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Good read. No one is blameless in this.
By Ray Ratto
Special to ESPN.com
Never mind all the apologies and acts of contrition you will hear over the next few days in the wake of Friday's Pacers-Pistons riot. They'll all be lies, every one of them.
The fact is, every person involved in the horrendous brawl at The Palace at Auburn Hills is secretly proud of himself for not taking any stuff – from Ron Artest clocking the one fan in a Pistons jersey, to the louts who drenched Jermaine O'Neal on his way off the floor with every liquid item from the concession stands.
They're all telling their friends what great people they are, and how many valuable lessons they imparted to all those other stupid people, whoever they might be. They all think this was a rite of passage, a test of manhood, and they all think they passed with flying colors.
They are going to spend the next few days defending themselves for their behavior, and delegating blame left and right, everywhere but themselves.
It's the players. No, it's the fans. No, it's lax security. And the one unifying theme is, "Hey, it wasn't me. I was just defending myself."
And all of it is nonsense. Nothing's going to happen, not until someone gets shot, or stabbed, or crippled.
Yes, we will all wring our hands and decry the looming end of civility in sports, but let us remind you that when Texas Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco threw a chair into the stands in Oakland, his suspension was brief and potential felony charges were not filed.
And the same will happen here. Everyone will talk a good game, but in the end, the only thing the players, the league office, the Detroit management and the town in general will want is for it all to go away, and hope people will forget.
Which, of course, they will. This makes for swell television, and fabulous round-table discussions, but in the end, it is an embarrassment that will be handled like most embarrassing situations – with as little talking and as much sleight of hand as needed to get people on to the next topic.
What ought to happen is simple, and comprehensive. The Pacers involved get real suspensions – long, staggered and without pay. The Pistons get fined several million dollars for their security lapses, even though this was your basic unforeseeable situation. The teams play their next game in an empty arena, while paying all arena personnel as though they had worked that day, and then make sizable contributions to anti-violence charitable groups in their towns. And the fans involved are identified, found, stripped of their season tickets (if applicable) and charged with as much as the law will allow.
Now guess how many of those will happen.
Or better yet, let us answer that for you. Almost none of them.
And while you're at it, guess which two other things won't happen.
Beer sales will not be curtailed because the markup for beer is one of the great arena cash cows of all time. Beer at an arena has been elevated to a God-given right, and given that fans will cheerfully pay up to $12 for a bottle of imported, that's a God the league and its members recognize and worship devoutly.
And the other is those courtside seats. They all seemed to bother the fellows on the NBA Shootaround studio so much, and yet, they aren't going anywhere either. They may be bolted down now, but like the beer, they generate way too much money from way too many high rollers to do anything but stay right where they are.
Over the next few days, you will hear outrage, and disgust, and demands for retribution. Hey, they serve their purpose because they let everyone position themselves as victims and moralists. It's good anaerobic exercise, and everyone comes away feeling better for the experience.
But don't buy the apologies, and don't buy the vows of punishment, or remedies. This, too, will pass because too many people want it to pass.
And when nobody's looking, the Pacers and the fans will all be very proud of themselves for standing up to each other, for eagerly crossing the line that should never be crossed.
Some day, though, someone will end up dead at courtside, or rinkside, or the sideline, or in the tunnel, and then we'll all wonder how it could have come to such a horrible end.
And we'll remember this night, and how the worst riot in recent NBA history was "someone else's fault."
Good read. No one is blameless in this.
Sounds like an emergency roundtable is being called for.This makes for swell television, and fabulous round-table discussions
Yep, great column.
When should I show up?Sounds like an emergency roundtable is being called for.
I can come off the bench again if needed!
Only a Pacer fan should show up for that roundtable....and that's me. No Spurs fan cause they would hang Artest, Jax, and JO immediately
You know - for reasons other than the fact that they actually deserve it, right?Only a Pacer fan should show up for that roundtable....and that's me. No Spurs fan cause they would hang Artest, Jax, and JO immediately
Overreaction.
They deserve it...I wouldn't lower some 60 game suspension...maybe 10 each and fined a load of cash.
You really believe this is less punishable than Vernon Maxwell going into the stands?
well as they were saying on NBA Shootaround, they said that if there is any kind of large suspension, the players association would file some kind of greviance. I think probably anything of at least 15 games each and fined heavily would suffice.
they're playing the audio from WIBC Radio right now on Fox Sports Radio. it's interesting.
