Pacers Pistons game ends up in major violence ... WOW

Fox Sports Midwest

[Barney59]

Hilarious that so many people pipe in with comments as absurd as yours. Point of fact: Most situations where beer is thrown at a player in any sport, you will find that player going after that fan. It's happened before and in other sports, like that gangsta sport hockey, for instance. But they're nice, respectable, toothless white boys, so it's OK.

Hey culture genius: I don't see a full blown criminal culture supporting the Hockey guys (but hey, maybe those guys in fur hats fishing on the ice are pretty nasty, 'toothless white boys, huh?).

[HoosierFather]

I saw this sad episode just before going to bed. So, now I wake up to see it highlighted on Drudge and all over the news. The media spin seems to be focused on Artest (and the Pacers) going up into the stands. Here is my take...

This incident really started on the previous play. Artest went in for a layup and Ben Wallace blocked his shot from behind, but also fouled Artest, who crashed to the floor. No Call for Artest! At the other end of the floor, Artest reciprocated and gave a hard foul back to Ben Wallace. Foul called against Artest, of course! That's OK, standard NBA stuff at this point. However, a few words were exhanged and then Ben Wallace attacked Artest with a sort of push/punch to Artest's head/throat area. Falling backwards from the attack, Artest actually showed some restraint (not typical for him) and his teammates held him back. He even went over to lay on the scoring table and Reggie Miller stood guaurd over him.

While this was going on it was Ben Wallace that kept stirring the pot and continued to incite the fans. He looked incensed and continued to move toward Artest, shouting likely obscenities. He had to be restrained by Piston and Pacer coaches and players. At this point, there was continued pushing and shoving caused by Ben Wallace. Then he tried to throw a towel at Artest. It seemed like this sort of fueled the flames even more, especially with the fans. The whole atmosphere in the Palace contined to be inflamed by Wallace's behavior.

The situation continued until a fan threw something (cup or bottle of some liquid) at Artest, who was still restrained on the announcer's table. Artest had actually put on a headset at one point and appeared to be giving some feedback to the Pacer's announcers. After the beer/soda hit Artest, he went ballistic and made a beeline for the offending fan. Now, all hell breaks loose with fans throwing everything, several Pacer's (including Jackson) hopping into the stands after Artest, punches being thrown. There was no security to be seen and the announcers were yelling, "where is security?" After a couple of minutes, the referees left the floor followed by the teams. The Pacers were showered with all kinds of debri and liquids from the fans. It was a horrific sight. I thought someone was going to get seriously hurt.

In the aftermath, I'm afraid that most of the focus for this incident will be on Artest. He is truly a knucklehead and has some major mental problems, but he was not the major catalyst of this unfortunate episode. In my opinion, Ben Wallace's continued shouting and shoving raised the intensity level in the arena to the point where a fan crossed the line. Now, Artest should not have jumped into the stands and gone after the fan. My guess is that the media will focus on Artest and other Pacers jumping into the stands (as it makes the best video). And, poor knuclehead Artest will be severely smacked down by the league. But, it really should be noted that Artest was showing amazing restraint in this situation, until the fateful beer was thrown.

In the end, I think this event will define the season for one of these teams. Probably for the worse!

[TheOtherOne]

Is this JOE DUMARS that Artest is pushing past (in black), as he steps over the fan barrier to attack the person who attacked him with a half empty plastic cup?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/041120/483/dtp10811200452

[gab1279]

Dude SO GLAD I caught the end on replay! Jackson was really hyped up, arrogant acting, and seemed to escalate the scene...

Those fans are CRAZY. They made things so much worse.

They just started having their own fight and throwing a rain of drinks.

Artest snapped for sure, Jackson went off.

But Wallace (guy in white, big hair?) started it all with that punch it appears. Came out of nowhere. Highly unnecessary.

[hole_n_one]

Dude in white cap was called by espn as the beer thrower.

ESPN aired an angle which first shows the guy in the white cap bending upward and while in that motion, from that same spot, you can see the cup begin it's flight with liquid splashing and spraying as it travels towards Artest.

The toss was a good 20 feet.

