Pacers/Pistons

[TFoA]

Stephen Jackson and Artest should be thrown out of the league. If not suspended for a year w/o pay. YOU DON'T PUNCH OUT A FAN AS CLEAR AS DAY!!!

[LMU]

ABC just reported that Wallace, Artest, O'Neal, and Jackson have been suspended indefinately.

[TFoA]

http://www.nba.com/news/commissioner_statement_041120.html

LMU beat me to it, but there you have it. They're gone indefinitely. Even though I think Artest and Jackson got their just, I think Wallace is gonna get less of a suspension due to the fact that he didn't PUNCH NOBODY OUT!!! But still, his actions against Artest do liken that of a toddler's temper tantrum, throwing things and etc.

[Braden]

It's a damn good thing I don't have any of them on my Columbus Aliens!

I think a big fine and a two month suspension for Jackson & Artest. A smaller fine and one month for O'Neal and Wallace.

I think the focus though should be more on how to prevent this kinda thing from happening again. In fact I think that the officials and the Detroit and Indiana coaches should have had more control of the altercation before Artest went into the crowd.

And Craven, stop trying to defend Philly fans cause it ain't working. They're just as classless as those Detroit fans last night.

I'm intrigued on how Stern and the NBA's gonna handle this.

[oz615]

hopefully there will be another tread on this,but last night actions rubbed off on the Carolina/Clemson game thankfully no fans was involed in this one but just as ugly more as soon as i get more info

[stimpy]

I think Wallace is gonna get less of a suspension due to the fact that he didn't PUNCH NOBODY OUT!!! But still, his actions against Artest do liken that of a toddler's temper tantrum, throwing things and etc.

Ben Wallace deserves just has much has a punishment for starting a giant brawl for no reason AT ALL. That was ridiculous, Artest hardly even touched him.

[sj32]

A little history here. Vernon Maxwell received a 10 game suspension and a $20,000 fine for punching a fan in the stands about 15 years ago. You can probably put that down as a minimum for Artest and Jackson. O'Neal might catch some slack from the league since he did not go into the stands. Wallace will probably get 2 to 5 games, not so much for the shove of Artest but for continuing to try to go after him while Artest was on the Scorer's table.

Stern says his investigation will probably wrap up by Sunday night at which time the league will announce the actual fines and lengths of suspensions. The Pacers will have only 7 players going against Orlando tonight (Scot Pollard will dress but won't play because of a bad back, giving the Pacers the league-minimum 8 players).

[NewYawkSeahawk]

I will try to make just quick bullet points.

#1. Initial Foul / On Court Incident was strictly NBA and was starting to simmer down and be resolved.

#2. I believe Artest was lying on the scorers table so the team doctor could look at him.

#3. A FAN in the Stands INCITED the melee.

#4. Security in ANY U.S. Stadium sucks... most can't do anything unless they saw it with their own eyes. (side note.. Gillette Stadium Security REALLY SUCKS)

#5. Artest had EVERY LEGAL right to defend himself from being hit directly in the face with a full plastic cup of liquid.

#6. Professional Athletes have been taught and trained as professionals to be able to tolerate the Fans verbal attacks against them and about their families. However, once any kind of physical contact is made, that player has a right to defend themself.

#7. Artest was the only one initially who was throwing punches... when his teammates went it to break it up, they were cheapshoted by several FANS. The one player did throw what appeared to be a punch, but it was because the FAN was trying to hit Artest.

#8. The dude that got leveled 1st on the sideline.. DESERVED IT. NEVER EVER Walk on the field or court of a professional sports event.. You see his shocked look when Artest walked right up to him?

#9. The 2nd guy that got knocked out on the court.. Ok this one actually made me laugh, cause that guy jumped in Artest's face and tried fighting him.. yes that was a cheap shot by ONeal.. but I laughed.

#10... The FANS are mostly to blame for this. Even after the fact they were throwing chairs, coats and bottles.

Just my opinion... You CAN NOT hold a professional Athlete to a higher standard when it comes to any kind of physical contact assault.

I would have done the same thing and knocked that Harry Potter looking mofo OUT!

[Discrim]

just crazy. and i did see Clemson and South Carolina try their hands at a Pistons-Pacers impersonation. just disgraceful. Wallace overreacted, which is obvious. Looks like they were about to get things under control before Captain Dumbass in the stands decided to be kewl and throw his beer on Artest. it's said, everybody lost here.

[JamesCraven]

There will be increased arena security and double police presence as of tomorrow in Auburn Hills at The Palace, and it is being described as "playoff-level" security by Pistons officials.

[goalieboy82]

Artest should be ban for life for attacking a fan which was the wrong fan that threw the beer. the fan should sue Artest.

[Dilbert]

Wow! What a waste of beer!

[IronChefShark]

especially when they cost $6 to $7 a cup

[CC97]

#4. Security in ANY U.S. Stadium sucks... most can't do anything unless they saw it with their own eyes. (side note.. Gillette Stadium Security REALLY SUCKS)

It's hard to fault security here -- a fan threw the beer at Artest. It's hard to stop that from happening before it happens. It's also hard to keep an eye on every fan in the stadium at every second that they are in the stadium, and even if you are able to hire enough security to accomplish this, you still wouldn't have been able to stop the initial spill. I do security at a major league stadium, trust me on this.

