Dont throw beer on Ron Artest.

[StormShadow]

You'll get yo ass busted. Did ya'll see the fight in the stands between the fans and the Pistons? Whoa. Bunch of thugs. Looks like the fight thread that I started the other day. I'll look for video's but my company just showed up

[FRDRCING]

I just saw that on on ESPN, he lost it. I am sure they are both gonna loose there jobs or one HUGE fine for attacing fans like they did.

[TreeFiddy]

Any fan that pulls that **** deserves to get his ass kicked. I hope there are a ton of arrests, and mostly of non-players. Artest should get hit for the flagrant foul and maybe fined by the league for the fight, but all the other **** is on the guys in the stands. Ben Wallace doesn't need a bunch of punks to come to his aid.

[LonghornLightning]

I'm sorry but you can't attack fans. Barring anything short of a physical assault, you can't attack fans. The water bottle was a lot, but having players throwing punches = sad. i'd be embarrassed to coach that team, detroit should be embarrassed to have those fans, it's just sad.

[TreeFiddy]

You make a good point Dru but what's more dangerous: A couple of big black guys throwing punches or a few thousand people throwing chairs and bottles?

Did you see Jim Grey when he was talking about it like an hour later? If you ever watched Showtime boxing you know Jim Grey has balls the size of Bayonne, and he sounded like he was struggling to keep his composure. Out of control crowds get scary really fast.

Americans shouldn't feel remotely free to act like that at sporting events. I have no problem if, on the rare occasion that they do act that way, that they get their heads pounded in. That should remind everyone else. Look how bad it is for soccer anywhere else in the world. A 250 lb man might severely injure one person, but an angry mob can kill dozens quickly. Fans that try that here should be dealt with swiftly and severely, because they are by far the greater danger.

I know Ron Artest is a hothead and a jerk and I don't care if he and Jackson get suspended for the rest of the year. Hell, if he hadn't flagrant fouled Ben Wallace in garbage time, none of this would have happened. I think he's stupid, but some idiot shouldn't be allowed to bait him like that and get away with it. Fans who cross the line should be harshly punished. The guy who threw the drink should be held the most responsible, and everyone else that didn't stop him or point him out is complicit.

I'd love to see David Stern come out and say that due to the immaturity of the Detroit fans, the next three Pistons home games are going to be played in an empty arena, and all the ticket holders will be issued refunds. He won't do that, but he should. It's lucky nobody got killed.

[LonghornLightning]

yeah, the greatest part is the guy that artest decked in the stands...was NOT the guy who threw the water bottle, I smell lots of $ coming in his direction...this just days after hearing artest say he wanted to take a few months off to support his rap album..and that if the pacers win he would leave, "I don't need this game, i'm young, i don't care" something like that.

[StormShadow]

Those guys should be put in jail just like if you get in a fight in the street. I think that guy in the Pistons jersey on the court got lucky that Jermaine O'Neal slipped and fell or he would have been laid out. So basically I hope O'Neal, Jackson, and Artest get thrown in jail and the fan in the blue shirt that was punching Artest in the head should go to jail too. I think the guy in the black shirt is about to get paid.

[TreeFiddy]

I was thinking the same thing, Adam. If there hadn't been beer on the floor I think Jermaine O'Neal might have killed that guy. Can you imagine taking a shot like that from a seven foot man?

Again, I think Ron Artest is unbalanced but if I'm at a game with my kid the crowd poses a bigger danger than the players. I hope none of the fans involved in the fight get a cent. I think the Pistons and the NBA are going to pay a lot of money for this, though. Some of the guys in there throwing punches at the players were working security for the Pistons.

[TP Derrick D]

I don't know about anyone else but I've always lived in a world where if you throw something on another person thats an act of war and you looking to get your a$$ kicked. If you let people throw beer & popcorn on you and you don't react you are a straight up punk.
The comish is not on the court and not subject to the booing,name calling,item throwing nor is he a target of low lifes trying to get paid by a millionaire athlete who is just as human inside as the lowest paid hot dog jockey.Some idoits seem to think just they paid to go to the game and because pro athletes make millions,that gives fans the right to act a fool towards the players.The comish needs to get a pair and protect the players of the NBA just like he would his own kids.Without them he not needed. Just last year some idiot threw his cell phone and hit a Texas Ranger player.I'm not a fan of the players union but if they let the comish suspend all the players and don't stand up for the players all the NBA players should boycott the game. Lets see how many fans come to a game with no players on the court.

