Posted on 11/20/2004 11:43:57 AM PST by Dan from Michigan
NBA indefinitely suspends Artest, O'Neal, Jackson, Wallace
November 20, 2004
NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA suspended Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson of Indiana and Ben Wallace of Detroit on Saturday for taking part in one of the ugliest brawls in U.S. sports history.
The suspensions were indefinite, and the league was still investigating Friday night's melee, which commissioner David Stern called ``shocking, repulsive and inexcusable -- a humiliation for everyone associated with the NBA.''
The league issued a statement saying it was reviewing rules and security procedures ``so that fans can continue to attend our games unthreatened by events such as the ones that occurred last night.''
I was walking by the lounge at work and heard people's exclamations, went in to check it out. I figured it was one of those "reality video" shows. "No, this is live!" Wow... The jackasses on ESPN were (of course) blaming the Detroit fans for the assault and battery carried out by those three thugs from the Pacers.
I'll be curious to see what Mitch Albom has to say.
Is there sonething like "assault with a deadly weapon" that referred to a boxer using his fists to hit someone with? Could that be also applied to a basketball player or any other sportsfigure conditioned and stronger than the average person sitting out there as a spectator?
Just a thought. I only had the opportunity to see the video twice and am not a basketball fan. Go FSU!! They are playing lousy.
He's a self-impressed gasbag.
I'm beginning to believe that former interim Knicks GM Ed Tapscott knew what he was doing when drafted a French stiff who has yet to actually play in an NBA game -- Frederic Weis (known in some parts of the NY media as Fifi) -- instead of Artest.
He'll blame guns and conservatives like he always does.
AFAIK Dawkins' only violence was to backboards - he liked to break them as part of a dunk. He was told "cut that out." He said "I can't help it", and he was told "the next time you can't help it, it'll cost you $10,00.00." No more shattered backboards...
LOL. Ribbit.
he's a bit of a conservative these days you know...like Sir Charles.
I miss the old men of the game who understood discretion.
If ol' chocolate thunder has awoken to the truth, fine by me. IMO Barkley just resents paying taxes...
I have been contacted by lawyers from the NBA. They asked me to remove the video. Sorry guys
Ha ha, no, but I do listen to the ticket occasionally but generally stick to ESPN radio. I know Norm Hitzges(last names spelling is probably off) is a big liberal.
Uh, Artest was the one that went into the stands. O'Neal cold-cocked the guy as he was trying to get up. They are just thugs that will be out of basketball for a while and will be enriching a few of the fans.
If O'Neal hadn't sprinted at full speed, he wouldn't have been able to cover the 20 feet and cold-cock the guy before he could get to his feet.
he was merely vaguely philosophical:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1104/albom1.asp
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