Blowing it out of proportion

[the_cynic]

Why do people always love to blow these things out of proportion?

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Garnett apologized Tuesday for making references to guns and saying he was "ready for war" in Game 7 between Minnesota and Sacramento.

"Sincerely, I apologize for my comments earlier," the Timberwolves forward told reporters after practice. "I didn't mean to offend anybody."

The Wolves and Kings play Wednesday night in Minneapolis for the right to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. On Monday, the league's Most Valuable Player was asked about the magnitude of a game that will decide a series marked by trash talking and hard fouls.

"This is it," he responded. "It's for all the marbles. I'm sitting in the house loading up the pump, I'm loading up the Uzis, I've got a couple of M-16s, couple of nines, couple of joints with some silencers on them, couple of grenades, got a missile launcher. I'm ready for war."

Afterward, Garnett said he met with the team's public relations staff and discussed his remarks.

"It was one-sided thinking on my part, but I'm man enough to admit it," he said. Garnett specifically mentioned veterans and families with loved ones serving in Iraq in his apology.

"I'm a young man and I understand when I'm appropriate, and this is totally inappropriate. I was totally thinking about basketball, not reality."

League spokesman Tim Frank said the NBA wouldn't discipline Garnett.

"Kevin understood he shouldn't have said some of things he said," Frank said. "We're just glad he set the record straight today."

Wolves coach Flip Saunders said Garnett used a poor choice of words, but attributed them to his competitive nature.

"Anyone who knows him knows he has great passion for the game," Saunders said.

Point guard Sam Cassell said any sports fan would know Garnett didn't mean any harm by his comments.

"Violence is not one thing that's on his mind," Cassell said.

In Sacramento, Kings coach Rick Adelman said he told his players to worry about themselves and not about Garnett's comments.

"I'm more worried about what he's going to do out there without any ammunition," Adelman said.

Nevertheless, center Brad Miller -- who's sparred with Garnett at times this series -- poked a little fun.

"I'm bringing my shotgun, my bow and arrow, my four-wheel drive truck and four wheelers and run over him," Miller said Tuesday. "It's going to be the ultimate battle. He's a warrior, and that's how I like to play when I step between the lines."

Garnett has been at the center of controversy a few times this postseason. In the first round against Denver, Nuggets forward Francisco Elson called Garnett "gay" for hitting him in the groin during a game.

The comments drew the ire of some gay and lesbian groups and Elson issued an apology through the team.

In Game 6 against the Kings, Garnett got into a physical confrontation with Sacramento guard Anthony Peeler. After taking an elbow to the midsection from Peeler in the third quarter, Garnett retaliated by throwing his shoulder and elbow into Peeler's chest.

Peeler, a friend and former teammate of Garnett's, responded by elbowing Garnett in the face. The NBA suspended Peeler for two games Monday and fined Garnett $7,500.

[shiznit1083]

Sorry, dude, but right now isn't really the time to complain about oversensitivity. People are dying and experiencing this stuff in real life and to compare it to a basketball game is just dumb.

[the_cynic]

Sorry, dude, but right now isn't really the time to complain about oversensitivity. People are dying and experiencing this stuff in real life and to compare it to a basketball game is just dumb.

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it! I however think that despite all the crap that is going on doesn't mean you have to take Garnett literally!

[Sterling84]

I'm all for stopping this hyper-PC oversensitivity in the media. I hate both sides of it.......the blowing of things out of proportion for a lead story is stupid. Likewise the statements are usually stupid and sometimes calculated. And to top it off the canned apologies are the stupidest and literally mean nothing. It's like recanting all your sin on your death bed.......a preposterous notion of instant absolution.

But in this case, KG was an idiot. If he'd said......"Its for all the marbles, it's gonna be war." No one wouldve noticed. But he went on and on and with the level of street violence with kids, let alone the fog of war on our country .... this particular metaphor was in extremely poor taste and he should be chasitized for it.

He has a RIGHT to say it........BUT we have a RIGHT to think he sounded like an out of touch putz.

[shiznit1083]

Well stated. I can't argue with that.

[random]

i really dont see the big freakin deal. It's a METAPHOR people. geez.

[the_cynic]

Well stated. I can't argue with that.

I agree!

[NJTank]

KG was an idiot to say what he said and he appologizied, but can we stop this crap.

Its like people are waiting to be offended and when they are they explode into a tirade and make it into a National Crisis.

[OnWis97]

We've been hearing war metaphores in sports for years. "It's a war." "I'm a soldier". To think that KG thinks hoops and war are the same thing is silly. It's a metaphor that has been used for as long as I can remember and I'm sure KG has heared it a million times and used it.

Actually most of that rant was not about war, but gang warfare. I guess we know what type of music he likes. I also hope he paid attention to the Jayson Williams story--ya gotta be careful if you are into guns. I don't know if he is, but those slang terms for guns rolled out of his mouth pretty easilly.

KG's been nothing of but a mature professional since day 1. He also has signed two 9-figure contracts but plays each game like he needs to win in order to make rent. In the grand scheme, he made a silly statement, but he obviously meant no offense by it.

[See Red]

Ok-- first off let me start by saying a poll on ESPN.com came to the overwhelming majority that people don't care about what Garnett said. Let me then go on to say that war isn't JUST what we usually think about it meaning. One definition of war is "a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end". How does THAT not describe Game 7? I don't how many people have played sports to a point where everything else comes second. Sports are your life, sports are your passion. For Garnett, sports put food on the table, a roof over his head, and clothes on his back -- of course he's going to be passionate about him. Garnett's entire career is questioned by people because of his inability to have teammates that can carry their load. Of course he's going to be passionate when talking about a game that can change someone's outlook on his entire career. If you play with enough passion, in a game that means enough, the feeling is absolutely indescribable and in a way, you do feel like a soldier in the sense that it's do or die and if you execute -- you'll be good. He's also trying to motivate his teammates, by saying these things -- because his teammates backs are whom his legacy as a player has, and forever will depend on.

That may not make saying it completely correct --

But athletes are being accused of rape, murder, drugs, and other crap -- why does a players emotion become an object of our criticism.

Garnett's been a model athlete. He's been mature -- is he intense? yes. But that intensity has gotten god-awful teams without him into playoff contenders with him.

[the_cynic]

For Garnett, sports put food on the table, a roof over his head, and clothes on his back

It also give him the ability to buy a freakin' country with as much $$$ he makes!