Good afternoon and welcome to Levey Live. I'm your host, Washington Post columnist Bob Levey. We meet here today, and every Tuesday, from noon until 1 p.m., Eastern time, to discuss major news stories and issues from Washington and elsewhere.

Levey Live features guests who are important newsmakers, and also reporters and editors from The Post's newsroom. Every week at this time, you have a chance to ask them questions directly. Levey Live gives you a chance to participate, just as you would if this were a talk show on the radio or on television.

In addition to my 30 years on the staff of the Post, I have worked as a talk show host and commentator for seven radio stations and four TV stations. It's a pleasure to host this show, and I hope it's a stimulating place to turn (and return).

Today we take a look at the NBA, and all its recent turmoil. What are basketball professionals like Latrell Sprewell, Rod Strickland and Tracy Murray teaching our children, and society at large? Should Sprewell be courted by the Washington Wizards? Should Strickland and Murray have been given $25,000 fines? Your reactions and comments are welcome.

dc: Why should he have to sit out the rest of the year instead of trading him to see if some other team would want a troubled player or send him to some type of couseling for him control his anger towards his coach. There needs to be a thorough investigation to see what prevoke this action by Sprewell.

Bob Levey: just what would a more thorough investigation establish? we already know that sprewell didn't manage his anger very well. what more needs to be discovered--or could be? sorry, but i don't see the slightest reason to investigate further. i see a big reason why the nba should stick to its guns. there were contractual, public relations and labor relations reasons to void sprewell's contract. it was good that the nba acted so quickly, not bad. yes, they could trade him right now, rather than a year from now. but let him play any sooner than then? no way. as for counseling, i'd be all for it, but not if it becomes a vehicle for more excuse-making and blame-shifting. the biggest question for those of us in the washington area is whether sprewell should play for the wizards. i have a strong hunch that he will--and i'll bet he receives a chilly reception from d.c. fans

Washington, D.C.: Why is that the NBA and all the other major ball clubs pay these guys astronomical salaries and then half of them don't play up to their potential once their on the team. Maybe we should go back to the salaries of the 70s, if they want to play ball bad enough, they'll accept lower salaries. These kids are spoiled brats who want to be paid but they don't want to uphold their part of the bargain.

Bob Levey: but you couldn't go back to the grand days of the 1970s in the basketball business any more than you could in any business. what's the biggest difference between the nba of then and the nba of today? TV money--oceans of it. i hope you're not saying that only the owners should share in all that delicious dough. surely the players deserve as much as they can get. it's not their fault that networks have paid out huge sums to televise games. still, having said all that, i agree that many players are spoiled brats. i used to cover the nba, and it was incredible how little it took for a player to miss a game. one player once sat out because of a hangnail. no kidding.

Arlington VA: Bob,

How do you think the Sprewell situation would be different if the player were white and the coach black?

Bob Levey: i'm glad you asked this. the answer is: no difference. the sprewell story has nothing to do with race. nothing. remember that coach carlesimo is well known for yelling at ALL his players, black as well as white. thank heavens sprewell didn't argue that he was singled out for being black, because most of his team is black. carlesimo yells at all of them--the white players, too.

Arlington VA: Some say the way to change the attitudes of many pro athletes in the 90's is to not allow guaranteed, longterm contracts, the thinking being a player who has no longterm financial guarantees will play harder and respect the people who tell him what to do, since it is in the player's best interest to do so. Do you think something this radical is needed to change the current balance of power?

Bob Levey: that's a thoughtful question, but as i mentioned a few minutes ago, you can't shove the genie back into the bottle. once you offer one player a guaranteed contract, you'll have to offer all good players the same terms. remember that the correct comparison here is not between NAB players and working stiffs like you and me. the accurate comparison is between NBA players and other entertainers. would you complain if frank sinatra or jack nicholson got a guaranteed contract? they get them all the time, even though they, too, have misbehaved--sometimes in ways very similar to sprewell.

Wasshington, D.C.: Bob,
Is not the problem based on the fact there is a total lack of respect for authority figures by today's youth and this respect is not taught in either the home or at school? Right or wrong I personally learned to behave via my parents at home and the nuns at school. The kids today could use a strong dose of discipline in both environments to set them straight. signed Disciplined as a child and better of for it!

