Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig Argument Is Much Ado About Nothing

Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig were caught on camera bickering at each other during Monday night's game, a clear sign that skipper Don Mattingly is losing the clubhouse and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers are primed for a September implosion.

Am I doing this hot-sports-takes thing right? 

For reference, here's a look at the incident in question:

The Dodgers ultimately fell to the Rockies 11-3, and the sports world has gotten into quite a frenzy about that mini argument.

To be fair, it's not difficult to see why it has received such attention. Puig is one of the most scrutinized players in the league. If he gets upset at his dog for going No. 2 inside the house or if he decides to put Sriracha on his eggs, you're probably going to hear about it. Kemp, a one-time MVP candidate who hasn't produced up to standards in the past two seasons, is another target of criticism. 

Take two closely dissected stars like that from a major city, put them in a shouting match, and you have the recipe for a national story. 

But that's all it is—an interesting 41-second video to watch or maybe a talking point with co-workers or friends. However, it's not a sign of things to come. It's not an indication of how the clubhouse is being run or how Kemp and Puig feel about each other. And it's certainly not an issue that anyone should be making a big deal out of. 

Whether it's first-grade T-ball, the Show or any other team sport, teammates will undoubtedly get upset with each other. It's part of knowing each other's potential and wanting to get the most out of those closest to you. Better to push them—and yes, that includes yelling angrily at them sometimes—than coddle them when you're losing. 

As ESPN's Buster Olney and Fox Sports' Jimmy Spencer argued, this is just natural in this kind of setting: 

Kemp was similarly nonchalant about the incident after the game, via the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett:

"Oh, just talking in the dugout, same old things," Mattingly added, via ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon. "We're like the [Oakland] A's, the '72 A's."

Those 1972 Oakland Athletics were famous for fights between teammates, but no one seemed to mind when they won the World Series in '72. And '73. And '74. 

Who knows if the Dodgers will follow in those footsteps, but at 86-64, four games clear of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West and just 0.5 behind Washington for the NL's best record, they are certainly set up for a dangerous run in October. 

No matter who's yelling at who inside the dugout.