Cappie Pondexter: Competitor or Dirty Player?

by DaSharpshoota15 on Aug 30, 2010 6:41 PM EDT

Intention is one of the most difficult things to determine in our society. Public perception is so important that many have shown that lying to keep one's public image is more common that we should like. Sunday night in the game against Indiana, there was some extracurricular activity between Pondexter and US Olympic teammate and Indiana forward Tamika Catchings. It was quite obvious by Catchings' (who is normally one of the coolest customers you'll come across) reaction that she was not happy with the contact and that is was excessive. Upon watching the replay, the malicious intent was quite obvious. Now I'm a double major, and I also have a minor in criminal justice. It is written in the Law of the Land that if a person has time to think about committing a violent crime, no matter what the circumstance, it is unacceptable. Since leaving my beloved Mercury, Pondexter has shown this on several occasions, beginning with the blatant hack on Penny Taylor in Phoenix on July 3rd and each time she has stated on Twitter that she is "a fierce competitor" and that "aggressiveness is apart of the game, if you can't handle women playing this way don't watch." Now first off, as an advocate of bigger following of the women's game I don't understand how one can make that statement seriously when they're supposed to be a representative of the league. Then secondly, regardless of how much of a competitor you are or how aggressive you are, plays such as these have NO PLACE in the game of basketball, MEN OR WOMEN! As a college and lifetime player, with a forgettable history off the court, I am all for defending yourself and having pride but when wrong is wrong, there is no excuse. I truly believe that the WNBA needs to do a better job of tending to players with constant complaints of dirty plays, just like Delisha Milton-Jones has made some questionable decisions this year. I mean at the end of the day, is this TRULY the type of players we want at the fore-front of the game, supposedly setting examples for girls who have dreams of playing in the WNBA? We really need to consider these things ahead of being loyal to our favortie teams and players.

Poll

Do you think the contact made with Catchings was excessive or a part of the game?

It was extremely excessive and unneccessary.

49 votes

It was incidental and contact is a part of the game.

23 votes

I saw nothing wrong with the play.

10 votes

I don't care.

2 votes

84 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Can I just think it was kinda unnecessary?

by kpelton on Aug 30, 2010 6:47 PM EDT reply actions

Clarifying

That was my intention with the incidental and contact is part of the game. Sorry I wasn’t as clear as I could have been

Pat Friday
Da Sharpshoota
**RIP CHRIS ULMER**

by DaSharpshoota15 on Aug 30, 2010 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions

It was probably a technical, but if every player who got a technical was considered dirty we’d run out of “clean” ones pretty quickly.

by kpelton on Aug 31, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

look.

I’m not an athlete and I have never claimed to be one. But I watch sports, and I love competition. Tempers flare in every single sport. Every player has lost his or her head at one time or another, and some do it more frequently. Look at McEnroe. He was the #1 player in one of the more ‘gentlemanly’ sports, and he’s got the biggest temper of them all. Some people let their emotions get the better of them. It’s no reason to write them off. I’m not supporting violence in sport, or anywhere for that matter. I’m just saying that some of the best competitors in their sports have had tempers and we support them nonetheless.

by LJRotter on Aug 30, 2010 9:59 PM EDT reply actions

I totally understand but as I said, when you have time to consider you actions, before and after, and you show no remorse for something that is clearly out of line, how can we not question you?

Pat Friday
Da Sharpshoota
**RIP CHRIS ULMER**

by DaSharpshoota15 on Aug 30, 2010 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions

ah, there's a whole other can of worms

humble may not be the best word to describe most professional athletes. just because they are too prideful to apologize in public does not mean they don’t feel remorse. unless you yourself sit down with Cappie and find out from her mouth how she feels about what she’s done, there’s no way to know whether or not she feels badly.
One of my first/worst moments covering the Liberty this season was when I started to ask her a question and it was phrased in such a way that it came off as a criticism. She literally jumped down my throat and made me feel terrible. Believe it or not, when I tweeted about it (silly, I know) she actually responded and apologized in her own way (“no way, mad from loss”.) So it’s hard to say whether or not she’s as heartless as you seem to think.

by LJRotter on Aug 31, 2010 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm gonna go with LJ here (and this is a monumental moment you're witnessing when we agree) ;)

There’s simply no way to argue the play shouldn’t have drawn a technical. Further, to argue that play or the one with Taylor is “part of basketball” is just unreasonable.

