Spurs notebook: Parker: Cell phones, coins thrown at players

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs notebook: Parker: Cell phones, coins thrown at players
Web Posted: 11/22/2004 12:00 AM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer


http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....7d8d4964.html

TORONTO — As a member of the French national team, Tony Parker has played in games where he has had to dodge cell phones and coins.

"I think I saw some chairs, too, once," Parker said. "In Europe that's not too strange, especially in soccer games.

"But I've never seen players fight fans before. Even in soccer, it was always fans against fans."

Parker said he was as surprised as anyone to see Indiana's Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal trading punches with Detroit fans Friday night.

Spurs TV analyst Sean Elliott played one season in Detroit, but he doesn't think the Pistons fans are worse than elsewhere.

"I don't care what the fan does," Elliott said. "I don't care if he throws a cup of beer on you, I don't care if he throws popcorn on you, there's no way in you're supposed to go up in the stands. Period."

Elliott said NBA players used to endure worse, especially in Washington where one infamous heckler would sit directly behind the opposing bench and incessantly yell at the team.

"If you can survive him, you can definitely survive a guy throwing beer at you from 15 rows up," Elliott said. "The whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. I thought the Pacers players overreacted.

"In the end, there was a kid crying in the stands. That broke my heart. I was embarrassed as a player. I was embarrassed for those guys in the stands. It was humiliating for the whole league."

You think you have it tough: Ron Garretson and Tommy Nunez Jr., who were part of the crew that worked Friday's Detroit-Indiana brawl, worked Sunday's game between the Spurs and Toronto.

"I've had a long weekend," Garretson said when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich greeted him before the game.

[Mr. Body]

I agree with Elliott's statements, but I do want to point out that kid crying in the stands, the one prominently replayed being coddled by his older brother, saw his father wade into the brawl. He was the huge black man in the gray shirt who hit Fred Jones in the back of the head and neck several times. Fortunately Jones didn't fight back.

[Kori Ellis]

He was the huge black man in the gray shirt who hit Fred Jones in the back of the head and neck several times.

Rumor is that was Ben Wallace's brother.

[mattyc]

"I don't care what the fan does," Elliott said. "I don't care if he throws a cup of beer on you, I don't care if he throws popcorn on you, there's no way in you're supposed to go up in the stands. Period."

Preach it Sean. Makes a change from the stuff they were saying on SportsCenter about any player reacting the same. C'mon.

Sean = our class act.