Black Intel

I thought it was an interesting perspective on this news story….. let me know what ya’ll think?

From The Los Angeles Times

By Mark Heisler

Reports that Washington teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton had guns in the dressing room — and may even have pointed them at each other — set off so many alarms, it’s hard to know where to begin.

We’ll have to forgo common sense since it obviously doesn’t apply here.The way to avoid trouble is to avoid trouble, as opposed to (reportedly) carrying guns they produced in an argument about a bet Arenas supposedly hadn’t paid off. With young stars at dizzying heights of fame and differing levels of maturity, there’s nothing common about sense with former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress sitting in jail for possessing an illegal firearm that went off by accident in a club, hitting him in the thigh. It barely matters now whether the New York Post story, the only one reporting the players actually drew their guns, is confirmed or not. As the most sensational version, it eclipsed all others and is now the one thing everyone has heard.

The Post quoted Kendrick “Bookie Ball” Long, a friend of Crittenton’s, who Long says told him the story. However, the Post attributed its report that the players drew their guns to “league security sources.”No one else has confirmed it. Since the “league security sources” place the blame entirely on Arenas, it wouldn’t be hard to believe the Post may have had one source who’s close to Crittenton, not two. Of course, whether the players drew or not, it was still too close for comfort. As much as the league would like to bar carrying weapons, as it bars skiing, it would be unconstitutional.

If you haven’t heard, a powerful lobby protects the right to bear arms, and it’s a lot more aggressive than any safeguarding skiers’ rights. In fact, the NBA is a gun culture. New Jersey’s Devin Harris claims 60% to 75% of players carry guns. Charles Barkley recently said he carries a gun, noting: “People know we got money, they know our schedule, but I feel safer with it. I’ve carried a gun since 1984. I understand it’s dangerous, I understand if I pull it, I better use it. But I’ve never, ever come close to using it.” Arenas has already acknowledged putting three pistols in the safe in his Verizon Center locker — to keep them away from his young children, he said.
As a violation of NBA rules in a sensational case, that should get him at least a month’s suspension, no matter what else they find.

If this doesn’t match the awful spectacle of the televised Auburn Hills melee, this one could have been tragic, not just devastating. It’s already a blow to the league, in which Arenas had a place in everyone’s heart, wacky or not. The NBA featured his freewheeling blog on its website. In a town that doted on the Redskins and barely knew the Wizards existed, the Washington Post’s Mike Wilbon said Arenas had long since become the most popular local athlete. Nevertheless, to know Arenas is to know how long he has been riding for such a fall.