League fines Pierce for menacing gesture

[steve]

http://www.enhancementcourses.com/gangs/gang_signs.htm

Seems like it could be the "Bounty Hunter" sign.  I guess.

[Roy Hobbs]

And yet nothing for Horford's taunting?

That's my thought, as well.  Horford was pointing at Pierce, which is a fairly menacing gesture in and of itself.

I guess the NBA bought into the "gang sign" theory.  I don't think Horford or Pierce deserved a fine, frankly, but if you're going to hit Pierce, you need to get Horford, too.

[MaineBleedsGreen]

oh man, this is ridiculous. Has anyone asked Pierce if it was a gang sign? There are so many interpretations, 3 to go to beat us, only game 3 of 7, your **** is only 3 inches. I'm just not sure why people assume it HAS to be the most inflammatory of these options. Why? Because he comes from a poor LA neighborhood, and possibly has an Uncle who was in a gang?!?!?! ... plus gangs signs aren't even that bad (I know I'm going to get heat for this), but really in todays culture, it's like tattoos, piercings, swearing, the n-word, the stuff is everywhere. It used to shock and awe, but the reality is people have become accustomed and more tolerant of these things. What Pierce did wasn't that bad, and re-watching the video it seems even more subdued then I remember it being live. Did Josh Howard get fined for saying he smokes pot? (again I actually have nothing wrong with that), but really where is the NBA coming from ... Lastly from what I remember Horford was already on the bench and wasn't even looking at Pierce when he made the movement with his hand ... so how could it be intimidating or menacing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKTDRqQtPO8

I rest my case.

[TAllen]

The sign that Peirce made means a--hole. A circle plus three fingers

[Roy Hobbs]

The sign that Peirce made means a--hole. A circle plus three fingers

The circle-and-three-fingers thing can mean all kinds of things.  It's hard to definitively say exactly what was meant.

[GroverTheClover]

Unreal. I am literally speechless. Gilbert Arenas flips off the Celtics and nothing happens. Joe Johnson body slamming Paul to ground and Josh Smith rolling over his head and nothing happens. Horford not even given a technical foul for taunting? Holding up three fingers that could literally mean just about anything, and there's a fine? I've really tried to give the NBA the benefit of the doubt, but this is a very pathetic move.

[BASSTHUMPER]

well im sure if paul got fined the hawks got warned....it helps keep the drama down on both sides...also it's a message to the other teams as well...

[steve]

I guess if you're the nba you can't jump to conclusions and say it was a gang sign.  I would say it probably was judging by the context.  But if you're the nba and there's any doubt as to what the gesture meant then you can't jump to conclusions.  

25000 seems like someone thinks it's a gang sign.  I hope it wasn't.  

[Redz]

Man, I really thought this was a big fat nuthin'.  Now I'd like to hear what Pierce has to say about it. 

Perhaps the NBA should enact a new rule that players must declare the actual meaning of their gestures. What's next...illegal facial expressions? 

[Roy Hobbs]

What's next...illegal facial expressions? 

Didn't Perk get a tech for staring somebody down?  I guess a fine is the next step.

[flexilexi]

Tommy H sez:
a gang sign!?....a gang sign!!!???...their sayin he flashed a gang sign???
Gimme a break!!...this is ridiculous [long pause]  they can't call 3 seconds but now they are fining guys for making hand symbols!



 

[steve]

What scares me about this is that you have to think that the NBA has talked about gang signs and how to go about determining and penalizing the player.  They must have been convinced. 

What does flipping somone off get for a fine?  Any documented cases?

[Andrew Celtic Nation]

What scares me about this is that you have to think that the NBA has talked about gang signs and how to go about determining and penalizing the player.  They must have been convinced. 

What does flipping somone off get for a fine?  Any documented cases?

Again, if they are only fining gang signs then why did Steveson get fined for doing something pro wrestler John Cena used to do? Also Gilbert Arenas flipped off the celtics the game Pierce hit the game winner against them and got nothing, picture of it here.
http://journals.aol.com/dcsportsguy/mrirrelevant/entries/2006/03/08/arenas-and-pierce-may-have-a-competitive-beef/2560

[earl]

All I can say is I hope those lucky enough to attend game 5 remind Stern why he hates Boston. I want to see 18000 strong with that sign, whatever the heck it means!

[steve]

What scares me about this is that you have to think that the NBA has talked about gang signs and how to go about determining and penalizing the player.  They must have been convinced. 

What does flipping somone off get for a fine?  Any documented cases?

Again, if they are only fining gang signs then why did Steveson get fined for doing something pro wrestler John Cena used to do? Also Gilbert Arenas flipped off the celtics the game Pierce hit the game winner against them and got nothing, picture of it here.
http://journals.aol.com/dcsportsguy/mrirrelevant/entries/2006/03/08/arenas-and-pierce-may-have-a-competitive-beef/2560

4/10/07 The NBA fined Adam Morrison (Cha) $25000 for flipping off a fan.

I guess 25000 is your typical menacing hand gesture fine.  

I guess any hand movement towards Horford at that moment would have netted a 25000 fine.  That's what the NBA is saying.  

I think they have this rule because of gang signs and because they don't want to have to determin if something is a gang sign or not...so they just say ANY hand gesture towards a player will result in a fine.  

No doubt, Horford should have been T'd during his trash taunt and when he wiped the ball off after Josh Smith rejected it.  But I agree that the NBA needs to have a no tolerance policy on any hand gestures in order to ensure that the NBA isn't associated with gangs.