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I think the media is milking this story for all it's worth. Do they want a brawl, or can we get back to basketball?

All these former players want hard fouls and messages sent but the NBA is different today. It isn't hard to get ejected from a game.

Hllywd, weren't you arguing here yesterday that Dirk Nowitzki should have escalated the confrontation with D. West by slapping his hand down?

Who is it who wants a brawl here?

Avery Johnson is missing the big picture. He is correct in stating that players should not back down, but that includes playing _defense_ more than it means picking fights during the occasional confrontation.
If Dirk and the Mavs were to play tough defense and win the game, no one would care whether Dirk stood up to David West. The game would speak for itself.
It's amazing that Lebron James, who was getting fouled hard in the Cavs-Wizards game, understood that, and simply concentrated on winning the game, whereas these more experienced Mavs don't get it. Lebron did not directly pick a fight, but instead showed that the fouls did not disturb his game. After the win, he gets the last laugh. The Mavs let the issue disturb their game, and now the fans are mistakenly pointing at the Dirk-West confrontation instead of the game itself.
It looks as if the Mavs need to be mentally tougher. Last year, the undersized Warriors were able to get into their heads and pull off the upset, just as the Hornets are trying to do now - and got away with doing so in the first game.
- JL

sad when the coach is the toughest guy on the team.

Dampier has been in the league for 10 years.
He has a guaranteed contracte's, never seemed to want to work on his game, and is soft,

He ain't changing now

and it's not really an upset when the no 2 seed beats a no 7 seed. ppl need to get it in ther heads that the mavs are actually not supposed to win this series, they have experience to boast about but they lose on match ups all over the floor. chris paul torched jkidd so hard, if the mavs can't contain him dirk can score 50 and they will still lose.

I think this story is getting old, I hope this is FanNation's last Dirk-West update.

You can't foul hard in today's game. I was watching the Wiz-Cavs game and they threw Haywood out for a hard foul on Lebron. David Stern doesn't want hard fouls anymore..

I couldn't agree more with Avery stating that someone else should step up but I'm not so sure it should be Damp. In hockey (I know we don't want the NBA like the NHL but bare with me) if someone messes with your marquee, finesse or goalie player then you don't typically see that person being the one to take on the conflict. You see an enforcer type. The problem with Damp doing it is that he already picks up too many fouls. Throw a sub in there fore a couple of minutes and have him put a couple of hard fouls on West if he wants. I can see this series getting out of control really quick. If West pulls that on Stack or even Howard then I can guarantee you that we would have seen an ejection and likely a suspension of either one of those two players while West would have received nothing. Again, the NBA has shown it is often biased in the way they handle things.

Now, Damp soft? Do you actually watch the Mavs play? Damp may not score a ton of points but I have yet to see someone who wants to run in a screen that Damp sets. I've actually seen fouls called ON DAMP when he sets a perfect pic only because the person who runs into him falls down like he just ran into a house. I'll put Damp against anyone in the NBA when it comes to toughness. He may not be a big scorer but soft he is not. Get for real! The problem with stories and then comments after these stories is that 90% of the people responding don't know jack about the topic. It would be like me going over to a Celtics story and commenting when I have likely only seen a half dozen of their games this year. People run their mouth on here like they have actually seen what they talk about and they have no clue??? just rambling.
Lastly, yes I agree that this story has had more than enough attention. I'll be glad after tonight so at least they will have something new to write.

Hllywd, weren't you arguing here yesterday that Dirk Nowitzki should have escalated the confrontation with D. West by slapping his hand down?

Who is it who wants a brawl here?
Brad Wesley | 04/22/08, 08:24 AM

No, I did not. What I said was that Dirk should have knocked his hand out of his face. PERIOD

Brad Wesley
I didn't say Dirk should have gone "postal" and run the risk of ejection. I said at the very least, he should have knocked his hand out of his face. PERIOD

Here is exactly what I said. (copied and pasted) And I stand by that.

Hornets by double digits tonight. West will come out pushing Dirk around on the block the first few possessions dirk will then lose confidence and continue laying the brick house he started in game 1. The rest of the Mavs will follow suit and frustrations will boil over with Stack being ejected and subsequently suspended for a flagrant on Paul.

"What I said was that Dirk should have knocked his hand out of his face. PERIOD"
Hllywd | 04/22/08, 09:52 AM

That's all well and good that you put a "PERIOD" after the action you propose for Nowitzki but there's a good possibility that David West, or a Hornets teammate, would have seen such an action as a provocation to further escalate their confrontation.

Why dont they just send in someone like Allen to give him a really hard foul. Its not like he is going to play anyways. I will bet money that tonights game will be very physical.

SURVEY SAYS DIRK STAND UP FOR YOURSEL

stern has turned the game into a game for pansies! he wanted to clean the image of the league up after the brawl, but has ruined the competitive fire from the game. back in the 80's and 90's you go in the middle.......you learn not to come back in the middle if you aren't going to come correct!

Now, if you look at somebody to hard its a foul! Itss embarrassing how soft the game is being played! Imagine how many championships MJ would have if the rules were then what they are now! There would have been no Jordan Rules therefore the Bulls would have beaeten the Pistons at least twice before the finally did!

Call out Dirk. No way in hell would I ever let another man put his hands on me and not push him away. The TNT crew was right for going off on him. He didn't need to punch West, but he should have at least brushed his hand away.