Obscene gesture costs Randolph one game, pay

TORONTO -- In a move that Zach Randolph was not expecting, the Trail Blazers on Saturday suspended the team's leading scorer and rebounder for today's game in Toronto for using an obscene gesture Friday as he was leaving the court near the end of the Blazers' 108-95 loss to Indiana.

Randolph directed the gesture, and a swear word, at a fan who yelled "You suck!" as Randolph left the court after fouling out with 15.2 seconds left.

The suspension will cost Randolph $133,333 -- one-game's pay from his $12 million salary.

"It's not the kind of conduct we want our guys exhibiting," said Steve Patterson, Blazers president and general manager, who added he saw the incident while watching the game's telecast. "It's not the kind of behavior that we want to see, whether it's the best player or the 15th player on the team."

Randolph did not return telephone calls after the suspension was handed down Saturday, but earlier in the day, after the team practiced in Toronto, he said he expected to be fined. However, Randolph likened his offense to that of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was fined $20,000 by the NFL this season for using the same gesture toward fans after a home game.

"Didn't Vick flip somebody off?" Randolph said Saturday afternoon. "What did they fine him, $10,000 . . . $20,000? It shouldn't be more than that."

Randolph said he could live with a fine -- "as long as it's not something like $50,000 or $100,000" -- and that he wanted to "just get it over with and behind me."

Patterson said he spoke to Randolph after making his decision, and that the player was not happy. And coach Nate McMillan said Randolph was disappointed.

"He's bothered by it. He felt like it was a pretty steep penalty," McMillan said.

The suspension is a much heavier penalty than the last time a Blazers player used an obscene gesture toward fans. In November 2003, Bonzi Wells was fined $10,000 by the team after he made a similar gesture at the Rose Garden while the team huddled during a timeout against Philadelphia.

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