This just supports my feeling that athletes all have the "big-head." Athletes all think they should be treated differently from the average person. Did I get my point across?

Just wait until it is your daughter out there on the basketball court who gets punched in the face. What if that girl would have received a concussion? It is so hard to believe that anyone could say that was in ANY way justified. It is equally hard to believe that anyone could justify Mulkey's and Baylor's tepid responses.

"Assault Charges"!!!!! You have got to be kidding. The punishment Brittney received was more than enough for her action (or should I say reaction) to the flagrant shoving by Barncastle. I don't condone what she did; however, I understand it. As a Freshman, she has kept her cool all year while putting up with many many "hands on", "grabbing" and "pushing" fouls that the referees did not call. If they had been doing their job that night and blown the whistle after Barncastle shoved Brittney, the incident probably would not have occurred. As far as Baylor being "stained" as one person put it, the punishment called for was one game suspension but Coach Mulkey added another game suspension. This tells me that Baylor has a high callibar coaching staff. As for being a role model, Brittney is the best. Apparently, the people writing in have not had any personal contact with Brittney and/or have not seen how she goes out of her way to talk to and interact with young people at the Baylor games. I think some of the people who responded to this question, need to "walk in the other person's shoes" and have some personal contact with the person before they jump to judgment.

Brittney Griner has been the target of great harassment because she is SUCH A GOOD player. She should have been thrown out of the game but so should the other player involved. That player (Hardcastle) deserves the same punishment levied on Griner. C'mon, guys, lighten up on Brittney.

I played basketball for years including two oversees and I have been elbowed, punched, bit, scratched and knocked down dozens of times. I never punched anyone ever. What Griner did and Kim Mulkey's tepid response shows what kind of person Griner is and what kind of person Mulkey is. Griner should have lost her scholarship and been sent packing. The fact the Big 12 coaches voted her all those honors shows how afraid of Mulkey they are, and that they endorse this sort of thing. I would hope the Tech player files charges.

It's all Obama's fault.

It's all Obama's fault.

@ Lanette- You know, I love to debate and express my opinions on topics of interest, but it's really frustrating when someone like you intercedes with these witty comments that you try so hard to impress with, yet leave everyone else clueless and dumbfounded by your lack of wit.. I find it rather humorous that you would quote "Forest Grump momma" as a way to analogize your point.. You better keep on that daughter of yours while she is attending TSTC, I would hate to see OUR money go to waste... :)

yes...its is punishment enoungh...and imo she took it well??? she acknowledged her mistake...took responsibility...apologetic...as long as this was/is an isolated incident...then let it go...now if it continues...then coach m has an issue??? i think she has got it under control and all these hollier than thou, arm chair preacher/coaches..should let the lady who is getting paid to coach...do it

yes...its is punishment enoungh...and imo she took it well??? she acknowledged her mistake...took responsibility...apologetic...as long as this was/is an isolated incident...then let it go...now if it continues...then coach m has an issue??? i think she has got it under control and all these hollier than thou, arm chair preacher/coaches..should let the lady who is getting paid to coach...do it

@ the truth; yes you are so right I remember when the THUGS were not allowed also, the rapists, peeping toms, breaking into cars, burning political campaign ads,alcohol abuse, wow the list seems to go on...... and I think it might just be your SUPPORT that is adding to all of this.Forest Grump momma said; STUPID is STUPID does *smile* Glad my daughter is attending a REAL university, where education is the purpose.oh yea 'sic em bears, lol, lmao

It took me this long to comment because I had to stop clapping first, The girl deserved it, one assault dserves another, watch the tape... what makes the punch that the girl did (slinging brittney by the arm) less wrong than the punch that brittney threw. Next time keep your lil hands to yourself, and brittney will too!!!

Most of you responders always try to use the sports people as roll models. You need to get off your can and be that person. Probably can't put your self in that position because it's easy for you to sit back and try to lay blame on others.

