Artest suspension (UPDATE: Artest out for the season)

Great the NBA is taking a stance on it's players behavior. No player should go into the stands now after those heavy suspensions.

Now they need to take a stance on the idiotic fan that threw the beer in the first place, and the people that stormed the court. The fans have just as much responsibility in this matter as the players. Whether it be from prosecution, or attending NBA games banishment, the NBA needs to do something, because if nothing happens, it basically says that fans can do anything they want to.

 

Too bad Ben Wallace was only suspended for 6 games. He deserves more, at least same sentence as J.Oneal.

 

People got stabbed in Europe and South America over soccer matches. It's just crazy. For a fuxking game! It's just a fuxking game.

 

So what happens to the suspended money? does indiana just keep it?

 

What's better about siding with punk fans?

Stupidity was rampant. No doubt about that. But those fans had just as much of it. Several times things were getting seperated, players getting pulled out and/or away, and the idiot fans kept it going. Mob stupidity. Punching guys who were trying to be peacemakers in the back of the head. Running out on to the court to fight NBA players. Dumping drinks on players/security as they were being taken away, just to keep the fires burning.


There were idiots all the way around. It'd seem rather hypocritical to side with one moron over another.

 

F that chump stern, totally over did it.

On the positive side, how many people still think the Pacers are going to make the playoffs because I for one do.

As long Artest can play in the playoffs the Pacers should be alright.

 

The clear winners here are the Pistons fans. Particularly the ones who were responsible for the incident. Even the Pistons organization wins big here. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine that they'd win so big. Just think on it. The only team in the eastern conference that can give the Pistons a run for their money is out of the picture. They'll find it nearly impossible to even make it to the playoffs. Even if they miraculously do make the playoffs, Artest is arguably their most valuable player and in my mind, the playoffs are part of the season. I'd imagine he'd be suspended for the playoffs as well. I honestly think he is their MVP when you consider he's the only guy in the league who you'll find both in the running for defensive player of the year and in the top 20 in scoring. The Pistons are literally gaurunteed to make the Finals because of these punishments. Can you imagine? Think back to the Hakeem days. Now imagine if the Rockets and the Jazz were the only teams in the western conference who stood any chance at making the finals, who among you wouldn't at least be tempted to throw a cup at Karl Malone if you knew the result would be similiar? I suppose that'd put Karla out for the season, Hornacek out for 30 and Stockton out for 25 games. I'd do it. I'd take the jail time. Whatever.

Stern sent out a message, that's for certain, but I'm not sure it's the right one. They must be loving this in Detroit. Absolutely loving it. Meanwhile, the Pacers fans (who did nothing wrong whatsoever) will suffer through an absolutely abysmal season. Where's the justice in that?

I can't believe Big Ben didn't even take a huge suspension. I really can't. That's an outrage. Obviously something had to be done, and it needed to be harsh, but I just can't help but think they gave those disgraceful Pistons fans everything they wanted and much, much, much more.

 

Maybe the Indiana fans will be more than happy to reciprocate the action when Detroit comes to visit their town.

I agree, the Detroit Pistons should have been punished for this in some way.

 

what about the drunken ones throwing sh*t in the stands?

I doubt this fly too much
I apply the Latrell Sprewell rule

Question: If u throw a coke in a McDonald's employee face
and he jumps acorss the counter on you . . .should he be fired.
esp after u have spit or other crap in it.

How about doing any place u a customer

Rocket River

 

it happens quite alot in soccer that a team has to play without fans, or they even have to p-lay in another arena if their arena ísn't safe enough.(unfortunatly alot of dutch supporters are idiots)

They should ban the Pistons fans for about 30 games. Maybe then the security will be better.

 

Will we have Plexiglass at stadiums .. . like Hockey

Rocket River

 

It hasn't prevented NHL players from "mingling" with the fans and it certainly won't prevent debris from being thrown if the fan(s) want(s) to.

 

does anyone else think that if Artest got the whole season that O'neal should have got the whole season too? i mean his punch had kermit washington written all over it. it was certainly the worst out of the whole thing in my eyes.

 

If this has been posted I apologize. This is a good article IMO.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/nba/11/21/bc.bkn.brawl.pacers.ap/

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indiana Pacers were frightened when spectators began hurling chairs, drinks, and ice at them in one of the most violent exchanges between players and fans in U.S. sports history.

"It was a scary situation," center David Harrison said. "It's literally being in a riot."

Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday, Stephen Jackson for 30 games, Jermaine O'Neal for 25, Ben Wallace for six, Anthony Johnson for five, and four players for one game apiece for their roles in Friday night's brawl at Detroit.

Pacers co-owner Herb Simon said he did not condone the fight, but "we do consider the action taken Sunday by the National Basketball Association to be unprecedented and inappropriate based on the circumstances."

After avoiding an on-court fight with Wallace late in the game, Artest bolted to the stands when he was hit by a cup thrown by a fan. Jackson and O'Neal also punched fans, who showered the Pacers with debris as they left the court.

"I don't know what the regulations are for these types of things, but maybe they need to be looked at more closely," Austin Croshere said after the six healthy and eligible Pacers lost to Orlando 86-83 on Saturday night. "You've seen it in baseball ... it seems to be happening more and more."

Artest apologized on Sunday. He said he respected David Stern, but called the suspension unfair.

"It is very important to me that people understand that I didn't mean for the situation to turn out like it did," Artest said in a statement.

