Did The NBA Really Use Lip-Readers to Fine Bobcats' Stephen Jackson $50,000?

The NBA has entered a new arena in their quest to restore decency to the league, if you can believe the words of Charlotte Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson.

In a recent interview with the Charlotte Observer Jackson said he was fined $50,000 after a camera caught him talking to himself after Friday night's 97-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Jackson said the NBA used lip-readers in a new approach to their "respect for the game" mandate, which carries a rule that is seen as over-kill by many to new, dizzying heights.

Bobcats coach Larry Brown also said he was assessed a technical foul in the same game when he responded to an official's call by loudly screaming, "Wow," and Brown went on to say that the respect issue should be a two-way street between officials and teams.

NBA commissioner David Stern has been on a mission to remove the "thug" image from the game, a journey that first began with the implementation of the dress code, and culminating with the new respect policy.

I'm not a fan of the dress code, but I do understand as an employee a person must represent the best interests of the employer when on company time, but the new rule borders on ridiculous, especially if what Jackson says is true.

When the ruling was announced most observers anticipated a nightmare, since it was left to the discretion of the officials to determine what type of actions merited a technical foul.

It hasn't been nearly as bad as expected, but most people still see the rule as a means to remove emotion from the game, while simultaneously turning the league into a police state.

After Jackson's weird incident, I would be inclined to agree.

To be fair, Jackson does his fair share of complaining to officials, and he has acknowledged as much, but what does it say about the NBA if they would actually use lip-readers to enforce their rules?

According to Jackson he was at least 50 feet away from the nearest official, and  on his way to the tunnel when the incident happened.

Has it finally come to this?

Will Stern's next move be to remove all slang from any player's language, and mandate a new course in civility and proper speech?

No one wants to watch a contest filled with complaining players, but no one wants to watch a league of quiet, methodical robots either.

What's worse is the subjective manner officials have used while enforcing the law.

No player knows what the boundaries are, and many have been told that the best way to avoid technical fouls and/or fines is to totally restrict their emotions.

That's easier said than done considering basketball is a game of energy, intensity, and yes, emotion.

I would love to believe that Jackson's claims were a little exaggerated, but coach Brown also said he heard the NBA had used lip-readers in assessing Jackson's fine.

I fully understand Stern's attempts to make the NBA a clean, image-friendly league, but how much will the players, and ironically the fans be forced to sacrifice to achieve that goal?