Bob Levey: i'm sure sprewell respects his mother, father, agent and accountant. what he did wrong was to act as if he is above the law and beyond the reach of the rules. that doesn't show disrespect for authority. it shows extremely poor judgment, and a lack of maturity. the problem is really the star culture, which bathes kids in adoration at age 10 when they can shoot a basketball well. with the pot of gold awaiting these kids, they think that a) the money will never stop coming and b) they can do whatever they want because they'll always get another chance. i'd love to see an owner who COULD hire sprewell refuse to do so. but of course that'll never happen.

Washington, D.C.: Most of us are average people with average jobs and average salaries - yet we are held to a certain within are respective workplaces. Why are professional athletes who have seemingly above average jobs with definitely above average salaries not held at an even higher standard?

Bob Levey: same reason. the star culture. these guys make more in one game than most of make in a year. money takes on a different meaning for them. again, don't compare them to average guys. compare them to movie stars and the heads of fortune 500 companies.

London, England: Maybe I am being just typically British, but it seems to me that the problem of misbehaving has nothing to do with basketball (since such behaviour has occurred in other sports including American football, baseball, boxing) and all to do with rich, immature and uneducated athletes. Why don't you get more serious with educating college athletes at an early stage as opposed to allowing them to graduate with a C average and a major in Physical Education or basketweaving? Force athletes in college to take classes in anger management, business, public relations and in the case of some, social sciences. A curriculum designed specifically for college athletes that addresses the pressure of being a professional may help some immature college athletes realize the potential hurdles they may face. It is a social issue really - and I cannot see a grassroots upturn of the current social situation in the US. The media will keep promoting athletes, sponsors will keep pouring money, TV will keep running the highlights, kids will keep adoring and we are running out of Grant Hills and Michael Jordans. Lets try some education - what do you think?

Bob Levey: what a radical thought! an education for college athletes! yes, i'm being snide--but the real sin takes place on campus, when athletes are coddled and protected. the lying in big-time college sports programs is incredible. no one asks a thing of these kids, academically. it's also a matter of leading a horse to water. you and i could offer these kids business courses and money management courses from now until the end of time. what if the students never show up for class? it happens now for basketweaving 101. don't you suppose it would also happen for more serious courses?

McLean, VA: Sprewell should not only be fined, he should be put in jail like other criminals for attempted murder. The fact that basketball stars are role models is a sad comment on our society. The fact that some of them behave like criminals makes this a scary reality.

Bob Levey: amen! sports leagues should recognize that it's a huge threat to their images to have stars protected. if an nba player uses or sells drugs, for instance, he should be jailed. there's always someone else who can play basketball. no one should be above the law.

Duw West, SC: What I find even more troubling than sprewell's behavior is the fact that so many other nba teams were willing to trade for him with the knowledge of this incident and his previous troubles. The same thing happened with lawrence phillips and the miami dolphins. Professional teams are willing to sell their souls for a winning record.

Bob Levey: they're willing to sell their souls, their gizzards, anything at all. the reason is MONEY! winning teams sell more tickets. that's the sum total of why sprewell is still employable. he will turn his next team into a winner. again, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if he plays for the washington wizards. cruel but true: wouldn't he be a better shooting guard than calbert cheaney?

washington dc: Why do you feel NBA players should be role models in the first place.Why does the white media(you) think you can decide who the role modles of the world should be . You decide by the amount of coverage you give to sports and the lack of coverage you give everything else. So get off the NBA players backs they are only what you made them.

Bob Levey: utter nonsense. i don't decide who role models should be (and my whiteness has nothing to do with it). it's irresponsible to know that kids look up to you and to live as if they don't, or shouldn't. all adults are role models. but then again, many athletes don't see themselves as adults. the problem isn't me, my friend. it's sprewell (and all sprewells).

Lanham, MD: Bob, Do you think revoking his contract was fair? What if it was MJ that went berzerk and choked Phil Jackson -- would the punishment have been the same by the league and the team?

Bob Levey: revoking his contract was the only way the league could have gone. if they had slapped his wrists, i would have been the first to cry, "Too soft." interesting question about jordan. i suspect he would have been treated the same as sprewell, if only because the nba would have heard so much negative reaction if he hadn't been.

New York, NY: Dear Mr. Levey,
How much do you think that
misbehavior by athletes in
all sports (not just basketball-
look at Michael Westbrook) has
something to do with the lack
of role models for children
in the inner cities where so
many of these athletes come
from?

