WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen, “The Voice of  Old All-American Sports”. December 19, 2006:  The millionaire playground runners and gunners and “Ole’” defenders who pull down millions to play go-through-the-motions dirty basketball in The World’s Most Infamous Arena -- home of the worst basketball team ever assembled, got a ringing endorsement for their brand of thug ball from NBA Commissioner David Stern Monday.

New NBA Sign to Come?

The insane inequity of the worst decision by a sports commissioner since the 1994 baseball strike, sent a message to every young hockey, basketball, softball, baseball, and football player that if you’re getting your feelings hurt, it’s OK to throw an opponent to the floor, throw a pitch at their head or stomach, spike them, kick them or cross-check them from behind just because you’re getting your little egos beat because you aren’t as good as they are.

It was time to send a message. Stern said, “boys, boys!”

Stern suspended league-leading scorer Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony for 15 games primarily for a sucker punch. In a decision that leaves this sportscaster aghast, the head of the NBA Player Union questions the severity.

Meanwhile, Stern lets the instigator, Mardy Collins and the alleged mastermind, the Knick Coach off lightly. Stern suspends the instigator in the Saturday night garden gang fight – the Knickerbockers’ Mardy Collins for 6 Games. Collins threw the Nugs’ J.R. Smith to the floor to prevent a layup in the closing minutes.

Where’s the logic here, Mr. Stern? Are you endorsing a flagrant foul that could have torn  J.R. Smith’s A.C.L. and ruined his career?

Third Man In Rule?

Oh – Carmelo threw a sucker punch, Stern says – is this a hockey ruling, Mr. Stern? I say 15 games each for all of those millionaires with third grade boy mentalities. We used to see fights like this in the halls of White Plains elementary schools for the same reasons – they was dissed.

Then how about this for David Stern wisdom?  Denver’s Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith got 10 game suspensions. Jared Jeffries of the Knicks got 4 Games and  Jerome James and  Nene of the Nuggets got 1 lousy game. They were all fighting – suspend them all for 15 games. But of course nobody would come to Knick games at all…big problem.

But not many are coming now either the basketball is so bad. The White Plains Tigers and the Mount Vernon Knights could show the Knicks and the Nuggets a thing or two about poise under pressure and probably reacting to adversity, too.

Interesting, the Associated Press account does not ask Commissioner Stern why no fine for the Knickerbocker coach who – (unlike Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy who each left benches to prevent their players from fighting – remember Van Gundy holding onto Alonzo Mourning's  leg?) – the Knick "coach" simply watched and rationalized that the Knicks were justified in the flagrant foul because they were being shown up. Poor babies!

Well, perhaps Mr. Stern does not want Madison Square Garden to be completely empty the rest of the season.

However why are Knick fans going anyway? Any Knick fan who goes to see another game should boo the coach roundly and demand his departure.

No Knickerbocker fan should show up at the garden for any more Knick games until their coach and these immature, untalented, no effort “ballplayers” are shipped out of town. The G-M, now coach who put together these gang of no talents, all bluster-no heart babies into town can leave with them. Who coached these guys before they were brought into town by this slick clown in the ill-fitting Pat Riley-wanna-be suits?

College coaching has sure gone downhill to turn out players with this little heart, effort and game savvy that play on the Knicks today.

The Knick Coach  has not inspired them to the effort needed to win – like playing defense for 48 minutes – not the last two when they are down by 20 points. More to the point he blames other teams for playing hard and not taking it easy on his team. Poor babies.

 How this man was ever considered a leader on the Detroit Piston Champs of the 90s is puzzling. It's becoming more clear that Joe Dumars was the real man in the Motor City. Maybe our babyfaced coach was then – but he is not now. Leaders take responsibility. They don’t make excuses and they manage a game. He is in over his head. And no one calls him on it.

Take My Tickets Please!

Knickerbocker season ticket fans cannot give their tickets away this Knick team is so bad. Why they are bad is obvious.

I loved the not-so-good-Knick teams of the 50s with Harry Gallatin, Kennie Sears, Willie Nauls and Carl Braun and Dick McGuire with Nat Sweetwater Clifton. They could never beat the Celtics, but they’d never throw Bob Cousy or Bill Sharmon or Tommie Heinsohn  to the floor because they were being outplayed. That’s just dirty play. We loved them because they tried for us.

