disparar una sancion

Question

From La Nacion, 4 de mayo, 2014:

"Más ruidosamente, los prejuicios saltan, cada tanto, con episodios como el de esta semana con los comentarios racistas de Donald Sterling, que dispararon una sanción de por vida."

obviously, "dispararon una sanción de por vida" does not mean "shot a sanction for life." It must mean something like "got him a life-long sanction."

In SpanDict, there is given as one possible meaning for "disparar" to take a penalty in the context of sports, but there was no example given. So here is one for whatever it's worth.

Sounds like: "they gave him a life sentence!" - FELIZ77, May 5, 2014

Answer 1

Why make it complicated? It's pretty much literal.

"los commentarios racistas dispararon una sanción de por vida"

His racist comments triggered (got him) a lifetime penalty.

Answer 2

From Collins Spanish to English dictionary

disparar:
2.(sport)
....[penalti, falta] to take

See Here dispararon

From Diccionario Real Acedemia Española

sanción
1. f. Pena que una ley o un reglamento establece para sus infractores.
.......(penalty that a law or regulation establishes for offenders <---- added by me)

For the above reasons, yes, "que dispararon una sanción de por vida" would mean "took a lifetime sanction (penalty)".