Bob Levey: it always worries me to see athletes disrespecting referees on tv, because that produces more disrespect than a lack of fathers and uncles at home. i see nba players complaining about EVERY foul, even when i can see in my living room that they've just clobbered an opponent. shut up and take your medicine. by the way, this is a problem for athletes who aren't from the inner city, too. any referees out there? don't you feel more threatened than any nba coach ever will, or ever has?

Rockville, MD: How do you compare the Sprewell incident to the one where Dennis Rodman head-butted an official ? Certainly both cases were assualts. I don't recall Rodman getting a suspension as long as a year.

Bob Levey: i said at the time that rodman should be jailed. he would have been in any other setting. do the laws not apply on basketball courts?

Fairfax, VA: Bob, you are on the mark, now it's time for Sprewell (hope these comments get to him) to "get set" and "go" -- he may not realize it yet, but he has a BIG opportunity here. Bad publicity can be turned around easily these days, and his notoriety could be a powerful opportunity for him to take a lesson, and become a spokesman for a more civil society. He would benefit personally, he would serve a critical need for today's youth, and who knows -- maybe a basic lesson in civility in sports could reach a larger audience, and reduce some of the road rage, domestic violence, etc.
Gary (of ST8M8S)

Bob Levey: wonderful idea, but how much contrition do you see in sports in general? that's right--zero. it's all about whether a mistake like sprewell's will cost in terms of endorsements and sneaker contracts. certainly some athletes get religion. some never lose it. but please don't expect a leopard to change its spots just because the leopard gets a little bad press

Brighton, Michigan: Mr Levey-

Shouldn't the question be why do we have to worry about this player being picked up by another team? I know that if I assaulted and editor in any newsroom I have worked in, I would more than likely never get another job in the business. Perhaps we should put the NBA and its practices on trial.

Bob Levey: the nba and its practices ARE on trial every night--at the box office. if you don't like it, don't pay the freight, and don't watch games on tv. sooner or later, it has to have an effect.

Arlington, VA: Why do you suppose it is that a player who attacks a coach during practice is suspended for a year, but players who physically attack or assault referees during a game are given a slap on the wrist? Does it have to do with the "stature" of the player involved moreso than the transgression? If a big "star" had attacked his coach would he have been banned for a year?

Bob Levey: i couldn't agree more. referees put up with more grief than jackie gleason's wife on "the honeymooners." apparently the code in the nba these days is to let the player have his say, and let him get away with it as long as he doesn't lay a hand on the ref. but i watch at home, and i can read lips, and some of these players are cursing a blue streak, right in the referee's face. they should be tossed as soon as the first curse word flows from their lips--and it should happen every game, with every ref.

College Station: I believe that they should get jail time. I also strongly dislike hearing basket ball stars whine on TV, after they realize the consequences. I am an adult and I can think far enough ahead to tell that choking a guy would be a bad idea. Why can't the basket ball player grow up enough to look ahead at the consequences?

Bob Levey: basketball players are amazingly good at ducking responsibility. habve you ever listened to a postgame interview? it's always the fault of the refs, the gods, the lights, the weather--never just because Mr. Heap Big Star missed a key free throw.

San Jose, California: Bob- Aren't you sick and tired of reactions which include references to penalties for similar offenses in the workplace. Since when do we want our sporting events reduced to 9 to 5 comparisons. I see no one paying up to $85 a ticket to see me work and my actions are not disected in the morning news. Stop with the comparisons! We treat them as larger than life- thier actiopns should not be used to set the tone in society. We should look at the affair in the context of sports, and within that context-he was treated severly when you compare with events like the Bill McKinney episode, D. Rodman etc.

Bob Levey: yes, but these episodes (and these athletes)are symbols of our society. no one would pay $85 to watch me work, either. but i can't jam a basketball with my left pinky. i don't begrudge these players their stardom. i DO find them fascinating. but they have to recognize in return that they are still human beings, still workaday laborers like the rest of us

Alexandria, VA: It never ceases to amaze me. We get all upset and angry when a player is fined or issued penalties for doing ridiculous antics, but when they are producing points or filling up the seats, they are "role models". What's wrong this picture? And then we start preaching, more education, stricter fines, blah, blah, blah... the truth is, this is a society that embraces violence. We thrive off of it. We would no sooner get rid of a rabble rouser who keeps excitement in the game, than keep someone whose integrity is questionable, from making films (Woody Allen.. for example)..

Bob Levey: you're right in an important sense: antics sell tickets. dennis rodman would never have survived this long, regardless of hair color, if people didn't look at him and laugh. everyone knows he's a buffoon, and a violent, out-of-control person. but as long as the bucks keep flowing.....

