Pistons/Pacers: The Aftermath
 

I did not see the game, but WOW!! :eek:

The aftermath is pretty severe in terms of suspensions. Artest (had never heard of him before this incident) has been suspended for the rest of the season. I know this has been the hot topic all weekend and will continue for weeks to come. In case you were TVless and in an isolation chamber all weekend, here is the article: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._pistons_brawl



Too severe? Just right? Needs more punishment? what are your thoughts?

I didn't see the game, but I did see the madness over and over again and again over the weekend. Ron Artest is a straight up knucklehead.

Bizarre situation.

Ron Artest needs help. You can't go in the stands (unless someone has your family member in a headlock) PERIOD. I'm not really buying the argument that Artest felt his "manhood" was challenged by the fans, because he had Ben Wallace right in front of him and managed to keep his manhood in check on that.

Players have to realize they are "walking moneybags." These fans, if not facing charges themselves, will likely have civil lawsuits out the azz...

Those fans that were on the court? They got what their hands called for--you go on the court, you get slid past the free-throw line, simple as that.

...sad night for the Association.

It was a sad situation. When I looked at the tape I saw people consoling their children, covering their eyes. I thought about the ridiculous number of law suits that are going to come out of this. Everyone in the stadium that night are going to try to file suit for emotional distress- especially the people who had young children at the game. I wish I were a lawyer there, I would've been handing out business cards left and right.
Artest is an assclown who needs a good beatdown. He really has anger management issues that he needs to seek counseling for. I have to agree with one of the commentators on ESPN who said that, although all 3 were wrong, the other two players should have received harsher penalties because unlike, Artest, they were not provoked into going into the stands.
Something about this entire incident embarasses me.

I have only seen the hundreds of replays. Today at lunch the TV was on ESPN and they showed ARTEST's past behavior. This man asked for a month off to promote his rap album. :rolleyes: He has now made it to my NIGGERATI list.

There will be a lot of lawsuits, some frivilous, because of this melee.

Did you all know Artest has 4 kids? How old is he?

It low key embarasses me too, Skee. :( :o

He definitely needs counseling and anger management intervention.

^^
RonRon was always on the n****ati list for me, but this clinched it. :mad: A completely embarrassing situation and his selfishness basically has tanked Indiana's season.

Artest is just Pookie/RayRay/Man Man/Quantaquavious with money.

All I can say is it was horrible and I'm glad I wasn't there.

The John Green need his season tickets revoked and his arse kicked.

Artest will have more than enough time to work on his RAP career.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/sports...54/detail.html

:mad:

I'm gonna have to join the ranks of those who are embarassed.

Artest is proof that you can take Mookie and Rayray and 'nem out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of Mookie and Rayray and 'nem. I just can't understand how you can be so blessed with talent and financial security, yet be willing to jeopardize it all because someone threw a drink on you. If I made that much money you could puke on me and I wouldn't be phased. Somebody needs to take his overinflated paycheck and give it to some deserving teacher or nurse.

I saw the end of the game. I was in shock (the mouth open kind). Artest deserves this pounishment. It was the final straw of a long history of bad behavior. Also, JACKSON is also a straight up thug. Sure, the fans were terrible. But again, when you know something will cost you more...just chill. They have a bunch of lawsuits waiting, in addtion to a season or partial season, without pay. The fans will be barred from the arena and possibly prosecuted. Umm, think dummies!!!

Ron Artest gets paid to play basketball not box.
Fans purchase a ticket to watch not to abuse the players.
Accountability is what it boils down to… Ron will have to account for all the money that is about to go bye, bye because of his inability to control his actions.

:confused: As for the fan he works my nerves he had a very smug attitude when speaking with the media. The news by station uncovered a court order that states he (John Green) is not supposed to consume alcohol. There are also reports he was involved in an altercation with Carl Malone in the past. And, he was finally barred from the Palace. So much for the season tickets dumbarse

That's my point too... He didn't feel threatened at all. I'm not even sure he saw who threw the beer on him(based on the way he was laying on the table).

Was the punishment severe? not for Artest. I think Stephen Jackson needs to sit out a season too he was just as bad as Artest jumping into the stands and swingin.

