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August 04, 2008
What would reaction be if Smith played for Bobcats?
A poll of Charlotteans shows 74 percent believe the Steve Smith-Ken Lucas fight proves all NBA players are thugs and the uptown arena never should have been built.
OK, I made that up. But you get the point.
That Teflon coating that surrounds NFL players is an impressive shield. My colleague, Tom Sorensen, wrote a column advocating Smith, the Panthers’ wide receiver, should be suspended three regular-season games for beating up teammate Lucas on the sideline of a practice. Most of Tom’s reader reaction bordered on, “as long as he keeps catching passes, I don’t care if he burns down the town.’’
If Smith played for the Bobcats, I’m confident the reaction would have been very different.
The point of this blog entry is not to tell you what to like. I love pro football and I follow the Panthers. I think they handled Smith’s action appropriately by suspending him for two regular-season games without pay. I find Panthers owner Jerry Richardson among the classier people in this community.
But I find some fans’ situational ethics hilarious. When one NFL player screws up, it’s always an isolated incident. When one NBA player gets out of line, they’re all to blame, as in “I told you we never should have built that arena!’’
(And don’t give me that Panthers-built-their-own-stadium argument: The city assembled the land in a classic sweetheart deal.)
Smith would be the same guy if he were a foot taller, dunking for the Bobcats, as he is now, catching passes for the Panthers. He’d still have that unpredictable, occasionally violent, temper.
Only one thing would change, had Smith played basketball instead of football: The reaction.
Posted by Observer Sports on August 4, 2008 at 01:32 PM | Permalink
Comments
so i take it the Bobcats are done for the offseason?
Posted by: HJ | Aug 4, 2008 2:03:15 PM
What would the reaction be? Well, to start, it's impossible to judge because the Bobcats have no Steve Smith; there's no single Bobcat who has even made an All-Star game, much less led the league in every important statistic at his position. Further, no Bobcat has even carried his team to a .500 record or a playoff appearance, much less a division championship and an appearance in the championship of the entire league as its best player. No Bobcat has played that well and took his team to success so as to endear himself to the community in such a manner. Right or wrong, that's factual.
You seem to be complaining about a specific instance where a Bobcats player was treated unfairly, but I can't recall any Bobcats having been involved in a legal situation to provide you with a basis for this complaint. I know we've had an assistant have a DUI, and it barely registered on the radar. I doubt most Charlotteans know that the team employs a coach currently with cocaine possession on his record, and I truly doubt they'd be up in arms about it if they did.
Maybe you're making a statement about the NBA vs. the NFL as a whole, but here's another part of the problem: players in the NBA are less covered when in uniform. A guy who has tattoos on 50% of his body can have those tattoos seen and observed (and critiqued) much easier in the NBA than the NFL. We can see and hear NBA players cursing out referees, other players, whining about calls, and basically acting like children because we're closer and they don't have the opportunity of wearing a helmet as a mask. We've never seen NFL players rush into the stands and start throwing punches with fans. We've never seen the NFL need to institute a rule requiring its players to look classy and professional when arriving at the arena and standing on the sidelines when not suited up.
In fact, if anything, I'd say that the NFL has it tougher, because with a roughly equal rate of crime commission, stories about NFL players in trouble with the law and committing violent acts are in the news something like four times as often simply because the squads are bigger. I can see the point you're trying to make, Rick, but I think you're wrong.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Aug 4, 2008 2:44:09 PM
As bad as it sounds to say, competitors are competitors. Michael Jordan cold-cocked Steve Kerr in a Bulls practice, but people don't think of him as a thug or having a terrible temper. They think of MJ as a firey competitor who let his emotions get the best of him one time.
Now...Steve Smith is no Jordan. And this is not the first time he's had anger issues. But the fact of the matter is that they both get a free pass because of their talent and propensity for winning games.
If,say, LeBron played for the Bobcats and got in a fight in practice, I have a hard time believing Charlotte fans would say that he embodies everything wrong with the NBA...
Posted by: Shryle | Aug 4, 2008 3:00:46 PM
I agree. There's a double-standard that is applied to basketball players and athletes of other sports.
Posted by: Brandon Hoffman | Aug 4, 2008 3:02:15 PM
Bonnell, people may have evaluated him differently if he played for the Bobcats, but I don't feel it is because the Bobcats are a basketball team.
It just seems clear to me that people don't like the Bobcats anywhere close to the level that they like the Panthers. It is the franchises that matter, not the sport itself.
Posted by: Yeah? | Aug 4, 2008 3:40:21 PM
Procton, you're right about the assistant coach. The only other issue with the Bobcats is when Morrison gave fans the bird for constantly railing on him at a road game. He apologized for losing his cool and said it wouldn't happen again.
