HOLY FUCKIN SHIT

[MrRant 0]

So.. this was "When Keeping it real goes wrong" ?

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

That was the best basketball fight I've ever seen, but it still doesn't beat the aftermath of the second Bowe/Golota fight. Artest is good at promoting himself.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

A few mod notes here. First off, racist labels are not acceptable on the board. Please chose words more carefully in the future.

 

Second, when you guys are quoting posts, please do not include animated gifs. When the same animated image is repeated 2-3 times on a page, it slows loading time, particularly for 56k members.

[syxx2001 0]

Why does everyone act like the NBA players are larger than life and cant defend themselves? Artest IS justified. He was just big faced by Ben Wallace and somehow after wanting to fight, calmed down and tried to remain cool, then Wallace threw a towel at him and he got up again and laid back down. Then the soda came. Now come on? If you are at school just minding your business and someone throws something at you, what are you going to do? Artest is what? 25 or 26? The guy who threw it couldnt have been under 32. Its not like it was a teenager or young boy or woman.

 

But like the ESPN announcers said, the NBA having a fight isnt even the bad part. Its that there were little kids there who just wanted to see a game and might have been traumatized or something.

[Fökai 0]

...and to think, the fan who instigated the entire altercation (from the video and the reactions, it IS the woman in the Pistons jersey) will probably get off scot-free due to how the incident played out.

[Slayer 0]

Damn, I'm gonna have to tune to SC to check this out

[Slayer 0]

Gawd, that was one of the greatest things I've ever seen

 

Walton: "This is a disgrace..."

[Slayer 0]

Saw SC's total recap on it... damn there were some vicious shots in there

 

EDIT (so as not to go for a quartet of posts): I love how ESPN has this panel to all talk in soft voices about how bad this is, while subtly attempting to demonize anyone (like me) who was entertained by it.

 

Somewhere in this thread someone said that this will make at least a portion of the NBA (especially XMas day) more interesting and more popular, and I agree. Fights will do that. After all, how many cared about Yankees-Mets before Clemens vs. Piazza?

[nl5xsk1 0]

I didn't read all 8 pages, so my apologies if I post a thought that others have already posted ...

 

a) Jackson deserves the harshest punishment BY A LOT. He was challenging people on the court while other players were trying to calm the situation down. And then he went and took a swing at the friend of the guy that threw the drink at Artest ... who didn't appear to be doing much to help his friend at all, other than throwing more beverages.

 

b) O'Neal's only faux pas was that running, slipping haymaker on the guy on the court that Artest had already tangled with. That altercation was over and then O'Neal came running in.

 

c) Major credit to Rasheed, who did nothing wrong and only tried to squelch the entire scene from minute one.

 

d) Punks that think throwing a cheapshot at a player is cool - even if the player is in the stands - deserve to be castrated. The guy in the Wallace jacket & white hat did it to Artest, among others. Punks that throw drinks at players (let alone chairs) deserve worse. Punks that go on the court deserve the beating that they get, plus the legal repurcussions.

 

Question: does anyone think that the Pacers faithful will try to start shit when the Pistons play in Indy next?

[The Electrifyer 0]

I think so. Christmas Day, if Detroit is winning like Indiana was last night, they will be having all sorts of stuff thrown at them.

[starvenger 0]

By the way, what was up with Jamaal Tinsley and that dust-pan thing he grabbed?

There wasn't enough time to find a squeegee or safety scissors, I guess.

[Cuban Linx 0]

The Pistons should put their title belts on the line come the X-Mas rematch.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

...and to think, the fan who instigated the entire altercation (from the video and the reactions, it IS the woman in the Pistons jersey) will probably get off scot-free due to how the incident played out.

I went back to and look at it again and based on the angle that the cup came flying from it appears that the she wasn't the one that threw it. The cup was either thrown by the guy wearing the cap as Jim Gray said or that young guy in a dark gray sweater(who was quick to run away when Artest jumped over) that was standing behind the woman.

[Exslade ZX 0]

Meh..you've all seen it a bunch of times by now, but whatever, only a bunch of gifs have been posted, here's vids..