Ironic how a few weeks ago he wanted time off to work on a rap CD, now he has almost a year to work on that CD... see there is a silver lining:D

I was shocked and embarrassed too. But I was kinda :mad: :mad: at the media here in Michigan and how they just made Ben Wallace out to be some kind of thug!! I mean, every time I saw the footage (up here in the D and in Flint and in Saginaw they are showing it at least 50 times a day!!) I did not see Ben Wallace at all after that foul!! Who was the one in the stands? Artest. Who was the one that punched that guy out? Artest. But who did TV 5 (Saginaw), TV 12 (Flint), and UPN News (Detroit) make out to be the big bad villian? Ben Wallace. That kind of irked me and I really don't like Ben Wallace all that much!!

Hubby did make this comment: If the fighting was between Larry Bird and say, John Paxton would the TV stations be showing the fight footage all day every day? :rolleyes:

Ben Wallace, who isn't a thug, did overact. Artest gave a hard, but not flagrant, foul. Afterward, Wallace did throw a wristband or towel at Artest as he lay on the scorer's table. The bigger question is why are your stars on the floor in a 14-point game with 45.9 seconds left? Scrubs usually don't fight. Given the heated rivalry, in a decided game like that, your high-priced talent should have been on the bench.

...but the players', and fans', actions are on them, nobody else.

Umm maybe it depends on the station but I got no thuggery from Wallace here, in Lansing, but I got a whole mess of Artest acting a monkey as my soror would say. I know that the Pacers are appealing but it's a waste of time and energy with respect to Artest. Even if they got him back before the season ended it would more than likely just be a few games. Stephen Jackson will MAYBE get his reduced a few games and feasibly Jermaine O'neal could have his reduced. But if they did that then they would pretty much have to let Wallace back in RIGHT now. He should have gotten two games automatically for the fight but after that he was low key and out of it.

Tony you are right about benching your star talent but Indiana really couldn't do that. Six of their players were already on injured reserve, leaving them with the 5 starters and four back ups but as they spent so much money on ALL of them no matter who was on the court they would have been hurting for talent after that fight.

Artest speaks out: It just ain't fair!



THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest said Tuesday he wishes he hadn’t gotten into a fight with fans but feels his season-ending suspension was too harsh.
“I don’t think it was fair — that many games,” Artest said in an interview with NBC’s “Today” show. “I respect (NBA Commissioner) David Stern’s decisions, but I don’t think I should have been out for the whole season.”

It was Artest’s first national interview since he was suspended for charging into the stands and fighting with fans late in Friday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, a Detroit suburb. The suspension amounts to 72 games in an 82-game season, and means he will lose about $5 million.


http://www.nydailynews.com/front/bre...p-218918c.html

^^
RonRonatourious, please. Just. SYAD.
:mad:

I thought that the punishment was the bare minimum -- if I were commissioner, I'd fire from the NBA anyone who hit a fan. Fire them for life. Period.

Why? Because the NBA, despite its many franchises, is essentially one employer with one set of rules. If you were a doctor, and you beat up a patient, would you expect to get fired by the hospital? If you were a saleslady, and you beat up a shopper, would you expect to get fired by the store? Would you expect to just get suspended and re-hired by the SAME employer the next year? It's a pretty basic rule in all businesses that you can't beat up the customers.

So why in the hell would you expect this particular employer to do something other than fire your violent, untrustworthy, $5 million dollar ass? I'm sick and tired of people treating these grown men like naughty grade schoolers. If you can't follow the most basic rules of having a job, then don't let the door hit you on your way out.

I was with you until you said puke. :eek: :o

Maybe I'm just more in touch with my inner Charles Barkley because while I understand that going into the stands (basketball players) was wrong, I'll be dayumed if some fan is going to come out on the floor and THINK he can throw a punch and not get the absolute *&^^#$#@!#$%%(*!)))*#&%&%&#&*@*($ beat out of him.

being that i am the queen of crunk, i understand that sometimes it is necessary to handle things. i may be amongst the minority here, but i probably would have hit that dude too. i'm not saying it's right but it's the truth.

clearly, artest does have some issues. but i personally feel like the punishment is too harsh. that was only, what, game 8? he's suspended for the whooooooooooole season---until june! that's kinda harsh to say that the man was provoked.

and boo on those "fans" who continued pouring beer and stuff on them as they exited the court. i also saw on the news tonight that they identified the [black] man who threw the chair into the crowd. :rolleyes:

Ladylike, you are TRULY off the hook.

