The Shaq Backlash Starts

Within a day of the Kobe diss being put on TMZ.com, Shaq loses something important to him, his badges. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that Shaqs' use of a racially insensitive word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy (I was made a special deputy once in 4th grade, I didn't know it was official, otherwise I would have got in a lot less trouble. Thanks for letting me know McGruff, you jerk) in January and promoted him to colonel of his largely meaningless ceremonial posse earlier this month.

"I want his two badges back," Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they're fired. I don't condone this type of racial conduct."

Arpaio, describes himself as "Americas Toughest Sheriff" (we know that is not true, this guy is) best known for feeding jail inmates green bologna, clothing them in pink underwear, and making them work on chain gangs, said he didn't expect his actions would teach Shaq a lesson. But he hoped he learns that as a role model who wants to someday be a full-time sheriff, he needs to know his words matter.

"Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't think that either conduct should be out there publicly, even if media wasn't there," Arpaio said.

O'Neal previously served as a reserve officer with the Miami Beach Police Department while playing for the Heat. He also volunteered with the Tempe Police Department after being traded to the Suns in February. Arpaio said he expects to hear from Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson within the next two days, not really but would you be suprised if they showed up in Maricopa with cries of racial injustice?