Prosecutors are recommending three months in jail for Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards basketball star who brought guns into his team's locker room. In a scathing 26-page memo, an assistant U.S. Attorney says Arenas deserves the sentence because he repeatedly changed his story, showed no remorse, and seems to view the incident as a "laughing matter." Defense lawyers say Arenas should get off with probation and community service because he is, at heart, a "peaceful man." Sentencing is Friday. Should Arenas go to jail? (Watch an AP report about Gilbert Arenas' gun case)
Arenas deserves whatever punishment the judge doles out: "Gilbert Arenas is a great guy," says Henry Bell in Bleacher Report, "but [he] needs to grow up." Bringing guns into the locker room is no joke, even if Arenas still seems to think it was funny. The man deserves to be punished.
"Washington Wizards: What to do with Gilbert Arenas?"
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Arenas has already suffered more than an ordinary guy would: Celebrities shouldn't get off easy, says Henry Abbott in ESPN.com, but they also shouldn't be punished more severely than everyone else. Gilbert Arenas has already been suspended for the season, which will cost him millions of dollars and a big chunk of a career that is fast slipping away. Maybe Arenas has already suffered enough.
"The punishment of Gilbert Arenas"
Arenas should brace for the worst: Gilbert Arenas has nobody to blame but himself, says Trey Kerby in Yahoo Sports. Arenas says he only took the guns to the Wizards' arena to mess with teammate Javaris Crittenton — but, according to the prosecutor's "doozy" of a memo — he also tried to cover up the incident when he got caught. A judge isn't likely to look kindly on that, so Arenas' nightmare may be about to get worse.
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