Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

[1stRowFANatic]

Wonder how long she will be out for? A season ending sit down would be fine with me.

video

[zooropa]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

Article here: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35699513

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

From ESPN article:

Griner likely faces additional discipline from Baylor and the Big 12.

"There's no place for that in sports," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "It was ugly for women's basketball. It was ugly that coaches were on the court, that benches cleared, and I will take care of that with my team."

[zooropa]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

I bet she will too.

I admire Mulkey. Yeah, she played the refs like a two dollar fiddle during the tournament game last year, but that team played way over its head, and that's a credit to her skills as a coach.

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The timing couldn't possibly have been worse, and I'm not going to buy any 'but she's a freshman' crap. She's been playing basketball competitively for over a decade. That's long enough and more than long enough to know better.

And then the team leaves the bench? Unreal. Major lack of discipline there---

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

I didn't check their schedule, but I believe they have one regular season game left. Obviously Griner won't play in that one, and I don't think Mulkey would go for a one game punishment, so that means into the Big 12 tourney. I would be surprised if they said it was two game suspension, because then it looks like you are doing things to have back for the NCAA's no matter what happens in the tourney.

You are right on the timing & bench-control, not sure how they end up worse in this situation.

[Kemo]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

She should probably be done for the rest of the year, including the post season, after that shot. The girl she punched wasn't even looking and it was well after play had stopped. That punch would have drawn a multiple game suspension in the NHL!

[filbert]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

If Mulkey and Baylor have any integrity whatsoever, then Greiner is done for the year.

Utterly unacceptable behavior. A one- or two- or three-game suspension is not adequate punishment.

She sits for the rest of the year--in her dorm room--she doesn't travel with the team to the Big 12 or NCAA tournaments.

Actions have consequences.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

Mulkey says she'll deal with it and it won't be discussed in the media. Yeah, right. I'm guessing the Big 12 will have something to say about it.

The fact that Griner had to close some ground to land the punch makes it a lot worse. You often see players get tangled and something goes down in sort of a scrum. But when you're separated by six or eight feet and the attacker has to take a couple of steps to land the punch on a player who is walking away... that's kind of a big deal.

[SoDakJack]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

I would think that she is done for the year, but then again the NCAA has a history of doing really stupid things.

It is obvious to me that Coach Mulkey didn't have her vest on. If she did, then none of this would have happened.

[BitsTD]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

Am I the only one who doesn't think the Tech girl is completely innocent? She tried to throw Griner to the ground with force right before the retaliatory punch.

[SoDakJack]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

Am I the only one who doesn't think the Tech girl is completely innocent? She tried to throw Griner to the ground with force right before the retaliatory punch.

Players get tied up under the basket all the time. And sometimes one player is a little more physical when it comes to getting free. IMO, if there is any blame to put on the Tech player, it isn't nearly enough to condone a punch.

[1bunnies]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

I think while she is suspended, they ought to check and see if she is really a girl. I heard her interviewed last week-end and she sure sounded like a guy.

[bub94]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

From ESPN article:

Griner likely faces additional discipline from Baylor and the Big 12.

"There's no place for that in sports," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "It was ugly for women's basketball. It was ugly that coaches were on the court, that benches cleared, and I will take care of that with my team."

You would think the coach would have been proud of that cheap shot. It goes along with her coaching style (ie. free throws).

Looks like the T.T. girl just got fed up with how Griner was trying to get position. And for a second Baylor girl to get a technical foul. Team might have some attitudes.

After posting, it probably wasn't nice to say that about the coach. Throwing a punch isn't near as bad as using the system. In the video, it looks to me like Griner is trying to get position with her elbows up. Her elbows up mean it's around the neck of the other girl. BUT, I always love it when a player is cheap enough to throw a punch at someone not looking, and the first thing they do then is back up so no one can get to them. If you are going to be cheap enough to throw a punch, take your medicine when the person realizes what happened. My guess is the suspension should be more than one game.

[MaddogJack]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

I think while she is suspended, they ought to check and see if she is really a girl. I heard her interviewed last week-end and she sure sounded like a guy.

I think a test as suggested, might be in line. She "Crash Davis'd" that Tech girl with one punch. The difference between this and "Stu/OG-gate" is that we saw some conflict leading up to the 'blow'.

Coach Mulkey will likely 'talk to media about this' whether she likes it or not, when the NCAA suspends her player for the rest of the year. There is no place for this in sports.

[JamesJacks]

Re: Baylor's Griner Punches Tech player

The discipline Mulkey enforces regarding this incident will say a lot about her. I am not a fan of hers (as I've stated in other threads on this message board). Do the right thing Mulkey...sit Griner down the rest of the season. This was an unacceptable act by one of your players. A coach cannot always control everything, but it's always been said that a team is a reflection of the coach.

Those who say the opponent wasn't innocent in this matter are correct in my opinion. She was physical, they got tangled up and she shed Griner off of her. Some could interpret that as crossing the line, but she did NOTHING that warranted having Griner run back at her and punch her in the face.