I am so sick of hearing about this being the fault of the referee's. Yes there should have been more calls leading up to this but the referee did not make Griner get up off the floor, take two steps and throw a sucker punch!!!!! I also think the penalty is a joke as well as Coach Mulkey, this just tells me that Baylor has no class and they want to win at all cost. Baylor also showed their LACK OF CLASS when the mens team played A&M at Reed Arena, the sign that one of the fans had that read "Break A Leg", directed toward Derrick Roland. Way to represent your school as well as the Big XII!!!!

It's just according to what perspective you want to base your opinion on. If you were on the recieving end of the punch or if you were on the dishin' out end of the punch. These girls play more physical all the time. I am such an old fogey I can remember whenever girls only played half-court in bloomers. Well, it probably wasn't ok for her to try to punch that girls lights out but it was ok....Maybe she should take up women's boxing instead of b-ball.

No, No, and No. She should be out for rest of season, (very well could be the case). Why was she allowed to even be at the game sitting there eating pizza and signing autographs for little kids. Geez what a role model!!

Is a two game suspension appropriate?...If this happened off the court she would be facing criminal assault charges...why should she be treated differently because she is an athlete...we can do better than this.

A 2 game suspension is double what the rules require based on the information I have read. The game of women's basketball has been allowed to become too physical by the referees for the safety of the players. I hope this can be changed so the game can be played by the talent of the players! The referees had plenty of time to blow the whistle after Barncastle openly fouled Britteny. This would have avoided Britteny's reaction to defend herself from the physical abuse she had been receiving.

she should have been suspended for the rest of the season.

To those defending Ms. Griner's actions you should be reminded of the mission statement of Baylor University athletics: "To support the overall mission of the university by providing a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that attracts, nurtures and graduates student-athletes who, under the guidance of a quality staff, represent Baylor with character and integrity while pursuing excellence in their respective sports." I doubt anyone could argue that sucker punching a player walking away from you represents "Baylor with character and integrity". It also doesn't reflect well on their fundraising campaign "Victory with Integrity". We all want Baylor to do well in athletics. However, we should not excuse bad behavior and look the other way. Brittney Griner looked like she was having a wonderful time at the game today. Nice message Baylor! Brittney should be out at least for the Big 12 tournament. That would be winning with integrity.

I think its harsh because from the footage I see Tech being the aggressor, did Tech player get in trouble for trying to take Griner down? It looks to me tech wanted her out and were baiting her and she's a Freshman so she reacted as one and Tech got what they want but could not do nothing on the boards anyway.

Not even close. She should be out for at least the rest of the season and for sure, should have her scholarship re-examined. Since when do we give free education, room and board to thugs who sucker punch opposing players and bring discredit and dishonor upon the very institution that is supporting them? I grew up and went to school during the old Southwest Conference days. I remember Grant Teaff and Baylor being a respected school and athletic program. NO thugs were allowed on campus back then, let alone on a sports team. How things have changed in Waco. Maybe I'll change the way I support the college.

@ Lydia - "Keep them in their place"?? Only an uneducated person filled with ignorance would make a statement like that!

@ Bonnie- Are you kidding me? ATTACKED FIRST?? You have to be kidding right? Physical play under the basket is just part of basketball, however, sucker punching someone in the face and breaking their nose while their not even looking is an ATTACK! In all actuality, by law, it's an assault punishable by jail time. So you're telling me that if we are playing a basketball and you and I get tangled up under the basket, I have the right to come up behind you and break your nose??? PUT THE PIPE DOWN!!!

Kristy Curry, coach for TX Tech should make Jordan Barncastle sit out two games as she is the one that started this unprovoked attack on Brittney Griner. If you look at the tape, BG was playing her position until Jordan hooked arms with BG and tried to sling her to the floor. I do not see one referee get over to Barncastle to call a personal foul or did I see a referee check on Brittney's welfare. Now, Brittney will be the object of more shameful slings and shoves because the players will know they won't be in trouble or called for shabby plays. Kim better order BG a body suit for protection in all future games because she'll need it now that's she's fair game. It's a shame alright, but only for the one that was attacked FIRST!

