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Two recent events in the world of professional sports offer important insights into American life today. The NFL story concerns an ad ABC TV showed before Monday Night Football to promote its hit show "Desperate Housewives." As described by USA Today, the ad "showed towel-clad actress Nicollette Sheridan trying to entice Philadelphia Eagles star Terrell Owens to skip the game. He agrees as she drops the towel and rushes into his arms." ABC and the NFL have apologized. The NBA story concerns the worst American sports riot in memory. At the Detroit arena, members of the Indiana Pacers ran into...

If charges are filed, they probably would be for assault and battery, a misdemeanor that could bring a three-month jail sentence, said David Gorcyca, the Oakland County prosecutor. The only possible felony charge could be against the person who hurled a chair into the crowd.

Oakland prosecutor: Players, fans, personnel could be charged 11/22/2004, 12:29 a.m. ET The Associated Press PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Fans, players and other team personnel could face criminal charges for their roles in a brawl that broke out at the end of a Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers game at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said. Gorcyca said he repeatedly viewed a videotape of the melee at Friday night's game. He said authorities have identified and questioned a fan who they say threw a cup that hit Indiana's Ron Artest and started the brawl. The fan "admits...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday as the NBA came down hard on three members of the Indiana Pacers for fighting with fans when a melee broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons. Overall, nine players from the teams were banned for more than 140 games, including some of the harshest penalties the league ever issued. Artest is the first player to be suspended for nearly an entire season for a fight during a game. ``The message the league sent was so powerful to players that...

ESPN NEWS Station - Artest out for season.

Why is everything Ron Artest's fault? Why? Do hard fouls happen in games? Yup. I don't like to give up free baskets myself in basketball, and I consider myself to be a very sportsmanlike player. Would I have fouled THAT hard? Nope. Does it happen all the time in the NBA, NCAA, high school, middle school, even Y ball? Yup. And it could have ended there. Had Big Ben Wallace not decided to put his big mitt in another player's face. Hey, I don't like being fouled hard either. And I get hard fouls all the time, as I love...

Artest To Get 30-Game Suspension For Brawl, Station Reports WDIV-TV In Brawl Says 4 Players Suspended POSTED: 10:24 am EST November 21, 2004 UPDATED: 11:17 am EST November 21, 2004 The National Basketball Association suspended four players involved in Friday night's fight at The Palace of Auburn Hills. WDIV-TV in Detroit is reporting today that Ben Wallace of the Pistons and Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal of the Pacers will be suspended for the following number of games: Ron Artest -- 30 Games Stephen Jackson -- 20 Games Jermaine O'Neal -- 20 Games Ben Wallace -- 5 Games...

A new lowOnly solution for NBA is to get rid of the guy who's the problemPosted: Saturday November 20, 2004 2:33AM; Updated: Saturday November 20, 2004 8:23PM *snip* But once again, Ron Artest interjected himself into a play that had no bearing on the outcome of the game, fouling Wallace from behind as he went up for the lay-up. I listened to ESPN analysts last night talk about how Artest's foul wasn't of the flagrant variety, but that's hardly the point. At no time during that possession did Artest make any kind of play on the basketball. What he did...

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...

NBA indefinitely suspends Artest, O'Neal, Jackson, Wallace November 20, 2004 NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA suspended Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson of Indiana and Ben Wallace of Detroit on Saturday for taking part in one of the ugliest brawls in U.S. sports history. The suspensions were indefinite, and the league was still investigating Friday night's melee, which commissioner David Stern called ``shocking, repulsive and inexcusable -- a humiliation for everyone associated with the NBA.'' The league issued a statement saying it was reviewing rules and security procedures ``so that fans can continue to attend our games unthreatened...

The Indiana Paces lost their cool on and off the court and brawled with unruly Detroit fans during a 97-82 victory over the Pistons in a chaotic game that was called with less than a minute to go.In one of the wildest skirmishes in recent NBA memory, Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest, and Jermaine O' Neal all landed haymakers on unruly Detroit fans, who showered the players with plastic bottles, popcorn and metal folding chairs.Detroit forward Rasheed Wallace and former Detroit Pistons 'Bad Boy' player turned radio announcer Rick Mahorn went into the stands to try and intervene.Referee Tommy Nunez was...

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 on Friday night, and the brawl forced an early and ugly end to the Pacers' 97-82 win. Officials stopped the game with 45.9 seconds remaining after pushing and shoving between the teams spilled into the stands once fans got involved by throwing things at the players near the scorer's table.

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...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan's senators collected two tickets to Disneyland and a crate of avocados Tuesday from California's senators, who had to pay up after the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals. California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer also gave bottles of California wine, Mickey Mouse ears and six movie DVDs to fellow Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. Among the DVDs was "Grosse Pointe Blank," which takes place in suburban Detroit. "In this face-off between Tinseltown and Motown, it was clear from the start that hard work, great coaching and teamwork would...

Article Topic: Pistons officials try to stop the Detroit Free Press from selling an image of the NBA logo outside of it's newspaper. Story

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Utterly expressionless, Larry Brown walked down the sideline until he met a smiling Phil Jackson at midcourt. One hearty handshake and a pat on the back later, Brown allowed himself a grin. After 21 years as an NBA coach, the championship that had eluded him had been earned -- decisively. Without a superstar and without being given much of a chance, the Detroit Pistons humiliated the mighty Los Angeles Lakers 100-87 Tuesday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals for their first title in 14 years. Motown can now be called Titletown, the descendants...

We Are the Champions! We are the Champions....of the world! Pure domination from the Pistons.

June 11, 2004 Pistons leave Lakers in dust in Game 3 With L.A. offense stalled, Detroit rolls to 88-68 win, 2-1 lead in NBA Finals By Sam Smith Chicago Tribune AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - This must be what a teetering dynasty sounds like. The Los Angeles Lakers almost can hear theirs crumbling. "I told the team at halftime I didn't think we could play worse than we did in the first half," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Then we tried hard in the second half to duplicate it." That monument to excellence the Lakers built this decade with three championships...

June 10, 2004 Bird, Johnson: NBA needs white superstars Basketball: The Hall of Famers decry the game's urbanization, but others say greatness, in any color, delights fans. By Christian Ewell Sun Staff Like many others Tuesday night, sports marketing analyst Dean Bonham watched Kobe Bryant knock down a late three-pointer that might have saved the Los Angeles Lakers' season. The lack of a white American superstar in Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons failed to register with Bonham, even as the issue was about to come front-and-center yesterday. Hall of Fame player and...

Shaquille O'Neal scanned the reporters crowded around him, located the questioner and glowered. The question had seemed innocuous enough — "Do you think you'll spend some time chasing Rasheed Wallace around the court?" — but it didn't sit well with O'Neal. "Chase?" O'Neal said. "No. Not at all." It was an answer and an affirmation that O'Neal continues to be the centerpiece of the Lakers, despite a drop in his playoff scoring average. The game will come to him in the NBA Finals, not the other way around.