Amare Stoudemire, the next spokesperson for plastics?

The NBA playoffs are in full-speed and whether your team is winning or losing their series, all attention was on the Knicks earlier this week. Not because of the team's rather pathetic attempt to beat the Heat, but because power forward-center Amare Stoudemire injured himself after the Knicks' 104-94 loss to the Heat Monday night.

How, you ask? Well, out of extreme anger he punched a glass case containing a fire extinguisher and as a result suffered a laceration on the inside of his palm, on the side of his hand closest to the pinkie.

Sure, punching a container with a fire extinguisher is not the smartest move to make. But here's the kicker, one person who witnessed Stoudemire hitting the glass surrounding the fire extinguisher told ESPN he didn't haul off and punch the glass; he hit it out of frustration.

"He kind of slapped it, but with a closed fist. He said he thought it was plastic instead of glass."

You can take Stoudemire's ill-advised fight with a fire extinguisher more than one way, proclaim he's an idiot, laugh at the Knicks, or look at it as a positive PR story for plastics.

Think about it, Stoudemire didn't really want to injure his hand, forcing him to sit out a game. He just tried to express frustration and had assumed his hand would meet plastic, which would have probably provided an injury-free situation. This says something about Stoduemire's view of the strength of plastic - that it could withhold a punch, or slap, from a 260-pound man.

Perhaps Stoudemire could start appearing in commercials for plastics where he punches acrylic or polycarbonate to showcase the strength of plastics. Maybe at the next NPE, he can make an appearance where he punches plastic and then signs autographs. Heck, he could sign pieces of plastic for autographs.

In fact, perhaps plastics and the NBA can have a new partnership similar to Gatorade, where plastic containers will be provided to players after games - and they can punch it if they feel the need to express their frustration.

When it comes down to it, we all know Stoudemire wouldn't have been injured if the fire extinguisher container were made out of glass instead of plastic.

Oh, hotheaded NBA players - just one more example of the strength of plastics.

What are your thoughts about Stoudemire and his fight with a fire extinguisher? Should he be the next spokesperson for plastics?