The following is an online petition, obviously started by some Suns fan who is angry about the suspensions of Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudewhiner:

To Whom it May Concern:

We are collectively shocked and appalled regarding the recent suspensions of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. There is a striking double standard apparent when situations like the hard hit Baron Davis put on Derek Fisher and Bruce Bowen's antics in games two and three go without repercussion. There is something inherently wrong when two players are penalized in such a harsh manner for doing nothing more than looking out for the best interests of a teammate. The physicality of the series has been a problem from the start and should have been addressed by the NBA before everything that transpired in game 5. The point of this is not to overturn the suspensions of the Suns players. It is obviously too late for that. What we would like, however, is an explanation from the league office regarding the rationale behind the decision that 72% of the 22,154 fans voting on ESPN deemed unfair. It would also be interesting to hear why Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen were not fined or suspended for doing seemingly the exact same thing during the second quarter of game 4. Instead of hiding away in your offices and canceling trips to Phoenix to visit Cleveland, I think an explanation is not too much to ask when a series of this caliber is potentially ruined. Thank you for your time. Hopefully something can be learned from this and it will not be an issue in the future.

And now, let me respond as if I were the League Office.

Dear petitioners,

I understand that you are shocked and appalled at these suspensions. It is regrettable that you are going to be without two key players for game 5, but Boris and Amare were well aware of the rule that they were breaking. It's unclear to me why you compare the Baron Davis elbow and the Bruce Bowen "antics" with these suspensions. The Bruce Bowen incidents have been reviewed and dealt with accordingly. Both involved typical basketball moves, one of which was deemed to be a flagrant 1. The Davis elbow...I don't have a good reason why he didn't get a game for that. In hindsight we probably dropped the ball on that one. My bad.

I understand that you feel these penalties were harsh, but we need to remain consistent when this rule is addressed. If we let Diaw and Stoudewhiner off the hook, my office would be stormed by rabid Knicks fans.

I regret the fact that you feel this series has been too physical for your team. The last time I checked, this was playoff basketball. So stop Stoudewhining. Even Tim Duncan felt the Denver series was WAY more physical than the Suns series. So much more physical, that he laughed when asked if this was a physical series.

You mention a poll that shows a majority to believe that the suspensions are unfair. While these statistics may be true, they do not change the rulebook. 72% of Americans may feel that George W Bush is semi-retarded, but that statistic doesn't make it true. And it doesn't mean we can "un-elect" him, as much as we might want to. About the same percentage feel it's unfair that Barry Bonds will become the home run king. Guess what? There's nothing that 72% of you can do about it.

Your question about the possibility of Duncan and Bowen being suspended for coming out on the court in the 2nd quarter is an easy one to answer. There was no altercation, so the rule does not apply. Throw me some more softballs.

I'm sorry that you feel our decisions may have ruined the series. Your claim that we are "hiding away in our offices" like a bunch of cowards isn't helping your cause. Although, I must admit there is some truth to it. We knew this decision would anger either Suns fans, or Knicks fans. We took the safe route and angered Suns fans so that we could go on living our lives. We assumed that Suns fans, like their team, are soft. Knicks fans? We might as well off ourselves now and avoid the severe beating that would certainly come.

Good luck in game 5!

Sincerely,

Stu Jackson