Tony Allen lumps up OJ Mayo in altercation

[Steve Weinman]

The best thing about this story: Tony Allen wears someone else's uniform.

Tony Allen's departure was addition by subtraction for the Celtics.

Not to go all pop-culture reference, but this reminds me of that scene a couple of years ago in Entourage when Jason Patric keeps stealing Vince's lines while they're filming "Smoke Jumpers."

(Read: I don't know what to add to this.)

-sw

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

\Three publicized fights is not a big deal.  I don't see how you can consider someone a thug for getting into fights.

I guess we disagree on what a thug is.  Somebody who handles disputes through violence pretty much fits the definition to me.

Before you criticize Tony, look at his alternatives. Cry to his coach? Cry to the police? I'm sorry, but tattling over a card debt when you're a fully grown man just isn't an option if you don't want to be ridiculed and hated on by your teammates.

I agree that violence is USUALLY never a good option, but being stuck on an airplane with a teammate is a unique situation. You can't just walk away from the altercation, and I mean that both literally and figuratively.

I imagine that nobody is talking smack to Tony anymore (which is obviously what Tony sought to accomplish by punching Mayo), and realistically there was no other way to he was going to get Mayo (and probably others) to shut up.

And while of course you could ask Tony to be a little more thick-skinned and not let the smack talking get him riled up, there's only so much a person can take. We don't know how many other times something like this has happened, or how long this situation has been waiting to explode. Personally, I think Tony did the right thing.

Stop gambling with the guy.  Let the team knows that Mayo does not pay what he owes.  Cut Mayo out of the card games until he pays off. 


Then again, if I ran a team, I would outlaw all gambling in the locker room, on the planes/buses/trains and in the hotels.  It causes nothing but trouble. 


Adults do not punch co-workers.

Apparently Tony didn't punch Mayo over the debt, he punched him because he was running his mouth. Aka making fun of him in front of other people, disrespecting him, however you want to call it.

Yeah, co-workers in offices don't punch each other in the face, but that's because you don't walk into an office and rip on somebody in front of people. And if you do, there are consequences, such as you getting fired.

On a pro basketball team, if Tony doesn't stand up for himself, nobody else will. Crying about it to management/the organization isn't going to accomplish anything. Sitting there and taking it just makes you more of a target. I really don't think I can emphasize enough how limited Tony's options were in this situation.

Plus, I generally don't believe in absolutes like "you should never hit anybody, ever". In an office that might be true, since there are MANY ways to deal with your grievances. But I haven't heard anybody suggest a better option for Tony.

I'm sure right now Tony is thinking whatever he was fined was worth it... he got Mayo to shut up, made his point, and did it without looking like a wimp (which I imagine is a pretty big deal when you're on a professional team). Hard to argue with the results.

If that is Tony Allen's level of maturity, I am glad he is off the Celtics. 


I can't stand it when grown men act like little school children out on the playground. 




Want a better way to deal with? 


Grow up Tony Allen.  You are not a teenager a poverty area.  You are a Millionaire and a professional.  Try acting like it.

Because teenagers in upper or middle class areas never take unfortunate actions and there is a correlation beween wealth and professionalism?

There is correlation between where TA grew up and where he is now.  He is no longer in the same situation, he doesn't need to act like he is.



And as someone who has taught high school in both types of areas, YES, there is a gigantic difference between those situations.  It doesn't stop kids from being knuckleheads, but it happens less often.  (a lot less often.  In one school there was at least 4 fights a week and a few arrests.  In the other, maybe one or two fights a year.  Only two arrests all year)

Eh, you know, I replied pretty hastily, not that I don't believe in what I wrote earlier, but this probably isn't the best place to get into a conversation about how certain language and assumptions or generalizations work, or broad groupings and social, class and racial dynamics, etc. and our thoughts on them. I think this is an agree to disagree kind of situation.

I don't really go in for moralizing and sports anymore myself. I watch sports to see what these guys do athletically. Is it nice to hear about good guys? Sure. But I'm not a 10 year old kid idolizing athletes and have somewhat divorced moral judgement from my sports fandom. Particularly as the common moralizing that goes on is pretty base and uninteresting. Not to say I'm not interested in the social aspects of sports, I am very much so, but I have noticed myself taking a step back from judgements of morality in my own sports life (while I can still be interested in personlity, actions etc. it takes a different form).

[CoachBo]

The best thing about this story: Tony Allen wears someone else's uniform.

Tony Allen's departure was addition by subtraction for the Celtics.

Not to go all pop-culture reference, but this reminds me of that scene a couple of years ago in Entourage when Jason Patric keeps stealing Vince's lines while they're filming "Smoke Jumpers."

(Read: I don't know what to add to this.)

-sw

An Entourage quote is worthy of a TP.

[indeedproceed]

Chris Broussard with the 'deets'

Sources have brought me up to speed on the details of Allen/Mayo I, and judging by the fruit of this fight - a black eye for O.J. Mayo and a fine for Tony Allen - there will not be a rematch.

I'm told the two Memphis Grizzlies players, who are actually friends, scuffled over a debt of $7,500 that Mayo owed to Allen after losing in the card game Bourre.

