born, you're fine, pre-school, you're f*****."-George Carlin
I think this point is important to recognize: don't argue tha Howard wasn't trying to injure anyone, because no one says he was. The argument is whether a person should be suspended for going for the ball and the body check, which Howard surely was. I'd say no. Flagrant fouls are unsportsmanlike and should be punished. But ejections are the appropriate response. Most flagrant fouls do not result in suspensions which seem to be reserved for intent to injure (like punching or something else outside of the game). I think if it wasn't for the injury, this wouldn't be an issue. It certainly profits Dallas (who will lose anyway) that Anderson got injured. But injuries are a part of the game and won't go away regardless of how you handle suspensions. If Howard knew that injuring Anderson would mean he would be suspended for the rest of the series (say), would he still commit that foul? Of course he would. There's no deterrant there. Besides, punishing the Mavs to counterbalance the injury they caused will not help the Spurs when they have to play LA without Anderson. That's when they're really going to miss him. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
