fight in the palace of auburn hills

[J@3]

Well the way I'm kind of looking at this situation, is that the way Artest/O'Neal etc reacted was just over the top. I mean someone threw a bottle at him, they didn't murder his children or anything. Why couldn't he just yell some insults at him, or throw the bottle back at the guy. I think storming into the crowd and punching people in the face is an overreaction, considering he can't exactly play the "self defense" card seeing asthough if he didn't run into the crowd trying to fight there would be nothing to defend.

That being said, hopefully the fans will get banned for life... or they could try and get them banned from any major arena's (sporting, music etc) for that same length. It'd be setting a pretty tough example, and that way the fans don't exactly get away with anything.

[Matt]

Becuase your love child Ben Wallace gets off scot free almost...

These suspensions are a crock. What they are saying is fans are entitled to physically assualt the players, and the players cannot retaliate. I hate the way the NBA has been run lately.. I'd love to see a fan throw a beer at David Stern and see him not retaliate back.

Ben Wallace 5 game suspension is appropriate when you compare it to similar incidents

If Artest wasn't a nut case he wouldnt have been suspended, it would have been just Wallace suspended, but no, Artest decide to take matters into his own hands and his fellow insane friends Jax and JO followed.
All he had to do was walk away

edit: this means no AllStar game for Artest and JO?

[Matthew]

Well the way I'm kind of looking at this situation, is that the way Artest/O'Neal etc reacted was just over the top. I mean someone threw a bottle at him, they didn't murder his children or anything. Why couldn't he just yell some insults at him, or throw the bottle back at the guy. I think storming into the crowd and punching people in the face is an overreaction, considering he can't exactly play the "self defense" card seeing asthough if he didn't run into the crowd trying to fight there would be nothing to defend.

Jae, did you see the incident? How would you react, if you were playing basketball and someone shoved you, you didnt retaliate then someone who supports the guy that shoved you threw a beer bottle at you? Would you yell back or go after them? I'd snap so quickly at someone just doing that, not even considering the prior altercation with the other player. The NBA has gotten it totally wrong here, and theres no justification imo for suspending a player who were physically assualted.

What makes this 1000 times worse is the Barkley incident. Didnt he just get a fine for spitting on a 10 year old girl? How the hell are they going to suspend Ron artest for 30 fucking games for defending himself against grown men and only fine Barkley for spitting on a 10 year old girl? David Stern has lost the plot...

That being said, hopefully the fans will get banned for life... or they could try and get them banned from any major arena's (sporting, music etc) for that same length. It'd be setting a pretty tough example, and that way the fans don't exactly get away with anything.

This is where I think the Pistons organisation should be accountable. Fans are "part" of the organisation, or at least refer to themselves as part of it.

Ben Wallace 5 game suspension is appropriate when you compare it to similar incidents

You are right. Ben Wallace shouldn't be held accountable for the way the fans acted. 5 games might even be harsh when you think about it...

If Artest wasn't a nut case he wouldnt have been suspended, it would have been just Wallace suspended, but no, Artest decide to take matters into his own hands and his fellow insane friends Jax and JO followed.
All he had to do was walk away

Matt, would you walk away if someone threw a beer bottle at you?

[J@3]

Could you imagine the All-Star game if Artest/O'Neal/Wallace were all involved on the same team?

[Matthew]

I bet you there will be no real hard feelings between Wallace and the Pacer players. This was strictly between the pacers and the piston "fans".

[J@3]

Jae, did you see the incident? How would you react, if you were playing basketball and someone shoved you, you didnt retaliate then someone who supports the guy that shoved you threw a beer bottle at you? Would you yell back or go after them?

To be completely honest I'd pick the bottle back up and throw it at the guy (if I knew who did it, as appears to be the case with Artest) believe it or not I'm pretty well tempered in person so to be honest it'd take something really extreme, and alot more than a bottle for me to go into the crowd and do that.

Oh, and it was a water bottle that hit... they don't serve beer in bottles apparentely, just plastic cups.

[Matthew]

Well thats where you and me differ. Unless if it was a friend or a relative, if someone threw a bottle or a beer at me, I'd go after them and wouldn't hold back. I think alot of people feel the same.. But given the intensity of the situation.. given the fact that Artest had already done the right thing by not fighting back with Ben Wallace, I don't really see how anyone can call him a loose cannon for defending himself.