The present Knicks have not been taught how to play the game by their coaches of the past, let alone try.  They shame their coaches of the past by the way they play. From the “twin gunners” at guard who play defense when they feel like it, and cannot breakdown a defense in the half-court. To the failure to get back. Ahh, the Knicks are drek.

Now the Knick Coach and G.M. has to be given full credit for proving once and for all: He does not know talent. He can’t coach. He can’t lead. He can’t make players better. He has no class. He does not know how to act in a crisis.

The Knickerbockers used to have class. They do not even have that after Saturday night. They have nothing any more. Why? Because they lost their humility and poise and were instigated into it by their own coach.

 Saturday night was the sports equivalent of a gang member not liking the way someone was acting towards them and pulling out a knife/gun and shooting them or stabbing them. It was gang behavior.

Madison Square Garden should have fired their coach Sunday morning for his remarks remotely condoning the fight. It is the opening Cablevision needed to get rid of this guy. Releases should be dealt out to Mardy Collins,  Jared Jeffries and Jerome James.

Apologies don't cut it.

Stern has got to get real. 15 Games Each for Everybody.

These children cannot play this game.

He is running a league that is out of control. The players play playground ball that shames playground ball – where there is respect for one another.

Stern is fining the franchises -- the Nugs and the Knick-Knacks $500,000 each. That is chicken feed. That is only ¼ of the average Garden basketball crowd for  one night. How about a $10 Million fine, that’s what they pay some of their players?

Stern should have handed out even suspensions all around 15 games for everybody. And he should have suspended the Knick Coach for the rest of the season. No commissioner can condone a leader of a team for condoning a player to take down another player.

The younger players will think this behavior is O.K.

The Knick-Knack fiasco Saturday night is more the troubling because there have been two fights in high school hockey games in the last month, one of which I have seen, the other I read about between John Jay and Mahopac in which this macho mentality of respect has brought on big fights.

Coaches at the high school levels have to go back to teaching respect for opponents and playing hard – not dirty – not retaliating – retaining your poise – while protecting yourself at all times. And not playing players who think hurting the opponent is o.k.

I believe if players fight in high school sports or break the team rules they should be thrown off the team. Of course, the parents will never condone that. Maybe if that happened once or twice to the hapless youngsters Saturday night in the past – they would not have snapped.

Fighting solves nothing. It forever diminishes the fightees.

I am always reminded of Lou Fontinato, the old New York Ranger – the first “policeman” of hockey. In 1957-1958, Bad Boy Louie Fontinato created a sensation in the Old Garden by piling up penalty minutes and picking fights with other teams’ leading scorers, intimidating them. One night in the garden in 1958, Louie picked on the Great Gordie Howe, the legend of the Detroit Red Wings, once too often.  Gordie put Louie in the hospital and Louie was never the same player again. The Rangers weren’t either.

False toughness and bravado are no substitute for skill, effort, and hard work. Something that the Knickerbockers and their “smooth” coach for all their money and contracts, muscles and bruised egos, and jive talk know nothing about.

Neither do the Media

Perhaps the worst thing about this fight is that the media has decided to nostalgize about old fights in sports! This is incredulous to me. It is not part of the entertainment. Fighting is what it is: it has nothing to do with skills or playing the game -- it is all about me-myself-and I -- excused by the "I need to defend my teammate philosophy."

Well, here's what you do. I as manager or coach of that team pull my team off the ice or the court after a dirty play. That might get some attention on TNT or NBC -- I mean who watches the NBA or the NHL anyway?

Or how about the NFL owner or coach, next time one of their "heroes" is arrested for felony involvement -- why not suspend that player without pay for the rest of the season? Gee -- that might send a message.

But running pix and video of famous fights of the past in sports -- the media love them.

Well glorifying fights is not good for the youth growing up playing sports today -- and the media should not do that.

Neither do the owners.

But it is the owners’ league. Stern has to eliminate the drafting out of high school and leaving early for the NBA draft – even if his league is sued.Just as the NFL has to do the same. Children are coming into the NBA who do not know how to behave, channel emotion and dedicate themselves to improving. They have way too much money. Surround themselves with unsavory influences. It is way sad.

At least the NBA does not have illegal guns and knives on the bench -- yet.