Shaq Suspended for Using F' and Sh' on Live TV (same day as Janet)

[GulliverSwift]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal was suspended without pay by the NBA on Monday, one day after using obscene language and publicly criticizing the officials during a television interview.

The suspension was announced just hours after O'Neal issued a statement apologizing for the comments he made following the Lakers' 84-83 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

O'Neal will serve the suspension Monday night, sitting out a game against the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers. It will cost him nearly $295,000.

O'Neal scored a season-high 36 points against the Raptors in his third game back after missing 12 because of a strained right calf, but was angered by the officiating.

He made that clear in his postgame interview on KCAL-TV -- conducted almost immediately after the game.

``My message to (commissioner) David Stern is get some people in there that understand the game and don't try to take over the ... game because people pay good money to see good athletes play,'' O'Neal said.

When reminded he was on live TV, O'Neal responded with another profanity before the interview continued.

``My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment,'' O'Neal said in the statement released Monday by the Lakers. ``But I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate and again, I would like to apologize.''

The game at Indiana was the second of a seven-game road trip for the Lakers, who played without injured stars Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, as well as O'Neal.

[GulliverSwift]

They don't specify what he said, but after he was reminded that he was on live TV, he said, "I don't give a sh--."

My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment,' I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate and again, I would like to apologize.''

Blah blah blah. I wonder who wrote that one up for him.

[My2Cents]

More cultural slop from overpaid dregs of society.

[Severa]

I've been critical of him since he played ball at LSU. Kudos to the NBA for the suspension without pay. More than I expected from them.

[mrfixit514]

That fat, retarded pig should never be griping about officiating. He gets away with an offensive foul every trip down the court. No player in history has ever benefitted more from biased officiating than the idiot known as Shaq.

[bigfootbob]

"It will cost him nearly $295,000."

Not nearly enough. We'll see more of this immature behavior thanks to the tattoo loving, criminal coddling commissioner D-Diddy David Stern's embrace of the gansta culture for the NBA.

I'm deeply concerned. The NBA was once a great organization, not anymore.

[So Cal Rocket]

Let's see... Shaq dropped the F-bomb, and the SH-word...

He's just taking cues from the Democrat candidates for President:

Kerry: "I didn't expect him to F it up"
Clark: "I'll beat the SH out of them"

Will Kerry and Clark be suspended, too?

[Smogger]

F the NBA and F Stern who wants the turn the league into a bunch of Euro pansi's playing zone and shooting jumpers.

No-one outside of Southern California saw that interview. He was fined for criticizing the officials and Stern plain and simple.

[Smogger]

Spoken like a true Sacramento/San Anotonio/Portland fan.

Just remember who the winningest team in NBA history is.

Lakers.

But of course you knew that...

[freedumb2003]

That fat, retarded pig should never be griping about officiating

The Lakers are like the Yankees -- locals love them and the rest of the country hates them. I gather you are the latter.

Shaq gets fouled more and harder than anyone else in the league. He gives about 25% of what he gets. If he were to foul others as hard as they do in the still-prevalent "hack-a-Shaq" "strategy" there would be dead bodies in the NBA.

The fact remains, Shaq does a lot for the community and is generally one of the good eggs. But sometimes he reverts to adolescence like this and he is always truly apologetic.

You prefer the overt gang members that are the "respected" members of the NBA? I guess so.

[GulliverSwift]

No, it was on ESPN, that's where I saw it.

But you're right. They want a bunch of foreigners with bizarre names and wannabe gangstas. There is no way this is going to draw white male viewers, which is what they desperately need to survive.

[ErnBatavia]

Let's see... Shaq dropped the F-bomb, and the SH-word...

If Jim Healy were still with us, we'd all get to hear it over and over and over again!

[GulliverSwift]

Well, Bush could always round them both up as enemy combatants.

[GulliverSwift]

They're cultural terrorists, after all.

[Smogger]

No, it was on ESPN, that's where I saw it.

