I just watched footage of the Pacers/Pistons brawl...

[SmileyBoy]

And I must say that Detroit fans should be absolutely ASHAMED of themselves right now. Most of the blame falls squarely on your shoulders, Pistons fans. You can go ahead and blame Artest, but look at the footage and see the 200-person riot covering two sections of the lower section, and see that most of the people involved were Pistons fans.

You should be ASHAMED of yourselves.

[TeddyKGB]

1. "most of the people involved were Pistons fans"

Um, duh -- the game was in Detroit.

No one's defending the asshat who threw the beer, but Artest lets security do their job, and none of this happens.

Artest likes playing the gasoline whenever he sees a match.

[SmileyBoy]

2. If Artest did the same thing in Minnesota or San Antonio or Sacramento...

That whole thing would never have happened. There wouldn't be anyone chucking beer at him. Except for Detoilet and Philly fans.

You gotta clean up your city, Detroit. You're a disgrace to America.

[TeddyKGB]

4. Yeah, sure.

Deluded much?

[prof_science]

8. Oh, you can't blame ALL of Detroit...

...just the fat, uneducated trash that attended that particular basketball game. Seriously, some of those dudes throwing the punches were clearly not the finest that Detroit has to offer...

I don't know, is it wrong to smile each time I see the footage of Jermaine O'Neal coming in and just freeking COLD COCKING that fat kid in front of the Detroit bench? Pure comedy gold, that.

[Sandpiper]

13. My favorite part

Was seeing that scrawny guy with glasses who said "bullseye" after the beer hit Artest have his expression change to one of "oh shit" when he saw Artest coming for him.

[prof_science]

17. Oh, yeah...

...that was good too. I bet he nearly shit his pants. I feel sorry for the guy, though (sort of), he wasn't the guy who threw the drink. I guess they're saying it was the guy who went in and restrained Artest, and then promptly started to punch him from behind.

[Sandpiper]

21. Yeah, what a brave guy

Throw a beer at someone, let your friend take the beating for it, then get a few sucker punches in.

Probably a Republican.

[prof_science]

25. LOL

DEFinitely a repug.

ESPN is showing footage nonstop now, and I feel bad for all these little kids they're showing with tears in their eyes, clearly scared shitless. Adults are such fuckheads.

[Mojambo]

47. My favorite part was later

when that fat kid in the jersey stepped out onto the court and started to raise his hands as if to box Artest...

The look on his face, as his hands drop and he realizes what an incredibly stupid thing he has just done, is just pricelss.

[Yupster]

6. I can hear Neil Young singing now

"Deeee -- troit, you got the rest of the union to help you along. What's going wrong?"

Where's Lynyrd Skynyrd when you need them?

[Susang]

10. Gee, where do you live?

Let us know so we can make ridiculous insults about the state of your hometown. :eyes:

It's just a game. rinse and repeat

[SmileyBoy]

12. Sorry, you won't find any dirt on my city...

My city's as clean as a virgin's honeypot.

[Susang]

19. There's dirt in every city

Yours is no exception.

[SmileyBoy]

22. Trust me, there's no dirt on my city.

There's some backward-thinking people here, but no scandals, bad reputation, etc. It's basically a feel-good story of an American city.

[Chomskyite]

27. Hah

Yer darned tootin'!

[Susang]

39. Whatever

Go ahead and hate Detroit. Hate their fans. Perhaps one day you'll venture out of your little town and discover that sports fans are the same in every major city and given the chance would do exactly the same thing as the Pistons fans did tonight. I've seen it in every big city I've lived in and at every sporting event I've attended. Every person thinks their city is different, but if your town had a team, sooner or later, something like this would happen with your team's fans.

Or doesn't anyone remember the Chicago White Sox game where the fans rushed the field and assaulted the 1st base coach of the Kansas City Royals? That summer it was Chicago fans that were the worst fans in the country and were responsible for the downfall of sportsmanship, remember?

[tishaLA]

3. Artest is a mess

playing on a mess of a team with a mess of a GM

[chenGOD]

48. A mess of a team that just happens to be tied for the best

record in the NBA.

I do agree though, they could use some discipline. Hopefully they can hold it together and win the title this year...

[Sandpiper]

5. Drunk Jackass Fans

Like I said in the other thread...

It was just a shoving match between players till some idiot fan decided to throw a beer at Ron Artest.

Courtside alcohol sales need to be banned. Scrawny ass insurance salesmen and accountants aren't nearly as likely to try and pick fights with professional athletes when they aren't loaded up with "liquid courage."

[TeddyKGB]

9. Jerkoff player/wanna-be rapper

If Artest contains himself and lets security throw the guy out, none of what follows happens.

[Sandpiper]

11. Criminal behavior by fans is not Okay

Even if they are fans of your favorite team.

Throwing objects at someone is assault.

[TeddyKGB]

15. "Throwing objects at someone is assault."

Will pale in comparison to the punishment Artest & O'Neil receive.

[Sandpiper]

26. The beer tosser should be charged

With assault and drunk & disorderly conduct.

