On the TunneySide of Sports November 4, 2019, #768 … Free Speech!
After further review… With the political debacle in China about the rights of insurgents versus the Chinese government and with the NBA under the leadership of Commissioner Adam Silver being involved, the NBA is adopting a zero–tolerance policy for fans.
The NBA is telling its fans they must zip their lips when it comes to abusive or hateful language toward players. It is targeting fans seated closest to the players, courtside.
Violators can expect ejections and possible further punishment due to their abhorrent verbal behavior. It’s about time. Wait-a-minute. You just paid $3,000 plus or more to sit at courtside.
Don’t you have a right to yell, scream and call your opponents names in order to “get into their heads” with your plan of disrupting their game?
If you have ever sat that close to the court, you hear and see players doing that to their opponents on a regular basis. So why can’t you? It’s called trash talking.
You might be thinking that it’s mostly black players who do the trash-talking, but there are plenty of white players who do it as well. It’s just most of the players in the NBA are black.
Further, unless you have been around players, you may not understand that it is part of a culture. There are more who rise above trash-talking and hateful behavior. It’s just that culture’s way of teasing.
The TunneySide has never believed that trash talking was necessary – let alone correct. As a player in my youth, I learned from my father (whose birthday would be today) to not talk to your opponents during a game and don’t listen to them, adding sports is not a talking game.
As a 31-year NFL referee as well as a 25-year college basketball official, I’ve heard more than my share of verbal abuse between players. Trash talking often results in physical confrontations, which may lead to fighting – followed by ejections.
Isn’t our society against bullying? In the case of ejections due to fans’ hateful behavior, how about starting with the players. Does the denigrating language players use toward opponents encourage fans to do likewise?
Should the NBA enforce players to set the example they expect fans to follow? The three on-court game officials often overlook some of that language, unless it progresses into the game getting out of control.
No one wants to see players ejected, so game officials do all they can to keep players on the court.
Will you comment about how to control fans’ behavior at athletic contests?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If you were unable to attend the book signing at River House Book Store recently ”Yet Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports” is available there for $20 or by sending a check to Jim Tunney Youth Foundation (501c3) P.O Box 1440 Pebble Beach, Ca. 93953 includes personalized autograph and free shipping.
This offer is available to the continental United States only.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
To contact Jim, go to JimTunney.com or email Jim@JimTunney.com. Jim’s books are full of inspiration and interesting stories. Please visit his online store to learn more. Be sure to get Jim’s book ‘Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports’ by clicking this link or using the email above to contact Jim directly. These TunneySides take issues from real-life situations and relate them as inspiration for the betterment of others. Jim is available for speaking engagements on leadership and T*E*A*M Building. His books are available for $20 which includes shipping and tax. The Tunney Bobblehead is available for $30. Please visit JimTunney.com. Thank you!
