Riot at Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons Game!

[Penn]

I don't think that's right. Maybe a few games for not controlling himself, but not the rest of the season. The "fans" were the biggest catalysts in the whole thing - THEY should be suspended. Like, in jail or something.

Vrai, I have no sympathy for him.

I saw videoclips on different news stations last night, and I saw/they pointed out where he threw absolute haymakers at at least 2 fans, and he connected on them, and they weren't involved in the riot.

The man was out of control: he went animal, I think.

 

[mojorisin]

Vrai, I have no sympathy for him.

I saw videoclips on different news stations last night, and I saw/they pointed out where he threw absolute haymakers at at least 2 fans, and he connected on them, and they weren't involved in the riot.

The man was out of control: he went animal, I think.

You need to watch the clips again. Artest hit the guy that hit him with the beer. Then he it that fat ass that jumped on the court. If someone hit you in the head with a beer I am sure you would go after him! I don’t care for Artest, but this time I don’t blame him for doing what he did.

 

[mojorisin]

BTW, what the hell did Reggie Miller get suspended for?

 

[SmallTown]

Vrai, I have no sympathy for him.

I saw videoclips on different news stations last night, and I saw/they pointed out where he threw absolute haymakers at at least 2 fans, and he connected on them, and they weren't involved in the riot.

The man was out of control: he went animal, I think.

I'm still torn on the whole thing. I agree with the suspensions put down by the NBA. But I do hope they get the fans involved as well and fine them, or something. If not, you're opening up the chance that players will be in danger everytime they walk on an opposing floor. The NBA needs to show they will not stand for this behavior from the players (which they have done). now either the NBA or the teams themselves need to take care of the fans.
Sure, people can preach all you want that artest had no right to do what he did, and I agree. But they are still human beings, and I think insticts took over. Had the fans not been throwing cups and beers on the players, it never would have happened.

 

[Penn]

You need to watch the clips again. Artest hit the guy that hit him with the beer. Then he it that fat ass that jumped on the court. If someone hit you in the head with a beer I am sure you would go after him! I don’t care for Artest, but this time I don’t blame him for doing what he did.

OK, that's the phenomena of seeing what you think you see on videotape. Maybe my emotions were colored by what I'd seen him(Artest) do in previous games.

That guy has a history of hard, flagrant fouls, to the point where he has been ejected and suspended from games in the past, like last year, I believe.

That is why I said I have no sympathy for him. He is a very talented player, I'm not denying that, but he is vicious to a fault as well.

 

[vraiblonde]

BTW, what the hell did Reggie Miller get suspended for?

Leaving the bench during an on-court altercation, I think.

 

[Penn]

BTW, what the hell did Reggie Miller get suspended for?

Most likely he left the bench. The tapes probably showed that afterward, and he was rewarded for it.

I didn't see him do anything, but who can say?

 

[vraiblonde]

I think, when players get out of control like that, they should be fired. Not suspended, not have to sit out a game or two - FIRED. The end. Back to the ghetto with you, punk.

I'm retracting this statement after seeing the video again. I think it's pretty clear the fans deserved to get punched out.

 

[Bogart]

Artest wanted time off to promote his rap record, I think that was the main catalyst.

 

[Penn]

Artest wanted time off to promote his rap record, I think that was the main catalyst.

It shouldn't be a problem now, eh?

 

[itsbob]

The whole brouhaha started because a fan threw a beer at Artest after that foul. Looked to me like it was settling down, then the beer flew and Artest jumped into the stands. "Fans" started coming onto the court and that's when it started breaking loose.

They might not have been throwing punches but they were throwing everything else. Drinks, popcorn and all kinds of stuff. One of the guys who got punched in the head was complaining on Fox and I'm like, "Hello? If you'd been in your seat instead of coming onto the court, you wouldn't have gotten smacked."

Anyway, these guys get paid millions of dollars. If they get upset at being cussed and get a beer tossed on them, oh well. Suck it up, lightweight. All that money buys a lot of therapy and drycleaning.

If you and I were in a bar, and someone threw a plastic cup full of beer at us, and we in turn beat the living hell out of the "thrower" which one of us is going to jail? Big difference between hitting someone with a plastic cup and beating someone senseless..

I personally think Artest should have been dealt with more severly. A fan coming on to the court is wrong, but an athlete going into the stands for the sole intent of beating the he!! out of someone I think is a more serious offense..

