Posted on 11/19/2004 8:48:03 PM PST by Taggart_D
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Indiana's Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson charged into the stands and fought with fans in the final minute of their game against the Detroit Pistons (news) on Friday night, forcing an early end to the Pacers' 97-82 win.
The game was stopped with 45.9 seconds remaining when a pushing and shoving between the teams spilled into the stands after fans began throwing things at the players near the scorer's table.
"It's the ugliest thing I've seen as a coach or player," Pistons coach Larry Brown said.
After several minutes of players fighting with fans in the stands, the Pacers were pelted with beer, ice, and popcorn as they made their way to the locker room in one of the scariest brawls in an NBA game.
The Palace announcer said the game was being stopped and pleaded with fans not to throw things.
Well...knock me over with a feather...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1284418/posts
a thread is already going on this.
The ESPN guys are saying the fans started it.
VERY misleading headline. It was more like fans brawl with Pacers. And what about that thug Ben Wallace?? If anything he instigated the whole thing. Unbelievable. They ought to call it "When Fans Attack". If anyone here wants to solely condemn the Pacer players for this---think again. When you're being physically assaulted by an arena of 20,000+ (beer bottles thrown at you, chairs being thrown at you, fans wandering out on the court and throwing punches, attacking you from behind)---how would you react?
It might be a good idea to leave.
If only it were that easy. Rick Carlisle, the coach, said he felt like he was fighting for his life.
I saw that on ESPN
Hey has Detriot burn down to the ground YET
Thuggery begets thuggery...
the ESPN guys are full of crap
The NBA is full of thugs.No other sport has the problems as often as the NBA.I stopped watching years ago when it was cleaner.Bad thing is kids think these thugs are heros.
When you make morons PAY a lot of money to watch morons who MAKE a lot of money, this is inevitable. Lotsa morons in one place is never a good idea.
As a Michigander, and someone who watched the game, it was a disgrace on both the fans and players part. I understood wallace hitting artest, artest fouled him hard late in the game with the game decided. Artest is a punk and a thug. Then you have steven jackson of the pacers running around trying to start a fight. The fan should never have thrown a cup at artest, but he also shouldn't have bolted into the stands throwing punches, followed by jackson who threw a punch at anyone in his view. Now should the fans have acted the way they did, no, but also what are NBA players thinking running into the stands and throwing punches, you think the fans are just gonna stand there and take it??????? It was an ugly incident, first the fan throwing the beer cup, second the pacers charging the stands, that only escalated the incident.
Dave Debusher and Rudy LaRusso weren't spoilt millionaires. Neither was Russell, nor Unseld, nor Cowens, nor Alcindor, nor Bird nor Magic....
RD
I can't believe you're being such an apologist for the fans. What about that obese Piston fan who charged down out of the stands and attacked Fred Jones from behind?? Some of your "fans" were throwing their folding chairs at players. One Piston "fan" nailed a ref with a beer bottle and cut his head open--I know it's popular to blame the players---but when fans run onto the court with fists raised--they almost deserve to get beat down.
Exactly what I was saying.Thugs now rule the NBA.
Nor West, nor Bailor, nor Hairston, Gail Goodrich....I love the old NBA....even (dang it) that dang cigar-smoking insufferable Red Aurbach.....
Sam, I agree with you totally, there is no excuse for fan behavior, all I'm saying is artest was hit with a plastic cup, charges into the stands with a teammate in tow and starts punching the lights out of people. That escalated the whole situation. There is no excuse for the fans or how it got out of control, and they should all be prosecuted. What I'm saying is everyone is overlooking that there is no excuse for players to bum rush fans in the stands.
Pray for W and Our Troops
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