The NBA Denies the Magic Their Manhood

I didn’t know the whole world was still talking about Magic Brian Cook’s physical play on Monday against the Clippers -- he went at Zach Randolph in defense of Dwight Howard and then committed a flagrant against Baron Davis. But Cook still is. And we might want to consider hearing him out.↵
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↵From the Orlando Sentinel:↵↵⇥“I know it was a key point in the game, but you can’t let people treat people like that.”↵⇥
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↵⇥“Just getting tougher is something we’re going to need to get through this West Coast trip and through the rest of the season,” he said.↵↵The first line quote sounds like it’s either ripped from a very sensitive John Grisham novel or an explanation for why it’s okay to kick creepy adults in the crotch. The latter, though, is as tried-and-true a sports cliche as you’ll find. And here’s what’s so weird about the marked decline in physicality, and yes, violence, in the league: These are values instilled in players early on. They’re beat into them by coaches, respected by opponents. Teams that can’t exert themselves thus are perceived as “soft” by their peers, the media, and fans. And yet increasingly, there’s no room for teams like the Magic to set the record straight.↵
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↵As Cook says, “All of us have it in us. We just have to keep on fighting.” If that’s not as natural to basketball, and sports in general, as apple pie and moving limbs, then I’ve clearly missed something big. Brawls -- real ones -- are bad, but there’s no question that teams need a chance to prove they won’t back down. Otherwise, the only other option is for them to meekly wait for the refs to protect them, and that’s no way to earn respect.↵