I didn't watch that game, but I've been watching the film clips on the various sports shows, and it was out and out disgraceful.
On all sides.
I think fans have a right to boo, jeer, cheer, and generally make asses out of themselves. But getting drunk and starting fights? Hell, there's nothing "unwritten" about that rule. You get your butt tossed. In many stadiums, you get arrested.
And starting fights with players? Throwing a beer on Artest when he was laying on the broadcaster's table??? What was that moron thinking?
And Artest running up into the stands, and throwing punches? And naturally, the first guy he belted wasn't the guy who threw the beer.
Ridiculous. On all sides. Worse than the chair throwing incident at the Oakland A's game last summer. Almost as ridiculous as some of the stuff I've seen of European sporting events.
That kind of crap has no place in sports.
It might be time to start yanking the beer consessions at stadiums before somebody get seriously hurt.
Man, this has not been a good couple of months for the NBA.
I've seen the footage on ESPN twice now. And I agree with both of you...absolutely disgraceful by the players and the fans. Yes Wallace overreacted and there were lots of shoving amongst the players. Yes the fans were frustrated at the impending loss and the supposed flagrant by Artest. Now Artest isn't the squeekiest player on the court and the foul was harder than usual, but it was was that hard. Now if the fans simply let the players air their disagreements, the aftermath wouldn't have happened.
As it stands, there will be suspensions, possible arrests, and unfortunely lawsuits. And the sad thing is, the fans started the brawl in the stands, and it is the fans that will file the suits. They threw their drinks at the players. I didn't see any Gatorade cups thrown back. Sad, sad day. If they ever have a lockout like the NHL, there goes the league.
I don't know why anyone hasn't mentioned the stupidity and immaturity of Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O' Neal. Alright, the fans were stupid and same as good ol' Ron Artest; even Ben Wallace done something that wasn't expected of him. But Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O' Neal are in deep. These guys gotta grow up, Ben Wallace didn't think smart and didn't walk away, but what was even worse was that Stephen Jackson or Jermaine O' Neal weren't smart enough to stop the fight, rather than provoke the incident even more.
Ron Artest's foul was a hard foul and that should have been a flagrant because Ron Artest had no intention of blocking or defending that shot. I believe Ron Artest should be suspended for most, if not all, of the season because these flagrant fouls simply don't teach him that what he's doing is unsportsmanlike. It's disappointing to see David Stern, someone of supposed reputation, not do anything about this. Ron Artest is a great player, but he's stripping the sport of its dignity and is destroying the conduct of the sport.
Geezer. Elton. You both are right. However, it is not an unwritten rule among fans ot not physically hurt the players. This is clearly attempted assault no matter how light or how soft the object is. According to USA law, this is an assault on another person. Using a foreign object as a weapon against someone else is considered assault.
Heated reputations are a part of any game and are fun to watch, but it shouldn't be to an extent where people are found on the ground and children seen crying.
FusilliBernie wrote:I don't know why anyone hasn't mentioned the stupidity and immaturity of Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O' Neal. Alright, the fans were stupid and same as good ol' Ron Artest; even Ben Wallace done something that wasn't expected of him. But Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O' Neal are in deep. These guys gotta grow up, Ben Wallace didn't think smart and didn't walk away, but what was even worse was that Stephen Jackson or Jermaine O' Neal weren't smart enough to stop the fight, rather than provoke the incident even more.
Seriously, I have no idea what those 2 idiots were doing! It's one thing to defend your teammates but it's a whole other thing to jump into the crowd and literally beat people up.
FusilliBernie wrote:
Geezer. Elton. You both are right. However, it is not an unwritten rule among fans ot not physically hurt the players. This is clearly attempted assault no matter how light or how soft the object is. According to USA law, this is an assault on another person. Using a foreign object as a weapon against someone else is considered assault.
You're right, it's not an unwritten rule, it shouldn't be done period. Throwing anything at anyone at any time is uncalled for violence. It's stupid and I hate it whenever I see anyone at any sporting event throw anything. You can probably see why sitting next to me is no fun. I taunt, curse, and do all those but throwing things at players. I wouldn't want to be a player on the court while someone is throwing something at me. These are world class athletes not animals in cages that need things thrown at them. Let alone throwing things at animals is wrong in the first place. I know people here mock Raiders fans a lot but even the black hole seems tamed compared to this crap.