[Matt]

if i was in the NBA and got hit with beer i would let it go...im getting paid millions to play not fight. If i fight i can't play.

If it was on the streets then maybe i'd react differently

[J@3]

If it was on the streets then maybe i'd react differently

Actually that's a good point. If I was out with my friends or something and some idiot threw a drink at me I'd probably go upto him or something similar. The reason I'd do it differently in a sports event is because that's a contained environment. It's not out in the open and exposed like it would be on the streets, I mean in the Detroit/Indiana case they had security (granted they were rubbish but still) and also court officials + numerous teammates and opposition players standing there. So I wouldn't feel like it'd be the smartest idea to charge into the crowd and start kicking ass.

[Matthew]

But these players are played to play, not paid so they have to take physical abuse from the fans. I wish I had the self control you and Jae say you have. If someone attacks me physically I start swinging usually, and that's why I don't blame artest at all for reacting the way he did.

[Matt]

theres no reason that they should dish out physical abuse either. Sure the fans started but kicking ass isn't the smartest thing to do.

on a side note, did anyone see that thing last week in Argentina where fans were not happy with the performance of their own team and started fighting with their own tams players....crazy! They just started booting players....it was fans vs players but both represent the same club

[j.23]

[Matthew]

Lmao J.23

[J@3]

[Lenkbron]

the nba is going into the false direction lately, leaving out every human thoughts, especially stupid david stern

but the whole situation is so easy to explain:

NBA=stupid organization with stupid comissioner the pistons are the champions of this organization they are the most stupid team in this league last night was the final proof stupid players,stupid fans

i don´t think there needs more to be said...

[The GOAT]

...Wasn't Homer a Piston's fan?
I don't think it's right to call ALL Pistons fans stupid, just the ones at the game who went on to the court/threw punches/threw or poured beverages.

[cklitsie]

no, you mustve missed the 2004 draft analysis

[J@3]

no, you mustve missed the 2004 draft analysis

Quote of the day

Quote(s) of the century:

Yeah yeah !!! They drafted Howard. What the heck !!! it hurts like hell !!!

i am really pissed as (ex) magic fan !!! i mean enough is enough

i wanna know if he will ask for a cross on magic logo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(if he got to be a franchise player no doubt he will and magic will put a cross on logo so before anything happens i drop the whole magic thing)

You fuckin stupid GM .i freaking HATE YOU fucking bastard.Go to hell !!!!!

Hmm... there's a part of me that wishes Homor would come back and post every now and then.

[Ataraxia]

what happend to homer???

[The GOAT]

He left...he made a whole topic about it and left us his user account and password, but then Jackal stole it

[NIMOGT]

well it is obvious artest has a few screws loose, ad he sholdn't have gone into the stands because even if he talked to the guy it would have been an automatic suspension. I would have like to see artest trash talk a fan into the court and then if they fought, artest wouldn't be suspened for knocking the crap ou t of a guy. I didn't see JO do that muhc, they kept him on the floor for 99% of the time, and i missed what happened with him? just shows what sort of intelectual giant artes really is (i am a pacers fan, not an artest fan even though he is reallly good)

[lafce]

This is bullshit:

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 gam.

I'm a big Pacers fan and I think this is not right, though I understand the message the league wants to send. But this is just too much.

Other players:

Indiana's Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games and Jermaine O'Neal for 25. Detroit's Ben Wallace -- whose shove of Artest after a foul led to the 5-minute fracas -- drew a six-game ban, while Pacers guard Anthony Johnson got five games.

"I'm sick about that for Indiana. I'm devastated for them,'' Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "And we lost our heart and soul.''

Four players were suspended for a game apiece: Indiana's Reggie Miller, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman.

[Doug]

The Ben Wallace 6 game suspension is perfect he does deserve that 6 game suspension for being an asshat and basically taking a cry babyfit and starting this whole situation now without chauncy billups for a game and ben wallace for 6 i can see the pistons losing more then they have already this year.

[Uncle Drew]

There you go again Doug. Pistons will still be a top-tier team without Wallace for 6 games. You must not know your basketball real good. They
have Campbell, Coleman, McDyess and Darko to make up for the loss of Ben. Trust me, They'll be just fine.

[Matt]

i wonder what happens to Artest.....it's reasonable to say that he cost the team chances of a title.

This makes Pistons chances a little easier....Miami isn't that strong, it's a 2 man team. Indiana is weakened severely and Pistons biggest opponent the Nets are w/o KMart