Posted on 11/20/2004 12:52:37 PM PST by everitt12
NEW YORK Nov 20, 2004 — The NBA suspended four players indefinitely Saturday for their roles in one of the worst-ever brawls in the league, a fight with fans that commissioner David Stern called "shocking, repulsive and inexcusable." Indiana's Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson and Detroit's Ben Wallace were suspended, the NBA said Saturday.
Police in Auburn Hills, Mich., were investigating, but did not comment on who might be charged.
Artest and Jackson lunged into the stands and fought with fans in the final minute of their game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, and the brawl forced an early end to the Pacers' 97-82 win.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I watched the game on the Piston's channel, rather than ESPN.
Ben Wallace should get a short suspension for shoving Artest after the hard foul to the back of his head. He also deserves criticsm and discipline for throwing a towel at Artest while the latter was lying on the scorers table mocking him.
But Artest jumped into the stands and started beating up a guy who had nothing to do with the thrown beer cup. Artest ran right past the real perp, and whaled on the WRONG GUY. Jackson went into the stands with Artest and also was throwing a bunch of punches.
When they got back to the floor, Artest and O'Neil threw punches at other "fans" who were on the sidelines. They had no business being on the floor, but neither did they deserve to be sucker punched. Artest and O'Neil will never be able to make the case that these latter guys were direct and immediate threats to them that would have justified a punch.
The fans in the stands reacted with ugly outrage after seeing the punchouts of others by these players and dumped ther beer, soda, and popcorn on the players as they went into the locker room tunnel under the stands. An awful scene. I hope video evidence gives the cops plenty of faces to prosecute.
The ESPN shootaround group after the game was full of idiotic logic, arguing that the players were justified in defending themselves when they went after "fans". The law allows you to defend, not retaliate. If you get doused by beer, you do not have the right to go beat up another guy who you mistakenly think might have been involved in the beer toss. You are supposed to call the security and have him arrested and press charges, etc.
I expect there will be several arrests of "fans" on various charges, and rightly so.
When Commissioner Stern's office finishes analyzing the tape, Artest, O'Neil, and Jackson will be given longer suspensions than Wallace. And I expect some of the three punch-throwers will also face criminal charges.
"But his retaliation for the obvious called foul, with little time left on the clock, IMHO, started the whole ruckus."
Artest obnoxiously fouled Wallace. Then the jerk laid on that table. Wallace would of been fined. He didnt start that crap the Fan tossing the cup on Artest did it and Artest being the gentlemen he is, ran up into the bleachers and started punching the wrong guy. Wallace was not in the bleachers. He didnt start it. Artest should of let security take care of the bad actions of the fan.
leftcoaster,
I watched several different videos... I am not an Indiana fan, I am a philadelphia one.
First, no video shows exactly what set Artest off right before he charged the stands. Reports says a lot of things were being thrown.
Second, Artest did not "whale" on the guy in the stands... He ran up there and grabbed his shirt and yelled at him asking if he threw whatever it was that was thrown at him.
He did NOT beat up the guy. Watch the video again. The guy falls down while his shirt was being grabbed. The guy himself claims Artest was asking him this. Meanwhile a friend of his threw another beer at Artest and another Indiana player hit that guy.
Arguably Artest had no business being in the stands and deserves to be suspended for many games, but the fans were outrageous and the ones that were on the floor had no business being there and were antagonistic.
I have little sympathy for any "fan" who goes onto the court like that.
All fans involved should be prosecuted. There is no excuse for any of their behavior.
truth,
The espn video DOES show what sets off artest. I blue cup with a beverage in it hits him in the face. watch it again.
boot them all permanently. Screw em, bunch of overpaid whiners who are in it only for themselves and not the fans.
Artest's first contact with the guy in the stands is his left hand to the guy's face to push him down. Now maybe it was a stumble over the seats and Artest didn't intend to assault this guy, by what Artest does to the poor guy is way worse than the push to Artest's chest that Wallace did right after the foul.
They also just said on ESPN News that the fan said Artest was "pummeling him" while asking him if he did it.
And the tape clearly shows a blue cup landing on Artest just before he jumps up off the scorer's table and runs up into the stands.
So I respectfully suggest you watch the tape again.
The Pacers players are and should be punished most severely. Fans don't deserve that even for acting stupid. Wallace should be fined by sitting without pay for a couple games.
40% of players in the NBA have a criminal record.
Doesn't matter if they throw horse manure at you.
This was a situation which escalated precisely because each individual considered that the previous insult deserved a stronger response. A foul provoked a big shove and a some verbals. A cup of beer provoked a charge into the crowd and a series of haymakers.
Considering that this was in Detroit, I'm amazed that a) the arena was not razed to the ground and b) Artest was able to walk out of the arena with nothing more than beer and food on him. Once a player enters the crowd on hostile turf and starts throwing punches, all bets are off. This could have been a full scale riot and Indiana players could have been seriously if not fatally injured.
Artest and Jackson should sit out the rest of the season, O'Neal and Wallace should be out until the New Year.
There should also be criminal proceedings arising out of this for both the players and those in the crowd who threw objects and beer.
I hope the NBA goes extinct.
I hope the NBA goes extinct.
they can stop selling alcohol at games as well
I'd pay to watch an NBA brawl every night. It was great. I'm kinda sick and like that sort of thing. The thing I find most interesting is the Indianapolis Colts play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit. Maybe it'll get out of hand.
If I were getting paid what the players of the NBA are getting paid, I would let the fans throw all the beer and soda at me that they wanted to. The players have no right sucker punching any of the fans period. If the name calling and beer chunking becomes too much for the players to handle, then leave the floor. Striking someone in the mouth with your fist is a criminal offense.
I'm shocked. These NBA players are of such fine reputation. They do not gamble, drive drunk, get arrested, have children out of wedlock, curse, abuse their wives, lie or take drugs. I'd never expect them to behave like this.
hey, If anyone expected any law-abiding behavior from the state that showcased the likes of Bobby Knight & Alfred Kinsey, then your expectations don't match Indiana reality.
Good Points...
If this was back in the 70's those players would have gotten their behinds kicked by the fans.
I remember going to Sox games in Comiskey park as a child and beer cans, bottles, whatever the fans could find would be thrown at the players.
Never saw a player retaliate, other than finger salutes and laughs by all.
I would like to see a total boycott of the ThugNBA unless these players are banned for life.
They are CRIMINALS that should be in JAIL, not on a basketball court.
And lock up the fans too that assaulted them.
That fan that artest hit, tackled, and pummled in the stands is going to be a rich man, and I hope he gets every penny that CRIMINAL has. Unless of course, it is shown he threw the blue cup, or other beverages of choice.
If the Auburn Hills department of Police doesn't prosecute them all, they should go screw themselves too. Just more Michigan Thugery.
Maybe they really were depressed due to the election.
Free therapy all around paid for by the NBA, and reimbursed by raising ticket prices to $500 per seat, and paying players a billion a year.
Regards,
Joe
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