Howard's blog is fine-worthy

Dwight Howard is one of the most accessible superstars in the NBA. He's on Facebook and Twitter, and has his own blog. He flew his 1 millionth Twitter follower from California to Orlando and provided two lower-level tickets for the season opener against the 76ers.

Now, Howard's social networking skills have cost him $15,000. The NBA has fined Howard for criticizing the officiating in a blog post he wrote last week. Howard vented after fouling out during the Magic's 85-80 loss to the Pistons on Nov. 3.

"I was on the floor for 16 minutes and fouled out!!!" Howard wrote. "Let me say that again: 17 minutes and six fouls!!!" (It was actually 16:49, but who's counting besides Stu Jackson?) "How can that be, ya’ll? It was crazy. They called me for a charge on a flop, a push off when the defender was on me, and two fouls on blocked shots. ... I haven’t played that little in a game since I was 10 years old in pee-wee ball."

A few thoughts: 1) Social networking has made life even more perilous for players who want to stay in touch with fans and do so honestly; 2) I wonder what I would have to write in this blog to get fined by the NBA? So far, all I get are occasional cage-rattling phone calls; and 3) I wish Rasheed Wallace had a blog.

Since the beginning of sports time I do not think there was a day that athletes have not complained about officiating at one time or another. Dwight should be ok to talk about officiating of a game. Believe me ,like a few people have said already, there in the locker room already complaining if they just lost. No official is perfect and there going to make mistakes just like athletes do every game. If its not turnovers, errrors in the infield, and missed catches. So athletes make just as many mistakes. What we have got to realize that it is the circle of life in sports. Fans say " Dwight just lost the game for us cause he couldnt make his free throws". Dwight says "he couldnt get into a groove cause officials wouldnt let him be aggresive". Officials will say" That they call them as they see them and that players are being whiners." Let it happen, give athlete atleast one place to vent his frustrations. On television is not the answer and to the media is not the answer, but twitter maybe that perfect escape for everyone. Yes media will still get a hold of it, but when dont they!!! Stern give the players and escape with frustration!!! Venting is a good thing.

BucFan34 Reputation: 94 Level: All-Star Since: Jun 4, 2008	Posted on: November 10, 2009 7:06 pm Score: 75 Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Howard's blog is fine-worthy berger, did you watch the game he was complaining about? If the NBA really was punishing players for flopping, Charlie Villanueva would need an even bigger contract to pay off his fines from that game. [ Reply to Comment ]
big_red01027 Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 19, 2007	Posted on: November 10, 2009 7:41 pm Score: 88 Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Howard's blog is fine-worthy On ESPN, they said he was fined for criticizing the officials, or some such nonsense. Reading what he actually wrote, I find it hard to believe that he was fined. There was no specificity to his complaint, merely some impassioned observations that reflect how he felt about the game personally. If what he wrote is considered "criticism", Stern and the rest of his office need to lighten up. [ Reply to Comment ]
EvilleRich Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Jun 25, 2007	Posted on: November 10, 2009 8:06 pm Score: 120 Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Dwight, what did you do to those officials <span>First off, every major league has rules against publicly criticizing officials -- pro and college (ask Urban Meyer). The rationale is that leagues can't have players and coaches going off on the officiating every night. Whether it is justified or not. If the players and coaches are always complaining publicly and getting away with it, it will spread like a wildfire to the fans and then the officials become bigger targets than they already are. <p>On the other hand, though, Dwight, did you do or say something to really p*** off the officiating crew that night or what? With Uncle David's "fans come to see the superstars play, not sit on the bench in foul trouble" way of officiating, you may pick up 4 or 5, but would never be able to foul out.</p> </span> <br /> [ Reply to Comment ]
brand111 Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: May 25, 2007	Posted on: November 10, 2009 9:04 pm Score: 89 Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Howard's blog is fine-worthy Czar Stern and the Evil Stooge strike again. Unwilling to try to fix the extremely poor officiating in the NBA, they prefer to just write out tickets. Like they think everyone is going to give up complaining and the problem will go away. [ Reply to Comment ]
benbizier Reputation: 23 Level: Amateur Since: Nov 4, 2009	Posted on: November 11, 2009 10:04 am Score: 99 Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Howard's blog is fine-worthy Here's the real take: As sad as it is, Howard looks at this twitter thing like it's his fan base and his community. If he is willing to fly his followers across the country, don't you think he considers them his friends? I remember when I played basketball and after the game me and my teammates would talk about the game in the locker room and how could the ref miss that call and what the players on the other team were doing... Imagine if Dwight Howard goes home to his wife and complains to her that he shouldn't have fouled out of the game, then Stu Jackson calls him on his phone and fines him 15K for comments against the officials!?! I'm anti-twitter, but let's not go overboard here please. What Howard said was really not that bad and he didn't say anything that was over the line. Normally I'm the first one to jump on board with anything against twitter (notice how I refuse to uppercase the word because I don't feel it has earned the right to be a Noun), but this time, I have to disagree with you and the league. It's just too petty. [ Reply to Comment ]
duecemcd Reputation: 18 Level: Amateur Since: Nov 7, 2009	Posted on: November 11, 2009 12:05 pm Score: 134 Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Log-in to rate: Howard's blog is fine-worthy Since the beginning of sports time I do not think there was a day that athletes have not complained about officiating at one time or another. Dwight should be ok to talk about officiating of a game. Believe me ,like a few people have said already, there in the locker room already complaining if they just lost. No official is perfect and there going to make mistakes just like athletes do every game. If its not turnovers, errrors in the infield, and missed catches. So athletes make just as many mistakes. What we have got to realize that it is the circle of life in sports. Fans say " Dwight just lost the game for us cause he couldnt make his free throws". Dwight says "he couldnt get into a groove cause officials wouldnt let him be aggresive". Officials will say" That they call them as they see them and that players are being whiners." Let it happen, give athlete atleast one place to vent his frustrations. On television is not the answer and to the media is not the answer, but twitter maybe that perfect escape for everyone. Yes media will still get a hold of it, but when dont they!!! Stern give the players and escape with frustration!!! Venting is a good thing. [ Reply to Comment ]

Ken Berger

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