No she should be suspended for the entire season!

@ Elmo - Question: If the roles were reversed (a white woman sucker punching a black woman and breaking her nose) would it be a racial thing then?

Let's not make this a racial thing because it is not

@ Tina - Since you wish to spout your vomit about "if's", I challenge you to recall an incident of a white athlete attacking (sucker punching) a non-white athlete... Think hard ;)

She should have been kicked off the team, expelled from school and arrested for assault.. Unfortunately our society is riddled with these aggressive people who violently lash out constantly.. There is absolutely no excuse for it, and, just as with the Oregon football player who did the same thing, was nothing more than a sucker punch that warranted arrest and expulsion.. Lock folks like this up with other aggressive animals who partake in the same type of criminal behavior...

Season suspension. Blame referees if you will, but the refs were letting BOTH teams play, and violence begets violence. If we want society to learn, a full suspension is necessary. <><

Having grown up in Waco and gone to Tech, I think Griner's punishment isn't quite enough. I think she should have been suspended up to 5 games with a rollover into next season should Baylor end their season before playing 5 games. Also, the response from the Big XII Conference is DESPICABLE! How can you reprimand BOTH Baylor and Tech (according to the Big XII's press release) and NOT discipline the officials? Those officials FAILED to determine who left both benches! As some prior writers had stated, they likely didn't keep control of the game like they should. Personally, had Kristy Curry been a far better coach and Tech had a far better Athletic Director than the PATHETIC GERALD MYERS (who seems to want to keep Curry despite her DISMAL coaching career at Tech), I don't believe we would be in this situation because both Baylor and Tech would have admonished their players to avoid doing "something stupid"!

What she did was very, very, wrong, but with that said if I would have had to put up with theBS she gets every game that never gets called because of the BIG 12's outright right dislike of Baylor I might have done the same thing. With that said two games is fine for the first time just let her know if it happens again your done as a player at Baylor.

I think the punishment was good enough.. I have watched her play and she takes a lot of fouls from other players that the Referee's do not call.. A person can take only so much and she reacted before she thought I cant say I wouldnt act in the same manner

barncastle's actions are a part of the game everywhere. you see it in HS, college and the pros. you don't see the player who gets thrown coming up swinging every time. griner's actions were inexcusable. she should have been suspended through the Big 12 tournament.

WOW. It amazes me what some of the people on here say, especially those who are Baylor 'fans' and those that talk about how Baylor and Kim Mulkey run a 'classless' program. I'm a Baylor graduate and have watched most of our athletic programs become energized over the last couple of years. Kim Mulkey is a great coach with a great history of being tough but honest with her players. She runs a tight ship, but does not favor one player over another. I can guarantee you that if this were one of her lesser-known players, the discipline would be the same. In reaction to some of you saying that this is the same as the Blount punch, get a hold of yourselves. That situation occurred AFTER the game was over and was intensified because he was instigating the fans and tried to go up into the stands immediately following the punch. If you read some of the articles about the incident the school says that his 'mental state' was the main reason for the extended suspension. To those of you saying it's a black eye on women's basketball - does anyone remember the fight between Kansas and Missouri in 2004? I didn't think so. It was a bench clearer with 5 players involved, multiple punches thrown, kicking and screaming. The result? One game suspensions. How much has the game suffered? And finally...If you go back and actually watch the entire game, you'll see how much bumping and pushing (in excess) there was from Barncastle. In a couple of exchanges there were elbows thrown by her into Griner's side. I was watching the entire game and wondering why they hadn't called fould before this incident. Also if you recall (which most of you won't), there was a shouting match between the two of them in the game played 2 weeks ago with elbows being thrown. I'm not condoning her actions but for all of you 'moral snobs' and 'Christian activists', please stop, you're only making yourself look foolish.

