The only people more disgusting, idiotic, and criminal than the players were the fans.
Normally, in the workplace, when an employee starts a fight he is immediately terminated. I guess it's a bit different with games players? Maybe the 'big money' has something to do with that?
Exceeded the professionalism and self control???
You would think the comment would be that they did not meet the standards.....
What did Reggie Miller do? I saw him trying to stop the fray and not participating in it.
The suspensions of Wallace and O'Neal were approrpriate, but Jackson should've been booted for the rest of the year and Artest should've received the rest of this year and ALL of next year.
Ok, here's my gripe with this- the players get (rightfully) suspended, yet the coward fan who threw the cup of ice will probably whine and cry his way to a multi-million dollar lawsuit settlement. That's the one injustice I see in this situation. The coward fan should be permanently banned from attending all future NBA games.
And to some of the people posting here, this doesn't "only happen in the NBA". Fights and mini-riots can break out at any sporting event nowadays. Remember the father-son duo who charged onto the field and attacked a Kansas City Royals coach last year? Remember the infamous "snowball fight" a few years ago at Giants Stadium, during a NY Giants game, when dozens of fans spent the majority of the game hurling snowballs/iceballs at players on the sidelines? Forget about the NHL- show me one game without a fight or violent hit. And I also remember Tie Domi trying to attack a fan during an NHL game a few years ago. It can happen anywhere, folks.
Artest wanted time off. He got it. Did he engineer this to get time off for his 'rap' career??
The real tragedy for a lifelong Pacers fan like me is that the Pacers were, for so many years, home to some of the nicest, classiest players in the league. Mark Jackson, Antonio and Dale Davis, Rik Smits, Herb Williams, Clark Kellogg - the list goes on and on. I blame a lot of the current team's attitude on Isiah Thomas. Perennial all-star or not, Thomas has always been a thug (from a team of thugs - Rodman, Mahorn, Aguirre, and freakin' Laimbeer, if you need reminding). And he brought that thugishness to the team when he was the coach. He's the one who wanted to trade Jalen Rose for Ron Artest, and he just about ruined Jermaine O'Neal with his "mentoring."
If he is under contract does he still get paid?
The home boys really are now..
I care not what the NBA does ...... Where the hell are the criminal charges against these thugs disguised as basketball players ?!!!!!!!
they should have expelled him.