That said, I agree that just because she made some “dirty” plays doesn’t mean she’s a “dirty player” – she’s a competitor and she made some unnecessary contact on two occasions this season. Those two occasions alone are not enough to label her “dirty” as though it’s a stable character trait.

SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.

by Nate Parham on Aug 31, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions

someone call 911

I’ve just had a heart attack.

by LJRotter on Aug 31, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Missing an option on this vote

I need to vote for “It was excessive, but not unseen in playoffs before.”
And statements by you (and previously on this website) that imply that Cappie’s attempted block on Penny Taylor was intended to harm her are unfair. Her fingertips nearly reach the ball on that play. She made a similar play in last night’s game, but fortunately made no contact. If anything, she should be accused of stupid defense, trying that block from behind when she’s that late on the play. As for Catchings’ reaction — well, with all due respect to Catch — a great player and competitor herself — I’m sure she was quite annoyed. I’m also sure she was fouled every time she fell on the floor, yanked her head back, and did a somersault. Uh-huh. It’s not possible Catch was “playing the game” herself? Hoping for a tech on Cappie and a FT for her team and whatever else she could get to win? When they play together for the USA, they will be teammates. Until then, they are competitors. End of discussion.

by thesixthwoman on Aug 30, 2010 10:49 PM EDT reply actions

imho

The Merc is my team and, though I was never a huge fan of hers, I don’t believe she is a dirty player.

I don’t think she’s a first-team All-Defensive selection, though.

by fadeoutin on Aug 31, 2010 6:21 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks so much for the comments guys!! Keep ’em coming!!

Pat Friday
Da Sharpshoota
**RIP CHRIS ULMER**

by DaSharpshoota15 on Aug 31, 2010 9:29 AM EDT reply actions

I Agree about Cappie and Catch

I agree that Cappie does get overly aggressive at times; the incidents with Penny Taylor and more recently with Catch come to mind. I think part of it is trying to assert herself as a team leader by challenging the opposing team’s top players. Clearly she needs to find better ways to demonstrate leadership. I don’t think she is inherently a dirty player. In the future, I expect to see her aggressiveness come out in more productive ways, such as taking the ball hard to the hole.

As far as Catch goes, she is constantly poking at the ball trying to get some steals. I suspect she commits some fouls that escape the notice of the officials, and I’m sure it’s annoying to opposing players. And like many savvy veterans, she does create and then over-react to contact. That said, she is still a great player. I’m really looking forward to game three tonight in New York.

by OVJ on Sep 1, 2010 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

"Dirty " is hard to define

While I’m not a fan of Cappie P. and never was (even though I am a huge Mercury fan), I do acknowledge that she is one of the elite players in the league. In my opinion, she turned her back on Phoenix after being loved and supported by this town. Setting this aside, her play this year was to me, not merely that of a “fierce competitor”. Specifically, those two incidents involving Penny Taylor and Catchings. All of the elite players in the league are fierce competitors, and many have a moment or two where they commit an overly aggressive foul, some of which could be called ‘dirty’. However, the main differences I see, is sportsmanship AFTER the foul or even after the game. Rather than apologize to Penny, or show the slightest concern for PT, Cappie chose to take a cheap shot on DT, her friend. Rather than step up like a grown woman, after the game and take responsibility for getting herself tossed from the game, she basically said “get over it people, we’re all friends”…Now, that may be true, the Mercury don’t shy away from some questionably aggressive plays as a group, however, if you publicly do something wrong, PUBLICLY apologize…be a woman about it. Watching the Indiana game, it was clear as day that Cappie was angry that she got caught on a perfectly legal screen set by Catch. When Catch moved off to the inside, Cappie set her sights on her, and made a beeline for her, hitting her without cause. She should have had a technical, no doubt.
So, is Cappie ‘dirty’ hard to say, but those plays were dirty for sure. And yes, others have their dirty moments as well. Basketball is a contact sport and I don’t think any of the players would change that. But there is definitely a fine line between being a competitor, and being dirty.

by khawk71 on Sep 11, 2010 2:08 AM EDT reply actions