Ron Artest has no business in the NBA (live witness)

And now you need to disappear - not for a week, not for a month, and not for any amount of time that can be defined in conventional basketball terms. We're not measuring this in games missed. It goes beyond that.

An intense regular-season basketball game morphed into one of the ugliest nights in sports history Friday, and it's all because of Artest, the Pacers forward. Without him, there is no riot at the Pistons-Pacers game. Period.

Let's replay what happened: Artest committed a hard foul on Ben Wallace, which happens. Wallace retaliated with a shove to Artest's face, which was over the top, but it happens.

Artest went to lie down on the scorers' table like a sunbather and briefly grabbed a headset from the Pacers' broadcast team - which doesn't happen, but wasn't a huge deal. As other players scuffled, a fan threw a water bottle at Artest's head.

That was stupid and irresponsible - BUT IT HAPPENS. It shouldn't, but it does. And the expected level of decorum for players and coaches is higher than it is for fans.

Then Artest jumped up and ran into the stands with fists flying. He got there so fast, he almost knocked me over before I knew he was there.

Then Pacers Jermaine O'Neal, Eddie Gill and Steven Jackson jumped into the stands. Pistons broadcaster Rick Mahorn, trying to play peacemaker, followed. It was hard to tell who was trying to break up fights and who was trying to start one. Fans screamed "I punched Artest!" Or, if they were on the receiving end, "He hit me! He hit me!"

The next thing you knew, Artest coldcocked somebody, and O'Neal was said to have done the same, and chairs flew at the Pacers.

And a lot of it was inexcusable. But none of it would have happened if Artest had done what athletes are trained to do forever: ignore the fans.

You never, ever, EVER run into the stands. And if you dispute that, please tell me one time, just when, when a situation got better when a player bolted into the crowd.

As Palace President Tom Wilson said, "we're paid a lot of money" to maintain poise in that situation.

That can't happen for a long time, and it won't. Expect the longest suspension in NBA history. And expect police charges, although none was filed Friday.

What Ron Artest did has nothing to do with sports, nothing to do with the Pacers-Pistons rivalry and very little to do with the water bottle. He has teetered on the wall between sanity and insanity for a while, and Friday he fell on the wrong side. No, not fell. Jumped.

This is obviously a man in need of some serious help. Last week, when he asked coach Rick Carlisle for some time off to promote his CD, he was an amusing sideshow. There goes Ron-Ron again. Ha ha.

And Friday, he played brilliantly. He was the reason the Pacers won, 97-82. Then he was the reason the game ended with 45.9 seconds left.

Over the loudspeakers, fans were asked to leave the Palace. Then, and only then, did the clock wind down from 45.9. It was way, way, way too late.

Finally, long after the game was officially over, the Pacers' team bus departed the parking lot. It moved past the Pistons' cars, all of which were running, so that the Detroit players could make a quick exit. (None of them spoke to the media.)

Rain fell on the Palace parking lot. And as the bus wedged between a dozen or more police cars and a few ambulances, this much was clear: Ron Artest was in the wrong vehicle.

Why must you be nasty? Do you think putdowns cover up a lack of knowledge?

No definition of any law stands on its own. Only statutes come close and then their interpretation and applications are up to the judge, usually following a set of guidelines made in past cases (precedent similar to that of the common law) and rules. Judgment must follow according to the fact of the case.

Counts in the common law are based entirely on precedent. If there is not a specific statute governing an exchange such as was in the article, it falls under the common law. Definitions are guidelines, as are common law maxims.

"Assaults" with a knife or a harmful weapon pull stiff penalties from common law precedent. "Assaults" involving just mild trespass usually involve a fine or an ass chewing from the judge. Or can be addressed by a civil action in trespass.

The prosecutors own statements support both my original statement and the definitions.

The prosecutor would be blowing wind. See if he actually pursues the charge. Anybody can wuff; it what is actually done that matters.

I doubt that any criminal proceedings for throwing a paper cup at a person would survive a courts dismissal. Dockets are too packed to mess with such de minimis issues.

But, then, by your own criteria, you must be "stupid" for not knowing all this, right?

And you'll soon be posting proper authority to back your (at this time) retorical claims?

I'm not prepared to post the rules of civil and criminal procedure, plus the rulings in similar cases state by state. Go down to your county law library and look them up yourself. What I said is common knowledge for anyone with a passing knowledge of court antics.

I have no intention of using hours of my time proving you don't know what you're talking about. I'll give you an overview, and you can take it or leave it. Unless you're willing to foot the bill for the research you demand. In that case, FRmail me and we'll set up a fee schedule.

Otherwise, if you don't like my answer, I reckon you'll just have to live with yourself not liking it.

In the future, please try to carry on a conversation with some mature decorum, that is to say, leave off some of the demeaning phrases. They add nothing to the conversation and skate the edge of FR forum rules.

Thank you.

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