Gilbert Arenas: Why The Media Needs to Leave Him Alone

I'm constantly getting aggravated about the amount of hate towards Gilbert Arenas, from the sports media to even this very site.

People tend to forget how good of a player this guy is.

Yesterday night he announced that he faked a sore knee, which held him out of the game and now people are blowing up and criticizing him for it.

Lets review the interview...

The "Faked Knee" Interview...

Obviously smiling more...

His comments:

"Yeah, I told him I'd sacrifice playing tonight so he'd get some time," Arenas said he told Nick Young, who scored a team-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting. "Because I know he's kind of frustrated not getting a chance to crack the three position, especially since we're going three guards. So I told him I'd fake an injury or say something's wrong with me, so he can start."

Blown Out of Proportion

e.g. 'Chicago Blackhawks', 'Chicago Cubs'

My main thought is that he was joking and being sarcastic about the whole situation, and that is still my thought. I think that the media took it the wrong way, and the franchise didn't want to look bad so they fined him.

Gilbert Arenas is 100 percent right about how now since his gun incident the media has been nitpicking at every little thing he says and tries to pull the negative out of stuff he says.  The best solution would be to not say anything, in which Arenas did at the Wizards' media day, and the same journalists asked if they can see "the old Gilbert" again, as if "the old GIlbert" was a long-gone best friend.

Flip "Push-Over" Saunders

Elsa/Getty Images

BOSTON - MAY 28: Head coach Flip Saunders of the Detroit Pistons lookks on from the sidelines while playing against the Boston Celtics during Game Five of the Eastern Conference finals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 28, 2008 i

The main thing people give me about this incident is:

"If Gilbert was joking then why did Flip Saunders and the team place a fine on him?"

My thoughts on the Statement:

• Flip Saunders stated that he didn't hear about the joke until he got a text message at 12 midnight on  gameday.  Therefore it was a shock to hear this from the same player he called "The easiest to coach."

• When they did hear it and it was all over television and the internet, the thing everyone asked is, "What is Flip Saunders and the Wizards Organization going to do about this?"

• So in order to look professional in the league they had to do something, and it was a small fine I assume because Flip Saunders already stated that Gilbert Arenas will be playing on Thursday against the Bucks...depending on how he feels.

• If Flip Saunders got lied to, then why give Gilbert Arenas another shot at being the verdict on him playing or not?  It's because Gilbert was being sarcastic and the coach and franchise knew he was joking, but because of the media's perception they took something that was once a joke and turned it upside down.

The Race Card

LeBron said it best...

As much as I hate pulling race out of anything sports related, LeBron takes the words right out of my mouth while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh's statements played as the equilibrium to the subject.

Do I think race plays a factor in the Gilbert Arenas phantom injury?

Yes, I'm sorry to say that it does.  You never know what people think now and days and I have a feeling that there is one journalist out there that reacted to Arenas' comments so harsh because he is the African American.  I know many will say that race plays no factor in sports but think about it; why is the NFL covering up on Brett Favre's voicemail incident? Is that really all the evidence they got? And if it were Donovan McNabb or Mike Vick making the phone call would they get a suspension?

Just somethings to think about...

Closing Statment.

Gilbert Arenas wasn't being serious, it's the fact that the media took it so seriously that hurt him.  It is now too late for him to come out and say that he was joking because of the amount of hype built around the situation, and the best he can do is say sorry.  In which he did today.  This was not an attack on BleacherReport or anybody that rights for BleacherReport, just something to think about because some writers need to think to themselves and ask:

"Why did Gilbert Arenas faking an injury for a preseason game get so hyped up?"

And...

"If he was being serious about the whole situation then why would Flip Saunders trust him enough to make Arenas make the decision on whether he would play or not?"

Thanks for the read, and feel free to comment.