I am sure ESPN omitted the F-Bomb. Southern California saw it live on KCAL after the game though. He deserved to be fined but a suspension is ridiculous. The officiating in the league has deteriorated, and Shaq was within his rights to say so. Mark Cuban has been fined tens of thousands for saying much the same thing. If a player criticizes the officials they know they will be fined. But a suspension is uncalled for.

[cynicom]

I stopped attending or watching professional sports a long time ago.

[freekitty]

Me too.

[RGSpincich]

You are so right.

[Smogger]

wannabe gangstas

I think thier all in Portland, Oregon. That hotbed of gang activity where the TrailGangsta, Failblazers, WeedBlazers play. They can't help it. They have never recovered from that 4th quarter game 7 meltdown against the Lakers in 2000. No amount of weed will make the pain go away.

[dfwgator]

Shaq gets fouled more and harder than anyone else in the league.

That's because he can't hit the broad side of a barn on his free throws. If he only had the discipline to practice free throws, he wouldn't get fouled as much, and he might have a longer career, and be an even more dominant player.

[Smogger]

Everyone has an achilles heel. If Shaq was a dead-eye FT shooter it wouldn't even be fair. Just give the Lakers the trophy at the beginning of the year. I just figure God was trying create a little parity.

[oust the louse]

"It will cost him nearly $295,000."

Poor Shaq daddies posse don't get no hummers in the driveway next month.Big deal.Make it two weeks and I'll care about the NBA again....actually,nothing will make me care for the NBA anymore.Overpaid punks!

[bigfootbob]

I'm getting there myself. Basketball is in my blood. I was born in Indiana, I'm 6'4" tall and my name is Bob Knight, I'm destined to be a fan. A reluctant fan, I might add.

You hit the nail on the head about Shaq's hangers-on not getting their custom Hummers. Have you seen the show "Rides"? They did a show about Ty Law, (didn't hear his name much yesterday), and his special custom Hummer. It was stated Shaq's Hummer is the standard all gansta types strive to beat.

[RightWingMama]

That fat, retarded pig should never be griping about officiating. He gets away with an offensive foul every trip down the court. No player in history has ever benefitted more from biased officiating than the idiot known as Shaq.

No kidding. Being a Sacramento Kings fan, I have seen my share of this.

[Poodlebrain]

If Shaq must push his way to the basket, and he has no trouble doing so by your inference, just how come he never gets set up right beneath the basket? Could it be that he is getting pushed away from the basket, which is by definition a foul, but those fouls are not being called? You have as much as admitted that you have a double standard with regards to O'Neal. You expect him to play the game without using his size advantage, but you will allow others to use it as an excuse to break the rules.

The other players in the NBA are thankful that Shaq does not have a mean streak. He is one of the more pleasant individuals you could ever hope to meet. There are some things you just can not fake, and if you've ever seen Shaq in a room full of children you'd understand just what a gentle and good natured human he is. You call him fat and retarded based on what you know about him, but from reading your post, which is all I know about you, I could infer that you are prejudice since you are willing to apply different standards to different people.

[gubamyster]

If Jim Healy were still with us, we'd all get to hear it over and over and over again!

"Who goofed...I've got to know!"

"Say what?

[irishtenor]

Unfair! He got a kollege edukshun.

[af_vet_1981]

The level of civilization among professional sports players and movie stars has deteriorated markedly from the days of Sandy Koufax, Darrel Green, Charlton Heston, and Ronald Reagan.

[ErnBatavia]

"Did the Japanese go and sit down and have dinner with Pearl Harbor before they bombed him?"

"C'mon fella - let's go!"

(We need a Healyism ping list)

[freedumb2003]

He has a FThrow average of a little better than 55% -- which puts him in the middle of the league.

But you can't say he gets fouled more than he gives -- in fact he is #1 in the league in Free Throw attempts -- what does that tell you? By now, the league should have learned he will make the FT that count.

But if the damn officials are going to let the entire league just whack him around at will and only call anbout 1/2 of them I say Shaq should hit back -- and let the body parts fall where they may.

And btw he was RIGHT about the officiating - bad lanugage not withstanding.

[TexRef]

The officiating in the league has deteriorated

Based on your well-informed opinion?