Allen, regarded as one of the toughest guys in the league, tried to avoid a confrontation, but Mayo kept running his mouth. Mayo trash-talked Allen for roughly 15 minutes, criticizing his game, bragging about how he was a better basketball player than Allen, about how he was a lottery pick.

Allen was especially bothered by Mayo's chatter because they have a friendly relationship. Zach Randolph tried to play peacemaker, telling Mayo to stop ribbing Allen, but to no avail.

Finally, Allen had enough and struck Mayo in the face. He then landed a succession of blows to Mayo's eye, mouth, shoulder and the side of his head. Mayo was able to get off a swing, but Allen ducked to avoid it and then clocked Mayo once more for good measure.

As Apollo Creed said to a young, upstart Rocky Balboa, "Ain't gonna' be no rematch.''

[Roy H.]

The one thing I was wondering about during this whole altercation:  where were the coaches?  One guy is belittling another for about 15 minutes, the guys are squaring off, and Zach Randolph of all people is playing peacemaker?  Couldn't somebody have told these morons to knock it off?

[indeedproceed]

The one thing I was wondering about during this whole altercation:  where were the coaches?  One guy is belittling another for about 15 minutes, the guys are squaring off, and Zach Randolph of all people is playing peacemaker?  Couldn't somebody have told these morons to knock it off?

Zach Randolph: Unlikely voice of reason

[Roy H.]

The one thing I was wondering about during this whole altercation:  where were the coaches?  One guy is belittling another for about 15 minutes, the guys are squaring off, and Zach Randolph of all people is playing peacemaker?  Couldn't somebody have told these morons to knock it off?

Zach Randolph: Unlikely voice of reason

And you guys didn't believe me when I told you in the CB Draft that Randolph had turned over a new leaf...  (No comment on what type of leaf, though.)

[bdm860]

Chris Broussard with the 'deets'

Sources have brought me up to speed on the details of Allen/Mayo I, and judging by the fruit of this fight - a black eye for O.J. Mayo and a fine for Tony Allen - there will not be a rematch.

I'm told the two Memphis Grizzlies players, who are actually friends, scuffled over a debt of $7,500 that Mayo owed to Allen after losing in the card game Bourre.

Allen, regarded as one of the toughest guys in the league, tried to avoid a confrontation, but Mayo kept running his mouth. Mayo trash-talked Allen for roughly 15 minutes, criticizing his game, bragging about how he was a better basketball player than Allen, about how he was a lottery pick.

Allen was especially bothered by Mayo's chatter because they have a friendly relationship. Zach Randolph tried to play peacemaker, telling Mayo to stop ribbing Allen, but to no avail.

Finally, Allen had enough and struck Mayo in the face. He then landed a succession of blows to Mayo's eye, mouth, shoulder and the side of his head. Mayo was able to get off a swing, but Allen ducked to avoid it and then clocked Mayo once more for good measure.

As Apollo Creed said to a young, upstart Rocky Balboa, "Ain't gonna' be no rematch.''

 

Really?  By who?

Does tough mean dumb?  Maybe it's just some new slang I'm not up on yet.

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

Chris Broussard with the 'deets'

Sources have brought me up to speed on the details of Allen/Mayo I, and judging by the fruit of this fight - a black eye for O.J. Mayo and a fine for Tony Allen - there will not be a rematch.

I'm told the two Memphis Grizzlies players, who are actually friends, scuffled over a debt of $7,500 that Mayo owed to Allen after losing in the card game Bourre.

Allen, regarded as one of the toughest guys in the league, tried to avoid a confrontation, but Mayo kept running his mouth. Mayo trash-talked Allen for roughly 15 minutes, criticizing his game, bragging about how he was a better basketball player than Allen, about how he was a lottery pick.

Allen was especially bothered by Mayo's chatter because they have a friendly relationship. Zach Randolph tried to play peacemaker, telling Mayo to stop ribbing Allen, but to no avail.

Finally, Allen had enough and struck Mayo in the face. He then landed a succession of blows to Mayo's eye, mouth, shoulder and the side of his head. Mayo was able to get off a swing, but Allen ducked to avoid it and then clocked Mayo once more for good measure.

As Apollo Creed said to a young, upstart Rocky Balboa, "Ain't gonna' be no rematch.''

 

Really?  By who?

Does tough mean dumb?  Maybe it's just some new slang I'm not up on yet.

Hahahaha. That was brilliant. TP for you sir.

[bdm860]

The one thing I was wondering about during this whole altercation:  where were the coaches?  One guy is belittling another for about 15 minutes, the guys are squaring off, and Zach Randolph of all people is playing peacemaker?  Couldn't somebody have told these morons to knock it off?

The way I always understood it (and this is just reading books years ago like Loose Balls by Jayson Williams, and the High and Tight about Doc Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and the craziness of the 80's Mets where they mention some things that go occur on team flights and then my own imagination taking it the rest of the way) was that there's basically 2-3 sections of the plane: up front is where all the non-players sit - coaches, trainers, broadcasters, team personnel, etc.  Then there's the players section (which may be further split into 2 sections).  The players who want to rest, read, relax, sit in the front of this section and then the back-most section is where the players who want to be a little more wild - play cards, goof off, (and in the case of the 80's Mets snort coke) sit.  Now this is just my own imagination here, but I always figured this to be like a regular flight with the gap between first class, business class, and coach, and you really have no clue what's going on in a different section.  

