BOLT: Punching People in the Face

I have been fuming about this issue for days now, but at this point, I am much tamer on it. I have heard a lot of opinions that oppose mine, and it has caused me to partially reconsider my thoughts, but moreso it has made me wish I had more time to do research, or had a Kramerican type intern to do the research for me.

The info: Last week, in a game against Texas Tech, Baylor LadyBear Brittney Griner punched the Red Raider's Jordan Barncastle in the face after a perceived hard foul, breaking her nose. She was later suspended the mandatory 1 game for the incident, and an additional game by her coach.

Key points: This was NOT and elbow. This was NOT even a fight between to consenting players. This was a SUCKER PUNCH after a play, while the victim was acting accordingly to the precedent of the game of basketball. To me, this is closer to LeGarrette Blount than it is Knicks/Heat or some other fight-type situation in basketball.

Thoughts: This seems to be a terrible offense to me. A lot of media members seemed to come to the defense of Griner, saying that she should not be punished because she is female. I don't see how that was being argued at all. It seems more to me as though she may be saved from a more severe punishment because she is female. If a 7' center from THE Ohio State University, wailed an unsuspecting 6'8' F from Michigan in the face, breaking bones in the middle of a basketball game, I find a hard time believing the incident would be treated so lightly. LeGarrette Blount was suspended indefinitely from Oregon, and reinstated conditionally after EIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES. That's over 2 months of suspension. Now I understand that Blount's incident happened after a game, but it was equally reactionary and equally blindsided. To suspend Griner for TWO BASKETBALL GAMES. That is likely 6 or 7 days. When I first saw the offense, I figured that this late in the season, Griner had to be done for the year. I was flabbergasted, when the suspension time was released.

I don't doubt that Brittney Griner is a good person, or that she is remorseful for her actions. I don't think that she will be repeating an act of this kind any time soon. That is part of what punishments are for. However, they are also preventitive acts: a task which Blount's suspension seems apt to fulfill, but one which Griner's suspension seems to disregard.

If I am way off on this issue, please let me know.

-APT