Denver Nugget coach Dan Issel was suspended without pay for 4 games for making a racial remark to a fan after a loss to Charlotte. He apparently said "Go drink another beer, you Mexican...", adding an unspecified expletive. Issel apologized today for whatever that's worth.

Issel Suspended

How Issel got away with only a four game suspension is beyond me!....while he was on the "hot seat" prior to this inexcusable act (due to the teams poor record and negative comments made recently by several players, including Van Exel and Lafrentz), if David Stern has any cajones the league should step in and increase the punishment severely.

The statement (which was caught on tape by a local Denver station at the conclusion of last night's game and replayed by a DC sports talk radio station today) was, "Go drink another beer, you f****n Mexican, you piece of s**t!"

What other coach or player (or employee in any profession) could say that to a paying customer and still keep his job?....if that "villain" Bob Knight had ever made such a statement leaving the court, it would be the lead story on every news broadcast in the country and yet this incident goes by largely unpublicized....so Issel loses $112,000 in pay (four games at 28K per) but considering that works out to $2.2 Million per year, it's nothing more than a slap on the wrist....I recognize that the NBA has already become a joke but I guess we'll see if Stern is nothing more than a puppet for the league's "star" players and coaches (ala Selig) or whether he will truly hand down a decision that one would expect from a true commissioner of power.

While it's not a very smart comment, it's not among the worst comments that have been said in such situations. He called the guy "a Mexican" (whether the guy was Mexican or not I have no idea). He didn't use a derogatory word like the "N" word. So perhaps this is why the suspension was only 4 games.

You can watch the clip (I don't know how long it will stay up) by going to CNN/SI at the link below - find the box on right that says "Rocky Mountain Low" and click on the video link. RealOne Player or Windows Media player required.

CNN/SI Pro Basketball Page

---> Edited for the usual typos

[ December 12, 2001: Message edited by: Wurm ]

I dont know maybe im thick skinned but what he said was sorta stupid but i think a fine of 112000 is pretty tough. People say stuff out of emotion. yeah you should get penalized somehow but to get all preachy and boycotty is over reacting. My grandfather once was in the car when a guy cut him off..my grandfather yelled out to him "whats the matter with you you stupid Greek" sounds bad right, except my grandfather is Galso Greek. He just blurted it out, he knew the guy was greek so he said it. He hardly has anything against greeks. If he said a-hole, dick head, whatever, it still isnt right but just an emotional response. I think the league did enough and thats it. Im sure the guy who was yelling at him wasnt saying sweet nothings.

Good riddance. The NBA shouldn't tolerate hatefulness of this sort, whether it comes from players, coaches or fans. Issel also wasn't a very good coach either. Denver needed a housecleaning, and Issel's bigotry just precipitated it.