Relative Class

What does it mean to be classy? Does it mean flashy, debonair, suave, what? Or does it mean not going to the press with disparaging comments about other players? Because to me, Class does not mean coming out and calling other players dirty, no matter what you think.

I used to really respect Amare Stoudemire. I used to think he was an amazingly skilled player. I still give him props for size and skill, and applaud his absolutely classless statement to the press when he called the Spurs a "dirty team." That last clause was sarcastic.

In his statement, he said that Bowen should have had more class than to try to injure him. Amare, you should have more class than to call out another player by calling him dirty.

Other people, IE Isiah Thomas, have alleged that Bowen is dirty. However, these people are clearly in the minority. Otherwise, how did Bowen get on the All-Defensive Team, with the most votes?

Moreover, basketball, for all of fouls, is a contact sport. It may not be hockey, but it sure isn't golf. If that wasn't the case, then why did in 2003 people refer to Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker as soft, and recommend hard fouls as they drove to the basket in order to stop penetration? The game demands physicality and resilience, and if you're frightened that you might fall apart if touched, then you might need to remove yourself from the game. A game where feet and arms are flying around, where you are injured by your own teammates, and season-ending injuries often have no direct culprits.

So, speaking of whining, it's time to have a stiff and silent upper lip and trust the league and officials to call the game, because no matter how much the court of public opinion might sympathize, it's what happens on the real court that gets you the ring and trophy.