Suspensions without pay, fiesty fans, and uncontrollable athletes. NBA? I thought basketball was a non-contact sport...
Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers proved otherwise on Saturday in a brawl with some fans during the close of a game with the Detroit Pistons (there were 45.9 seconds left on the clock). It began Artest fouled Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace, who went for a lay-up. Wallace pushed Artest, fouling him. Outside the court area from the force of the push, Artest was pelted with objects like cups and water bottles by fans, who were heckling and jeering as well. Artest responded by lurching into the stands and over seats, pushing, hitting, and yelling at fans. Teammate Stephen Jackson joined Artest, and a chair was even thrown at one point in the melee.
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Okay, well, if you'd go read the rest of my blog entry, then you'd see that I mention that Wallace started it. I think they deserve the punishments that they have been dealt.
The NBA commisiner came down too hard! Artest was acting on emotion, like all would do. How can you punish a man for sticking up for himself? Yet there is another point, Ben Wallace. He is an all star and NBA world champ. He is the one that started it all, shoving Artest. Yet in the end he got the least amount of time, an unfair move to all others involved.
Matt McDonnell