Film & Video Production Company

    Today we learn the fate of Washington Wizzards gaurd Javaris Crittenton, which will be a suspension for the rest of the season, handed down from NBA commissoner David Stern on Wednesday, according to nba.com. Crittenton will also recieve one year of unsupervised probation and a $1,250 fine after reaching a plea agreement after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Crittenton sentence comes after a locker room incident he had with Wizzards' star guard, Gilbert Arenas just four days before Christmas. Arenas who is believed to face more serious charges due to the fact that he had four handguns. The incident may have started as a joke for the two, however it got out of hand when Crittenton alleged his life was in danger and therefore brandished a loaded handgun of his own.    The judge in the case also ordered the 22 year, Crittenton to mentor to young people in the Washington D.C. area, accompanied by helping aid victims of the Haiti earthquake! Pretty sweet deal considering someone who could have potentially shot and killed a human being for his reckless behavior. What makes me upset with the leniencey toward these young players is the punishment never fits the crime. Come on, mentoring young people is part of his punishment; he is the one who needs a mentor.

         Don't get me wrong I'm a big advocate of people owning firearms, however I feel they should be responsible and mature enough to take on such a responsibility. I don't want to sound like a member of the NRA or anything but Athletes have the right to defend themselves like everyone else. The fundamental difference in this situation is the fact that they were both acting like menacing juveniles.

    While we continue to patiently wait on the fate of Wizzards star guard Gilbert Arenas (sentencing scheduled for March 16 in a Washington D.C. superior cout), it puzzles me how young African American athletes continue to find themselves at the center of this very controversy. Lets take a look a the latest situations involving guns and athletes; New York Giants Plaxico Burress, sentenced to  2 years in prision for violation of the state of New York's gun laws; then we Delonte West charged with misdemeanor charges of carrying two concealed hanguns on his person, also in the D.C. area; Sebastian Telfair's two incidents involving guns and the list goes on.

Sometimes I just ask myself, 'if these individuals love guns so much, why don't they join the united states military'? Uncle Sam would not have a problem placing M16 automatic assualt riffle and through them on the front lines of combat in Afghanistan.