Mark's Madness

NBA Outlaws Dallas Mavericks Guard Caron Butler’s Nervous Habit

Caron Butler who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on February 13th, received a call from NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson.  Jackson told Butler to leave his straws at home.  Butler has had a high-energy style on the court and keeps warm by chewing a dozen straws on the sidelines during games.  His high motor began when he was still in his teens and self-reportedly drinking as many as six Mountain Dews per day.

I’m writing this and pondering if it goes in sports, blog, or humor.  I think it’s all three.  Marc Cuban confirmed that the league is serious about outlawing straw chewing.  “It’s against the rules,” he told the media.

His Mavericks teammates, including Dirk Nowitzki, poked fun at their teammate by chewing straws during warmups earlier this week.  The habit is not new to Butler. He shared on NBA.com last year  that he started chewing straws in games as a teenager.  “It calmed me down,” he said in the chat. “Then it became one of those things you keep doing.”