[epper]

the more i see this video, the more i blame the crazy detroit fans.

first of all, ben wallace did have a right to be mad. but nothing else would have happened if it werent for the first fan that threw the cup at Artest. i mean, the guy is already known for having THE shortest fuse in the league. and for ONCE, he was actually chilling out after almost getting in a brawl Wallace. did the fan acutally think artest would just lay there and laugh it off? i think not..

you do something to light Artests wick, and prepare to get your ass kicked. (hey that rhymes!)

here what i think should happen:

-track down the fans, if possible, and ban them from all Pistons games, as well as giving them community service.

-Artest, Jackson and O'Neal suspended for the rest of the year without pay. (most likely, taking them out of playoff contention)

-Ben Wallace suspended 10 games.

[Phil]

#5. Artest had EVERY LEGAL right to defend himself from being hit directly in the face with a full plastic cup of liquid.

#6. Professional Athletes have been taught and trained as professionals to be able to tolerate the Fans verbal attacks against them and about their families. However, once any kind of physical contact is made, that player has a right to defend themself.

"Defending yourself" includes taking cover from additional barrages. Going after the guy that did it is called "retaliation".

[NJTank]

Heres how I will do it

Ron Artest gets 25 games he jumped in the stands first true he was thrown out but lots of players get thing thrown at them without overreacting. He should not have been laying on the scorers table like that and the fan he attacked was the wrong fan any way.

Stephen Jackson 10 games he was chirping during the fracess and was the 2nd player into the stands.

Jermaine O'Neal he was going nuts but from what I saw he was being attacked most of the time allot of it looked like self defense, especially with the fat jackass that got on the court he deserved to get hit as hard as he did, he challenged Artest to the fight and when Artest got knocked down O'Neal defended a teammate, still he was involved and I say he should get 5 games.

Ben Wallace, hey that was a hard fould but big deal, he should have not hit Artest, hes partilly at fault, and throwing the towel at Artest may have encouraged the idiot fans to start throwing beer, and for that I say he should get 10 games.

The NBA should also enforce the bench rule anyone who left the becnh before the brawl spilled in the stands should get 3 games instead of the normal 1 becuase of how bad this disolved, of course you will need to stagger the suspensions but thats what needs to be done.

And lastly though Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle tried their best to clam the situation down after it wnet into the stands, before they should have been getting player back to the bench and Carlisle should have gotten Artest off teh scorers table, and thus each deserve a 3 game suspension.

Each orginization should be fined, and lastly all fans seen involved in figghting should be charged by the Police and banned for ever attending another Pistons game at the Palace.

[winghaz]

Not to rag on the Philly fans, but you folks in the, ahem, City of Brotherly Love even booed Santa Claus. Seems as if you need to clean house before you get defensive.

[vicfurth]

The guy threw a beer at a player. The beer isn't the worst thing. He could've at least picked a different player. C'mon, Ron Artest?!? If it had been anyone else, I'm sure it wouldn't have escalated the way it did...

LOL, stupid fan. Oh, boy... "I know. I'll douse Ron Artest in beer. I bet we'll sit down and have a good laugh... Oh, great..."

[DEAD!]

Heres how I will do it

Ron Artest gets 25 games he jumped in the stands first true he was thrown out but lots of players get thing thrown at them without overreacting. He should not have been laying on the scorers table like that and the fan he attacked was the wrong fan any way.

Stephen Jackson 10 games he was chirping during the fracess and was the 2nd player into the stands.

Jermaine O'Neal he was going nuts but from what I saw he was being attacked most of the time allot of it looked like self defense, especially with the fat jackass that got on the court he deserved to get hit as hard as he did, he challenged Artest to the fight and when Artest got knocked down O'Neal defended a teammate, still he was involved and I say he should get 5 games.

Ben Wallace, hey that was a hard fould but big deal, he should have not hit Artest, hes partilly at fault, and throwing the towel at Artest may have encouraged the idiot fans to start throwing beer, and for that I say he should get 10 games.

The NBA should also enforce the bench rule anyone who left the becnh before the brawl spilled in the stands should get 3 games instead of the normal 1 becuase of how bad this disolved, of course you will need to stagger the suspensions but thats what needs to be done.

And lastly though Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle tried their best to clam the situation down after it wnet into the stands, before they should have been getting player back to the bench and Carlisle should have gotten Artest off teh scorers table, and thus each deserve a 3 game suspension.

Each orginization should be fined, and lastly all fans seen involved in figghting should be charged by the Police and banned for ever attending another Pistons game at the Palace.

I believe all these suspensions you talk about are without pay. That would really set them straight.

Now, should the orgainsations themselves be fined? I'm somewhat conflicted by this. Yes, the orgainsation should be responsible for the team's well being, setting guidelines etc. but that money is essentially coming out of the owner's pockets which is not fair to the owner. It's one thing that Mark Cuban says an outrageous statement, but I believe an owner paying for something he has no control over is unfair. I'm probably wrong on how these things work.