By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Last year, Rudy Fernandez became the poster child for unsportsmanlike behavior in Euroleague after his infamous incident against Paulius Jankunas. Real Madrid‘s star was punished with a 3.500 euros fine and ended up being attacked outside the gym of Zalgiris.
After Thursday’s brawl (video) in Piraeus the question once more remains the same. Should Euroleague be less tolerant to such kind of behavior? Both Olympiacos and Galatasaray are hoping for a fine – in the hosts’ case that has to do also with the interruption of the game – however compared to Rudy’s incident this was much worse.
According to Euroleague’s bylaws even for a “minor infringements” which can be “the use of violent means or procedures during a playing action that are an affront to the physical well-being of a player”, the penalty can be not just a fine, but the “temporary disqualification from the competition for a period of up to one year or for up to five games in the same season”. So, should the league make a stance at this point, considering the fact that in the past even incidents like the notorious kick of Batiste on Ozbolt went unpunished? We think the answer should be yes, but we also want your opinion.