Gilbert Arenas

Bang. You’re dead. Pointing at his teammates with his hand in the shape of a gun, Washington Wizards’ guard Gilbert Arenas smiled and laughed as cameras flashed before putting up 19 points in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. With potential gun charges looming against Arenas, though, NBA Commissioner David Stern is not in a joking mood.

ESPN is reporting that the NBA has indefinitely suspended Arenas, who has been embroiled in allegations that he brandished a gun at a teammate in the locker room over a gambling debt dispute. D.C. law enforcement officials are also investigating the incident, which Arenas claims was just a joke on a teammate gone wrong.

In fact, Arenas seems to view the entire situation as a joke.

“If I really did something wrong, I would feel remorse for what I did,” Arenas told the New York Daily News after Tuesday’s game. “I didn’t do anything.”

Arenas has continued to comment on the situation via his Twitter account and by speaking to the media. The guy has come off as a complete idiot, oblivious to the serious nature of this offense. Sure, he made a big mistake, but the man is making it worse by continuing to run his mouth. At stake: a potential felony conviction and the voiding of the remaining four years and $96 million of his NBA contract. The man deserves the latter just for his conduct in response to these allegations. How clueless can you be?

I’m a huge fan of the NBA. I love the game. It features the best athletes in the world playing the game at the highest level. However, in recent years we’ve seen the emergence of many coddled wanna-be-thug millionaires drawing headlines for illegal behavior off the court. Most NBA players are excellent stewards of the game; true professionals like Ray Allen, Dikembe Mutombo, Derek Fisher, Yao Ming, and Shane Battier. Yet all the headlines go to people like Ron Artest, Jamaal Tinsley, and now Arenas.

“(Arenas’) ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game,” Stern said.

I could not agree more. After his recent conduct, getting paid millions of dollars playing in the NBA is a privilege Arenas no longer deserves.

For most sports lovers across the nation, Missouri State isn’t exactly well known. Besides a couple great showings in the dance in both men’s and women’s basketball, we haven’t really proven ourselves to be a top quality sports school.

MSU alum and Phillies first basemen Ryan Howard, though, may help change that as he plays in the World Series.

Since hitting the big leagues, he’s made a humongous splash when it comes to numbers and recognition. Over the past seven years he went from small town player to basically a household name, and no one is as surprised as Howard.

Howard started out in St. Louis, where he grew up and practiced baseball with his dad. When he got to high school, he was a great prospect for colleges but it seemed that no scouts were looking his way so he ended up at Southwest Missouri State, or MSU as it is now, and started his career.

Howard even had to walk on at first, but he quickly impressed the coaching staff and earned a scholarship and a permanent spot in the lineup. From there on it was a quick few years with a great junior year at MSU, and then finally a draft by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round of the amateur draft in 2002.

Howard earned the Rookie of the Year in 2005 after replacing all-star Jim Thome. He has been the NL MVP, won the Home Run Derby, been a two-time all-star and is now trying for his second World Series title. Needless to say, Howard is giving himself, and MSU, some recognition.