I don't think it was necessarily directed at Artest, but rather, in the vicinty of the Pacer bench and the scorers table where the Pacers were milling about.

Alot of people had already began to file out, so most of the seats around white cap were empty.

It's looking more and more like white cap is the cup tosser.

Mike Ryan, for one, just became very, very rich.

[bornacatholic]

Hip Hop hooliganism. Basketball ended when Larry Bird and Magic retired. I don't watch anymore

[unspun]

Stephen Jackson was goin nuts in this, hope Artest doesnt get supsended, need him next week.

Yes, he's in my Pewaukee Passoffs.

[mn-bush-man]

When I was in elementary school, I got flicked in the face with one of those paper footballs. Assault and battery, right? Did that give me the right to charge after the football flicker to try to beat the crap out of him?

There are very few circumstances when people should 'take the law into their own hands'. This was definitely not one of them.

[jennyjenny]

Wallace should have been immediately ejected from the game after he shoved Artest and none of this would have happened. Artest was keeping his cool, hard as it is for him, even though the Piston players and fans kept trying to provoke him. Someone throws a beer at me, I'm defending myself, period. The refs lost control. Where was security? Larry Brown is an idiot!

[CaptSkip]

Then, laying on his back on the scorers' table, he gets hit by a glass bottle. That's Assualt and Battery, folks. I'd have gone after that "fan" too.

Watch it again this AM on ESPN.com's "Motion" (if you have broadband). It's clearly a blue plastic cup with a modest amount of liquid, NOT a bottle, that hits him in the face/neck.

There are a minimum of 6 player/team-crew attacks and blows landed on fans, and 2 appear to be on innocents. Artest attacking and injuring a fan that apparently did not throw the cup, and then a teammate of Artest, maybe Jackson, landing a solid right to the head on a white guy in a dark suit that looked to be trying to breakup the Artest melee.

It's a good thing these thugs/athletes and the NBA have deep pockets. They'll be buying lots of "bling-bling" for NBA fans and their attorneys!

[savedbygrace]

Pro sports is so full of gangstas it's not funny, or entertaining, in the least.

[pie_eater]

Don't you think the guy who actually threw the beer that started it all about crapped his pants when Artest came up into the stands? He probably never thought in a million years that Artest would fight the fans. When you're drinking beer on your duff in the stands and yelling at the players, you don't consider just how friggin' huge those guys really are. Imagine you're Joe Fan and you're about 5'9", 190 pounds, and here comes this monster 6' 10", 280 pound guy charging at you. That's pants soilin' time.

[AlGone2001]

"Sounds like Arafat's funeral to me."

No, they thought Wellstone's body was in the house.

[catfish1957]

Not suprised... Sleaziest sport, with the sleaziest players.

Am still trying to think of a player with decent morals

[AlGone2001]

I pretty much detest the NBA and know very little about the players.

One thing I do know is that when I've heard Artest mentioned, he's not the poster boy of good behavior.

I think he messed up big time.

In my opinion, there will be long (or perhaps) lifetime bans from the NBA over this.

[pas]

While the fans actions where terrible, the event security was equally as bad. Where was the security behind the bench. Where were they when this was going on. The only time you see them is chasing Artest down threatening to mace HIM. They where not in or near the fans throwing things. They where all standing in the middle of the floor. No announcement on the PA until after the Pacers had left the floor. The whole Pistons organization should be ashamed of the their actions.

[mn-bush-man]

Are people no longer responsible for their behavior? Some guy 300 feet from the incident is not responsible for his decision to dump food, beer and other things on players, personnel and security?

Of course the guy in the stands should be held responsible - he's a jerk and should be appropriately punished BY THE AUTHORITIES. But that does not give license to Artest to run in the stands after him. Being battered does not give a person the right to retaliate if there is no further danger.

[jennyjenny]

That is total BS. That was not a flagrant foul, sheesh! Give me a f'ng break! Wallace overreacted and should have been thrown out of the game. And there, the story would have ended.

How in the he!! did artest instigate fans throwing beer at him? Or "hoping" Wallace would come over to him? That is ridiculous.