 

http://william_squirrel.home.comcas...ansVsPacers.WMV - About a minute and a half, only gives the Artest vs. fan fight scene, hard to see

 

http://users.on.net/~gatx207/sa/artest.avi - Artest punching a fat Pistons fan who tried to swing at him, only 3 seconds but high quality

 

http://users.on.net/~gatx207/sa/oneil.avi - Jackson leveling the same guy, 5 seconds

 

http://mfile.akamai.com/12942/wmv/v...935750.200k.asx - Full 5 minute version of the situation, best, but can only stream

 

That just leaves a...wow. Whether it's good or bad, this certainly does create even bigger buzz about the Xmas game, and like Electrifyer said...I have reason to believe something similar will happen at that game. (WIth the fans throwing shit and the like.)

[The Electrifyer 0]

Man, when you guys were watching this live, could you even believe what happened? I remember seeing the shoving incident first and I was pretty interested in the game, finally. Then a sock or something was thrown at Artest and I was like "hmmm... thats never happened before". But when Artest went into the stands and the whole thing just escalated bigger and bigger, I was in an unbelievable shock at what was happening. I could barely believe myself watching all this. Especially when Artest wnet back to the bench and I thought it was over, he still nails a couple fans in the jaw. The whole thing was surreal and I guess shocked is my main reaction to all of this right now.

 

No wait... entertained is another main reaction too.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

i'm just glad ESPN has something to talk about besides TO.

 

by the way, anyone who didn't love every minute of that fight is either lying or retarded.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

I think Ben Wallace is actually the one to blame most here. If he hadn't been a moron and overreacted to a routine tough foul this whole episode wouldn't have happened.

 

This is like Heat vs. Knicks X 100 though. Gotta love it.

Funny, I'd blame Artest for the foul which started the whole thing. It looked unneccesary to me, and though Wallace overreacted, it was still the foul that caused it.

 

I should add that I really don't like Artest, or the Pacers.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Wow. An article over at CNNSI is already calling for Artest to be kicked out of the league. I happen to agree with 2Gold here, Artest was instigated by a completely classless crowd. But I guess some people see it a lot differently.

Who cares if Artest was egged on? You don't jump into the stands to fight. But Artest is a showman and an agitator. By laying on the scoretable, he was trying to incite a eaction.

[jimmy no nose 0]

I'm most surprised by the fact that Artest, before getting hit with the drink, looked like he was managing to keep his cool. I can't believe he didn't go after Ben Wallace. I know Wallace is bigger than him, but in a crowded scene like that he probably could've gotten a shot in without Wallace being able to hit him back because of all the people getting in the middle. If that drink doesn't hit him the analysts would all be commending Artest on growing up and not reacting. The way it played out was much more entertaining though.

[alfdogg 0]

Funny, I'd blame Artest for the foul which started the whole thing.

Well you're an idiot then, because it wasn't a hard foul at all.

[Guest Flyboy]

Wow. An article over at CNNSI is already calling for Artest to be kicked out of the league. I happen to agree with 2Gold here, Artest was instigated by a completely classless crowd. But I guess some people see it a lot differently.

Who cares if Artest was egged on? You don't jump into the stands to fight. But Artest is a showman and an agitator. By laying on the scoretable, he was trying to incite a eaction.

How is this the case? Artest was trying to keep his cool... he was trying to NOT start something. An idiot throws plastic at the craziest player in sports probably (which is ASSAULT) so therefore it was self-defense. Don't give me that "Oh, he shouldn't had gone in the stands" because at the time his temper was we would have probably done the exact same thing.

[Exslade ZX 0]

Wow. An article over at CNNSI is already calling for Artest to be kicked out of the league. I happen to agree with 2Gold here, Artest was instigated by a completely classless crowd. But I guess some people see it a lot differently.

Who cares if Artest was egged on? You don't jump into the stands to fight. But Artest is a showman and an agitator. By laying on the scoretable, he was trying to incite a eaction.

