Melee at Detriot vs. Indiana game

[Guest e-bone]

Just got home from the NT basketball game and this is all that is being shown on ESPN and ESPNews. Turn it on as there aren't any online articles out yet.

[JayDub]

Ron Artest jumped into the crowd and attacked a heckling fan. Then took on several more after that. The man is INSANE. What an obvious attempt to get out of playing this season.

WHEELS OFF.

[Guest e-bone]

Actually, after seeing the whole thing I can't really blame Artest.

What started it all was a hard foul by Artest on Ben Wallace, and Ben Wallace overreacted and did a two handed shove to Artest's face. Artest then backed up stayed away, which is really surprising because he is normally a hothead. While the teams were still being seperated Artest just layed down on the scorer's table(which was pretty funny). Moments later a bottle comes flying out of the stands and hits Artest, and that is when he went into the stands.

He shouldn't have gone into the stands, but I don't know many people that would have been able back away from that AFTER already backing away from being hit in the face.

[Coach]

Ok, after a hard foul, Ben Wallace shoved Artest. Then, somehow Artest was laying down on the scorer's table to lay to rest any doubt he is insane. Then someone threw a beer on him, so Artest went after the guy. To be honest, the guy probably deserved it, but then Artest went nuts just taking swings at several of the fans that were confronting him. There was another Pacer behind him that had an AMAZING punch laying out a fan, I couldn't tell who it was. Then, when he was back down on the court, they were pelting all the players and coaches with beer, and a fan came down on the court to go after Artest, and Artest gave him a pretty good blow.

The guy is loopies, the taking time off to rest from promoting his rap album was pretty insane, as was applying at a Best Buy when he was on Chicago so he could get an employee discount on a TV. I hope he isn't suspended too long because the guy is non-stop unintentional comedy.

[Zeke]

I hadn't heard the Best Buy story......that is hilarious. I can't say I would have held back if I had things thrown at me like that. That looks like pandemonium.

[Guest e-bone]

This is freaking insane. I have been watching ESPN and ESPNews for hours just to see this.

Has anyone else seen the tape of Jermaine O'Neal waylaying that idiot who was on the court? Wow.

[Rudy]

Artest is a piece of crap. He, Jackson, and I think one other player threw a punch, and any of the other staff from the Pacers who threw punches should all be charged.

That said, The fan who threw the beer, those fans who jumped in, and then all of the other jackasses who threw crap should also be charged. I hope the Detroit Police see all of those fans on tape, track them down, and arrest them.

What is confusing is that if you watch ESPN news, those NBA guys are all saying that the players are completely innocent in this. They are saying that Artest and Jackson were afriad and fighting for their lives. No crap, heres a thought, have some restraint and don't go into the stands.

EVERYONE involved should be brought up on charges. Those "barriers" between the fans and the players exist for a reason. When you pay for your ticket to a sporting event, you have the right to heckle the players, but not assult them. The players are making enough money, turn your head the other way.

PATHETIC!!!!

[untbowler]

Artest and O'Neal need to be gone for awhile, even if you have beer thrown at you, as a professional you do not go into the stands much less lay out fans.

Just another reason to change the NBA to TBA (Thug Basketball Association).

[Guest e-bone]

I've been watching ESPN and ESPNews and I have never once heard those guys say the players were "completely innocent".

Since Artest is a "piece of crap" then I imagine that most of us would be a "piece of crap" as well, as I don't really know many people wo would have walked away from having a bottle thrown in their face, after already walking away from having a two hand shove to their face.

[Coach]

If Artest and Jackson (the guy that had the best punch of the night) were really scared, they would have run to the locker room, not into the stands. They lost their temper and shouldn't have gone into the stands. But I agree that the fans that threw the beer, threw punches and ran out on the court need to have charges filed as well as they were the instigators.

I'm not upset at this as everyone else I guess. I think a clearly insane Artest and a Stephen Jackson that the jury has been out on for a while went into the stands knocking the crap out of some fans that deserved getting the crap knocked out of. The league won't be any worse without them, the fans deserved what they got and what they have coming, and the Ron Artest story that is so bizarre and funny you could never make it up continues....

[Cerebus]

You have the right to protect your person and property.

Use of force is justified when a person reasonably believes that it is necessary for the defense of oneself or another against the immediate use of unlawful force. However, a person must use no more force than appears reasonably necessary in the circumstances.

That said, Artest going intot he stands maybe inciting a riot

[Coach]

He will have plenty of time to promote his new rap album and recover without the annoyance of basketball now.