Plus you gotta think how loud the planes are when they are actually moving, and how rowdy some guys might normally be on the plane, and I can see how people who sit in another section wouldn't be alarmed as to what's going on in another section.

Just my thoughts.

[guava_wrench]

Chris Broussard with the 'deets'

Sources have brought me up to speed on the details of Allen/Mayo I, and judging by the fruit of this fight - a black eye for O.J. Mayo and a fine for Tony Allen - there will not be a rematch.

I'm told the two Memphis Grizzlies players, who are actually friends, scuffled over a debt of $7,500 that Mayo owed to Allen after losing in the card game Bourre.

Allen, regarded as one of the toughest guys in the league, tried to avoid a confrontation, but Mayo kept running his mouth. Mayo trash-talked Allen for roughly 15 minutes, criticizing his game, bragging about how he was a better basketball player than Allen, about how he was a lottery pick.

Allen was especially bothered by Mayo's chatter because they have a friendly relationship. Zach Randolph tried to play peacemaker, telling Mayo to stop ribbing Allen, but to no avail.

Finally, Allen had enough and struck Mayo in the face. He then landed a succession of blows to Mayo's eye, mouth, shoulder and the side of his head. Mayo was able to get off a swing, but Allen ducked to avoid it and then clocked Mayo once more for good measure.

As Apollo Creed said to a young, upstart Rocky Balboa, "Ain't gonna' be no rematch.''

Sounds like TA has skills. I love the duck and follow up punch.

Mayo did seem to get a bit personal based on the comments mentioned. Not cool.

[get_banners]

mayo is a punk, always has been. TA should have walked away, but it sounds like mayo had it coming. also sounds like mayo got destroyed. i'd be a little careful about talking all that trash if i was mayo, btw...for a guy with that much talent, it says something that he got downgraded to the bench.

[incoherent]

I never heard of too many fist fights going on between teammates... if any, and certainly none of this detail.


If any of this is true how can you hold it against TA? 

Mayo clearly got what he deserved for...

Not paying up, and then personal attacks on the person he is in debt too...

[incoherent]

Chris Broussard with the 'deets'

Sources have brought me up to speed on the details of Allen/Mayo I, and judging by the fruit of this fight - a black eye for O.J. Mayo and a fine for Tony Allen - there will not be a rematch.

I'm told the two Memphis Grizzlies players, who are actually friends, scuffled over a debt of $7,500 that Mayo owed to Allen after losing in the card game Bourre.

Allen, regarded as one of the toughest guys in the league, tried to avoid a confrontation, but Mayo kept running his mouth. Mayo trash-talked Allen for roughly 15 minutes, criticizing his game, bragging about how he was a better basketball player than Allen, about how he was a lottery pick.

Allen was especially bothered by Mayo's chatter because they have a friendly relationship. Zach Randolph tried to play peacemaker, telling Mayo to stop ribbing Allen, but to no avail.

Finally, Allen had enough and struck Mayo in the face. He then landed a succession of blows to Mayo's eye, mouth, shoulder and the side of his head. Mayo was able to get off a swing, but Allen ducked to avoid it and then clocked Mayo once more for good measure.

As Apollo Creed said to a young, upstart Rocky Balboa, "Ain't gonna' be no rematch.''

 

Really?  By who?

Does tough mean dumb?  Maybe it's just some new slang I'm not up on yet.

Try just walking down the street that TA grew up on... you would p--- your pants most likely.

[bdm860]

Chris Broussard with the 'deets'

Sources have brought me up to speed on the details of Allen/Mayo I, and judging by the fruit of this fight - a black eye for O.J. Mayo and a fine for Tony Allen - there will not be a rematch.

I'm told the two Memphis Grizzlies players, who are actually friends, scuffled over a debt of $7,500 that Mayo owed to Allen after losing in the card game Bourre.

Allen, regarded as one of the toughest guys in the league, tried to avoid a confrontation, but Mayo kept running his mouth. Mayo trash-talked Allen for roughly 15 minutes, criticizing his game, bragging about how he was a better basketball player than Allen, about how he was a lottery pick.

Allen was especially bothered by Mayo's chatter because they have a friendly relationship. Zach Randolph tried to play peacemaker, telling Mayo to stop ribbing Allen, but to no avail.

Finally, Allen had enough and struck Mayo in the face. He then landed a succession of blows to Mayo's eye, mouth, shoulder and the side of his head. Mayo was able to get off a swing, but Allen ducked to avoid it and then clocked Mayo once more for good measure.

As Apollo Creed said to a young, upstart Rocky Balboa, "Ain't gonna' be no rematch.''

 

Really?  By who?

Does tough mean dumb?  Maybe it's just some new slang I'm not up on yet.

Try just walking down the street that TA grew up on... you would p--- your pants most likely.

You don't think the vast majority of the league grew up in the same type of neighborhood that Tony Allen did?