re: Not to drop this grenade in here again, but...

Certainly, there are relaxed standards for physical and verbal conduct in sport compared to everyday life. That is not to say sport gives you a free pass to do/say anything you like. Violent conduct outside the accepted norms of the game is punished by both leagues and, on occasion, in the courts. Same thing goes for verbal conduct. Racism is not and should not be an acceptable norm and should be punished.