[TeddyKGB]

29. I'm sure he will be.

Artest should be charged with something worse.

[SmileyBoy]

31. Artest would never be charged with something worse.

Take off the rose-coloured glasses, buddy.

[TeddyKGB]

33. True.

He can afford high-priced lawyers that will get his dumb ass off.

[sir_captain]

37. Technically

if it is decided that the cup-thrower assaulted Artest, which I imagine that it would, Artest was legally within his rights to defend himself--that's the law--if someone attacks you, you're allowed to fight back.

That said, it's extremely obvious that he ought not to have gone after the guy.

[TeddyKGB]

38. "Defend himself"?

From what, after the beer was thrown?

Artest went after the guy, and that most certainly is not "the law".

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Susang]

7. I saw the same footage

I believe that everyone involved, particularly Artest, who several people attempted to restrain from going into the stands, should be ashamed of themselves.

The times I've been had beer thrown at me (I worked in bars for 20 years, so there have been quite a few), it was quite easy to step aside and allow the people whose job it is to deal with that shit do their job. Apparently self control isn't necessary any longer, on either side of the court.

[Coltrane]

44. Video Clip of the Brawl between the Pacers and fans

The video is over at http://www.crooksandliars.com/
This is the wildest fight I have ever seen in any sport between fans and players!

[Guaranteed]

49. Fuck those fans. Those people are animals. nt

[St. Jarvitude]

46. After you've played a basketball game for 48 minutes, you're not thinking

At least not thinking to your full potential.

That being said, I wouldn't have put this below Ron Artest after all of the shit he's pulled off in his career.

On a lighter note...

The Pacers and the Pistons were playing basketball, and a hockey game broke out.

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

14. Artest and ONeill should be in jail tonight

you can't throw punches at people indiscrimanately because you had beer thrown on you. They are thugs.

[BTFSTL]

16. Cross-posting from related thread..

My apologies if this isn't in good taste here...

Saw footage of the brawl on SportsCenter a bit ago, including a breakdown of the whole incident.

Ben Wallace shouldn't have shoved Artest like he did; it didn't look to be that bad of a foul. But I place the most blame on the "fans" who basically escalated the whole thing.

Bill Walton put it best: It was a disgrace. It's a wonder someone didn't get killed, player, coach or fan.

Supporting your team is one thing. These "fans" should be banned from ever attending any type of sporting event - even kids' sports.

As far as the players involved, there should be long suspensions and heavy fines - players and the organizations. The next time (sometime in March, I think) the Pacers and Pistons play in Auburn Hills, it should be done in an empty building - no fans at all. FIFA has punished national soccer teams for hooliganism - why not the NBA?

[TeddyKGB]

18. "it didn't look to be that bad of a foul"

Wallace took exception because he hard-fouled him with 45 seconds left with the outcome already decided.

Only one kind of person does something like that: an asshole thug.

In other words, Ron Artest.

[prof_science]

23. Way to be on top of that spin control, bud...

...sorry, Detroit fans and players are not blameless here.

[TeddyKGB]

24. Never said they weren't.

But Artest started it, and then completely spiraled it out of control when he went into the stands.

Inexcusable.

[prof_science]

28. Yeah, it was all pretty inexcusable.

And Artest did start it, but jesus, Wallace came back about 5 times too strong with that shove to the throat. I think they're both thugs...

[TeddyKGB]

32. On the court is an "appropriate" place to defend yourself...

...when the opposing team gives an unnecessary cheap shot.

Taking it into the stands is unforgivable, regardless of what one drunk fan does.

[sir_captain]

30. No, Artest did not start it

his foul wasn't even that hard. Ben Wallace overreacted, and I think that's a pretty general consensus.

[TeddyKGB]

34. see post #18

Thank you.

[sir_captain]

35. Have you actually watched it?

It was a pretty normal foul...I wouldn't even describe it as that hard of a foul.

[TeddyKGB]

36. Thanks for not reading #18.

It's the context of Artest's foul that made it stupid, and Big Ben was right to retaliate.

[sir_captain]

40. I read your post

several times--it's pretty meaningless. Artest shouldn't have fouled him like that, sure, but it was not nearly as bad as Wallace clearly thought it was.

Wallace was *right* to essentially punch artest in the face? You've got to be fucking kidding. That's some stupid shit.

And are you going to answer my question or are you just going to keep on being defensive? Have you seen the video?

[TeddyKGB]

41. Yes, I saw it.

And Ben threw no such "punch" at Artest.

You saw what you wanted to see.

[sir_captain]

43. What are you talking about?

Wallace immediately shoved Artest right in the face...you didn't see that? I described it as essentially a punch because that's what it was.

Why would I "want" to see anything? I'm not a fan of either team and am just calling it like I see it. Jeez.

[prof_science]

20. and the part about not being in good taste...

...is where? We want some trash talk, man!

[Coltrane]

45. Video clip of Pacers/Pistons brawl

The video is over at http://www.crooksandliars.com /
This is the wildest fight I have ever seen in any sport between fans and players!