[StormShadow]

Thats a good point D, and I would react the same way in my personal life if someone threw beer on me. I would throw down just like they did. I think that this was a unique situation though. This was an organized, televised event with security present and I feel like that if the players didn't charge the stands that security would have got the guy who threw the beer and then the player could have pressed charges. I do agree with you that if you throw something at someone then you better be prepared to defend yourself because they have the right to kick your ass. I don't think fans should be able to throw stuff on the players and expect to get away with it.

[TP Derrick D]

Thats a good point D, and I would react the same way in my personal life if someone threw beer on me. I would throw down just like they did. I think that this was a unique situation though. This was an organized, televised event with security present and I feel like that if the players didn't charge the stands that security would have got the guy who threw the beer and then the player could have pressed charges. I do agree with you that if you throw something at someone then you better be prepared to defend yourself because they have the right to kick your ass. I don't think fans should be able to throw stuff on the players and expect to get away with it.


:tu:

[dboat]

Gentlemen,
While in theory and emotion, I would agree that is someone throws something at you, you need to defend yourself.

However, in this day and age, the best thing those players should do is walk to the center of the court and let security and/or the law deal with it. Yes these guys are still humans like us, but what has been proven time and time again, is that they will lose in a court of law when the civil suits start flying. Even if they dont win in court its gonna cost them a LOT of money. The jurors are not of their peers, if they were, then there would be 10 NBA players on the jury. What will happen is that the jury will see a plastic cup of beer get tossed and someone(the NBA player) jump up and go manhandle a person that is 6-12" shorter and 50-100 lbs lighter than them. The jury will see this player that makes millions per year and make them pay.
Or at the least there will be a settlement in the suit and again, money going to the fan.
This isnt about what is fair, its about what is going to happen in real life.. We see this all the time.
The lady that sued McDonalds for the coffee being too hot.
The crook that sues the homeowner because he hurt himself on the homeowners property in the commission of a crime.
The patient that sues a hospital and/or doctors and wins the frivolous lawsuit.

The reason to back off is not because your a punk, its because those with the money will lose to those without. Plain and simple. IMHO..
Dana

[TP Derrick D]

Gentlemen,
While in theory and emotion, I would agree that is someone throws something at you, you need to defend yourself.

However, in this day and age, the best thing those players should do is walk to the center of the court and let security and/or the law deal with it. Yes these guys are still humans like us, but what has been proven time and time again, is that they will lose in a court of law when the civil suits start flying. Even if they dont win in court its gonna cost them a LOT of money. The jurors are not of their peers, if they were, then there would be 10 NBA players on the jury. What will happen is that the jury will see a plastic cup of beer get tossed and someone(the NBA player) jump up and go manhandle a person that is 6-12" shorter and 50-100 lbs lighter than them. The jury will see this player that makes millions per year and make them pay.
Or at the least there will be a settlement in the suit and again, money going to the fan.
This isnt about what is fair, its about what is going to happen in real life.. We see this all the time.
The lady that sued McDonalds for the coffee being too hot.
The crook that sues the homeowner because he hurt himself on the homeowners property in the commission of a crime.
The patient that sues a hospital and/or doctors and wins the frivolous lawsuit.

The reason to back off is not because your a punk, its because those with the money will lose to those without. Plain and simple. IMHO..
Dana



Good point,
HoweverThe old saying goes"You can take the __?__ out of__?__ but you can't take the __?__out of __?___. Now I don't know about you and how you grew up but most of the NBA players probably grew up poor and in crime ridden areas where you had to defend yourself and if you did'nt you got punked constanly.Even if they didn't,getting dissed is grounds to defend yourself. So just because you(NBA or NFL) got money now ,don't mean you have taken that "defend yourself "attitude away. True,it probably cost the player more than its worth but whats the cost of pride? By the way,I'm not condoning fighting its just I can't see someones point that don't defend themself and run away and they probably don't see mine to stand and fight. :confused: :cool:

[BC Lightning]

This kinda hits home for me. My dad is a Veterinarian and he goes through lawsuits on a weekly, if not daily basis. It's all about getting money for doing nothing, they think they deserve more money and not have to work to get it. They way the courts work now anybody can sue anybody just to get some money from someone who they think is a richer person, and the poorer believe that they should be entitled to their money.