Posted by: Yeah? | Aug 4, 2008 3:43:41 PM
We already know the answer that to, Bonnell. I'll actually give you credit for posting a blog about it, though.
Of course, the main point of your blog, might not be so true if the Observer kissed Bobcat ass the way you all do Panther ass.
If Steve Smith were on the Bobcats, he wouldn't be receiving any more criticism now than usual, but of course that's because everyone would have been calling him an evil black gangsta
And Procton, the reason they instituted a "dress policy" is because a lot of morons on these blogs, and to some extent, people like you. Who the hell cares if they wear baggy clothes? You apparently haven't seen Steve Smith out of uniform too much. He's wears the same type of crap the NBA outlawed. They do it because they think it will bring in more fans, and it won't. If you care about a player's skin color, or about what he wears, you obviously don't care much about the sport itself, and there's no amount of advertising and marketing that will bring you in. Likewise, if you care about the sport and not the side issues, you will look pass stuff like that.
And to bring it back to the original topic, that's why all the holier-than-thou Jesus freaks that whine about the Bobcats being too black on these blogs, are the same ones on the Panthers blog telling everyone to calm down, fights happen all the time, there's nothing to worry about, woe is Steve Smith, etc.
They care about the NFL more than they do all that side crap. Steve Smith could be, I dunno, the first -- err, second -- WR in franchise history to murder someone, and they'd make excuses for him.
But I'll admit, it's kinda endearing to watch the country bumpkins pushing their morals to the wayside for a mediocre, soon-to-be 7-9 football team. It makes it all the more funny when they come over here and whine. I think somebody's projecting! Either that, or they have to find some way to vent and let out all that frustration that builds up when they watch the Panthers play!
Posted by: Will | Aug 4, 2008 3:48:23 PM
The Bobcats and Rufus need to leave town. Bonnell, find another job before it's too late!!!
Posted by: bill | Aug 4, 2008 3:52:02 PM
And Yeah?, no, it's the sport that matters. The Panthers are a pretty awful franchise. I think they've won more than they lost like 3 times in however many seasons they've played? They've had all sorts of criminals on their roster, including a murderer. They're a pretty despicable franchise.
But their franchise is a part of the NFL, which most of the country bumpkins around here just looooooooove.
So, yes, it is about the sport.
If the Panthers were an NBA team, everyone would call them out for the mediocre, criminal organization that they basically are.
Posted by: Will | Aug 4, 2008 3:52:30 PM
Well I disagree with you Will. To me, the sport doesn't matter.
As for the Panthers, I feel you're pretty wrong when you say that the franchise is a "mediocre, criminal organization." Believe what you want though, I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise.
Posted by: Yeah? | Aug 4, 2008 3:59:51 PM
PS - Bonnell, you can see the same double-standard when it comes to steroids.
All these bumpkins around here just love to hate on Barry Bonds.
Yet, when I point out how the Panthers are a loser organization that's had very little success, all the Panther ass kissers will chime in how they've been to the Superbowl, yadda yadda yadda.
I saw Barry Bonds hit homeruns back when he was small, before he took steroids.
I ain't seen the Panthers O-Line do jack BS or AS -- before or after steroids. Yet, they'll crucify Bonds while heralding the Panthers' fluke, steroid-fueled Superbowl run. I would say, "oh, the irony," but it's more like, "oh, expected stupidity."
Posted by: Will | Aug 4, 2008 4:00:57 PM
Rick.... I was hoping you were writing about Jason Smith and the Bobcats.....never mind.
Posted by: Bob the Cat | Aug 4, 2008 4:01:09 PM
The Bobcats suck point blank and they don't have a All World/Pro Bowl/All Star player so of course fans will let a situation like this slide because A)What Smith does on the football field he's arguebly the best wide reciever in the NFL right now. and B)He's shown improvement ever sense the first fight and only slipped up once.
This kind of reminds me of the Kobe Bryant situation when he got accused of rape. Fans and the media still called him the greatest player in the world and still do while the legal problems were over his head.
Everyone needs to STFU he's said he's remorseful and he's got his punishment Bonnell is just bored.
Posted by: Panthers=Relevant Bobcats = irelevant | Aug 4, 2008 4:06:53 PM
You don't have to, because as Procton said, "that's factual." There's really no need for someone's opinion in this matter. I can list off all the criminals, and I can list off all the times they've actually won more than they lost -- and I can do the latter pretty quickly!
Posted by: Will | Aug 4, 2008 4:06:54 PM
The reaction would be just the same as all other Bobcats news: total indifference.
This town cares about the Panthers. They don't care about Bob's Cats, and they won't until management really shows that they want to win. (Drafting 7 foot Frenchmen who average 5 PPG in a semi-pro league isn't very awe-inspiring)
Posted by: TP | Aug 4, 2008 4:07:38 PM
Bobcats fans are pissed because they aren't relevant and don't have any superstars don't get pissed because the Panthers do.
