Taking a critical view of Gilbert Arenas’ gun problems, Fox Sports’ Stephen A. Smith openly admits he’s taking a tip from Jason Whitlock (“as much as I™ve tried to disagree with my friend and noted contemporary, who™s repeatedly and vociferously lamented the state of affairs within the Black Community ” specifically as it pertains to the negative parts of Hip Hop and its influence on Black culture ” it simply cannot be denied any longer…genocide is taking place in the Black Community, and this is a form of it.”)

It™s the culture of tattoos (jailhouse or otherwise) enjoying increased prevalence and notoriety. This hyper-masculinity syndrome. This alpha-male environment that stimulates the worst in an educated individual like Crittendon (Georgia Tech), preventing a sensible young man raised by both of his parents from walking away from a crazy incident that could cost him millions in potential earnings. Even worse, it™s jeopardized the career of Arenas and his six-year, $111 million contract, plus an additional $50 million deal with Adidas allegedly over a gambling debt that amounted to less than $500.

œIt™s truly sickening, one African-American front-office official told me Sunday afternoon. œThere™s just no excuse for this. This is a $4 billion industry guys are trying to turn into a $2 billion industry. There™s just a flagrant lack of appreciation for the position they™re in … mainly because of someone wanting to look more like a man, not be punked, acting literally like prisoners locked in a prison yard with one another. It™s utterly ridiculous.

œI don™t know how anyone would feel about this, because some folks truly believe we won™t have these problems if the league reduced the maximum years of guaranteed deals down to just three years. I™ll go a step further …

œLock the damn players out. Shut the league down for a year and see what happens when these guys are not cutting these checks. I bet you the few who don™t act right will straighten up then.

Sadly, we can only suspect there™s truth to that argument.

I have to admit, I’m a little fuzzy on which is the biggest offense in Smith’s eyes — carrying an (unloaded) handgun, gambling or tweeting about any of the above.  And isn’t it about time the National Rifle Association came to Arena’s defense?