Rockville, MD: As a basketball referee, I'd have to say that we may feel somewhat threatened by players but probably by fans/crowds more than anything. Crowd control has become somewhat of a problem at some locations. Lack of respect for authority be it coaches or officials is a problem. Some schools are better at enforcing appropriate behavior in players than others. Generally, the more 'big time' the H.S. program the more inappropriate behavior is tolerated.

Bob Levey: thanks so much for weighing in. and thanks for the excellent point about coaches being a threat to you, too. i didn't mean to suggest that only players curse. you've probably heard bad language aimed at you many times by coaches. why don't you just toss these crowd-baiting fools out on their behinds? in the long run, that's what the crowd knows they deserve.

washington DC: I work for a large corperation, if I went in and punched my boss I would not only be fired but I would be charged with assault and arrested. Now the players are saying they will boycott the All-Star game, I say the fans should, these are adult men not children are they above the law?

Bob Levey: if they want to boycott the all-star game, let them. i will, too. once again, that'll threaten the tv ratings, which is the only way to make the powers-that-be pay attention

Rockville, Md: Doesn't the public bare some of the blame? In general, the public appears to put up with this behavior time and time again. It apears Bball is going the way of hockey - fights/misbehavior are the name of the game. It appears many thrive on these "stars" antics both on the court and off.

Bob Levey: ah, hockey! i've written many columns about this, and many fans still don't see it. the fights in hockey are more important than the game. it's not hockey, it's hooliganism. how utterly ridiculous that the refs let two players punch each other for three solid minutes before they even TRY to break the fight up. it's clear that fighting is condoned, with a not-so-concealed wink.

Bob Levey: i'd love to hear from anybody who has an opinion on whether sprewell would be welcome on the washington wizards.

Fairfax, VA: Say, couldn't Carlesimo press criminal charges? Why won't or can't he?

Bob Levey: he certainly could. he hasn't (and he won't) because he knows the nba would like to be done with this episode, and he wants to keep his job.

Washington, DC: There is plenty of criminal activity going on these days involving NBA stars. Alan Iverson has had a number of run-ins in DC, only a few that have been reported.

I work in government. If I were to choke my boss and threaten his life, I'd be fired, a major scandal would ensue, and I'd probably go to jail, in addition to having my career end.

If my career would end, why should it be any different for Sprewell, Rodman, Iverson, or any other NBA player?

Bob Levey: do you sell 18,000 tickets a night?

Somewhere, USA: These people are not "work-a-day laborors like the rest of us!" I am nearly finished my PhD in Chemistry. I have spent seven years in higher education, and will spend a couple more before I am done. I will not be able to sign a contract for 75 million dollars for 6 years with a chemical company. These people are supposed to be role-models and responsible adults, and yet some of them act like children, or criminals. Why do we put up with it as a society?

Bob Levey: i'm glad you joined the discussion, because you probably chose chemistry in elementary school, at the same time that today's pro athletes chose sports. no one forced you to spend your life in a lab. you chose that course. please don't tell me it's just about money for you. if it is, then you should have spent all those hours in the driveway, practicing your free throw shooting.

Washington, DC: Hell NO he wouldn't be welcome w/the Wizards (from a fan perspective). There enough crime in Dc as it is!

Bob Levey: ok. that's one side of the issue. anybody out there think that washington would fail to embrace sprewell if the wizards suddenly were in first place with him on the floor?

Arlington VA: If Orioles fans' quick forgiveness of Roberto Alomar is any indication, Sprewell would be welcomed as soon as he contributed positively on the court. A few initial boos, maybe.

Bob Levey: i'm sure you're right

D.C.: Re resuming his career with the Wiz's, only if he performs community service in D.C., and re-earns some respect from his "fans."

Bob Levey: what community service could he perform? i know: teach kids to get mad, go away for 20 minutes, then get mad again.

Alexandria, VA: Welcome?? He would be embraced!! I think the team is searching for something for a identity.. Like the BULLS are considered a "gentlemen's team " or the Piston's used to the the "Bad Boys".. I don't like a violent image, but MCI gotta make the cash, and the WIZARDS are exactly.. exciting.. sad aint it?

Bob Levey: maybe the wizards could be the anger-managers. murray and strickland did a great job of that, didn't they? (i almost said, ... "did a bang-up job.")

