Friday Night Fights (Pistons/Pacers Game) - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

djtestudo · 11-19-2004, 08:21 PM

...in Detroit.

For those of whom didn't see:

Ron Artest fouls Ben Wallace near the end of the Pacers-Pistons game. Wallace comes after him and shoves him. They are seperated and move toward the bench, where Artest ends up on the scorers' table. He is then hit in the face by someone's cup with whatever the drink was still there, and he goes into the stands after the guy who threw it followed by teammates. After getting seperated, the Pacers are pelted with everything not nailed down walking off the floor.

Absolutely shameful performance.

1slOwCD8 · 11-19-2004, 08:23 PM

Im guessing it just happened today? Cuz i really want to see this. Ill make sure to check sports center later.

laconic1 · 11-19-2004, 08:33 PM

They just showed that on the news here. Holy shit! I gotta imagine there will be some massive suspensions for this one.

Nimbletoe · 11-19-2004, 08:33 PM

It just happened about a half hour ago from this post. I live 15 minutes from the Palace (where it happened), used to work there, and have a few friends that do. One just told me he was down in the middle of it, and got hurt pretty bad.

The sports fan in me is going "WOOHOOOOO!!! This makes up for no hockey!" But the compassionate human in me thinks it was disgraceful and cowardly. Regardless, it will be all over espn. As one of the announcers said, "you'll never see anything like this in professional sports ever again". It was NUTS.

djtestudo · 11-19-2004, 08:39 PM

After watching it several times, here's what I think:

- There needs to be one suspension here: Ben Wallace. He escalated the situation by going after Artest even after being restrained.

- Detroit needs to be forced to forfeit games. There is NO EXCUSE for this. The fans of Detroit should be ashamed.

Nimbletoe · 11-19-2004, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djtestudo

After watching it several times, here's what I think:

- There needs to be one suspension here: Ben Wallace. He escalated the situation by going after Artest even after being restrained.

- Detroit needs to be forced to forfeit games. There is NO EXCUSE for this. The fans of Detroit should be ashamed.

Artest layed down on the announcer table to encourage Ben, put on the announcers headset with Ben after him, went INTO THE STANDS after the WRONG guy, punched numerous people in the face, including a towel boy, and you don't think he should be suspended? Remember, the pacers ran into the crowd first, not the pistons. Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest should be fined and suspsended just like Big Ben (who overreacted, hardcore). As far as forfeiting games, please. Larry Brown, two weeks off hip surgery, was running around trying to make announcements for people to stop, Rasheed of all people was trying to break it up, and even Ben was trying to stop it after Artest the crazy ran into the stands. They have no control over the thousands that were there to see the game.

At least Artest will have time to promote his rap album now. November 23rd!

Nimbletoe · 11-19-2004, 08:45 PM

Damnit, Artest is on my fantasy team.

djtestudo · 11-19-2004, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimbletoe

Artest layed down on the announcer table to encourage Ben, put on the announcers headset with Ben after him...

What does that have to do with anything?

Quote:

...went INTO THE STANDS after the WRONG guy, punched numerous people in the face, including a towel boy, and you don't think he should be suspended? Remember, the pacers ran into the crowd first, not the pistons. Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest should be fined and suspsended just like Big Ben (who overreacted, hardcore).

Artest went after someone who THREW A FULL CUP at his FACE. I consider that self-defense.

Quote:

As far as forfeiting games, please. Larry Brown, two weeks off hip surgery, was running around trying to make announcements for people to stop, Rasheed of all people was trying to break it up, and even Ben was trying to stop it after Artest the crazy ran into the stands. They have no control over the thousands that were there to see the game.

Well, good for them. The forfeiting is about the fans. Show that the TEAM gets hurt by YOUR actions, and maybe there won't be any more events like this.

Gustoferson · 11-19-2004, 08:54 PM

In my opinion, yes there should be several smaller, but still many many game suspensions, for a lot of people, least of all Big Ben for causing it to start.

However, they need to make an example of this debacle, and a huge one at that. I say any player for either team that hit anyone in the stands gets at least a half-season suspension, if not full season. The only ones I saw were the two Pacers players, though there could've been more and/or on the other team. Also, because of the crowd inciting parts of it themselves, I believe the Pistons should have to forfiet several games because of the incident, to show all crowds that shit like that will not be accepted.

djtestudo · 11-19-2004, 08:56 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=241119008

Quote:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Indiana's Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson charged into the stands and fought with fans in the final minute of their game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, and the brawl forced an early and ugly end to the Pacers' 97-82 win.

Officials stopped the game with 45.9 seconds remaining after pushing and shoving between the teams spilled into the stands and fans began throwing things at the players near the scorer's table.

"It's the ugliest thing I've seen as a coach or player," said Pistons coach Larry Brown, who was in the middle of the confrontation, trying to break it up.

After several minutes of players fighting with fans in the stands, the Pacers were pelted with beer, ice, and popcorn as they made their way to the locker room in one of the scariest brawls in an NBA game.

"I felt like I was fighting for my life out there," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "I'm sorry the game had to end this way."

The Palace announcer said the game was being stopped and pleaded with fans not to throw things.

It all started when Detroit's Ben Wallace went in for a layup and was fouled hard by Artest from behind.

Wallace wheeled around and pushed Artest in the face. The benches emptied and punches were thrown.

As the players continued shoving each other near center court and coaches tried to restore order, Artest sprawled out on his back on the scorer's table, looking relaxed.

Just when it appeared tempers had died down, Artest was struck by a full cup thrown from the stands. He jumped up, and charged into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.

Fans were punching back, and Jackson and another teammate joined Artest in the melee.

Detroit's Rasheed Wallace and Indiana's David Harrison were also in or near the stands.

As the crowd roared, drinks and debris showered the court and the Pacers players covered their heads as they hustled through the runway leading to the locker room.

A man in a Pistons jersey approached Artest on the court with fists raised, shouting at him. Artest punched him in the face, knocking the man to the floor before leaving the court. Artest was pulled away, and the fan charged back. O'Neal stepped in and punched the man.

"The NBA is withholding comment until it can review the incident," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Pistons spokesman Tom Wilson said he did not believe anyone would be arrested.

Players from both teams left without comment.

Police prevented reporters from crossing the loading dock to get to Indiana's locker room or the area where the Pacers' bus was located.

1slOwCD8 · 11-19-2004, 09:04 PM

Wow.......... is all i have to say. I just saw the replay, and it was just sad. People throwing stuff at players, fist being thrown, and i think i saw a Pacer pick up a broom stick and hold it like a bat as to hit someone. I also saw when Artest stragiht up threw a punch at a guy that seemed like was gonna start a fight with him, and other fans going after Artest. Totally shameful.

Craven Morehead · 11-19-2004, 09:07 PM

Saw the replay.... thought I was watching the Vibe awards. Pretty sorry sight for all involved.

mattgical · 11-19-2004, 09:36 PM

wow
Ron Ron and Stephen Jackson were beastin' out there. Laughing at that old dude that got rocked.

You guys see the Street Fighter lunge and punch by J. O Neal? Holy Crap. It happened after Artest punched that fat guy in the Pistons jersey on the court. In the background, you see J Oneal slide like hes playing for the Yankees and land a punch right in the guys face/throat.

Definitely some 15+ game suspensions, and some fans will definitely make some money off civil lawsuits, especially with so many cameras.

djtestudo · 11-19-2004, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgical

wow
Ron Ron and Stephen Jackson were beastin' out there. Laughing at that old dude that got rocked.

You guys see the Street Fighter lunge and punch by J. O Neal? Holy Crap. It happened after Artest punched that fat guy in the Pistons jersey on the court. In the background, you see J Oneal slide like hes playing for the Yankees and land a punch right in the guys face/throat.

Definitely some 15+ game suspensions, and some fans will definitely make some money off civil lawsuits, especially with so many cameras.

That money will serve them well in prison, where they'll be since there were so many cameras.

SAM821 · 11-19-2004, 10:24 PM

That was fucking awsome!! I just saw the whole thing on ESPN... man

Ok now on a serious note... there is too much crowd involvement going on with taunting and assaulting players, and something needs to be done, things are getting out of hand...

But really we just witnessed some history here....

joeyaz · 11-19-2004, 11:00 PM

That was crazy I was watching the game but switched to a different channel in the 3rd. Watching sportscenter and see the punch by punch analysis.. Chaos

radioguy · 11-19-2004, 11:11 PM

i don't agree with artest punching the guy in the pistons jersey, but i wonder "what the hell was the guy thinking?" maybe, i'll show some fist, maybe get hit and get a shit ton of cash? just a thought. with america's sue-happy society, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he thought about this.

crfpilot · 11-19-2004, 11:12 PM

That's just uncalled for these people are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL athletes. If they can't take a little bit of heckling, they shouldn't play the fucking game. Self-defense??? it was a plastic cup. Every player that hit any fans should just be fired, period!!

aktornado · 11-19-2004, 11:12 PM

Fans were definitely in the wrong here. The only players that should be suspended here are Wallace (for the original, totally uncalled for shove), Jackson (for enciting more fighting), and O'Neil (for sucker punching that fan when he was already down).

Artest did nothing wrong, he was just defending himself which he has every right to do.

And the detroit fans should be ashamed of themselves. That was horrible.

aktornado · 11-19-2004, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crfpilot

That's just uncalled for these people are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL athletes. If they can't take a little bit of heckling, they shouldn't play the fucking game. Self-defense??? it was a plastic cup. Every player that hit any fans should just be fired, period!!

Hitting someone with a cup full of beer is considered assault. The players had every right to defend themselves. If fans are allowed to do things like that with no consequences we'd be seeing things like this a lot more often.

dtheriault · 11-19-2004, 11:36 PM

In under 5 years you will see someone in the NFL, NBA or Baseball killed or seriously injured by a fan during a game. Where the hell was the security/police. 10 cops jumping into the stands right at the start of this fight would've made a difference. But they are Detroit cops and they were probably watching and laughing until it got ugly.

The old bald dude who was uppercutting artest from behind after trying to peel Artest off should be thrown in jail as should that fat fool in the jersey who went onto the floor. At some point I would've been a little freaked out if I were a Pacer player and throwing punches is a natural reaction when some creep chucks his foul hepetitis/cold sore sour beer in your face.

If I were a player I would hire two huge guys to go to games with me and jump in the stands to take care of this shit.

Artest was wrong, but remember you don't know what kinda liquid crap is being thrown on you and what might follow next raining down from the crowd.

goddfather40 · 11-19-2004, 11:43 PM

What a disgrace. The Pistons should be ashamed that their fans acted in such a matter. Yes, Artest, Stephen Jackson, O'Neal, Ben Wallace, among others, should be suspended and fined heavily. The riot ensued due to the countless debris...including chairs, that were thrown into the melee by the mob action. I'm sorry if the majority of Pistons fans were not involved or whatever, but this incident is one of a kind and will serve as an example of their fans.

stevo · 11-19-2004, 11:46 PM

Artest should be banned from basketball. (Pete Rose was banned for less). That was the most disgraceful ghetto shit I've ever seen in my life. On the other hand, that was fucking awesome. I'm watching every basketball game I can until June. Who misses hockey now? Not me.

Still, Artest should never play another NBA game again. He is supposed to be a professional. If a professional gets a cup of beer thrown at him he should be mature enough to have the sense to know the consequences of his actions. It was just a fucking beer. Go to the locker room and take a breath. You are getting paid millions. There is no reason for this. The fans that participated in the riot should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but a paid professional should behave like one, and if not, should no longer be a professional, but he's nothing but a thug. That is all Artest is, a thug, a ghetto-ass thug. Ban his ghetto-ass from basketball.

Any fans injured in that melee should sue Artest, the Pacers, and the NBA. There is no legitimate excuse for such unprofessional, immature nonsense. If I didn't get off on such shit I would be pissed. Don't get me wrong, it was the highlight of my night, but those responsible for such an unprofessional display of ghettoism and thuggery (and their children) should be banned from the sport forever. Fucking hoodlems.

Jeff · 11-19-2004, 11:50 PM

Artest overreacted.

The fans should be punished somehow, I hope some are arrested. They were truly the worst part of all of this.

dtheriault · 11-19-2004, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo22

Any fans injured in that meylee should sue Artest, the Pacers, and the NBA.

Except for any fan that threw something, jumped in, raised a fist, or threw a punch. All of those fans got what they deserved.

I've seen crazy fights at local hockey and soccer games where the fans were related to the players getting punched and most fans behave with more honor than what I saw tonight. I think I saw maybe one fan in 20 trying to make a responsible choice and not just egging shit on.

If you really want to hurt piston fans they should do something creative and take away beer sales for the year.

Also, I would make it a rule that any player jumping into the stands for any reason is subject to a half-season unpaid suspension. period.

Teams also should be fined heavily whenever their security fails to protect players in the field of play.

murphpuppy37 · 11-20-2004, 12:00 AM

The fat guy who came on the court and got sucker punched for his troubles got exactly what he deserved.

Ron Artest is about to get a rather big suspension. Whether it's deserved or not is debatable. I really can't blame him for being that angry, and I know it's hard in the heat of the moment, but he HAS to know better than to jump in the crowd. As soon as he did that, all bets were off.

For the people saying Ben Wallace is to blame for all this, look closer...Wallace may have started it, but Stephen Jackson did all he could to look for fights. His suspension should be the biggest of all.

Pistons fans should be ashamed of themselves, they really should. But this could happen at any arena in the country (except maybe Salt Lake City). So stop with the Detroit stereotypes.

Finally, John Saunders is a complete asshat. Yes, the fans are at fault, but, no matter what happened to provoke it, it is NOT OK to jump in the stands. For Saunders, as a "responsible" journalist, to absolve the players of responsibility is absolutely ridiculous. I'm so sick of holier-than-thou types such as Saunders. But this is the same guy who's touting Braylon Edwards for the Heisman, which shows his complete lack of credibility for...anything. (By the way, that's a joke).

I'm sure this is exactly what the NBA needed.

Riots in the stands...they're faaaaaaaantastic!

dtheriault · 11-20-2004, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphpuppy37

I'm sure this is exactly what the NBA needed.

It's actually what I needed. This has been the only thing this season that has taken my mind off the fact that I'm a Laker fan and have to hope Kobe does well every night so my team can win.

The NBA is truly craptastic.

stevo · 11-20-2004, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtheriault

Except for any fan that threw something, jumped in, raised a fist, or threw a punch. All of those fans got what they deserved.

True. I wasn't thinking about them. they have no right to any compensation whatsoever, but as for any innocent bystander...

sgn43 · 11-20-2004, 12:33 AM

wowowow....that was insane. everyone is to blame here, but those fans were just awful. and for any of those fans that stormed the court on their own will (like the dude who walked up to artest with his buddy looking like they wanted to start some trouble) are as guilty as anyone. but wow...that guy just got DECKED by Jermaine O'Neal. I feel kind of guilty for laughing, but after watching the replay on ESPN about 20 times in the past 5 minutes, I can't help but watch it over and over again and just laugh.

it'll be interesting to see what kind of suspensions and fines are handed down.

Mobo123 · 11-20-2004, 12:39 AM

I've been to plenty of Lakers games at Staples Center in LA. There are so many security guards in red jackets on the court everytime there is a timeout or stoppage, NOBODY can get onto the court without getting taken down.

Besides that, do yo know how many bodyguards Kobe, Jack Nicholson and those types have with them? this wouldnt happen inside Staples.

stevo · 11-20-2004, 12:56 AM

Those of you who defend Artest by claiming what he did was in self-defense are just plain wrong. The plastic cup full of beer was already thrown. What the hell was he defending himself from? He didn't go into the stands to defend himself, he went in there for revenge. I don't care if getting hit with a beer constitutes as assalt. By charging into the stands and hitting the first person you see you are not acting in self-defense, you are acting like a criminal. Artest should be banned from basketball, period. And they might as well discontinue beer sales at NBA games, although that might cause more riots than it prevents...l

Jesus Malverde · 11-20-2004, 03:32 AM

Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson need to be suspended for double digit games. NOW I know why San Antonio didn't want Jackson, with his idotic thug mentality. He was provoking Detroit to throw with him right before the melee started. Dumbass.

Ben Wallace should be suspended for at least 5 games. He reacted stupidly to a foul that wasn't even flagrant.

What saddens me is that this is such a knock on the NBA. Rules are going to change that are going to affect the REAL fans and level-headed players on every other team who don't go beserk when they are provoked. Sure, long gone are the days of Larry Bird, Magic and MJ, but for these fools to go and ATTACK the fans is, as Bill Walton put it: "A disgrace." Show some class, walk away, and in the end you are the better man and these "fans" are in jail.

Esen · 11-20-2004, 04:24 AM

Well I know how to punish the fans, that is an easy one.
Just make them endure Nets games for the rest of the season, nothing but Nets games.

As for Stephen Jackson, leave the guy alone he is a complete angel. He went out there to protect Artest. Oh and ya he is a driving force on my fantasy B-ball team.

I have to say the smartest guy in ths whole entire thing was Tinsley.
You know that everyone that went into the stands even those who were peacekeepers
potentailly can be in big trouble. Golden rule never go in stands.
Well Tinsley was breaking up the fight but doing it from the floor lol.
Did you see him trying to grab Artest while making sure his feet did't leave the court heh heh.
Good thing that Reggie Miller was injured, if he was out there in good health he would have had to pay a lot of milk money to the fans to not beat him up

LIMilf · 11-20-2004, 05:42 AM

I agree that the Detroit "fans" were way out of hand, thats for sure. But Ron Artest started a snowball of events that led to, in my opinion, the worst display of fan/player situation in all of sports history. Truely a black eye.

Nimbletoe · 11-20-2004, 06:25 AM

The defense of saying "Artest got hit with a cup and reacted in self defense, just how we all would" is bullshit. He makes millions of dollars to play the game and keep his cool. If I knew millions of my dollars were on the line, there is no WAY I would charge into the stands and attack someone (especially the WRONG someone, like Artest did).

Oh, and did anyone see O'Neal drill the player on the court that Artest hit first? Holy crap, he'll be hit hard for that one. The fan didn't attack Artest, but still dropped him, and as he gets up, O'Neal basically knocked him out. I bet he's sore right now.

As a Pistons fan, i'm ashamed that those people are fans of the same team as me, but there's nothing I can do about it. There's stupid cowards everywhere.

Nimbletoe · 11-20-2004, 06:29 AM

Haha, man. Poor guy with the "oh shit" face didn't even do anything. But he's the first guy Artest went after.

Hanxter · 11-20-2004, 07:32 AM

watch it here

cujojack · 11-20-2004, 07:45 AM

watched the replay game on espn... I gotta say those fans were out of control!!!

I did like to see those pacer teammates go running up after there boys and throwing KOs were applicable. Perhaps if it was the Bulls they would just give the player to the crowd and hope the human sacrifice would please the b-ball gods.

maximusveritas · 11-20-2004, 07:46 AM

Wow, the NBA is going to have a hell of a time sorting this mess out.
When Artest got hit with the bottle, he and the Pacers should have walked off the court immediately. Artest is obviously not a calm guy though and he went over the line in going into the stands and attacking the fans. He should be punished, but anything over 10 games would be too much although that's what I expect given his reputation.
After that, I don't think the rest of the Pacers who joined in should be judged too harshly since it was a melee at that point and they were just trying to protect each other for the most part.
Also, I think the fans should be ashamed. I don't know if alcohol played a role or if it was pure stupidity, but it needs to stop. Seeing the video of kids crying in the stands made me realize who the true victims are here.

EbolaVirus · 11-20-2004, 07:57 AM

Ben Wallace compeletely overreacted to the foul and should be suspended for a few games.

Ron Artest and Steven Jackson should get at least 10 games for going into the stands and fighting.

A player has no business being in the stands and fans have no business being on the court. Any fan who was on the court and got popped had it coming.

At least now the NBA has a real rivalry.

11-19-2004, 08:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	Friday Night Fights (Pistons/Pacers Game) ...in Detroit. For those of whom didn't see: Ron Artest fouls Ben Wallace near the end of the Pacers-Pistons game. Wallace comes after him and shoves him. They are seperated and move toward the bench, where Artest ends up on the scorers' table. He is then hit in the face by someone's cup with whatever the drink was still there, and he goes into the stands after the guy who threw it followed by teammates. After getting seperated, the Pacers are pelted with everything not nailed down walking off the floor. Absolutely shameful performance. __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun Last edited by djtestudo; 11-20-2004 at 09:30 AM..

11-19-2004, 08:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
Nimbletoe Junkie Location: Michigan	It just happened about a half hour ago from this post. I live 15 minutes from the Palace (where it happened), used to work there, and have a few friends that do. One just told me he was down in the middle of it, and got hurt pretty bad. The sports fan in me is going "WOOHOOOOO!!! This makes up for no hockey!" But the compassionate human in me thinks it was disgraceful and cowardly. Regardless, it will be all over espn. As one of the announcers said, "you'll never see anything like this in professional sports ever again". It was NUTS. __________________ Go Pistons!

11-19-2004, 08:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	After watching it several times, here's what I think: - There needs to be one suspension here: Ben Wallace. He escalated the situation by going after Artest even after being restrained. - Detroit needs to be forced to forfeit games. There is NO EXCUSE for this. The fans of Detroit should be ashamed. __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

11-19-2004, 08:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
Nimbletoe Junkie Location: Michigan	Damnit, Artest is on my fantasy team. __________________ Go Pistons!

11-19-2004, 08:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
Gustoferson Crazy Location: Chapel Hill, NC	In my opinion, yes there should be several smaller, but still many many game suspensions, for a lot of people, least of all Big Ben for causing it to start. However, they need to make an example of this debacle, and a huge one at that. I say any player for either team that hit anyone in the stands gets at least a half-season suspension, if not full season. The only ones I saw were the two Pacers players, though there could've been more and/or on the other team. Also, because of the crowd inciting parts of it themselves, I believe the Pistons should have to forfiet several games because of the incident, to show all crowds that shit like that will not be accepted. __________________ ...And then I found $5!

11-19-2004, 08:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
1slOwCD8 Psycho Location: chicago, illinois	Im guessing it just happened today? Cuz i really want to see this. Ill make sure to check sports center later.

11-19-2004, 08:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
laconic1 Junkie	They just showed that on the news here. Holy shit! I gotta imagine there will be some massive suspensions for this one.

11-19-2004, 09:04 PM	#11 (permalink)
1slOwCD8 Psycho Location: chicago, illinois	Wow.......... is all i have to say. I just saw the replay, and it was just sad. People throwing stuff at players, fist being thrown, and i think i saw a Pacer pick up a broom stick and hold it like a bat as to hit someone. I also saw when Artest stragiht up threw a punch at a guy that seemed like was gonna start a fight with him, and other fans going after Artest. Totally shameful.

11-19-2004, 09:07 PM	#12 (permalink)
Craven Morehead Custom User Title	Saw the replay.... thought I was watching the Vibe awards. Pretty sorry sight for all involved.

11-19-2004, 09:36 PM	#13 (permalink)
mattgical Upright	wow Ron Ron and Stephen Jackson were beastin' out there. Laughing at that old dude that got rocked. You guys see the Street Fighter lunge and punch by J. O Neal? Holy Crap. It happened after Artest punched that fat guy in the Pistons jersey on the court. In the background, you see J Oneal slide like hes playing for the Yankees and land a punch right in the guys face/throat. Definitely some 15+ game suspensions, and some fans will definitely make some money off civil lawsuits, especially with so many cameras.

11-19-2004, 10:24 PM	#15 (permalink)
SAM821 Surviving Hurricanes Location: Miami, Florida	That was fucking awsome!! I just saw the whole thing on ESPN... man Ok now on a serious note... there is too much crowd involvement going on with taunting and assaulting players, and something needs to be done, things are getting out of hand... But really we just witnessed some history here....

11-19-2004, 11:00 PM	#16 (permalink)
joeyaz Tilted Location: Az	That was crazy I was watching the game but switched to a different channel in the 3rd. Watching sportscenter and see the punch by punch analysis.. Chaos

11-19-2004, 11:11 PM	#17 (permalink)
radioguy Registered User Location: Texas	i don't agree with artest punching the guy in the pistons jersey, but i wonder "what the hell was the guy thinking?" maybe, i'll show some fist, maybe get hit and get a shit ton of cash? just a thought. with america's sue-happy society, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he thought about this.

11-19-2004, 11:12 PM	#18 (permalink)
crfpilot Punk In Drublic Location: So Cal	That's just uncalled for these people are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL athletes. If they can't take a little bit of heckling, they shouldn't play the fucking game. Self-defense??? it was a plastic cup. Every player that hit any fans should just be fired, period!!

11-19-2004, 11:12 PM	#19 (permalink)
aktornado Tilted	Fans were definitely in the wrong here. The only players that should be suspended here are Wallace (for the original, totally uncalled for shove), Jackson (for enciting more fighting), and O'Neil (for sucker punching that fan when he was already down). Artest did nothing wrong, he was just defending himself which he has every right to do. And the detroit fans should be ashamed of themselves. That was horrible.

11-19-2004, 11:36 PM	#21 (permalink)
dtheriault Psycho Location: maybe utah	In under 5 years you will see someone in the NFL, NBA or Baseball killed or seriously injured by a fan during a game. Where the hell was the security/police. 10 cops jumping into the stands right at the start of this fight would've made a difference. But they are Detroit cops and they were probably watching and laughing until it got ugly. The old bald dude who was uppercutting artest from behind after trying to peel Artest off should be thrown in jail as should that fat fool in the jersey who went onto the floor. At some point I would've been a little freaked out if I were a Pacer player and throwing punches is a natural reaction when some creep chucks his foul hepetitis/cold sore sour beer in your face. If I were a player I would hire two huge guys to go to games with me and jump in the stands to take care of this shit. Artest was wrong, but remember you don't know what kinda liquid crap is being thrown on you and what might follow next raining down from the crowd. __________________ "Remember, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen." -Homer Unless you are the freakin Highlander, what is the point in learning how to fight with a sword?

11-19-2004, 11:43 PM	#22 (permalink)
goddfather40 Llama Location: Cali-for-nye-a	What a disgrace. The Pistons should be ashamed that their fans acted in such a matter. Yes, Artest, Stephen Jackson, O'Neal, Ben Wallace, among others, should be suspended and fined heavily. The riot ensued due to the countless debris...including chairs, that were thrown into the melee by the mob action. I'm sorry if the majority of Pistons fans were not involved or whatever, but this incident is one of a kind and will serve as an example of their fans. __________________ My name is goddfather40 and I approved this message. I got ho's and I got bitches, In C++ I branch with switches -MC Plus+

11-19-2004, 11:46 PM	#23 (permalink)
stevo Rail Baron Location: Tallyfla	Artest should be banned from basketball. (Pete Rose was banned for less). That was the most disgraceful ghetto shit I've ever seen in my life. On the other hand, that was fucking awesome. I'm watching every basketball game I can until June. Who misses hockey now? Not me. Still, Artest should never play another NBA game again. He is supposed to be a professional. If a professional gets a cup of beer thrown at him he should be mature enough to have the sense to know the consequences of his actions. It was just a fucking beer. Go to the locker room and take a breath. You are getting paid millions. There is no reason for this. The fans that participated in the riot should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but a paid professional should behave like one, and if not, should no longer be a professional, but he's nothing but a thug. That is all Artest is, a thug, a ghetto-ass thug. Ban his ghetto-ass from basketball. Any fans injured in that melee should sue Artest, the Pacers, and the NBA. There is no legitimate excuse for such unprofessional, immature nonsense. If I didn't get off on such shit I would be pissed. Don't get me wrong, it was the highlight of my night, but those responsible for such an unprofessional display of ghettoism and thuggery (and their children) should be banned from the sport forever. Fucking hoodlems. Last edited by stevo22; 11-20-2004 at 01:22 AM.. Reason: correct the spelling of melee

11-19-2004, 11:50 PM	#24 (permalink)
Jeff And we'll all float on ok... Location: Iowa City	Artest overreacted. The fans should be punished somehow, I hope some are arrested. They were truly the worst part of all of this. __________________ For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered. But for those of us who can't readily accept the God formula, the big answers don't remain stone-written. We adjust to new conditions and discoveries. We are pliable. Love need not be a command or faith a dictum. I am my own God. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us. --Charles Bukowski

11-20-2004, 12:00 AM	#26 (permalink)
murphpuppy37 Upright	The fat guy who came on the court and got sucker punched for his troubles got exactly what he deserved. Ron Artest is about to get a rather big suspension. Whether it's deserved or not is debatable. I really can't blame him for being that angry, and I know it's hard in the heat of the moment, but he HAS to know better than to jump in the crowd. As soon as he did that, all bets were off. For the people saying Ben Wallace is to blame for all this, look closer...Wallace may have started it, but Stephen Jackson did all he could to look for fights. His suspension should be the biggest of all. Pistons fans should be ashamed of themselves, they really should. But this could happen at any arena in the country (except maybe Salt Lake City). So stop with the Detroit stereotypes. Finally, John Saunders is a complete asshat. Yes, the fans are at fault, but, no matter what happened to provoke it, it is NOT OK to jump in the stands. For Saunders, as a "responsible" journalist, to absolve the players of responsibility is absolutely ridiculous. I'm so sick of holier-than-thou types such as Saunders. But this is the same guy who's touting Braylon Edwards for the Heisman, which shows his complete lack of credibility for...anything. (By the way, that's a joke). I'm sure this is exactly what the NBA needed. Riots in the stands...they're faaaaaaaantastic!

11-20-2004, 12:33 AM	#29 (permalink)
sgn43 Insane Location: Los Angeles	wowowow....that was insane. everyone is to blame here, but those fans were just awful. and for any of those fans that stormed the court on their own will (like the dude who walked up to artest with his buddy looking like they wanted to start some trouble) are as guilty as anyone. but wow...that guy just got DECKED by Jermaine O'Neal. I feel kind of guilty for laughing, but after watching the replay on ESPN about 20 times in the past 5 minutes, I can't help but watch it over and over again and just laugh. it'll be interesting to see what kind of suspensions and fines are handed down.

11-20-2004, 12:39 AM	#30 (permalink)
Mobo123 Insane	I've been to plenty of Lakers games at Staples Center in LA. There are so many security guards in red jackets on the court everytime there is a timeout or stoppage, NOBODY can get onto the court without getting taken down. Besides that, do yo know how many bodyguards Kobe, Jack Nicholson and those types have with them? this wouldnt happen inside Staples.

11-20-2004, 12:56 AM	#31 (permalink)
stevo Rail Baron Location: Tallyfla	Those of you who defend Artest by claiming what he did was in self-defense are just plain wrong. The plastic cup full of beer was already thrown. What the hell was he defending himself from? He didn't go into the stands to defend himself, he went in there for revenge. I don't care if getting hit with a beer constitutes as assalt. By charging into the stands and hitting the first person you see you are not acting in self-defense, you are acting like a criminal. Artest should be banned from basketball, period. And they might as well discontinue beer sales at NBA games, although that might cause more riots than it prevents...l

11-20-2004, 03:32 AM	#32 (permalink)
Jesus Malverde Psycho Location: Sinaloa, Mexico	Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson need to be suspended for double digit games. NOW I know why San Antonio didn't want Jackson, with his idotic thug mentality. He was provoking Detroit to throw with him right before the melee started. Dumbass. Ben Wallace should be suspended for at least 5 games. He reacted stupidly to a foul that wasn't even flagrant. What saddens me is that this is such a knock on the NBA. Rules are going to change that are going to affect the REAL fans and level-headed players on every other team who don't go beserk when they are provoked. Sure, long gone are the days of Larry Bird, Magic and MJ, but for these fools to go and ATTACK the fans is, as Bill Walton put it: "A disgrace." Show some class, walk away, and in the end you are the better man and these "fans" are in jail. __________________ ...I'm that cat by the bar toasting to the good life...

11-20-2004, 04:24 AM	#33 (permalink)
Esen TFPer formaly known as Chauncey Location: North East	Well I know how to punish the fans, that is an easy one. Just make them endure Nets games for the rest of the season, nothing but Nets games. As for Stephen Jackson, leave the guy alone he is a complete angel. He went out there to protect Artest. Oh and ya he is a driving force on my fantasy B-ball team. I have to say the smartest guy in ths whole entire thing was Tinsley. You know that everyone that went into the stands even those who were peacekeepers potentailly can be in big trouble. Golden rule never go in stands. Well Tinsley was breaking up the fight but doing it from the floor lol. Did you see him trying to grab Artest while making sure his feet did't leave the court heh heh. Good thing that Reggie Miller was injured, if he was out there in good health he would have had to pay a lot of milk money to the fans to not beat him up __________________ ~Esen What is everyone doing in my room?

11-20-2004, 05:42 AM	#34 (permalink)
LIMilf Crazy	I agree that the Detroit "fans" were way out of hand, thats for sure. But Ron Artest started a snowball of events that led to, in my opinion, the worst display of fan/player situation in all of sports history. Truely a black eye. __________________ My goal is to be rookie of the year...

11-20-2004, 06:25 AM	#35 (permalink)
Nimbletoe Junkie Location: Michigan	The defense of saying "Artest got hit with a cup and reacted in self defense, just how we all would" is bullshit. He makes millions of dollars to play the game and keep his cool. If I knew millions of my dollars were on the line, there is no WAY I would charge into the stands and attack someone (especially the WRONG someone, like Artest did). Oh, and did anyone see O'Neal drill the player on the court that Artest hit first? Holy crap, he'll be hit hard for that one. The fan didn't attack Artest, but still dropped him, and as he gets up, O'Neal basically knocked him out. I bet he's sore right now. As a Pistons fan, i'm ashamed that those people are fans of the same team as me, but there's nothing I can do about it. There's stupid cowards everywhere. __________________ Go Pistons!

11-20-2004, 06:29 AM	#36 (permalink)
Nimbletoe Junkie Location: Michigan	Haha, man. Poor guy with the "oh shit" face didn't even do anything. But he's the first guy Artest went after. __________________ Go Pistons!

11-20-2004, 07:32 AM	#37 (permalink)
Hanxter The Griffin	watch it here

11-20-2004, 07:45 AM	#38 (permalink)
cujojack Upright	watched the replay game on espn... I gotta say those fans were out of control!!! I did like to see those pacer teammates go running up after there boys and throwing KOs were applicable. Perhaps if it was the Bulls they would just give the player to the crowd and hope the human sacrifice would please the b-ball gods.

11-20-2004, 07:46 AM	#39 (permalink)
maximusveritas Winner	Wow, the NBA is going to have a hell of a time sorting this mess out. When Artest got hit with the bottle, he and the Pacers should have walked off the court immediately. Artest is obviously not a calm guy though and he went over the line in going into the stands and attacking the fans. He should be punished, but anything over 10 games would be too much although that's what I expect given his reputation. After that, I don't think the rest of the Pacers who joined in should be judged too harshly since it was a melee at that point and they were just trying to protect each other for the most part. Also, I think the fans should be ashamed. I don't know if alcohol played a role or if it was pure stupidity, but it needs to stop. Seeing the video of kids crying in the stands made me realize who the true victims are here.

11-20-2004, 07:57 AM	#40 (permalink)
EbolaVirus Insane Location: Michigan	Ben Wallace compeletely overreacted to the foul and should be suspended for a few games. Ron Artest and Steven Jackson should get at least 10 games for going into the stands and fighting. A player has no business being in the stands and fans have no business being on the court. Any fan who was on the court and got popped had it coming. At least now the NBA has a real rivalry. __________________ "The difference between a nice time and a great time is an extra finger." - Dave Attell