Antonio Davis is a Good Man

Antonio Davis on why he went into the stands last night at the United Center:

"I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated. I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly."

Like I said, a Good Man. And anyone who say otherwise can honestly just go get sodomized by a pack of deranged billy goats. Suspended? Shit, the guy should win an award.

AofG Extra: Turns out my "good man" sentiments aren't simply based on last night. About a month ago, I hit up the Duke-Texas game at MSG with Frank and our good man Dr. HowardinNYC. Few minutes in, a familiar 6'8" face sits down a coupla seats away. Yup, Antonio Davis. Who was he with? His mother-in-law. (Later joined by I guess Davis' son, who looks just like him, and his father-in-law.) Not only did the two appear to get along like close friends -- lots of smiles and laughter -- but there wasn't even the slightest hint of any type of Big-Timin' it coming from Davis. Just seemed like cool, down-to-earth, regular dude. He actually cracked a big 'ole smile when after calling out "Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Davis", his mother-in-law turned to me, I asked if she was his moms, she told me the actual deal and I said how cool it was that they were kicking it like that. She smiled a big 'ole smile too and lauged. Just very pleasant people. Not surpised at all that he stepped up like he did, or that he handled the situation admirably. Job well done.

Comments

[membengal]

Complete agreement. I only wish he would have been given five minutes alone with that tool.

[Cozmo]

one fan complained that Davis' kids were obstructing his view by standing.

Are you shittin' me Pyle? Yelling at somebody for standing (to see his father, no less) in the last minute of a game that went to overtime? How dare Davis' kid not sit down during an exciting sporting event. He was probably even cheering for his father's team. Yeesh.

So much for the "Rabid Chicago Bulls Fan Base". If this is how you represent at a game against you don't deserve a winner in the United Center. Weak.

[ddd]

Then I guess it's billy goat time for me. You are dead wrong on this one Jakie. Davis is a perfect example of why the NBA has turned into a league of thugs. The ugliness of Artest should have taught all a lesson. But apparently not Davis. You don't see Football, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis or any other kind of sports players running into the stands. Only the perps in the NBA who think none of the rules apply to them. The whole league is a joke. A dress code is not going to make up for their perpish behavior both on and off the court. And you want to give him an award for disregarding the rules and further risking yet another black eye on an already embarassed league. Davis should be heavily fined and extensively suspended.

[Maine]

I say give him one game so you don't break the precedent, and let it go at that.

Giving him no games would allow a player to dive into the stands, hit a guy, then say they were protecting a little girl. The kids call it a slippery slope.

As for the other sports not doing this sort of thing? Well... in football and hockey it's not physically possible, what with the barriers and all. In baseball, the players wives all sit together in a secure location. It's kind of an issue of opportunity here.

Any human being would do what Tony did here. I commend him for his restraint.

[Peter Karl]

Check out Deadspin for the real story...

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/new-york-knicks/index.php

[Jackie]

ddd: Never seen the classic clip of Mighty Mikey Milbury pummeling a fan with said fan's penny loafer, huh?

Yeah, NHL cats never try to get into the stands. Nope, not all.

As for baseball, perhaps next time Davis should just chuck at chair at someone.

Anyway, how you can put last night's incident in the same category as Artest's & Jackson's hooliganism is pretty much beyond my comprehension.

[howard in new york]

davis is a good man.

he also fucked up. royally.

you never, never go into the stands. your 'perception' is not an excuse, especially when your perception is wrong.

generally our society has way too much behavior excused or justified on the basis of 'my feelings'. 'i felt threatened'. 'i felt' whatever the fuck. ad felt his wife was being threatened. his damn feelings were wrong.

were he in general society, of course he did nothing wrong. lets say, instead of a millionaire basketball player, he was a peanut vendor, working the stands. he sees his wife in a beef with someone, he puts his tray down, and calmly walks over to see what is up. no problemo. (his boss even will excuse that some kids stole all the peanuts).

as an nba player, you are not in general society, when you are in uniform. in return for your millions, your fame, your being able to play the best sport with the best in the world, you must follow certain rules, and give up a couple of normal rights/privileges.

formost, you must not go into the stands. period. ever. (well, i think a couple of players went into the stands the night of the earthquake at candlestick to assist their family members, so i guess there are exceptions, about as rare as a 7.1 quake)

i think five games is light, but ok as a penalty. not for ad, he knows he fucked up. but for the other knuckleheads. it won't do any good anyway.

[zeke]

Why dont some of you clones read the link Maine put above?

This is Kendra Davis.

In Toronto this morning, a reporter from the Sun said that when it comes to player-family versus fans, you usually believe in the player's family EXCEPT if it pertains to Jackie Christie and Kendra Davis even though Mrs. Christie is only a danger to women who look at Dougie while Davis is an all around loon.

Let me put it this way, when Davis left for Chicago and Jalen Rose arrived in Toronto a while back, the #3 reason another reporter gave to why Rose arriving was a good thing was "No Mrs. Davis."

Davis is like Vince Carter, a media darling (president of the NBA players) so Im surprised he wasnt given a medal.

And I was a huge Kings fans during their early 90's run and gun years and Jackie Christie wasnt anywhere near the problem and she used to travel when they used to play the Lakers in LA.

Everyone knows how Kendra Davis is in the NBA yet you still have columnists saying that even though Kendra's wires often touch, it was the other guys fault based on....?

When the witnesses are all interviewed and if it turns out that Mrs Davis was responsible, Id love the NBA to force Davis wife to a compromise: anger management counseling if she ever wants to step in an NBA arena.

Im surprised that the 'drunk' fan wasnt made out to be a member of Al Quaeda.

As for his 'money' needs, one of the fans involved was sitting in expensive seats and his daddy looks to be very well off financially, so I dont think its a money scam.

I also wish that when the truth comes out, the tools who so bravely proclaimed (protected by the internets anonmity) that they wish they had 5 mins with one of the fans (two incidents folks) come out and say that they werent just knee-jerks.

[clashmore]

the guy is an idiot and his wife is a jackass...as for the Texas Duke game, it was at the Continental Airlines Arena, not MSG (a pretty significant difference)so the story about the mom in law is jack...

[Coop]

Regarless of Kendra Davis' actions, this is the apex of pussiness:

"Axelrod's attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, said he planned to sue Davis and his wife for more than $1 million. Deratany said he was writing the papers Thursday for a battery suit against Kendra Davis and a slander case against Antonio Davis, and planned to file them Friday."

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/new-york-knicks/index.php

[howard in new york]

jackie misspoke. it was the duke-memphis state game, preseason nit finals, friday after thanksgiving. at the msg, the world's most famous arena. as referenced in the link above.