Rick Artest, World Peace, and Seven Days in April and May.

[JRutledge]

He was not going to receive a lifetime ban. That was not even realistic to think that. I agree this is not the best punishment but this is pro sports. I doubt seriously they could ban him from the league in the first place. There are such things as a CBA and other league rules at play.

Peace

[JugglingReferee]

I also believe that 7 games is too little - way too little. I wouldn't mind if they kicked him out. Why the NBA keeps guys like him around is beyond me. (But the NBA doesn't cater to my demographic.)

I'd love to see criminal charges laid against some athletes' actions.

I like Shanahan's approach to discipline.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I also believe that 7 games is too little - way too little. .... I'd love to see criminal charges laid against some athletes' actions.

+1

A lot of good that name change did.

[Adam]

An Orwellian name change isn't going to fix his character.

[ballgame99]

I didn't see the replay until after I had read Artest's response and "apology", so I was envisioning a 'fist pump gone wrong' type of accidental elbow; then I saw the replay Thought he should have been suspended for the remainder of this season easily. Of course he will miss the first round, so maybe that will end up being the remainder of the season...

[tref]

Originally Posted by ballgame99

I didn't see the replay until after I had read Artest's response and "apology", so I was envisioning a 'fist pump gone wrong' type of accidental elbow; then I saw the replay Thought he should have been suspended for the remainder of this season easily. Of course he will miss the first round, so maybe that will end up being the remainder of the season...

Yesssir! I think that was their thought process, the Lakers cannot advance past Round 1 without him so he was ultimately suspended for the rest of the year & perhaps a couple to open up next season.

[APG]

Seven games is what I expected given prior precedent for how the NBA handles their suspensions. If any of you thought there would be a lifetime ban, you weren't thinking realistically. And even a rest of the season ban wasn't realistic either. Plus, any suspension of 12+ games and the players association has the right to appeal to a grievance arbitrator and they would have definitely done that...and probably would have won the appeal and gotten it shorten.

To give you an idea, the only players to receive lifetime bans are for integrity of the league issues (e.g. CCNY point shaving scandal in 1951), and for violating the league's substance abuse policy a certain amount of times. And even with that, that's collectively bargained and spelled out explicitly in the CBA.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I like Shanahan's approach to discipline.

You mean the same guy that charged a Nashville player for like 2500 dollars for slamming a Red Wings player's head into the glass when the game was over?

Yep the suuuuuure do it right.

Peace

[ref3808]

I also thought the suspension to be too little, but I can't say I really expected much more from the fine folks at the NBE.

If I were judge and jury it would have minimally been a suspension for the balance of the year.