Now of course, there's no way I can say what you would do...because, well, I'm not you, but do you not believe that you would do the same thing in this sort of situation? As an example (this would probaly make it more clear..seeing as most of us probaly wouldn't have the decision of whether or not to run in a crowd at a pro basketball game) but anyways, as an example, if you were in a club...and there's a VIP section..that you aren't in, but someone that is in the VIP section throws something at you purposely and it hits you dead in the face. Are you just gonna stand back and look at them angrily, because rules say you can't go in the VIP section?...You might say yes, but I know for sure, the better part of..well, anyone wouldn't stand for that and they'd run right for that person ready to fight. IMO...this is no different.

[The Electrifyer 0]

Just because it is something you also would do in the situation would not make it right. Just because a guy threw a drink at Artest and he has a huge temper, he is allowed to just pummel away at the guy without punishment?

[Guest Flyboy]

Just because it is something you also would do in the situation would not make it right. Just because a guy threw a drink at Artest and he has a huge temper, he is allowed to just pummel away at the guy without punishment?

Sure. It's called self-defense and assault.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

As an athlete and one who is paid to play basketball, it is 100% wrong of his to jump into the stands. I feel the same way about it in wrestling. Ron Artest was acting like a chump. The fans shouldn't throw things, but Artest should attack them. He's lucky he didn't get stabbbed.

[The Electrifyer 0]

Just because it is something you also would do in the situation would not make it right. Just because a guy threw a drink at Artest and he has a huge temper, he is allowed to just pummel away at the guy without punishment?

Sure. It's called self-defense and assault.

A cup of beer is not going to kill you. Artest was.

[2GOLD 0]

Again, Artest did NOT ONCE punch the guy. He grabs him, forcing him to the ground and then lets go when secruity arrives. THAT IS ALL HE DOES!

 

Also, let me throw a plastic bottle at your eyes. A bottle can't kill you? Right, just like a little small yellow flag can't end your football career?

 

That bottle could have put Artest out of the league if it strikes his eyes just right. That is assault and the way Artest reacts, just grabbing the man and forcing him to the ground was more than right and more than justified.

 

This wasn't Artest just slugging the man, he just wrestles him down.

[Precious Roy 0]

As an athlete and one who is paid to play basketball, it is 100% wrong of his to jump into the stands. I feel the same way about it in wrestling. Ron Artest was acting like a chump. The fans shouldn't throw things, but Artest should attack them. He's lucky he didn't get stabbbed.

Why?

 

I'm sick of this double standard for the fans and athletes.

 

They're professionals, yes, professional BASKETBALL PLAYERS. It's not part of their job to take physical abuse from the people who come to watch them play the game of basketball.

 

I'm sure the chump who threw the cup is a professional pizza delivery man or something, say he delivers a pizza and as he's leaving the kids at the house throw a slice of pizza in his face or some shit. He has to take that because he's a "professional"?

 

Anyone remember when Guerrero went after that fan who threw beer on him? It's no different. When a fan crosses that line from spectator to active participant he has to be ready to accept the consequences.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Why?

 

I'm sick of this double standard for the fans and athletes.

 

They're professionals, yes, professional BASKETBALL PLAYERS. It's not part of their job to take physical abuse from the people who come to watch them play the game of basketball.

 

I'm sure the chump who threw the cup is a professional pizza delivery man or something, say he delivers a pizza and as he's leaving the kids at the house throw a slice of pizza in his face or some shit. He has to take that because he's a "professional"?

 

Anyone remember when Guerrero went after that fan who threw beer on him? It's no different. When a fan crosses that line from spectator to active participant he has to be ready to accept the consequences.

The pizza guy could would be fired and charged immedietly for his actions. So should Artest. He should have the book thrown at him. People have had cups of beer thrown at them before in sports, not all of them charged the stands.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Funny, I'd blame Artest for the foul which started the whole thing.

Well you're an idiot then, because it wasn't a hard foul at all.

It was from behind during a meaningless part of the game when ever Wallace's check had given up on the play. It was inconsequential. Artest was just playing like a self centered punk.