LMAO @ inner Charles Barkley.

Hell, I say bah on all parties. Fans need to realize that buying a ticket doesn't give you the right to wild up on people. Boo, fine. But don't go there with throwing isht at players.

I've been listening to Jim Rome quite a bit on this. JR is my all-time favorite sports talk radio host, and has made some good points. He says this is a symbol of disconnect between fans and players.

Jim is white and he said, "if you don't think race had something to do with this, you are naive." He's on to something. A few years ago, I read an article on Black Electorate.com that talked about resentment of athletes such as Allen Iverson and Barry Bonds, because AI and BB didn't seem like they were, err, gracious.

CT4, after my kindergarten altercation with Big Tanya (see Childhood Fights thread) I aint nevvvah scurrred. :p :D LOL

I hear where you are coming from soror but I think this suspension was as extensive as it was not JUST because he bolted into the stands or JUST because he hit a fan. It's more a result of three or four years of BAD BEHAVIOR that culminated here. And yeah he's apologizing now, while plugging what is sure to be a broke bootleg cd, but if they just gave him a 30 or 40 game suspension the league would be blasted.

By pundits saying the NBA is violent and not properly punishing its players, by advertisers yanking their money away, by fans (those that have common sense) taking their money elsewhere. Ron has some serious issues that weren't JUST demonstrated by this incident, the other suspensions, destruction and what not just led up to this and the league are tired of holding his hand. So if he needed to man up and punch a fan, he can man up and sit his butt at home for the rest of the season, unass that 5 million he'll lose in salary and get ready for the litany of civil suits coming his way.

So he has had a track record of violent altercations with fans and players alike? Could you fill me in about his past?

He's not been in fights with fans before now. He's had a few pretty outrageous blowups before. The most recent and stupid was him destroying a tv camera after they lost a game to the Knicks. I think he was fined, suspended and had to pay for the cost of the tv equipment. If I can find the article, I'll at least post the link to it cause it describes all of his past issues.

ETA: Artest was benched for two games this month for asking Pacers coach Rick Carlisle for time off because of a busy schedule that included promoting a rap album.

Artest was suspended twice by the NBA last season, once for leaving the bench during a fracas at a Pacers-Celtics playoff game; the other for elbowing Portland's Derek Anderson. During the 2002-03 season, Artest was suspended five times by the NBA and once by the Pacers for a total of 12 games.

Artest also once grabbed a television camera and smashed it to the ground after a loss to the Knicks two years ago.

Back from silent observation....:)
 

As a Detroiter, I was really pissed at how some of the sport news broadcasters blamed Detroit (fans). Look, those games take place at the Palace in Auburn Hills NOT Detroit! [since they(folx in the suburbs) don't want to claim us we won't claim them] And the people who can generally afford those seats (which cost around $400-$500)are not people from Detroit. The media always portrays Detroit as a bad place and that is quite the contrary. People here desire that Detroit retain its former glory ....as being a music and industrial powerhouse to name a few. We are in the wake of critical needs such as better schools, jobs, and restructing the political infastructure. Detroit is a wonderful place to live...it's like anywhere else it's what you make of it....
Back to silent observation for now.......

Different perspective on RonRon
 

I disagree with the author's take on Jackie Robinson. You can't compare 1947 to 2004.


Trickin' white folks: Why the hood loves Ron Artest

by Kevin Weston, Pacific News Service

Oakland - Ron Artest, the Indiana Pacers forward suspended by the NBA for a year after a fan-and-player melee in Detroit on Friday, gets love in the hood because Black people have a history of rooting for the anti-superhero who butts up against the establishment - tales that go back past slavery to African lore.

Elegua is the trickster in the pantheon of the Yorba religion. Kidnapped Africans brought Yorba to the Western Hemisphere and continued to worship Orishas, or gods, like Elegua. While the religion stayed largely intact in places like Haiti and Cuba, Africans brought to America, where African ways and religions were more harshly punished, had to mask the archetype of the trickster god while adapting his legend to our North American experience. Elegua became High John the Conqueror.