Hopefully in his press conference, he will hold up his CD to his face the whole time. (He has done this before with a label-mate's CD.)

[UNTLifer]

Agree with untbowler about renaming the league the TBA. I work at a facility that hosts many of the visiting teams practices when they are in town, and I have observed numerous times a setting where the coach has absolutely no control over what and how his players act. Iverson strolled through the lobby of our facility dropping f bombs while there are children, women and elderly people standing there. I am sick of the majority of the players in this league having absolutely no class. I said majority, not all. The Mavs, as a whole, are good examples, as are the Spurs and a few others, but some of these stars, Artest, Iverson, Bryant, need to be gone.

[Eagle since birth]

Just my opinion, but you can't blame all of this on the players. It was a hard foul big deal then Big Ben took it too far by shoving Artest. However, Artest did the right thing by backing off, which no one expected Artest to do, he was just trying to stay out of a situation that was escalating way beyond what it should have been.

If you want to blame someone why don't you blame those idiots that call themselves Detroit Piston fans? Talk about classless. Yeah your team got beat, and there was a little scuffle on the court, but what gives you the right to throw beer, popcorn, drinks, or anything at the players. Press charges on those morons not the players. Even when the whole ordeal was over with, and they had called the game did you see what their fans did to the Pacer players as they were trying to leave the building, now that is sickening.

A lot of basketball players get stereotyped, labeled as a thug or a gansta, or whatever you want to call them. But I don't believe Artest was wrong in this situation. Fans have to realize there is a line you just don't cross, and many of those fans crossed that line last night.

[Coach]

Good post eagle since birth. The only thing I disagree on is while the fans crossed the line and instigated the whole thing, Artest and Jackson crossed the line as well by going into the stands. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Lifer, I don't think the majority of the players in the NBA are thugs. It's just that the ones that are get all the headlines. We aren't hearing about Mike Finley's Thanksgiving charity event, we are hearing about a riot in Detroit. I know this is a different sport, but everytime someone calls the NFL thugs because of idiots like Rae Carruth, I think of Brad Kassell. Most players are like him, worked hard to get where they are, are good people, but he won't make the front page for being a good husband and working his ass off. When you have that many people, you are going to get bad apples (even on the college level ) . Especially when a lot of them have been treated like royalty since they were in high school and have been convinced they are bulletproof.

Edited November 20, 2004 by Coach

[untbowler]

Artest was wrong, he is supposed to be a professional and a cardinal rule of professional sports is you never go into the stands.

A side not speaking of melee's did you guys see the huge brawl in the S.Car/Clemson game?

There will be a ton of suspensions there for their bowl games, with how bad it got though with Troopers and Security needed, both Universities should be ashamed and forfeit their Bowl spots, yeah right we are talking about BCS teams.

[Greeneagle87]

when you get hit in the face w/ a cup after an altercation, you would react the same way, I know I would, I think it's good for basketball, makes the game seem more physical, and I like that(sarcasm)

I thought it was fun to watch, but not a good thing, I hate everything about Detroit, the city, the people, the state(michigan) I don't like it, and the fans are gay.

[UNTFan23]

I noticed one of the commentators who was covering the story at the arena was shaken up, like it was something he just couldn't believe all that had really happened ... seemed very emotional.

Overall, what happened is just crazy and surreal. I hope all the parties involved are punished to the fullest extent of the laws/rules.

[blinky8286]

Dont blame Ron Artest, dont blame Stephen Jackson, Freddie Jones, Jermaine O'Neal, or Ben Wallace. BLAME THE FANS! The Detroit fans were rediculous. If I was hit in the face with a beer I would be angry too, and it was just Artest and the one fan until the other fans jumped in. Jermaine O'Neal should NOT be suspended, the fan was ON THE FLOOR (by the way...that is trespeassing!). My thought is this...

Suspensions:

R. Artest (20 games): while I think he was in the right mostly, he still shouldn't have done it

S. Jackson (12 games): perhaps the only player fully wrong...hit a fan the was watching what was happening

J. O'Neal (1 game): yes, you read that right

B. Wallace (3 games): overreacting to the foul.

BY THE WAY: isn't hilarious that the player on his best behavior was RASHEED WALLACE. He tried to break up the fight between Pacers-Pistons, then tried to help stop fight between Pacers-Piston Fans. GO SHEED!!

[Coach]

Suspensions have been handed down.

Link

Edited November 22, 2004 by Coach