quote:
Originally posted by Todd VandenAkker:
If the penalty (for unsportsmanlike behavior) becomes too minute, then it's not going to do it's "job" of encouraging proper behavior on the court. The prospect of losing the ball should, theoretically at least, provide some additional incentive for a player or coach keeping his/her mouth shut. They know the rule, so if they want to jeopardize possession while on offense, so be it. ]
I guess I would support that theory if they could also penalize the defense by taking the ball away from them. Oh wait - they already don't have the ball
I really don't care what the penalty is as long as it's substantive - AND is an equal penalty for either team AT ANY POINT IN THE GAME! Wouldn't you prefer to be able to call a technical when the bad behavior happens, instead of waiting for a change of possession, like we are told to do sometimes?
Where is it written that there is more of an expectation of sportsmanship from a team when they have the ball than when they don't? Answer - nowhere. Yet the penalty is harsher for a team when they have the ball for behavior that may be identical that of the other team when the other team doesn't have it. That's an inequity in the rules that needs to be corrected.