Almost three years ago to the day, I sat in the den in my parents’ home, staring at the computer screen, my stomach in knots from the painful reality of what I was reading..

The story on the monitor detailed the death of Edward McMichael, better known around these parts as the “Tuba Man” for his musical exploits outside Sonics, Mariners and Seahawks games. McMichael was savagely beaten by a group of teenagers in October of 2008. They stole his wallet and according to reports, a 1979 NBA Championship ring from the city’s last and only major professional sports title team. He eventually died from brain trauma associated with the injuries.

I only went to one Sonics game with my dad during the time the team was here. We didn’t move to the area until the mid-1990s and neither of us are NBA fanatics. But he had tickets from his office and sports are one of the things we have always been able to bond around, so we headed to Key Arena to watch Gary Payton chirp at the referees and Paul Silas intimidate everyone with his imposing size and Dirty Harry glare.

There are only a handful of things I remember from that game. The first is Payton cursing loudly after being abused by Baron Davis on consecutive trips down the floor. The second is somehow knowing the guy who was in the faux pie-eating contest at halftime, that ended up as a “Top Play” on SportsCenter (he was overweight and blindfolded, and the only one of the three people involved actually eating pie). The third is Vin Baker’s mid-range shot clanking off the back iron before teetering on the top of the backboard and eventually falling in the hoop for the game-winner as time expired.

The last thing I remember is walking to and from the arena, coming across a man playing “When the Saints go Marching in” on the tuba. “Good for him,” I remember thinking. “He doesn’t have much going for him, but he’s out here offering all he’s got to make a buck and maybe make someone smile.”

That was the last time I ever saw the Tuba Man in person.

One of the assailants who assaulted McMichael that night was Billy G. Chambers, now 18 and a career criminal. Since taking part in the Tuba Man’s death, Chambers has been convicted of theft twice, including one felony. He has also been arrested for suspicion of robbery, assault and unlawful bus conduct. His most recent transgression involved intentionally ramming his car into another woman’s vehicle twice because she had told police he previously stole from her. King County prosecutors thought it was a good idea to come to a plea agreement with Chambers and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison (for fewer than originally imposed by the judge in the case) for the road-rage incident.

That’s 18 months longer than he served for the death of McMichael.

The original sentence for that crime was only 15 to 36 weeks. In juvenile detention.

I don’t know why this story ignites my emotions the way it does. Maybe it’s because I remember that basketball game with my dad or countless other Seahawks Sundays when McMichael’s lively tunes added to the atmosphere of professional sports in Seattle. Or maybe it’s my own guilt gnawing at me, asking why I didn’t flip the Tuba Man a couple bucks when I had the chance. It could be my personal beliefs about second chances for youths convicted of heinous, violent crimes and the fact that so often, like Chambers, they remain a burden to society, never having learned even the slightest lesson from the lives they have destroyed, including their own.

But more than anything, it’s that inherent sense of right and wrong we are all born with screaming at me, “THIS IS NOT RIGHT!”

I have no background in law and I’m not claiming to be a criminologist. I am greatly appreciative of the job done by our police force and other agencies that work to keep the streets safe. I understand judges are forced to weigh and balance complex, nuanced cases that the likes of me could probably not even comprehend. It’s never as simple as locking someone up and throwing away the key and I am not pretending to have a solution for how to deal with felonious youths.

But I know two things for certain. McMichael deserved better. And Chambers deserved worse.

For the love of the game is a Bellevue Reporter sports column written by sports reporter Josh Suman. Email Josh at jsuman@bellevuereporter.com.

The original Seattlepi.com story about McMichael’s death can be found here. The story about Chambers’ latest sentencing is here.