Posted by: Panthers=Relevant Bobcats = irelevant | Aug 4, 2008 4:09:50 PM
Wrong. This town cares about football. They don't care about basketball.
The Hornets left town with a decade-long streak of finishing .500 or better in every season. The Panthers have 3 in 13 seasons where they've won more than they lost.
If you care about winning, you don't throw your support behind a team that's only won more than it's lost three times in 13 years. Period.
Sorry to have to correct you.
Posted by: Will | Aug 4, 2008 4:11:23 PM
Agreed TP this is the same team that passed on trading 5 & 13 to get Chris fucking Paul what a horrible franchise and they wonder why they haven't made the playoffs in the weak East lol.
Posted by: Panthers=Relevant Bobcats = irelevant | Aug 4, 2008 4:13:05 PM
Will that's not true NC is just as much as a basketball city than New York it's just college basketball and in the past the Hornets. If the Bobcats won some games, made the playoffs and had players that were superstars they would sell out like last years ACC tourney and the city would care but they don't.
Fire Micheal Jordan and Bob Johnson, change the colors from gay orange to something people would like to wear outside of the arena and make the playoffs under Larry Brown (Not 1 and done either) and maybe we could talk but now STFU.
Posted by: Panthers=Relevant Bobcats = irelevant | Aug 4, 2008 4:22:06 PM
I'm going to have to agree with Will here, especially considering this isn't a first offense for Smitty a marquee guy and recognized role model in the community. If an NBA franchise, hell even the early Hornets endured as many potential PR disasters as the Panthers have in their history they would be crucified in this town. It's not even JUST about it being Charlotte. It's more of a NFL/NBA double standard.
The funny thing is that people say the Hornets soured them on the NBA. Well, let's think about the most egregious offenses of the Hornets that turned fans off: 1) Letting Zo go; 2) Shinn not selling Jordan a 51% share; 3) George coercing a girl he had "helped" into oral sex; 4) Ray Woolridge being a clear scumbag and 5) afterwards trying to get stadium uptown when fans had already checked out due to reasons 1-4.
Now take some time to list the various PR blunders that have gone on in the Panthers history and tell me that any NBA team--early Hornets included that could have survived that here. The reality is that football is a ONCE A WEEK WEEKEND sport where every game has visible value that you can plan around much easier than the NBA. Furthermore, even though their players with melanin have instances of breaking the law and such, the thought is that the inmates don't have the power that they do in the NBA, b/c Gene Upshaw is a yes man for the league rendering their union pretty useless.
Posted by: jperry | Aug 4, 2008 4:45:38 PM
Mr. Bonnell makes a very good observation. Unfortunately, our emotions will only allow us to view it superficially. While the observation is right on target, understanding the rational behind overall reactions would probably make a good dissertation for a graduate student in the social sciences. It would be even more interesting if there was a Charlotte-based NHL team. Unfortunately, the same behavior can be scorned upon, tolerated or embraced based on some (sub)conscious perception of the sport and it's players.
Posted by: Murrell | Aug 4, 2008 5:16:32 PM
Someone mentioned Kevin Greene earlier so here's another imaginary scenario. How would you feel about a Bobcats' player that shoved his coach. Now, inject melanin into his skin and tell me how you feel.
Posted by: TrueEagle | Aug 4, 2008 6:06:01 PM
Kevin Greene's shoving the coach incident barely cracks the top 25 for Panthers incidents. As I said, they would have been run out of town by now if they were an NBA team.
Posted by: jperry | Aug 4, 2008 6:15:29 PM
"If you care about winning, you don't throw your support behind a team that's only won more than it's lost three times in 13 years. Period."
That's crap. True fans stick with their team regardless of the outcome. They support the team and root for them to do well. Only 1 team can win it all, meaning many will lose and no one knows for sure how things will pan out. If you only root for a team because they win & only root for them win they win, then you are not a true fan.
Posted by: Yeah? | Aug 4, 2008 6:28:50 PM
It's not only the feeling of people about the leagues - just look at the reactions of the players involved. Instead of Smith (or Lucas) trying to play it off as "just football" or how they live their life, both players invoke God, Smith repeatedly describes having to mend bridges and repair his reputation, not to mention honestly sounding like he regrets what he did.
I don't know - that's not always the feeling I get from some of the players in the NBA. By no means do I feel the NBA is some kind of thug's league, and certainly many NFL players wouldn't react how Lucas or Smith reacted. I think the NFL has more personalities that realize the value of their team chemistry, and the manner in which the NBA exists tends to promote a kind of selfishness. Perhaps I've just been brainwashed by the media, though.
Posted by: Mav | Aug 4, 2008 7:10:34 PM
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