Ms. Griner should be suspended for the entire season and put on probation for next season. Not only that, but some kind of "assault" charges should be filed in criminal court. If any "average" citizen as Ms. Griner did, we'd still be trying to post bail. Ms. Griner has stained Baylor's reputation and Baylor needs to send a message.

I played basketball for years in school. I was pushed, elbowed and shoved and I never saw the necessity to "defend myself" by punching a rival player. A thug is most assuredly a thug and this player displayed every aspect of the title. That game should be her last at Baylor. Our school has worked diligently, over the years, to develop their sports teams with the dignity and honor that has become the hallmark of Baylor. They shouldn't make room for one player who refuses to act with that same level of dignity and honor. End of discussion. Word.

Not Enough

Okay, I'm going to shove you so your response is a sucker punch in the nose? Barncastle was called for a foul but I guess that wasn't enough for Griner. She carried out her own form of justice and Mulkey needs her for post-season so she only tacks on one more game? She should be out for the season!!

Basketball is getting to be so violent. There are kids that can play some extremely good defense. The pressure that my daughter put on other BB players when she is playing defense sometimes gets her a busted lip or a hit in the face.The other player normally get so frustrated that they get angry and try to hit her. If you can't handle the pressure, get off the court.

Why is it that every time a person defends themselves, they have to be labeled as a "thug"? I saw the incident on the news last night and I saw when Barncastle slung Griner. I am not saying that punching her was the right thing to do but Barncastle will think twice about trying to make her mad enough to take her out of her game. She was sucessful in doing so but now she have to suffer with a broken nose. "You got knocked the ___ out"!!

Although more of the game was not provided for internet viewers, it seemed to me the refs should have called a DOUBLE FOUL and A DOUBLE EJECTION. How can you miss her being slung? It was provocation. Unfortunately, imho, only the most sensational portion was shown, which is often true in these posted athletic incidents.

GRINER WRONG TO PUNCH. REFEREE'S SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF CONTROLLING THE GAME. REF'S AT FAULT. THEY LOST CONTROL OF TT PLAYERS ABUSIVE DEFENCE EARLY ON. GRINER PROBABLY HAS MANY BRUISES AND SCRATCH, AS USUAL FROM THE ABUSE ALLOWED BY REF'S. SHE IS ONLY HUMAN AND AS SUCH IF NOT PROTECTED BY OFFICIALS THAN SELF PRESERVATION HAS TO KICK IN. I BLAME THE REF'S FOR THIS AND THINK THEY SHOULD BE ADMONISHED IF NOT FIRED.

Baylor, step up. When you recruit kids, you are proud to mention that the player will grow as an individual, and a scholar. We hold you to a higher standard, or are you a Christian school in name only?

No I think she should be punished more than that and I am a Baylor student.

meant to say I hope my daughter never hears of this.

She should be kicked off the team the rest of the year. My daughter loves basketball, and Griner has got to be the worst roll model ever. The other girls actions didn't cause any broken bones, or blood, or anything. That was nothing compared to what Griner did. Griner needs to go to some anger managemnent classes. I hope she never hears of this.

she should have been suspended indefinitely with possible reinstatment depending on all factors..

Was it ok for Barncastle to sling Griner across the floor? What about her actions? For every action there is always a re-action. Maybe she'll think twice before she does that again. Ejection from the game and being suspended for 2 games is more than enough. Barncastle should be suspended too!!!

Barncastle broughtthis on herself. The Ref should be suspended two games and possibilibly fined. The ref's job is to control the game by the rules.The ref slipped up on this one. I'm on Griner's side.

If she's going to act like a thug she should be treated like one. I'd kick her off the team and send her to the boxing club.

Looks like BU will be the Goon and Gold. Two games suspended? HA!

