Fight!

[HoodieBets]

I am totally behind the players here. Artest had his cool and then gets hit with a FULL cup of beer. He did not punch the guy at all. Jackson went in to help and defend his boy which he should. Then the two fat guys go on the floor one who goes in Artest's face with fists drawn. Any fan who goes on the floor deserves to get knocked out.

Id bet anything the biggest suspension will be 10 games. The foul by Artest on wallace was not bad at all, ive seen worse at my local playground.

Stephen A Smith (I think thats his name the ESPN analyst) talked to shaq and he said he would do the same thing. Imagine him going after you. Every player that has been talked to has said they would have done the same thing. Dont tell me that Artest is the only guy would have done this.

 

[Twist18]

I think it would be hilarious if someone like Artest went after a fan in the stands and that fan would turn out to be Chuck Zito or a OFC/Pride fighter type. That would be funny.

 

[simply_amare]

I might buy a Jackson jersey...that dude was a street brawler up there...he was laying down law and is definitely one dude I'd love to have watching my back.

Ok then... Just make sure you ain't wearing that Jackson jersey at Detroit coz' all you'll have is a Jackson shirt to protect you. No Jackson watching your back.

 

[sly fly]

I think it would be hilarious if someone like Artest went after a fan in the stands and that fan would turn out to be Chuck Zito or a OFC/Pride fighter type. That would be funny.

Yeah, that would be something to see. But with all the man love going around here for these guys, I'm sure they'd get Zito to submit.

I love reading the comments how Stephen Jackson is a "street brawler". Since when does attacking an innocent bystander make him a "street brawler"?

 

[simply_amare]

 I hope that guy's jaw is broken. Great punch by Jackson... "Fans" my a$...

After seeing the clip, Stepehen Jackson is a thug. Ron Artest could singlehandedly break this guy's jaw by himself with no help from his b*atch or should I say, his girlfriend. I smell wedding plans for both on this coming suspensions.

 

[100%CardsFan]

As to your last question - WHO THE F*** CARES WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK - i'll tell you who - WEAK-MINDED FOOLS WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF THEMSELEVES UNLESS MEASURED BY OTHER PEOPLE - Other people shouldn't define who you are and what kind of respect you have for yourself - and if they do, well - i feel sorry for you.

Dont feel sorry for me, I am just fine over here.

 

[elindholm]

By the way, a lockout next season just got a whole lot more likely. The owners will use this incident to keep the players on the defensive, and the players will be too stubborn to realize how much it has weakened their position.

 

[Card Trader]

I'm still waiting for ANYONE to show that EITHER ONE OFTHE GUYS bludgeoned by Artest or Jackson actaully did ANYTHING to warrant getting pummelled by guys two times the size of them?

You talk about ******* - look first at Artest and Jackson.

Are you actually taking the "defenseless fans" route on this one? Incredible. Some people seriously amaze me, just because someone makes millions and you don't doesn't mean they are any less human than you.

 

[elindholm]

Some people seriously amaze me, just because someone makes millions and you don't doesn't mean they are any less human than you.

What side are you arguing? If a multimillionaire responds to a taunt or a tossed plastic cup with brain-stem prehistoric rage, of course he's less of a human.

I'm sure every serial killer feels that, at some level, he's just settling the score for some "disrespect" he suffered a child. We don't idolize such people. Instead, we remove them from society, as any sensible society must.

 

[Card Trader]

Some people seriously amaze me, just because someone makes millions and you don't doesn't mean they are any less human than you.

What side are you arguing? If a multimillionaire responds to a taunt or a tossed plastic cup with brain-stem prehistoric rage, of course he's less of a human.

I'm sure every serial killer feels that, at some level, he's just settling the score for some "disrespect" he suffered a child. We don't idolize such people. Instead, we remove them from society, as any sensible society must.

The average person in that situation would react the same way Artest did. If you try to deny that you are just lying to yourself because you KNOW the truth.

Comparing this to a serial killer shows exactly how insane you are. Absolutely ridiculous. You shouldn't even be posting.

 

[elindholm]

The average person in that situation would react the same way Artest did.