O'Neal's agent, Arn Tellem, called his client's suspension an "outrageous decision" that singled out O'Neal "in an arbitrary and capricious way" and vowed to contest it.

Harrison was hit several times in the stands while trying to break up the mayhem. He said Artest responded instinctively.

"If someone is throwing something at you with intent to harm you, you're going to defend yourself," he said. "It doesn't matter if the person is a fan or whatever. I just wonder what would happen if we went to where they work and harassed them for 48 minutes to an hour and then threw a beer at them when they were trying to leave. We'd go to jail."

Harrison worried the severity of the punishment would overshadow the fans' culpability.

"A message is going to be sent to the players, but around the league, I don't know how you send a message to the fans," Harrison said Saturday. "That's going to be the only travesty about this situation."

Things were just as scary as the Pacers left the Palace.

"There was a time at the bus where they were telling us to turn off the lights because they were afraid people would shoot at our bus," Harrison said.

Harrison dismissed the notion that because the players are paid handsomely they should be able to deal with such situations.

"We endured the verbal abuse, did we not?" he said. "We do not get paid millions of dollars to get stuff thrown at us. Nobody gets paid to money to get stuff thrown at you unless you're a circus clown sitting in a booth. That's not our job.

"I don't care how much money I'm getting paid. If you're trying to harm me, and I'm in a position to defend myself, I'm going to defend myself."

Croshere said he kept waiting for security and the officials to step in.

"I think that the number of problems over the years is very low, so it would be easy to say this is an isolated incident," Croshere said. "I think when the stuff started being thrown, it would seem like security at some point would have to step in and take control of the situation."

Scot Pollard, a former member of the Pistons, was horrified.

"I just watched with disgust," he said. "I'm just glad I can tell my kids I didn't participate. The lack of security. The way we acted. The way they acted. There were a lot of poor decisions made in the heat of battle. It was just ugly. And I hope it never happens again."

 

Stern was very clear that he wouldn't do that in his press conference last night when asked.

Evan

 

What about "8 Mile Gangstas"?

 

So is it fair to say that when the players entered the stands it is fair game for the fans in the areana to beat them down?

 

Ben Wallace - 6 games - Just fine. Key thing to remember is that he was completely, 100% removed from the fan portion of the brawl. He didn't start that aspect of the night. That was ALL Ron. He's getting nailed for the two hand shove and continuing to go after Artest on the court. Normally, as a no-punch incident, this is a 3 game suspension. Stern doubled it because of what it led to.

As far as Artest and Jackson, the precedent had already been set by Mad Max for entering the stands after a fan - 10 games. Stern greatly added to the punishment mainly due to the severity of the incident, to send a strong message to the league and its fans, because of Ron's past history, because Jax was not provoked and had no intention of acting as a peacemaker, and at least partially because he does not want to see the Union prevent significant suspensions (even if they overturn some of them a la Spree).

O'Neal is the only punishment that I believe he went a little overboard on. The only real reason for the 25 games is that the image of a player punching a fan in the face (a fan on his knees no less, no matter the prior happenings) couldn't be tolerated. Of course, he may also anticipate Billy Hunter getting that reduced to a more reasonable 15 games and simply wanted the public to hear harsh sentences while they were still appalled.

I'm still unsure of Anthony Johnson's involvement.

I found it interesting that Austin Croshere, Fred Jones and the others that entered the stands (as peacemakers) were not given 1 game suspensions. You would think that if Reggie and others get hit with one-gamers for getting off the bench during an all-out riot, that entering the stands (whether you were on the court or bench initially) would also be an automatic. I'm sure we'll have a new automatic 20 game suspension rule for that soon.

Detroit: Stern has made it clear that he wouldn't make the Pistons play in an empty arena or institute plastic barriers. He also was plain that there would be action taken, however, and that he anticipated that it would be big enough that they "might very well lose some fans in the process. But I'm okay with that."

What will that mean? In the VERY least, action HAS to be taken against anyone identified in the crowd assaulting players. Apparently that was one of Big Ben's older brothers that attacked Fred Jones (anyone else notice he was wearing a credential badge - and was also familiar with the boy holding his crying brother?). Word has it that the Auburn Hills PD have ID'ed the majority of the people involved. Revoke season tickets, file charges if applicable, put them on a no-buy list (which would only be so effective) and tell them clearly that they are no longer welcome in the Palace.

Evan

 

Artest got what he deserved...he should thank is lucky stars the he is even allowed to ever play again.

He was man enough to walk away from Wallace...who punched him in the throat...and then threw a towel at him....but he says he lost it when he got hit with a plastic cup? Pathetic!

Jackson and Oneal should have gotten the season as well.

The three of them should go back to where they came from and learn to appreciate what they have....this isn't the ghetto anymore...and they don't have to fight for their lives like Stephen Jackson seemed to do when he went after anyone within his reach. Oh, and I guess O Neal felt really threatened by the guy who was being helped up after Artest clocked him.

They are thugs and will always be thugs. If Artest wasn't playing hoops, he would be in jail.

 

Maybe you can confirm, but I was listening to Sporting News radio and someone on there said that guy started hitting Fred Jones because he sort of ran over that kid trying to get in to help Artest.

I havent look at the video to see if thats the case. But I know if someone was running over my lil boy, whether it was intentional or not, i might lose it too (and probably go to jail lol).