I didn't see the game, only the punch but I feel that there are two sides to every argument. As Francis says, something happened to lead up to the punch. A person can only be pushed so far. Kim is a fair person and I'm sure she will do the right thing.

Brittany should be suspened for the rest of this year and all of the non conference season next year. Then told she is done if it ever happens again. This is a problem in sports there is no punishment for bad behaivor in athletics anymore.

There is no excuse for a punch. Both players got a little rough but a shove like that did not justify a sucker punch in the face. She should be kicked off the team period! Anything less would like condoning her action. The game is Basketball not Gangsterball!

Baylor better suspend her for several games. I am very disappointed in this after seeing a sign at the A&M game that read "Break a Leg" in response to their senior being out for the season with a terrible on the court injury. What has happened to Baylor athletics????

That's insane. Kim should be able to take care if it herself. One game suspension and get off her back.

Griner should sit out as long as Barncastle is out. Simple as that. And if Barncastle comes back wearing a mask, make Griner wear one too.

And you wonder why "youth sports" is out of control? Our youth look up to college, pro and even high school athletes as "roll models", like it or not. With actions like this, there should be NO question that she should be DONE, PERIOD! If you are going to say "well, she made a mistake" or "she is tall and was picked on (ESPN)" then maybe she should be in the MMA or the octagon. Sports are rough enough, without intentional physical violence. She should be charged with a crime of battery and banned from organized sports. Use this as an example of what "WILL" happen if you resort to this type of behavior in sports. I am also a referee for youth sports and do not tolerate rough play because it leads to this type of behavior.

Make her shoot any future foul shots left handed while standing on one leg for the rest of the year.

Griner should be suspended from the next game. The coach should give her some type of extra puishment to help her learn acceptance and a little humility . She needs to know she's going to be dealing with stuff a lot harsher then being slung around in front of a crowd and she's got to handle it better without punches if she plans to succeed in this life and the sport's world. Keep your head up Brittney, This too shall pass!

Send her to an Anger Management class. Cheap shots are getting to be the norm in college sports. Basketball has even turned into a contact sport.

Sorry Frances, no one deserves getting punched, no one. Griner lost her cool and resorted back to the hood.

No place for such behavior in any sport much less in Women's basketball. She should be suspended for the rest of the season including post season play. I'll go even further and say she should be suspended to half of next years season. Harsh but necessary, it's not playground basketball.

One game suspension, because if you look at the video tape carefully. The referee should had called a foul on Barncastle for slinging Griner prior to the punch. Then called both players to the side and warned them about receiving technical fouls on the next rough play. It is the referees job to control the game, and they allowed too much roughness to continue throughout the game up to that point.

Regardless of what went on throughout the game, there is never any excuse for throwing a punch like Griner did. The ejection gets her one game automatically but Kim needs to go further with it. Maybe first game of the conference tournament or even the whole Big-12 tournament, but I don't believe the remainder of the season is appropriate. Also, no matter how many games, a public apology before she's allowed to put the uniform back on. Tech, Baylor fans and lots of young women deserve at least that much.

Suspension for the Texas game as well as the Big 12 Tournament

No excuse for this... Losing her cool and retaliating was wrong. I'm sorry for her, but she should be suspended for the season. And it's selfish on her part because now the rest of the team pays for her actions.

The officials NEVER had control of the game. If they had stopped the hitting, jabbing and punching done by Barncastle to Griner from the very beginning of the game, it would not have led to an altercation. We in the crowd kept trying to point out to the officials what was happening, but they were ignoring it. Griner should not have thrown a punch, but Barncastle definitely deserved it!

She should be kicked off the team and assualt charges should be filed.

Ejection from the game was punishment enough.

She should be suspended not one game but the rest of the season. Her behavior was dispicable

Unfortunately I feel that she should be suspended for one game by the coach. Don't wait on the conference, do it now. No matter what the Tech player did to Brittany there is no reason for the punch. IMHO