That's probably true, but it's irrelevant.

The "average" person, if armed with a gun, might shoot someone dead in a heated argument after a fender-bender. We hear reports of that happening all the time. Does that make the behavior acceptable?

Absolutely ridiculous. You shouldn't even be posting.

Let me guess -- if we were in the same room right now, you'd be beating me up, right? Is that what an average person would do?

 

[Card Trader]

Let me guess -- if we were in the same room right now, you'd be beating me up, right? Is that what an average person would do?

No, I'd think you are a nutjob that shouldn't be comparing a fight, with a person committing multiple murders.

It was a completely ridiculous comparison and it proved absolutely no point.

 

[coloradosun]

Three proposed solutions;

1) Permanently ban Artest from the league (he would rather Rap anyhow)

2) Move the Detroit franchise (really piss the fans of Detroit off)

3) Put up the plexiglass for NBA games since the NHL is not using it.

 

[NastyOne]

I love reading the comments how Stephen Jackson is a "street brawler". Since when does attacking an innocent bystander make him a "street brawler"?

Innocent bystander?

Watch the replay again there buddy

Artest was being restrained by more than one person(and even the guy in the white cap that was hitting him from behind) and this "Innocent bystander" decides to get in a cheap shot by throwing beer on artest while hes being held.

The "innocent bystander" didnt realize Stephen Jackson was standing right next to him when he threw it

And he got laid out after Jackson saw him throw the beer right in Artest face.

While Jackson might have been wrong for hitting the guy, don't make it sound like this punk was innocent, cause he brought that punch on himself.


And Jermaine O'neal isn't a cheapshot artist either

Watching the replays, JO hit the second guy that was going after Artest, he didnt hit the guy that was actually fighting Artest on the court, but the other guy that decided to jump into the fight and gang up on Artest.

So if JO is cheap for hitting that guy, that guy is also a punk for jumping into a fight and trying to tag team Artest with his buddy.

Hell, if security would've done their job and kept those clowns off the court, JO wouldn't have had to defend himself and his teammate from two morons that had to much to drink.

 

[coloradosun]

Security could not have stopped any of this, the only unit that could prevent this type of melay is in Iraq right now.

 

[fordronken]

No, I'd think you are a nutjob that shouldn't be comparing a fight, with a person committing multiple murders.

It was a completely ridiculous comparison and it proved absolutely no point.

It's not ridiculous. He's extending the comparison. By extremifying the circumstances he's attempting to get a point across, because simply reiterating a point you already disagree with isn't going to do anything.

Regardless, in the NBA, you are a product. You are getting paid millions of dollars because you are a product, and it's in your job to maintain a level of respectability that keeps the product desirable to a wide audience. That's why the NBA has fines and suspensions. They are a business, and businesses need to control their profit. If I own an insurance company, and one guy is far and away the best salesman in the building, he is making me a lot of money. But if a few prosepective customers go into his office, and one of them throws a beer at him, I would expect him not to start punching person. I would also demand that the other employees don't jump in and start punching either. Ron Artest and the other Pacers were employees getting into a fight on company time, on national television. They are very clearly not allowed to do what they did. Are the fans wrong? Absolutely. Buying a ticket does not mean they can do what they did. But the players have no excuse for what they did either. There are obviously explanations, but no excuses. They are not expected to act like "average people". They are expected to act like professionals. They are expected maintain the product that pays them those millions of dollars which make them feel so important.

 

[elindholm]

I'm certainly not trying to characterize the fans as innocent. Their behavior was unacceptable.

But here is some other unacceptable behavior:

1. A coworker of mine told lies about me to my superior because he envies the success I enjoy.

2. A door-to-door salesperson became hostile and nasty when I said I wasn't going to buy her magazines.

3. Someone took his turn before me at a four-way stop, even though I got there first.

I was disrespected in all of those cases. What level of manly response would have been appropriate for me? Would I be limited to use only my hands and fists -- including on the 19-year-old salesgirl, whom I would overpower by about as much as Artest overpowers a typical fan?

Or would it have been okay to pull out a gun and shoot each offender on the spot? After all, I have to stand up for myself, right?