An eye for an eye, if you do something to me expect me to defend myself, and then get sued for it

Michael :flaming:

[dboat]

Good point,
HoweverThe old saying goes"You can take the __?__ out of__?__ but you can't take the __?__out of __?___. Now I don't know about you and how you grew up but most of the NBA players probably grew up poor and in crime ridden areas where you had to defend yourself and if you did'nt you got punked constanly.Even if they didn't,getting dissed is grounds to defend yourself. So just because you(NBA or NFL) got money now ,don't mean you have taken that "defend yourself "attitude away. True,it probably cost the player more than its worth but whats the cost of pride? By the way,I'm not condoning fighting its just I can't see someones point that don't defend themself and run away and they probably don't see mine to stand and fight. :confused: :cool:

I dont think that we disagree.. my point was this type of circumstance is different. All that was done was to have a plastic cup of beer thrown at him. This is not a major infraction. If he would have walked out to the middle of the court and let security deal with it, the fan would have been ejected and the guy would have been applauded for handling the situation like a pro.
If you are being really threatened, it would be different. And I would agree that some kind of action should be taken. Just not in this situation.
Dana

[StormShadow]

If this would have happened to a Dallas Maverick would the thinking be different? (Just playing devils advocate over here):evil

[dboat]

If this would have happened to a Dallas Maverick would the thinking be different? (Just playing devils advocate over here):evil

Good question. I think it would be a surprise unless it happened when Dennis Rodman was playing here. :evil
Dana

[BC Lightning]

He should have walked away, like we all should walk away

Who knows what would have happened if it had been Dennis Rodman :eek2:

[REXRENEGADE]

Damn! I went to a basketball game and a hockey fight broke out :eek2:
What a trip.

[TP Derrick D]

I dont think that we disagree.. my point was this type of circumstance is different. All that was done was to have a plastic cup of beer thrown at him. This is not a major infraction. If he would have walked out to the middle of the court and let security deal with it, the fan would have been ejected and the guy would have been applauded for handling the situation like a pro.
If you are being really threatened, it would be different. And I would agree that some kind of action should be taken. Just not in this situation.
Dana

Yeah,only thing is the cup hit him in the chest while he was lying on the scorers table not bothering anyone. Sure, it takes a better man to just walk away but when your emotions are high things happen in a split second that you can't control. Plus, I don't think you would let someone throw beer on you,hit you with a snowball or anything unprovoked and you just take it. NO WAY DO I BELIEVE THAT!!!Show me someone that does that, I show you someone that got his lunch money took,sand kicked in his face. Anyway I see all points thats been brought out,some think he was wrong, some think he was right. Either way the comish got to protect the players from idiot fans or it will happen again, bottom line.

[BC Lightning]

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

Guess this gives Artest enough time to work on his Rap Album.

[dboat]

Yeah,only thing is the cup hit him in the chest while he was lying on the scorers table not bothering anyone. Sure, it takes a better man to just walk away but when your emotions are high things happen in a split second that you can't control. Plus, I don't think you would let someone throw beer on you,hit you with a snowball or anything unprovoked and you just take it. NO WAY DO I BELIEVE THAT!!!Show me someone that does that, I show you someone that got his lunch money took,sand kicked in his face. Anyway I see all points thats been brought out,some think he was wrong, some think he was right. Either way the comish got to protect the players from idiot fans or it will happen again, bottom line.

Well, I have learned to walk away, but I am 47 years old and no I didnt get my lunch money taken from me or anything else of that nature. But ballplayers need to learn to walk away. Artest has now lost how much income because of what he did. Income he will never, ever get back. I dont believe his CD will sell that great because he is P Diddy reincarnated, he is getting the rap album break because he is a basketball player. Just ask Shaq, the actor and rap artist himself..
Its a hard lesson to learn, believe me I know. But I have learned it.
Artest will also come up on assault charges and then there will be the civil suits after that... this will be a hard lesson learned and who knows if he will learn it? he might not.
The players do need to be protected, I agree. But there will be this type of action every now and then, and when it does happen, if the player walks away, the fan can be charged and will never have another NBA ticket again.
Dana

[StormShadow]

I dont believe his CD will sell that great because he is P Diddy reincarnated, he is getting the rap album break because he is a basketball player. Just ask Shaq, the actor and rap artist himself.. Shaq went platinum. FYI

[03LightningRocks]

Artest went into the stands...............he was wrong as wrong can be. He has a reputation for being phycotic. I figure he will be out for good within 1 month of his suspension ending.

If the man couldn't dribble a B-Ball, he would have been in prison by now anyway. He is an insult to the game and a fricking punk. He attacked the wrong guy, by the way. Most likely because the guy he grabbed was the smallest guy he could find.

There is a huge difference in this situation and a "street" situation. There is a common understanding amongst people, of even the lowest intelligence, that the gaurd rail at a sporting event is a line you do not physically cross....either way.

Fans that chuck beers or other food stuffs are ALWAYS dealt with harshly by security. There was no need for Artest or any other player to attack fans.

Now if a fan jumps over the gaurd rail.....the players can eat him for lunch and I will laugh as the fan get's his clock cleaned.


The commish has dealt with this fairly....IMHO. By the way....if I had been sitting there innocently and was attacked by some big overpaid clod....I would not work another day in my life.


Rocks:beer: