goddfather40

Here we go folks, the verdicts are in (courtesy ESPN):

Ron Artest: suspended for remainder of season
Stephen Jackson: 30 games
Jermaine O'Neal: 25 games
Anthony Johnson: 5 games
Reggie Miller: 1 game

Ben Wallace: 6 games
Elden Campbell: 1 game
Chauncey Billups: 1 game
Derrick Coleman: 1 game

Maybe a little harsher than expected, but probably justified. O'Neal's 25 games suspension may be the biggest surprise, given it seemed as if his activity was only on the court.

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Nimbletoe

I think O'Neal should have gotten a few less, but not much. That fan was on the court, yes, but he didn't hit anyone and didn't even taunt O'Neal. That punch was killer though, phew. He MUST be a street fighter fan.

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dylanmarsh

And possibly my fantasy season. Artest was killer up until his freak-out. Plastic cups hurt and anyone that throws one and hits someone should get the ever-loving shit kicked out of them. Bravo, Ron.

Gustoferson

But the problem with this outlook is the rest of the story. After you go back and start slugging around, the cops show up pronto and arrest you for assault and anything else they feel like piling on. Yes you got hit with a cup, but if they can even figure out who did it, they will most likely get no charges or just slapped on the wrist, after all it was only a cup. You, however, are up the creek without a paddle because of the fight that you threw the initial punches in. This is why yes, you may be tempted to do it, but its still not right and you know you will cause an absolute shit-storm for yourself and others if you do it.

I do agree with this, not sure about against the Pacers specifically, but there has to be some punishment against the team for the fans' actions. I know it really isn't all that fair to the team, but take a look at the situation you face. Now you've got rowdy fans from all over the country who see that those few Detroit fans managed to provoke three of the Pacers fans into significant suspensions, all by some taunts and beer throwing. Hell, it looks like a major win for fans everywhere who want to sabotage their hated rivals. There has to be a backlash against the team they love as well to balance it out and show that no, you can't get away with shit like this just to hurt the other team. Yes, arrests may do a little bit, but on the whole there will always be people who won't care about arrests as much as they care about hurting the other team, as long as their team doesn't get hurt in the process. It doesn't have to be too drastic, but they do have to forfeit some games I believe.

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Nimbletoe

No, no, no. Making the team forfeit games because of people they can't control is not the way to go. You want to deter people from acting up at games? Beef up security, rescrict alchohol sales, and prosecute anyone that threw a punch heavily. No team would have had enough security to stop that kind of riot. You can't punish the team because the fans acted up. ESPECIALLY since it wasn't the fans that charged on first, but the pacers that charged the fans.

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Kurant

I think the suspensions are well warrantied. This is only the beginning, Artest I'm sure will get sued, or charges filed, as well as the other 2.

powerclown

Well, I guess an example had to be set. Condolences to the Pacers fans anyway. To go from a Championship contender to just another team has gotta hurt. I wonder if the Pacers will keep Artest next year or trade him; the whole city, the fans, the season ticket holders, the Owner, Management, Reggie, have got to be Royally Pissed Off. It's unfortunate all the way around.

djtestudo

The NBA fucks up again.

Artest and Jackson should have their suspensions switched.

O'Neal should get half that, and switch THAT with Wallace.

And apparently there is no penalty to the Pistons fans as a group, which there should be to set an example.

Go Terps! Fuck the NBA!

*Goes back to watching REAL basketball*

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Halx

Well, this majorly sucks if I'm an Indiana fan. Fortunately, I'm not.

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Wingless

The reputation that Detroit has is a bad enough penalty. Besides, on the fans' side I see only one fan at fault for labeling all Detroit fans "punks". The guy who threw the beer is the punk (who, according to Local 4 Detroit here has been positively ID'd and was supposed to turn himself in to Auburn Hills Police today... and didn't...). When players goes up into the stands and starts beating up spectators, well of course the fans will react against it.

And I've gotta agree with bawanaal on Fark.com said:
"For all the trolling asshats out there that are ripping Detroit, this could have happened in any city. Remember Cleveland throwing hundreds of beer bottles at players and refs at a Browns game a couple of years ago? The iceball throwing incidents in NY not long ago? There was rioting in Denver after the Stanley Cup. You had NASCAR fans pelting the track with debris at Tallagega this summer. There is now a dead woman in Boston for chrissakes... So look in your own backyards as well.

This is ALL on Artest. I have no idea how anyone can defend him. "

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yoyoyobro

Wow! I thought the NBA was way to harsh with Artest. He did nothing at first only after being douced with beer from the crowd did he react. I also think that Ben Wallace who by my account can easily be seen as the guy who initiated this whole debacle got off way to easy when compairing his suspension to that of Artest, Jackson, and O'Neal. I can't see how the NBA could justify giving him only 6 games when the others are out for 25, 30, and the season.

NoseyJoe

Wallace had no idea that Artest would run into the stands and start a riot. I think the fines and penalties were fair, even though Jackson could've been given the season along with Artest. The emotions were up from the rivalry, and anyone watching the game realizes that Artest just went off the handle. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think Artest knew he was going to get suspended, so he could promote his rap album. Everything just kind of snowballed and got waaaaaaay out of control.

DJ Happy

Jackson got off lightly in my opinion. He wasn't even provoked - he just went into the stands to dust some fans. He should have got at least what Artest did.

trickyy

why can't the suspensions wait until after their next meeting? i wouldn't mind watching *one* game this season...

satisfried

the Pacers will still make the playoffs, and no matter where they're seeded, they will be dangerous.

Jadedfox

Please, I'm a huge pacers fan but seriously. They just lost 3 of their best players for an extended period of time (one for the season). There will be no playoffs until next year.

I'd love to be wrong on this one but I doubt it.

--jaded

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Damnyankee

If the wacko Artest doesn't go in the stands, nothing happens! Hockey players and football players get beer thrown at them all the time, what they do is get security and have the a-hole thrown out.....happens all of the time in cities other than Detroit (believe it or not). As far as Wallace being the blame, give me a fucking break, anyone who knows basketball know you don't throw a hard foul with 45 seconds left in the game when your winning by 17.

matteo101

You must be forgetting when Tie Domi had a beer thrown at him while in the penalty box. The fan fell in, and Domi fought him. I forget how long he was suspended for, but it sure wasnt a whole season.

stevo

The point is Domi didn't go into the stands. The fan came to him (accidentaly or not)

I can't complain witht the suspensions, since I didn't expect anyone to be banned for life. What I like about the whole deal is the suspension without pay. That means Artest forfeits $5.5 mil, Jackson looses something like $1.4 mil and O'neil is out $4.5 mil. Ha Ha Ha, I hope it was worth it.

jobu

i think jackson got off light. to me, he was the worst one in this whole thing. i think he should have gotten a season suspension as well. i don't blalme artest for what he did but a player can never go into the stands. if there is a problem then the player should have the fan removed or arrested. it's a shame there haven't been any arrests made because, like the players, the fans need to be taught a lesson in this as well. there should be severe consequences for people throwing things or running onto the field. these actions can not be tolerated and i wish an example could have been set here.

inharmony

I've been a Pacer fan since they were in the ABA. I've never been so embarassed at to admit that more then now. I've always thought Artest would be a problem but never to this extreme. While I admit the fans were wrong, if Detroit would've had sufficient security this might have been avoided. Artest and others should've never gone into the stands. With that being said...Detroit got off way too easily imo as far as suspensions. If you're gonna send a message...then send a BIG one to both the teams and the entire NBA. Pacers were wrong..no doubt about that, but Detroit was also.

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Nimbletoe

Haha. Ok, first of all, if anything, Jackson should be gone the entire year ALONG with Artest. Artest is a nutball. He has been suspended so many times in the past two years, he needed a lesson, and time off to get HELP. Jackson would not have been in the crowd if Artest didn't go first, but instead of playing peacemaker, he drilled some guy that threw a beer in the face of Artest. They both should be gone all year.

Ben Wallace pushed artest after getting punched in the back of the head. He did not charge into the stands, he did not do anything else (other than throw a towel), and when things got rough, he backed off. His punishment is on par with other similar situations in the past. Do you think, if Artest hadn't charged into the stands, that Ben would have gotten 6 games still? I don't.

As far as O'Neal goes, he made the decision to go and drill a guy on the court that didn't do anything to him. He was not provoked, and he also apparently hit someone off camera, on top of that. His suspension maybe have been a little rough, but to switch with Ben Wallace? Please. You MUST be a Pacers fan.

And, if you had payed any attention, Stern made sure to point out "This is just part of the punishment in relation to the player's conduct. The police are still investigating pressing charges to the fans" or something along those lines.

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stevo

Here's an artical from the Kansas City Star by Jason Whitlock. Everyone should read it.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...0242339.htm?1c

jcookc6

Question is, why did these guys have beer at that late a time in the game. Must of been still selling it. So blame the Piston's management.
Ron Artest wanted time off for his rap album. The easiest way to get is was to get suspended. I think he might have bitten off more than he can chew. He probably should get jail time.
It is also time for ESPN to clean up thier act. They are as much at fault for promoting this shit.
Should cut off beer sales at the end of halftime. But I suppose they have to sell it at $7.00 a pop to pay the saleries of these over priced buffoons. I don't even watch the NBA of free TV.

trickyy

i don't know if i buy the white fan base rejecting the nba because of the "black style of play."
people who watch basketball aren't exactly rednecks to begin with. if the players of today played "whiter" it would be even more boring. most non-black players are interesting because of their novelty, not really their style. and discouraging fighting is not a way to attract the nascar crowd, either.
focusing on fundamentals instead of showing off is what happens in women's ncaa. sure there is room for some skill improvement but is that really going to change the audience? even though the lakers were a poor team last year, didn't their star power bring more revenue than the "good fundamentals" pistons?

i don't watch the nba because college basketball is more exciting. but if i knew that artest was playing tomorrow, i'd watch.

djtestudo

For doing what everyone does in the league?
Yeah, I'm sure his first thought after getting hit in the face with a cup of beer was, "This will get me my time off I need!"
What are they promoting?

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Kurant

Give me a break. Wallace had nothing to do with what happend after the shove. If the fans aren't mature enough to not get involved, thats on them. Wallace is not at fault for Artest and Jackson flying into the stands, and O'Neals sucker punch.

The suspensions are fine just the way they are.

I can't stand the fact you want Wallace punished for somthing he had no control over. Yes, he deserved to be punished for the shove, but not the after effects. The conflict was a moot point and almost done deal till the beer went flying. Thats when it got out of control. I watched the whole thing, and Wallace wasen't involved at all after the shove and the clearing. And even then, no punches were thrown until the fans got involved.

iamtheone

http://complabs.nevada.edu/~kiml4/in...makers.net.wmv


This link works as of right now. Full video....

EDIT: Looks like the damn thing is dead already. I will leave it up in case it comes back online.

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Dane Bramage

Yeah... because they will probably bring their guns with them next time!

And I agree that Artest should be banned for life and probably O'Neil too. They have absolutely no excuse for their behavior. If they are going to act like petty thugs, then they should be treated like one. Why were there no arrests being made? One fan left the game in an ambulance for chistsake! If anyone else in the world would have caused bodily harm like that to another person they would have been arrested.

And I'm sorry, but I do not think that getting a beer thrown in your fact is any reason to go beat the shit out of someone. You can just dump all your arguments about "what would you do", and "it's only human nature to defend..." Blah, blah, blah... We are not animals that are controlled by instinct. We have an intellect (or at least some of us do) that can overrule our base reactions.

Artest was the whole reason this thing happened. If he hadn't committed that bullshit foul, then there wouldn't have been a shove, and there wouldn't have been a bench clearer and there wouldn't have been any reason for the fan to throw the beer in the first place. It can all be traced back to Artest acting like a total dick. PERIOD. And it's not like he hasn't done it before. He has been suspended many times in the last two years for what could be considered "unsportsmanlike like conduct"... oh, but I forgot... sportsman like conduct doesn't have any place in sports anymore.

Does anyone out there remember when basketball was a game of skill and finesse? When ANY contact between players was a foul. When traveling was actually called? The game used to have integrity. Now it's just a bunch of thugs out there paying street ball. Just my opinion, but one I feel is shared by many people.

But in the end, I do think the NBA should take some responsibility for it. Only because they let this kind of shit takes place. As many people above have pointed out, Rodman, Shak, etc. have done almost as bad with little or no punishment. Are we then surprised when we finally have something like this occurring? No. We are not. It is simply another day in professional sports.

And frankly, I think it quite offensive that anyone would think that this sort of behavior is "cool", or that this event was "awesome". I think it is one of the worse events in American professional sports, and I hope the league and players take a hard look at what they have become.

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Cowman

Jason whitlock is an idiot. He's proven it time and time again. "The american public is fed up with black athletes"..come on, get real.

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dylanmarsh

I think what we are fed up with is primadonna athletes thinking they are immune from public punishment or regulations.

It's so easy for a "journalist", like Whitlock, to fall back on the race card. It's a weak and pathetic argument. Fact is, the athletes that went into the stands and began fighting the everyday Joe's, are immature, over-zealous morons that happen to be black.

Whitlock, once again, has failed to capture the true pathos of the situation.

Superbelt

All the punishments that were already given were fine. They were all in the wrong. Detroit as a city and the team still need a serious punishment.
They should be forced to play all their games either on the road for the rest of the season or at home in front of empty seats. For the next 3 years after fans are allowed back, no beer sales. After that beer sales doubled indefinately to pay for the apparently necessary security for that stadium.

Fuck Pro basketball though. Can't stand it. The Primadonnas need a goddamned salary cap to bring the sport as a whole back to earth.

On a side note, can't wait for the Lions Turkey Day game against the Colts. That should be a hoot and a half!

Chemical Smoo

I agree with each and every fine/suspension... I can't see anything better to not only prove the point, but to actually give these fools what they deserve.

BTW, Go STONES

Kurant

The NBA does have a salary cap.

sixate

Yeah. My fantasy season is done. I had Artest and O'Neal.

Everyone that says Artest never shoulda went in the stands in crazy. I'll leave it at crazy because I can't use the words I want to use. To the people that say he should have done nothing... I would love to meet each and every one of you just so I could throw a cup of beer in your face because I know you won't do shit.. Even after I laugh in your face afterwords.

Wallace shoulda got suspended longer. He was acting like a dick over a weak ass foul. If anyone shoulda been suspended for the season it shoulda been Jackson. He was acting crazy.

Personally, I like Artest even more now. Fuck the NBA.

Just so people know. Weak lazy bullshit fouls like the one Artest gave Wallace happen multiple times a game. If you don't realize that then you know jack shit about hoops. Most people don't react like Wallace did.

Another thing, fans love to hate Artest because of his personality. This isn't the first time that fans have thrown shit at him. The NBA never did a thing to the fans who have thrown shit at him before. Maybe if the NBA/teams would punish their fans this would've never happened. Artest should be allowed to beat the living shit out of any pussy in the stands that throws something at him. I don't give a shit how much money someone makes.. That doesn't give fans the right to abuse/shit on athletes.

djtestudo

Charles Barkley said this afternoon on PTI that, under those circumstances, he would have gone into the stands, too. However, he also said that he would tell Artest to learn from this situation and get help.

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Cross-Over

I think Stern made a good business decision when he levied severe suspensions.

I don't really understand why people think think that what the players did was so egregious.

These are large atheletes who play a physical and intense game. Tempers were heated, fans start throwing debris, shit got out out of hand. I am not condoning all the actions, but many of them are understandable. Especially once in the stands, it was a free for all. Shit went both ways, fans were engaging the players too. They didnt have their hands up and backs turned or anything. I saw video today showing Artest get a few shots to the head from the guy who yoked him up (the accused cup thrower) after Artest went after the young looking dude. Chairs flew,players went into the stands, fans stepped out onto the court ready to roll, players hit fans, fans hit players: blame chaos

Superbelt

Ok see how much I know...
Well, they need one that is reasonable, and they need some standards to keep the high schoolers out of Pro ball. They need a bit of maturity.

kiwiman

Yes, but how often do they happen in the last minute after the game is all but decided?

Unsportsmanlike. Wallace said it himself, this is why he took exception.

DJ Happy

Nice to know you'll only throw beer at people if they'll do nothing in retaliation.

Anyway, you're welcome to come and throw beer at me, because I will do nothing. Behaving like a cave-troll because someone else is behaving like a cave-troll does not resolve the matter. I don't have to engage in self-defence from getting wet (and anyone who thinks they do has serious self-worth problems), so I won't be punching your lights out. If you're so cowardly that you want to throw beer at me from a distance because you're too scared of actual physical confrontation, then you're welcome to do so. To me, it's the same as name-calling and I will be the one laughing in your face.

Mark Jackson and some of the other SportsCenter panel were laying the blame for this fiasco at the feet of the culture of "disrespecting" that is so prevalent in society today, where "self-defence" is engaged in not to protect one's body, but one's ego. I'd have to agree.

I also don't understand why some people say that the Pistons have got off lightly in this whole episode. Ben Wallace's suspension was longer than has been handed out to players who actually threw punches previously. Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman were suspended for leaving the bench when Armageddon was erupting all around them. What were they supposed to do? Staple themselves to their seats so that they rioting public all around them couldn't remove them with crowbars? As far as I'm concerned, the only person who got off lightly was Stephen Jackson.