Well this is one way to go to stamp out mass brawls

[ballymanabroad]

NBA star gets 15 game ban for New York brawl

NBA scoring sensation Carmelo Anthony has been banned for 15 games for his role in Saturday's mass brawl between Denver and New York Knicks players.

Anthony, averaging a 31.6 points per game for the Nuggets, was suspended after shoving New York's Nate Robinson and punching Mardy Collins in the face.

Robinson and Denver guard JR Smith each miss 10 games. Collins is banned for six and team-mate Jared Jeffries four.

Jerome James (Knicks) and Hilario Nene (Denver) will each sit out one game.

The Knicks and Nuggets were also each fined $500,000 by the league.

NBA commissioner David Stern said: "The NBA and its players set an example for the entire basketball world, on and off the court.

"While we have worked diligently to eliminate fighting from our game, there are failures such as Saturday night that demonstrate there is more to be done.

"It is our obligation to take the strongest possible steps to avoid such failures in the future."

Stern also made it clear that he was annoyed by the conduct of Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, but he avoided any individual punishment. Thomas had warned Anthony not to dribble into the foul lane before the melee began.

Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens was fined $35,000 by the NFL yesterday for spitting in the face of the Atlanta Falcons' DeAngelo Hall during Saturday's game.

Owens was not suspended.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello announced the fine, which came after Hall knocked Owens out of bounds on a pass play during Dallas' 38-28 win.

"I got frustrated and I apologise for that," Owens said after the game. "It was a situation where he kept bugging me and getting in my face."