Note From The Underground

Toronto's Fine Mess

When Darrell Walker coached the Raptors, he felt his players lacked professionalism, so he fined them $500 for such transgressions as forgetting a play or failing to execute one after a timeout. Before being dealt to the Trail Blazers on Feb. 13, Damon Stoudamire and Walt Williams had each been fined by Walker several times this season. Now, according to Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald, the players' agents have called to try to retrieve the money that was deducted from their paychecks—some $2,000 in Stoudamire's case—even though both had agreed to be subject to Walker's fines.