"in the end, it is an embarrassment that will be handled like most embarrassing situations – with as little talking and as much sleight of hand as needed to get people on to the next topic."
NBA.com even watered this down. On their front page they mention the fight but the main story and main picture is Dwayne Wade running triumphantly down the court. While that may be the correct PR move, I think it's cowardly of the NBA to avoid this issue like that.
And yes, definately cause for an emergency round table. How does one get on that thing?
Yeah because a Pacer fan would be fair and balanced.Only a Pacer fan should show up for that roundtable....and that's me. No Spurs fan cause they would hang Artest, Jax, and JO immediately
What ought to happen is simple, and comprehensive. The Pacers involved get real suspensions – long, staggered and without pay. The Pistons get fined several million dollars for their security lapses, even though this was your basic unforeseeable situation. The teams play their next game in an empty arena, while paying all arena personnel as though they had worked that day, and then make sizable contributions to anti-violence charitable groups in their towns. And the fans involved are identified, found, stripped of their season tickets (if applicable) and charged with as much as the law will allow.
Now guess how many of those will happen.
Or better yet, let us answer that for you. Almost none of them.
And while you're at it, guess which two other things won't happen.
Beer sales will not be curtailed because the markup for beer is one of the great arena cash cows of all time. Beer at an arena has been elevated to a God-given right, and given that fans will cheerfully pay up to $12 for a bottle of imported, that's a God the league and its members recognize and worship devoutly.
And the other is those courtside seats. They all seemed to bother the fellows on the NBA Shootaround studio so much, and yet, they aren't going anywhere either. They may be bolted down now, but like the beer, they generate way too much money from way too many high rollers to do anything but stay right where they are.
This sums it up pretty well, I think.
No, there isn't plenty of blame to go around. This begins and ends with Ron Artest. It's a given that there are asshole fans. That's part of what these pro athletes have to put up with in exchange for the opportunity to enjoy millions of dollars in income annually. Artest has repeatedly shown himself incapable of handling himself professionally and in the NBA, it's quite an accomplishment to distinguish yourself in such a manner. The last player to approach Artest's level was Rodman, but with Rodman most of his antics were geared towards generating publicity and were generally harmless. One look at what Artest has done in his career and you think 'damn, this guy is stone cold nuts.'
I hate this notion that everyone is to blame because that is not the case. That ruckus began and ended with Ron Artest being Ron Artest.
i agree with bryant. the fan who threw the beer deserved an ass beating, but that doesnt mean NBA players are empowered to give it. as fans we pay their mulltimillion dollar contracts through ticket sales, merchandise, and TV ratings. Im tired of Artest not being held accountable for his antics, and I would like to see somethting comparable to what they did to Spree done to him and Jax... suspend them both for the rest of the season. Players need to remember who their real daddy is next time they want to with fans.
This is bull . There is no excuse for the players going into the stands. Forget the staggered suspension, give them each 25 games. Yeah, they'll probably end up missing the playoffs, but they deserve it for being such idiots.The Pacers involved get real suspensions – long, staggered and without pay.
if pacers make the playoffs this year it will show you how weak the east really is
This post is right on and anyone who can not see that is either in denial or a Pacer Homer. Ron Artest is a complete psyco.
I'm not a Ron Artest apologist by any means. In fact, I've made many arguments against those who think it was all the fans to blame. But I am in the camp that says EVERYBODY involved is guilty. You guys who are blaming 1 side or the other are turning this into a black and white issue and any impartial observer can see that it is far from one. What if there were security guards to tackle Artest before he was allowed to get into the stands? What if Wallace had never overreacted? What if the FREAKIN JACKHOLE had never thrown the cup? Artest was the one who blew up the building but it doesn't come to that point if the moron doesn't lay out the explosives in the first place.
Right. And of course you're unbiased against Artest. If this was Duncan, I guarantee you would be blaming the fan.
Nobody likes Artest.
The path of least resistance is to blame everything on the guy nobody likes.
It serves as positive reinforcement for the initial hate, and saves having to spend some actual thought on complicated issues
Orwell realized this more than a half-century ago.
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