Re: Artest Suspension....
The thing that upsets me the most is the Ben Wallace ... who started the whole dang thing ... is getting a measly 6 games.
The Pistons get punished for their fans ACTING ABSOLUTLY ATROCIOUSLY by losing their center for six games.
The Pacers, on the other hand, lose their three best players for the season, 30 and 25 games.
I'm not saying the NBA played favorites ... actually, yes I am ... remember the Pistons are the defending chumps!
Re: Artest Suspension....
Did you see what happened? There are fights all of the time between players which is what this should have ended with. Wallace did not go in the stands - Artest did. You have got to be kidding that you think it is the same thing. NO WAY. Artest is a cancer on any team like Rodman used to be. He got what he deserved as did the others. If Wallace had gone in the stands too he would have been dealt with more harshly. Every time there is a fight between players do you think they should be out for the rest of the season. If so, Karl and PJ would have had to spend some sad time out of the game.
Re: Artest Suspension....
I thought the fans acted more like thugs than any of the players. They should suspend beer sales for a year at Piston's games.
Re: Artest Suspension....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cal&Ken
Did you see what happened? There are fights all of the time between players which is what this should have ended with. Wallace did not go in the stands - Artest did. You have got to be kidding that you think it is the same thing. NO WAY. Artest is a cancer on any team like Rodman used to be. He got what he deserved as did the others. If Wallace had gone in the stands too he would have been dealt with more harshly. Every time there is a fight between players do you think they should be out for the rest of the season. If so, Karl and PJ would have had to spend some sad time out of the game.
Cal ... Ken ... whichever it was that posted this ... ponder something
Had this been in Indianapolis, a number of Pistons would be out. No fans in Detroit are going to attack Detroit players. Of course they were going after Indy players.
O'Neal should not have been suspended. Artest and Jackson went into the stands ... O'Neal cold-cocked a stupid fan who ran onto the court.
Every single fan on the court deserved to get their butt beat down even worse than they did.
There must be some repurcussions ... I'm just saying the Pistons fans started the crap and the Pistons got off scot-free because their fans are going after the Pacers, not the Pistons.
Re: Artest Suspension....
Sometimes you just have to walk away and let the security people take the fans out. We have seen this several times and the fans have been procecuted. The problem comes in that the thugs took it upon themselves to handle the problem. Who cares where they were, the bottom line is they should not have done what they did. Obviously the commissioner agrees with me as well.
Re: Artest Suspension....
So some fan threw something on Artest while he was making a big show of laying on the table. He totally earned his big suspension when he went into the stands and slugged a guy, not even knowing if it was the right guy. That's what really started this thing into an ugly mess. The league cannot allow that.
The whole thing stems from today's mantra of "you cannot dis me." If Artest would have let security eject the fan, the whole thing would have quieted down. Instead he cost his team any chance of a decent season, and he cost himself $5.5 million.
Re: Artest Suspension....
This thug should have been kicked out of the league. He has been suspended 9 times previous over lack of self-control. Did I hear that right? The NBA is out of control!!! Not that I care.
Re: Artest Suspension....
Should have been -
Artest 60 games
Jackson 30 games
O'Neal 10 games
Wallace 5 games
Wallace started the ON-COURT stuff. The OFF-COURT stuff was started by the fans and heightened by Artest & Jackson. The Pistons organization has to be penalized as do the fans that were involved from the throwing of objects / entering the court.
In today's world, you never know what will happen with people and I feel that O'Neal was as much a victim as he was an aggressor. The Pistons and ALL Professional sports teams have to take a look at security issues and when to increase personnel. It is something that is only going to become worse.
The craziest thing from the entire weekend, was when Tommy Bowden (HC at Clemson) blamed there pre-game brawl with South Carolina on the Pacers/Pistons. Clemson & USC have a long and bitter rivalry. How dare Bowden put his problems on someone elses shoulders.
Can anyone NOT take responsibility in the world? Parents, teachers and leaders, let us ALL step it up.
MD
Re: Artest Suspension....
The fans are the ones getting off light. Oneal should never have been suspended for 25 games for hitting someone ON THE COURT.
Re: Artest Suspension....
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiganDawg
Can anyone NOT take responsibility in the world? Parents, teachers and leaders, let us ALL step it up.
MD
Did you see the interview by Peter Jennings of Bill Clinton is weekend? AMAZING STUFF!!!! the guy is still in DENIAL and blames everyone but himself for the disaster he created. That is where some of this attitude was born. The in your face "it's not my fault /blame somebody else 1990's politics".
Re: Artest Suspension....
Quote:
Originally Posted by TYLERTECHSAS
Did you see the interview by Peter Jennings of Bill Clinton is weekend? AMAZING STUFF!!!! the guy is still in DENIAL and blames everyone but himself for the disaster he created. That is where some of this attitude was born. The in your face "it's not my fault /blame somebody else 1990's politics".
I have to respectfully disagree, but we are all entitled to our opinions.
Re: Artest Suspension....
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaseyDawg
The fans are the ones getting off light. Oneal should never have been suspended for 25 games for hitting someone ON THE COUNT.
Are you kidding me! A multi-million dollar finely tuned well trained world class athlete jacks a fan in the face and should not get punished.
That kind of thinking is what's wrong these days. Those a$$holes should be thanking whoever they thank that I am not the league commish. You throw a punch at a fan and you butt is gone, bye, bye. Don't apply next year.
If Arrtest doesn't ask like an ass, and lay down on the scorers table and act like a 2 year-old, nothing probly ever gets started.
I am sure the fans will be prosecuted by the DA in Detroit, as such has already been said and rightly so. But a professional athlete has no right to act like that I don't care what the circumstances toward a fan, and any who try to defend their actions are just as luny.
Re: Artest Suspension....
It's the NBA...who cares. I wish it would go away from my TV just like the NHL.
Those Lakers/Celtics glory days seem so far away...
Re: Artest Suspension....
When a fan steps onto the court or field of play they enter at their own risk - and I'm referring to the thug wearing the Detriot jersey that was cold cocked during the melee -
While it is not part of the "express" contract you agree to when you purchase a ticket, it may very well be -
As a fan you DO NOT cross that line - period
Now as far as Artest and O'Neal's sojurn into the stands - they have been fined and suspended, justly I think (remember Kermit Davis was gone forever after the Rudy T incident) and when they fans lawyers a finished with the civil suits they will think they got off cheap from the NBA office -
And as a player you DO NOT cross that line - period
Leagues are going to be forced to deal with thier alcohol issues, and I will not be surprised if there is a cut off time at the end or middle of the 3rd quarter - much like the 7th inning rule in baseball -
Their is a difference between heckling and verbal harassment and it should be up to the fans around the area to help POLICE the actions -
In the end I really think that security at the home arenas have to step it up big time and crack down on the 10 to 20 that are really the root of the problem...
I know people on this board who think that some of us go over the line at the TAC and our verbal assessments of the refs cause them to make calls against TECH - so there is a difference in what one considers good natured heckling and another considers harassment -