Playoff Chime...

"You know with Ron's questionable past, they're going to look for a way to get him,"

"Whether it's minor or major, they're going to look at it in a different way."
~ Bonzi Wells

"I didn't even see the play, but it couldn't have been that bad,”

"There was no flagrant foul or technical foul on the play. They look at things differently for certain people, you could say."
~ Mike Bibby

I must be on crazy pills. Seriously... There is no other explanation. Either Wells and Bibby have lost their minds, or I have. Ron's "questionable" past. Hmmmm? Oh... You mean the time he was hit with a cup of water, ran into the crowd, and punched a random dude in the face? That was indeed "questionable"... If the question is, "What in the hell is wrong with this guy?"

"There have been a lot of things that have happened in my career which [were] unfair. I support my teammates, and hopefully they'll win the game, and I'll be back Friday [for
Game 3]."
~ Ron Artest

What? Don't you mean… “I made a huge mistake, lost my head, and may cause my team some serious harm in this series. I apologize to Manu, my team, the fans, and the NBA.” Oh, wait, I forgot it is Ron Artest… He meant exactly what he said. Not his fault. Big NBA conspiracy. Get off his back.

Look, Artest’s past is not “questionable” it is air tight… The man is a lunatic. When he played for the Bulls he tried to get a job at Circuit City, for the discount. He wanted to take time off from a season, when still with the Pacers, to promote an album. He ran into the crowd and punched a random fan right in the face, and his team still had his back. Then he put an end to any chance the Pacers had at a title run by asking for a trade. Now he throws a forearm straight into the face of Manu Ginobli and people want to throw him excuses. Well, not me. Artest is, and deserves to be, under a microscope the rest of his career… He just isn’t right in the head.

Artest really needs to realize that his past is built on rocky ground, and that cannot be changed. After the brawl he was given a golden opportunity to come back this season, play an enormous role for a good Pacers team, and begin to change his reputation. Instead he unexplainably asks for a trade, plays a handful of well-behaved games, and then throws a forearm shiver into Manu Ginobli.

Should Bonzi Wells, or the other Kings, condemn him? I would say no. That would probably lead to another trade demand. But, no excuses should be offered. This is a man who possesses one of the craziest and ugly pasts in NBA history. Also, a man who is already on his third fresh start, and shouldn’t need another.

(All quotes are from the AP)

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com