Once again Pistons fans get inside the head of a Pacer...

[Dunc]

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2006 – Indiana Pacers center David Harrison has been suspended one game without pay for directing obscenities toward fans, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 10:07 remaining in the fourth period of the Pacers 88-83 loss to the Pistons last night at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Harrison will serve his suspension tonight as the Pacers play the Hawks at Conseco Fieldhouse

[Sense]

Are you proud of that?

[Brutalis]

I'm with stupid.

[jochhejaam]

Harrison's the same punk thug that knocked a 60 year old man as he was leaving the Palace after last years brawl. Some people never learn.

[Dunc]

Are you proud of that?

I think it's funny as hell, actually, but I have nothing to be proud of there. If I was the fan that got him suspended, then I would be proud. Carlisle needs to learn his boys some discipline.

[DarkReign]

I think its great, actually.

Definition of Home Court Advantage.

Deal with it monkey.

[samikeyp]

That is part of the game...fans will heckle players for just that reason. Harrison needs to be smarter than that.

[Darrin]

I think its great, actually.

Definition of Home Court Advantage.

Deal with it monkey.

Any other city, we would be able to get away with this attitude. But when you throw beer and pop and popcorn on players, you throw punches and coins at players, and the term "Detroit" is synonomous with violence (re: Jimmy Kimmel's 2004 Finals comment) this attitude comes off as ignorant.

That being said, there is a difference between noise and violence. Are you telling me that David Harrison's plight is less than a Bill Laimbeer? Please. Learn to control yourself.

[Dunc]

Any other city, we would be able to get away with this attitude. But when you throw beer and pop and popcorn on players, you throw punches and coins at players, and the term "Detroit" is synonomous with violence (re: Jimmy Kimmel's 2004 Finals comment) this attitude comes off as ignorant.

That being said, there is a difference between noise and violence. Are you telling me that David Harrison's plight is less than a Bill Laimbeer? Please. Learn to control yourself.

The Palace Brawl is behind us, and it required a perfect storm. That shit won't happen again, not easily. This recent incident has no bearing on the brawl. It was a fan getting inside the head of a young player on the visiting team. In my opinion, if that player is so mentally weak that a fan can take advantage of that weakness without violating any rules, more power to you. This is why games aren't all played in neutral venues. Fans can sometimes make the difference. You might twist this to say I am condoning stuff like the brawl. I am not. I am simply saying that if you can get a rival player suspended simply by yelling at him a couple times, do it.

[Darrin]

The Palace Brawl is behind us, and it required a perfect storm. That shit won't happen again, not easily. This recent incident has no bearing on the brawl. It was a fan getting inside the head of a young player on the visiting team. In my opinion, if that player is so mentally weak that a fan can take advantage of that weakness without violating any rules, more power to you. This is why games aren't all played in neutral venues. Fans can sometimes make the difference. You might twist this to say I am condoning stuff like the brawl. I am not. I am simply saying that if you can get a rival player suspended simply by yelling at him a couple times, do it.

It's the bomb scare that delayed the Pacers return to the Palace (after the brawl) by 45 minutes, it's the coin thrown at Allen Iverson during a playoff game. I agree with you on the noise. I think we agree a lot here, except the social implications of the brawl. It's important for Detroit Pistons fans to realize how it reflects on the city, however unfair.

The last time we had a violent incident during a Championship celebration, I was eight months old (1984). The last time we had riots my father was a freshman in High School (1967). Compare that to Los Angeles (2000 - two squad cars used as timber for a bondfire after the Lakers win a Championship - and 1991 - Rodney King).

Yet the image of Detroit remains that of violence. The Brawl doesn't go away because there's some great footage of it. When the NBA changes its dress code or Antonio Davis protects his wife, or we celebrate a year anniversary or the sports stories of 2005, guess what comes back up? It's not behind us - it has been woven into the fabric of our reputation, and that's why I was firing obsenities at the TV on November 19, 2004. They had no idea the long-ranging consequences of their actions.

[Dunc]

Yeah, you're right about the social impact. You make good points about the image of the city and I absolutely understand about what the Brawl did to that image. But we do agree about the noise. My only real point was that you can and should use the noise factor to your advantage as a fan, and if it can have a real and tangible effect on the opponents such as getting them a tech, ejection, or suspension, then so be it. But nothing beyond the noise factor. No contact, no throwing things, nothing like that. Sorry for the confusion.

[DarkReign]

Let me sum something up for you without too much typing.

I could care less what other people outside of Detroit Metro Area think about the people here. If they are so closed-minded as to think the Palace incident is the general norm of people here, they were lost before Nov. 11th.

I will NOT participate in some statewide bullshit agenda to repair Detroit's image. Detroit, the city, is a shit hole. Thus, the Pistons dont even play there. I have had family and friends robbed, assaulted and scared for their lives on the streets our 'great' city. Uneducated, poverty-ridden shit hole that I avoid.

Peeps got out of hand on one day. Big whoop. Lets all cry a thousand rivers for the poor players and scold the people in the stands. Ronny Artest should thank his lucky-fucking-stars that game wasnt in Detroit. That it was in Oakland county. Because when I was watching that whole incident unfold on television live before my eyes, I seriously thought people were going to be killed. That out of 20,000 people, there might be 300 people ballsy enough to go further than cups of beer being showered on players. But they didnt.

Charge the stands in the real Detroit, I am not sure about that.

In closing, Detroit's image is damaged forever. You or I cannot repair it. That happened looooooong before Nov. 11th. And I am sick and fucking tired of defending that image because I could personally care less.