Mike Celizic

In determining how to deal with Kenny Rogers, Bud Selig ought to call his colleague David Stern, the NBA commissioner, and ask him about Ron Artest. But Selig should have followed Stern's lead and suspended Rogers for the rest of this season and not just the paltry 20 games he received.

There really isn’t any difference between what Artest did and what Rogers did. Both crossed a line separating them from others involved with the game. Both assaulted somebody they felt was tormenting them. Both brought dishonor on themselves, their teams, and the games they play.

You can quibble all you want about the differences in the two situations. Artest went into the stands, while Rogers never left the field. Artest went after a fan and incited a small riot; Rogers went after a cameraman and incited a likely lawsuit.

Yes, the result of Artest’s actions were worse, but punishment shouldn’t be based on the aftermath but on the act itself. And Rogers’ actions were just as reprehensible as Artest’s. And if you’re an Artest defender, you could even argue that Artest was provoked when he was hit by a drink thrown from the stands, while Rogers needed no provocation to initiate his assault.

And don’t say there’s a difference between a fan and a reporter, and that it’s okay to assault a reporter but not to go after a fan. The issue is about that line to which I referred in the second paragraph. The reason there is order in sports is because of the lines that separate the various parties from one another. The line between fan and player is physical; it’s the boundary of the field or court. The line between reporter and player is not physical, but it’s no less real.

In this case, the photographer was on his side of the line. He was doing what he’s paid to do and what Major League Baseball wants him to do, which is to collect images and stories that will focus attention and interest on the game.

The vast majority of the players understand how it works. They understand that their popularity and the terrific salaries they make wouldn’t be possible without the free publicity they get. The smart ones know if they are civil with media and fans they become “good guys” who are more likely to get endorsement deals and more likely to be cut a break when they hit a slump.

Nobody wants to be dissected every day, especially when it’s a bad day. I know what it’s like to have total strangers who don’t know a thing about me deluge me with e-mails because they feel a deep need to tell me what a jerk I am. I know what it’s like to have blogs and discussion groups devote themselves to criticizing me and my work.

It can be aggravating, but it’s also a heck of a compliment to be thought of as important enough to merit someone’s attention, whether it is positive or negative. I also know that if I’m going to criticize people in print or on the Web, I have to accept the reality that a lot of people aren’t going to agree with me and some people are going to take it personally when I get on one of their heroes. I might not like some of the things said about me, but I accept them as part of the job.

Kenny Rogers is 40 years old. He knows how things work and the realities of his job. He has seen many teammates develop great relationships with the media and be treated like the good guys they are. He knows people watch SportsCenter and listen to talk radio. He knows fans are in awe of him simply because he can throw a baseball that batters can’t always hit.

Rogers also knows that reporters are on the field before and after games for the same reason he is – to do their jobs. The photographer crossed no lines, nor did he violate the Rangers pitcher's work space. I’ve heard some Rogers’ defenders on talk shows say the cameraman was in the ballplayer’s office. I’ve heard no one point out that the cameraman was also in his own office.