The big brawl as some in the sports world are calling it, happened saturday night. Unless you live with your head under a rock you have more then likely heard about it. Well this is a prime example of how basketball has not evolved as a game but resorted to lot ball and scrub game status.

Yes the Denver Nuggets are innocent of starting this fiasco. They are guilty of bad sportsmanship, but innocent in this fray. Basketball is a noncontact sport, or at least it once was. Now it is full body contact under the net, with many players unable to dribble the ball without palming or caring it. A third and fourth step is allowed in order to go to the hoop and make a spectacular dunk that Dr.J made with only one and a half steps.

A lack of overall talent has lead to lower scoreing games and larger egos (i.e. Kobe, Sprewell, among others.) has not made the game better but worse. More and more players hack the opposeing team instead of making blocked shots and rebounding missed shots.

Take the Nuggets for example on how this game has deevolved. Ask any Nuggets fan how many times does Earl Boykins get knocked to the floor and no foul called. Why, oh its brushed off as he is so much smaller then the others he bounces off. Bull puckey. He is physically abused. How often is Carmelo Anthony hacked as he or Nene go in for a layup. No call.

Well guess the nuggets got a little tired of the abuse. A flagrent foul by the nicks is one thing but a bulldog effect on Smith as he went for an easy two is unexcuseable. Especially if he was instructed to by his coach. A coach who during his time as a player was not always the cleanest one. Having disputes with former employers (Toronto, Indy) and other coaches around the league. Thomas himself is more then innocent in this event.

Cry Baby Issaha Thomas claims there is an unwriten rule of taking your starters out at the end of a game comes from where? The only reason you take starters out is to advoid an injury. An injury that may accure from some stupid foul like saturday night. The Nuggets as well as the Nicks were both coming off a two game looseing streak. A confidence builder by George Karl was in effect for the Nuggets. Carmelo wanted to work on his league scoreing lead as well. Something we have seen done with Spreewell, Kobe and others through the years. Leaving a certain star in to pad his numbers. Something that isnt new, especially to those sports writers who praise certain players despite the lack of talent demonstrated.

Does the legue need to hand out some sort of punishment? Yes.

More so on the Nuggets then the Nicks? Absolutely not!

Does the legue need to look into the officiating of the game? Hell Yes!

Is the legue worried about fans leaving the game? They should be as the game has degenerated into a pickup game at the Y between rival nieghborhoods.