According to Julius Lester, author of the book "Black Folktales," High John is a "Be man - be here when hard times come, and be here when hard times are gone."

High John, Julius writes, is a slave on a Mississippi plantation ruled by "white folks so mean that the rattlesnakes wouldn't bite 'em. 'Fraid they’d poison themselves."

But John, because he is a Be man, "made up his mind to do as much living and as little slaving as he could ...."

"He used to break the hoes, accidentally of course. Set the massa house on fire. Accidentally of course. He always had a hard time getting to the fields on time ..."

Then this African god in Mississippi would flip it. "Ol’ massa was never sure whether John was doing it all on purpose, because some years John would work hard and make a good crop. The next year, though, it seemed that everything he touched got destroyed. But the following year, he'd pick more cotton than anyone thought possible. So the white folks were never sure what side John was on. And you better believe that that was the way John wanted it."

Ron Artest is known as a head case in the NBA. Unpredictable. Dangerous. At the same time, he's the league's most dominant defender, a premiere rebounder and a better-than-average scorer. A week before the Detroit brawl, where he jumped into the stands after being hit with a beer, he was suspended two games for asking for time off to promote an R&B group on his record label.

For years he was known as a cheap-shot artist because of the hard fouls he would deliver to opponents in the paint. Annually, Artest would be among the league leaders in technical fouls. But mysteriously, last year he cleaned up his act, wound up as an All-Star and won Defensive Player of the Year. In large part due to Artest, the Pacers were one of the favorites to win the NBA title this year.

Then Artest burned his massa's field house - the Conseco Field House, where the Pacers play - to the ground. (Or at least their championship prospects this year.)

While he ruined his short-term prospects for making money in the NBA (eventually some NBA squad will pay him to play; he's simply too good to pass up), he's made his hood legend. Everyone and their momma is talking about this, from the one-way streets to Wall Street. His #23 (after Jordan) blue and gold pinstriped jersey will be sold out worldwide by the end of the week.

This has been a bad year for the NBA. Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown also coached the U.S. Olympic Team. That team of NBA stars was hated at home and abroad. At home because it had no white players ("roll players" or "pure shooters"), and because it did have Allen Iverson, a perennial target for scorn in the media (the cornrows, the tats, the rap CD, the "I Don't Give a F---" attitude). As well as a bunch of youngstas, including the two high school-aged kids, Carmelo Anthony and Lebron "100 million dollar man" James. Team USA got the Bronze.

Kobe Bryant beating a charge of raping a white woman - something that just a generation ago would get a ni--a hung so quick, so fast, innocent or guilty - didn't help, either.

It is widely felt in the Black community that these players get hated on because of their fame and fortune, attitude, gender and skin color. It is also widely felt among Blacks that a lot of them bring the negative attention onto themselves. (See Kobe and O.J.)

I've watched as the media and dominant culture has become less and less tolerant of these coddled multi-millionaires. Much of the criticism stems from perceived "lack of effort" or "selfish play" or "too much attitude" and "too street/ghetto."

We've also seen these well paid, attractive and well conditioned negroes self-destruct, blow their money, turn their backs on the community, build hospitals and community centers, take care of legions of their extended families, do gang prevention and anti-violence work, get hooked on dope, sell dope - whatever. They are the best and the worst of who we are, living their public and private lives in front of us. We root and boo. But it's with love.

The Black athletes who get love in mainstream America are molded after Jackie Robinson, the pioneer Brooklyn Dodgers second basemen who broke the color line in baseball over 50 years ago. Jackie got called ni---- so many times he probably thought it was his name. He was loved because he took it.

Who knows what Artest was thinking as he punched his way out of his $6 million yearly salary. He wouldn't take the disrespect, and he's paying for it. The upside is, he can focus on his independent record company and his Destiny's Child-esque group Allure. Their single, "Uh Oh," featuring Dance Hall reggae superstar Elephant Man, is aight. If they happen to go platinum, Artest could make back much of his lost salary.

High John the Conqueror is watching this somewhere, smiling. So am I.