What's really sad is in the end, everyone involved will go to court and end up with fines. Of course a 2000 fine for Artest is nothing but pocket change, the poor guy on the court, it's probably a months pay.

This goes back to .. damn I can't remember his name.. was it "Sprewell" that choked his coach, and all they did was trade him?? They need to start treating athletes like people and not roman gladiators.. Sprewell should have been left looking for a new career, and yet there he is, still making millions, playing basketball. We have athletes charged with felonies, who's trials get postponed to after the playoff's, players that get found GUILTY of DUI and asssorted felonies but don't have to serve their time until after the season.. it's all bu!!sh!t... they are paid to entertain us, yet WE give them special treatment.

 

[itsbob]

I'm retracting this statement after seeing the video again. I think it's pretty clear the fans deserved to get punched out.

Problem with that is the video showed he beat the hell out of the WRONG fan, not that it makes a difference.. but the dumazz beat the hell out of the wrong guy in the stands..

 

[vraiblonde]

Big difference between hitting someone with a plastic cup and beating someone senseless..

I'm not saying that any of the players were correct in what they did. I just think that the one fan provoked it by throwing the beer cup so, on some level, Artest beating the hell out of him was justified.

But, like I said before, these guys get paid millions of $$$ so what's a little beer? Obviously I can see both sides. But I think suspending him for the whole season is excessive. I'm curious if there were any arrests of the fans that night - I haven't heard anything about what happened to them.

 

[vraiblonde]

Problem with that is the video showed he beat the hell out of the WRONG fan, not that it makes a difference.. but the dumazz beat the hell out of the wrong guy in the stands..

The video I saw, the guy was yelling something as Artest was charging him. He had a look on his face that told me he probably WAS the one that threw the beer. He got singled out for a reason, even though there were several other people around him. But we'll never know.

 

[Penn]

The video I saw, the guy was yelling something as Artest was charging him. He had a look on his face that told me he probably WAS the one that threw the beer. He got singled out for a reason, even though there were several other people around him. But we'll never know.

That was one of the first things the ESPN reporter mentioned this morning:

The fact that the 1st guy Artest went after in the stands was NOT the actual tosser of the cup of beer.

The original guy who did, had left the immediate area, and Artest did not notice it, or was too incensed to know the difference.

They (ESPN) focused on a lanky looking fella in a black shirt, wearing glasses. They backed the tape up, ran it through again, and he was not the guy throwing the cup of beer.

It was someone else.

Tonight on Fox News, the Police Chief from that town in Indiana was on, and he was saying from what he saw, Mr. Artest's smallest of worries would be that he's been suspended for the rest of the season!

Can you say jailtime and mega-buck fines?

 

[itsbob]

The video I saw, the guy was yelling something as Artest was charging him. He had a look on his face that told me he probably WAS the one that threw the beer. He got singled out for a reason, even though there were several other people around him. But we'll never know.

He was probably screaming "It wasn't me.. it wasn't me.. it was HIM!!"

 

[vraiblonde]

He was probably screaming "It wasn't me.. it wasn't me.. it was HIM!!"

That's possible. :shrug:

 

[itsbob]

I'm not saying that any of the players were correct in what they did. I just think that the one fan provoked it by throwing the beer cup so, on some level, Artest beating the hell out of him was justified.

But, like I said before, these guys get paid millions of $$$ so what's a little beer? Obviously I can see both sides. But I think suspending him for the whole season is excessive. I'm curious if there were any arrests of the fans that night - I haven't heard anything about what happened to them.

Just one more comment and I will let it go...

What if you beat the living daylights out of somebody at your job. No matter what he/she had done to you prior to the beating.. would you still have a job??

If my office mate stood up and threw his laptop at me, and I proceeded to kick his butt we'd both be out of work by this afternoon.... and after all, all we are talking about here is a plastic cup with a little beer in it.

I think he got over with just a suspension.. now lets see how the criminal case goes, and how many concessions the court gives to these players.

 

[dems4me]

I'm retracting this statement after seeing the video again. I think it's pretty clear the fans deserved to get punched out.

Where's all the assault and battery charges? Why just suspensions, last I checked walking around punching eachother was illegal :shrug:

 

[SoMDGuy1980]

Where's all the assault and battery charges? Why just suspensions, last I checked walking around punching eachother was illegal :shrug:

Suspensions are the punishments that the NBA can dole out; assault charges will be sorted out and filed by the civil authorities. The prosecutors in Detroit are reviewing tapes and will file charges, but it may take a week or so to sort out and get the evidence together.