[rightwingmichigander]

Michigan law requires that you do everything possible to avoid a fight. Unless someone is ontop of you punching you, you are breaking the law by going into the stands and punching someone. I got this from my father who was a police officer for 29 years. He said that what Artest did was a criminal act. He did not have the right to go into the stands and assault someone.
And to whoever else it was who compared Ben Wallace to Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant obviously doesn't know what went on during the rest of the game. Artest was allowed to do some crazy things by rookie referees. Ben Wallace is a class act. Yes, he took things too far and deserves his suspension, but don't compare him to an accused Rapist.

[JohnnyZ]

Ben Wallace is a class act.

ROFL!

Thug #1 you mean?

Ben Wallace is a tiny step up from the criminals that pass for Pistons fans.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

Interesting take. Indiana smacked down the defending champs at home. Now, thanks to a whimpy foul, over-the-top retaliation, inciting a fight, throwing things at a calm artest, detroit and their fans have taken out the team that gave them the most trouble last year. Sorry, but wallace is not a class act. He got embarrassed at home, and couldn't take his beating like a man. Instead, he pushes buttons until he started a riot. and he got off easy. the nba has always protected its stars, and now it has cost them their league. the pistons were punks before it was cool to be a punk in the nba, and now they spoiled it for everyone. makes me sad that I enjoyed them beating LA so much last year...If I am artest, I sue the NBA for failing to protect me - if they can lay down a career-ending fine, they owe it to me to protect me from the detroit players and fans...

[pctech]

I never compared Wallace to Bryant. Furthermore, far as I'm concerned, the Detriot fans started the fight and thereby negates the fact that folks are blaming Artest for the whole thing. If it was me, I'd go into the stands swinging as well if I was threatened first.