Holy crap that brawl was crazy! I think the blame should go to Ben Wallace for overreacting and the fan for throwing the beer. Artest was overall pretty calm until that guy threw the beer at him.
Here's a link to an HQ rip of the live brawl (until the link dies :P)
I was shocked when i saw that brawl on tv too ^^;; It's a big no-no. I hate it too when pple throw stuff...did anyone see he end when pacers went off the court? It's simply crazy...the "fans" literally pour beer and drinks down onto the players as they walk past...and they couldnt do anything about it....that's simply...too much... i think the fans should be suspended together with the players or sth...crazy...
Three Pacers (Artest, O'Neal, Jackson) and one Piston (Wallace) got suspended indefinitely....
To be totally fair, they should hunt down all those idiotic fans that were throwing shit at the players and punish them as well... They were as guilty as the players.
bmwracer wrote:Three Pacers (Artest, O'Neal, Jackson) and one Piston (Wallace) got suspended indefinitely....
To be totally fair, they should hunt down all those idiotic fans that were throwing shit at the players and punish them as well... They were as guilty as the players.
Yeah.. to be fair, they deserve that.. what happend to them :hehe: I think Wallace start it all...
Artest gone for the season and Jackson gets 30 and O'neal gets 25. Huge suspensions! Wallace got a few games too. Well, Pacers are pretty much out of the playoffs. Too bad my Warriors aren't a eastern conference team :beaten:
eltinator wrote:Artest gone for the season and Jackson gets 30 and O'neal gets 25. Huge suspensions! Wallace got a few games too. Well, Pacers are pretty much out of the playoffs. Too bad my Warriors aren't a eastern conference team :beaten:
Well, now Artest can work full-time on his rap album crap. What an idiot.
I heard the player's union is protesting the suspensions.... :shakehead:
dochira wrote:No surprise here. When the league suspended Sprewell for choking Carlissimo, the union was able to get his suspension reduced significantly.
Yup. If a player gets suspended, it's money out of the player's AND the union's pocket, neh?
Geezer wrote:And Artest running up into the stands, and throwing punches? And naturally, the first guy he belted wasn't the guy who threw the beer.
did you see the guy who artest pummeled? he was just (of course not the beer thrower) the most non-threatening, glasses wearing, suburb-living, vanilla looking guy. I'm wondering what was going thru his mind at time, prolly something like this:
"damn artest pissed, i sure don't wanna be in his way....whoa, he jumping thru the stands he...WTF HE'S COMING AT ME??!?!?!?!
Wrong place at the wrong time. I kinda sorry for the dude.
mvc wrote:Here's a link to an HQ rip of the live brawl (until the link dies :P)
FusilliBernie wrote:I don't know why anyone hasn't mentioned the stupidity and immaturity of Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O' Neal. Alright, the fans were stupid and same as good ol' Ron Artest; even Ben Wallace done something that wasn't expected of him. But Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O' Neal are in deep.
o'neal's fine i gotta think is a little steep. even tho his career started with the 'jail blazers', he' pretty much a stand up kinda guy and not know for being belligerant. he was on the court pounding the hell outta someone, yes, but he was on the court thinking he's gotta defend himeself. Jackson on the other had had no business in the stands and his penalty is just.
excuse me ? he was standing up for his team mate.
those white boys tried to double team the poor guy, one of em threw a drink in his face while he was being restrained and couldnt defend himself!
that was a punk ass move. and you would have butted in if you saw your homeboy getting beat up by a punk who was too scared to get close enough to throw a punch, and instead threw a drink at a safe enough distance.
he was standing up for his friend . when he saw that his friend couldnt stand up for himself (everyone was holding him back) thats how i saw it.
I think the league had to act fast in making a decision. When it goes to appeal and people cooled off a little I am sure the suspensions will shrink for some of the players. The fans were wrong, the players were wrong, and the Security was wrong.
I think the players should be suspended withoput pay without a doubt and lucky they are not in jail. Same thing with the fans the dude who tossed the drink should not be allowed back in the stadium at least for a period of a year or two.