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

Sheesh, I don't understand those athletes. The fan should not have thrown the cup at the player either. I mean if the athelete had debris thrown at them, he can just give them the finger or ignore. But to beat someone up is just extreme. Artest got what he deserved.

I loathe the NBA. I haven't watched since the Pistons won back in the late 80s. It has become nothing more than a tedious exercise in criminals parading around the court, showboating for nothing more than bigger paycheck. The Olympics proved these guys have no heart and no talent. As such, I hope they have no fans either.

Would you assume that a 290 pound non-gangsta white guy would never respond to any insults and would meekly stand there doing nothing if some runt threw a beer at him?

If he had a sense of dignity and self-control (aka: what a professional athlete 'should' have) then he would realize that there are boundaries and behavior not becoming of a 'Professional'... i quote the commissoner:

"We have to make the point that there are boundaries in our games," Stern said. "One of our boundaries, that have always been immutable, is the boundary that separate the fans from the court. Players cannot lose control and move into the stands."

So you disagree with the Commissioner in condoning the actions of Mr. Artest & company? Or are you just trying to isolate the life-style reference to the NBA players involved as some sort of separate issue? That won't work either because my reference to gang style dress, attitudes, tattoo's... disrespect for authority (think Spreewell), etc., is more than valid...

"The line is drawn, and my guess is that won't happen again - certainly not by anybody who wants to be associated with our league," commissioner David Stern said.

To me "professional" would indicate someone who likely goes to work with a dress-shirt and tie or other somewhat formal dress style. We call it "professional" basketball because the players are paid --- but the big money players often don't come from the suburbs. So throwing things at them is likely going to evoke a reaction that throwing things at someone in a suit and tie wouldn't. Your typical suburban suit and tie type guy would likely shrug and back off ducking or run away being insulted and assaulted with bottles and chairs thrown at him.

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