A response to President, coach say Miami penalties were fair

Donna Sha-la-la-land is absolutley right. These were fair penalties. I mean after all, if anyone has ever been involved in a scrum ( whether in rugby or for a fumble in football ) you know that the physical nature of those events far exceeds the namby pamby faux violence these would be thugs exhibited last weekend. The kid pretending to stomp on another FIU player was just faking it, kinda like the WWF. And the kid who pulled off his helmet to "stroke" the opposing player in a willful defense of his teammate really didn't hit anything of substance. So why should they suffer anymore than a game, I mean a practice or two would've sufficed, ...wouldn't it?. Really now, are more severe penalties for exhibiting the worst sportsmanship this century ( other than the Tennessee Titans guy who did hit flesh with his stomp ) really in order here? The good folks in the adminstration did watch this frame by frame after all, and had to notice that nothing really bad happened .

Personally I think Coker & Strock should give up a game's worth of salary ( give it to charity ) and be suspended for a game as well. They are the ones recruiting these "high spirited" ath-a-letes. They should pay a price, too...for organizing these shameful shams of violence.

A response to It's time to stop giving Paterno a free pass:

This is a bit overblown, as those in cahoots with NOW like to do. Joe PA State is 79 years old, and yes he does want to be treated like the young coaches, but he's a bridger fer cryin' out loud. It's going to be tough for him, even with advanced PR training, to express himself in terms that are politically correct to today's genre of zealots. He didn't say anything that hurt anybody, any cause, or create an aura of insensitivity. He didn't say it right, but he didn't hurt anybody. People need to get over it, and start being a little more tolerant of views that could possibly be taken out of context, or taken from a random thought. I mean did the writer who quoted him say, "Now Joe, I want you to think about your answer, because I'm going to broadcast it to every publication outside of happy valley." I know he didn't, so you can't pillory the guy for being unequipped to answer a tricky question like that. He didn't grow up with these issues. He is a hard-assed football coach. That's what he is and always has been. Why does he have to become more than that with the politically correct?

 I think it's stupid for anybody to give this any more pub. Dumber than what he said even.

   Fred Yde

A response to Pacers' Bird says its time to trade Artest:

Poor, poor Ron Artest. The last guy in his foxhole of confusion and torment has finally said "enough is enough". Over the span of 3 seasons, the Pacers have had to deal with much more than the Palace Brawl from Ronnie. He just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut , or his emotions (responses) in check. He was never really mad in any of those spectacular incidents y'know ?, just lettin' off some steam. He's got a lot of that. Isn't it a shame that some of these incredibly talented gamers like Artest and T.O. just never learned how to behave in a way that is acceptable to their employers and the fans? They have blurred the lines between showmanship and professionalism, and they have created huge distractions for their teammates, not to mention the tall hurdles. I am glad to see that both of them are being shown the door. I would still hope that guys like them learn to get some training in matters of life other than what comes from their coaches. That is what is missing in so many young players, and this is not meant  to condemn young professional athletes at all. Most of them just need more seasoning to deal with the money and attention that comes far too fast, and lately, far too early in their lives. For every bad example there is good one, too. King James certainly had the wagons circled around him and has performed on and off the court in a very admirable fashion. Let's hope there isn't a cork in a bottle underneath the surface. Maybe there is a blessing in disguise in all of this mayhem with hotshot hotdogs. If there is one, I hope it's that other kids with professional aspirations see that there is a penalty for acting like an idiot.