Chevy Chase, Md: I wouldn't want him to come to the Wizards. Sadly, Abe Pollin has already weighed in with the "I'll take him if he's sorry" line. Of course Pollin would - he needs to shore his team up with "talent" regardless of the baggage that comes with it.

Bob Levey: yeah, wasn't that strange of pollin? i can only think he was tipping his hand. you can bet your boots that the bidding for sprewell is already well underway. i doubt that pollin would have said a word if he didn't think he was in a strong position. i know the man--he doesn't open his yap until he's sure of what's about to come out

Washington, DC: Bob,
Hockey officials do not break up fights until it is safe to do so .. for the official .. usually when the players are on the ground. That said, the leauge could change the rules on fighting if it really wanted to .. see college hockey. What a great game.

Bob Levey: pul-eeze. you mean two able-bodied officials can't step between two guys who are holding each other's jerseys and swinging wildly? i've seen better fights in bars--and those got broken up pretty fast.

Baltimore, MD: With respect to Sprewell coming to DC, I think he would be welcomed there by the organization because he's a proven player. I just wonder how fans would react, especially after the Strickland-Murray incident.

Bob Levey: i think strickland-murray is almost forgotten already. by the way, what WAS that about? a woman? i haven't seen a single serious attempt to answer that question. so much for reporters always getting to the bottom of things

McLean, VA: The problem is that the rich are treated differently than the poor. Sprewell would be arrested if he was in the inner city and choked a congress-person. OJ on the other hand gets away with murder. Also to the person who blamed the media, the only fault is with the individual. The media never caused sprewell to choke his coach.

Bob Levey: sprewell would never have choked a congressperson in the inner city because congresspeople never venture into the inner city

Bob Levey: a little more than five minutes left. we'll try to fit in as many of your questions and comments as we can.

Fairfax, VA: Bob, guys like Sprewell and Strickland are malignant tumors running rampant throughout the NBA. The only way to treat this disease is to maximize players salaries to $1,000,000 for starters and $500,000 for bench players. Also, starters would have a complete insentive package.

Thanks Bob!

Bob Levey: it's not so much that they're malignant tumors. it's a question of how much winning they've done. correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't think either has won an nba championship (and i'll bet neither ever does). what the nba should pay for are good TEAM players, not individuals who do circus moves.

Washington DC: Why wouldn't he be welcome in D.C. The city leads the universe in crime, how's one more thug gonna hurt??

Bob Levey: very funny. in fact, street crime in downtown d.c. is much lower than in similar areas of other big cities.

Baltimore Md: Don't you think Johnnie Cochran is a parasite on society and in your converations with people
who try to make everything a racial issue do you really think they believe their own words ?

Bob Levey: i just hope cochran doesn't inject race into the sprewell saga. sadly, based on what he did with simpson, i suspect that's coming

D.C.: BOB -- this isn't for posting, I just wanted to let you know how cool I think this is. It's great seeing you live online! Thanks from your fans!

Bob Levey: thanks. i'll be here every tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. make it a habit.

Chevy Chase, MD: This is a great forum for discussion. I'm female and don't follow the NBA but you're making it interesting. One question: is that photo really you? Aren't you much less porky today?

Bob Levey: flattery will get you anywhere. yes, i'm 35 pounds lighter than what you see. we'll have to see if washingtonpost.com has enough money in the till to shoot a more current photo. honesty in webbistry, and all that

Washington, DC: Personally, I feel so surrounded by violence every day -- TV, movies, the evening news, aggressive drivers, you name it, that I have decided to stop lining the pockets of the more idiotic athletes... some of us just want to watch the game, not antics for millionaires. Do you ever turn the tube off too?

Bob Levey: i sometimes turn off the tube. i ALWAYS turn off the sound. i don't need a sportscaster telling me how great a play it was. i can see for myself

Alexandria, VA: Oh wow, D.C. is a thug city, so let's have thug players??

That's a really stupid comment.
New York is more violent than D.C. so should NY have violent players? It's all about DOUGH!!

Bob Levey: well said

Fairfax, VA: I wouldn't want to see Sprewell on the Wizards; as far as I'm concerned he's persona non grata. But in a town where even the cops seem to be turning bad, I can't help but wonder, what's the problem with a thug on a basketball team?

Bob Levey: i hate to disilluion you, but most cops are as honest as the day is long. stop overreacting to the occasional bad apple story. it demeans the city, and it demeans you

Bob Levey: that'll do it for this week. good questions! see you one week from today.