 

[NastyOne]

Security could not have stopped any of this, the only unit that could prevent this type of melay is in Iraq right now.

Thats exactly why no one can throw all the blame on the Pacers players.

If there is not enough security to protect the players from drunk idiots, then we can't fault these guys for taking matters into their own hands and protecting themselves and each other.

 

[fordronken]

Thats exactly why no one can throw all the blame on the Pacers players.

If there is not enough security to protect the players from drunk idiots, then we can't fault these guys for taking matters into their own hands and protecting themselves and each other.

Yes we can. If the Pacers had not run into the stands, the fans would not have hit the court. The difference, in the end, was between:

A) One beer thrown.

or

B) One beer thrown, one chair thrown, multiple fighs, utter chaos and, essentially, a nationally televised street brawl that could change the way we are able to watch basketball forever.

 

[NastyOne]

I'm certainly not trying to characterize the fans as innocent. Their behavior was unacceptable.

But here is some other unacceptable behavior:

1. A coworker of mine told lies about me to my superior because he envies the success I enjoy.

2. A door-to-door salesperson became hostile and nasty when I said I wasn't going to buy her magazines.

3. Someone took his turn before me at a four-way stop, even though I got there first.

I was disrespected in all of those cases. What level of manly response would have been appropriate for me? Would I be limited to use only my hands and fists -- including on the 19-year-old salesgirl, whom I would overpower by about as much as Artest overpowers a typical fan?

Or would it have been okay to pull out a gun and shoot each offender on the spot? After all, I have to stand up for myself, right?

Did any of these people throw objects at you or raise a hand to you?

exactly

It's totally different to disrespect someone verbally, but you cross the line when you try and harm someone

Thats when all rules go out the window imo

 

[NastyOne]

Yes we can. If the Pacers had not run into the stands, the fans would not have hit the court. The difference, in the end, was between:

A) One beer thrown.

or

B) One beer thrown, one chair thrown, multiple fighs, utter chaos and, essentially, a nationally televised street brawl that could change the way we are able to watch basketball forever.

And what if that "One beer thown" would've hit Ron Artest in the eye or something and he was forced to miss the rest of the season, or even worse, suffer permanent eye damage?

 

[coloradosun]

Thats exactly why no one can throw all the blame on the Pacers players.

If there is not enough security to protect the players from drunk idiots, then we can't fault these guys for taking matters into their own hands and protecting themselves and each other.

I agree, that's why the NBA should put up the NHL plexiglass. It will keep the fans from the players and the players from the fans. It will also prevent Jack Nicholson and Spike Lee from getting their mugs on TV.

 

[elindholm]

It's totally different to disrespect someone verbally, but you cross the line when you try and harm someone

Sure, I basically agree. Ideally, people would be able to walk away even from physical attacks, but that's not realistic.

However, we're talking about a plastic beer cup here. That's not going to hurt anyone; it can't be considered a real physical assault. The first legitimate physical attack came from Artest. That's the problem. If Artest had found the cup-throwing fan and spat on him, I would have thought that was fine. (Well, not exactly fine, but you know what I mean.)

And what if that "One beer thown" would've hit Ron Artest in the eye or something and he was forced to miss the rest of the season, or even worse, suffer permanent eye damage?

Come on. That's about as likely as the scoreboard malfunctioning and shooting a deadly laser beam at someone.

 

[fordronken]

And what if that "One beer thown" would've hit Ron Artest in the eye or something and he was forced to miss the rest of the season, or even worse, suffer permanent eye damage?

That's irrelevant to the argument. I'm talking about player reactions being subdued to limit the total chaos. Pouring the beer was wrong, no question. But if Artest had not gone into the stands it would not have gotten that bad. The players are responsible to represent the product that makes them their money.

 

[slinslin]

Unlikely?

In a soccer game a fan hit the keeper with a golf ball right in the side of the head next to his eye causing a bad concussion and an open wound. Luckily that was all.
And he threw it from probably 100 feet or so.

In another soccer match a fan threw a coin over a plexi glass wall during halftime and hit the ref in the forehead with it causing a wound that needed several stitches.

Anything could happen.