Armstrong Suspended for Arguing with Officials During NBA Game

The National Basketball Association (NBA) continues to wield its power in a disturbing way. They have decided to suspend Darell Armstrong for a game without pay for arguing with officials and being ejected from a game. An incident that would have warranted only the punishment that occurs with being ejected from the game and hurting your teammates in the process has drastically changed this year. The NBA has decided to show no tolerance and has acted in a power happy way when making decisions.

It appears that the NBA has decided to give the referees of the league even more power. As a player, you are not allowed to look or talk to a referee in the wrong way. What used to get you a warning now results in an automatic technical foul. A technical foul results in one free throw by the other team. If you get another technical foul, you are ejected from the game and the team receives another free throw opportunity. This used to be an added bonus, but the view on the rule has changed drastically this year with referees calling technical fouls more and more freely.

Indiana Pacers guard Darell Armstrong received his first technical foul for arguing with official Eli Roe midway through the fourth quarter of Friday's game after he disagreed with a call. He became upset, like many players have in the past, and continued to argue with the official. Roe decided that Armstrong was acting inappropriately, as he was, and decided to give Armstrong another technical foul. This resulted in Armstrong being ejected from the game. He became upset and argued more and had to be led from the court. The same incident happened earlier this season in another NBA game. The player was never suspended, but Armstrong seems to be a player that the NBA wanted to make an example with.