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.''
Artest attacked the wrong fan.
The guy in the cap threw the beer. He also was the same guy who punched him in the head later.
Just a little bit of hyperbole here. Early baseball was just as bad or worse.
Wallace got fouled pretty bad. Artast deserverd alot more than a neck shove from him.
That said.
Those fans getting beat on by NBA players will be retiring early with major bling bling.
I would guess that when they finalize their decisions, his suspension will be short. The other guys should be booted! Time will tell.
Here's the best at 81MB.
http://www.shockpoint.com/video.html
I agree I should have clarified that especially Artest should be banned but jackson also... those were the two that I saw this morning when I turned ESPN on and they were running the clip ad nasuem...
Actually all of the guy on the ESPN roundtable said the players were justified. They are all former players though and they were just sucking up to NBA players last night. If they spoke out against the indiana thugs they'd have a hard time getting interview with NBA players in the future.
I thought it was Artest that cold-cocked the fan on his knees on the floor of the arena but my paper said it was O'Neal.
"3. Review of rules and procedures relating to altercations and security have been undertaken so that fans can continue to attend our games unthreatened by events such as the ones that occurred last night."
Two ways to remain unthreatened would be to refrain from hurling objects at the players and to avoid going onto the basketball court.
They call basketball players "cagers" because early on in the history of the game -- due to violence between fans and the players -- the court was enclosed in a chain-link "cage." The fans were physically separated from the players by the fence, and the players could only exit to the locker room.
Looks like some traditions should have been maintained.
Artest and the fan was going at it and both went down. Fan was getting up, and O'Neal ran over and decked him.
I think was both.
Just shut down the NBA and get it over with. That was an ugly, demoralizing scene last night. Add this to the stabbing at the Vibe awards in Santa Monica last week, and I have to say there is an element of society that is becoming increasingly violent and needs to be brought under control.
Threw the first punch and incited the crowd; then he ran down to the other fight and joined in, it looks like.
Yup. Just go to ESPN. They must have played a number of different video angles a hundreds times today. And now FoxNews has played it numerous times since the suspension announcement.
I've seen little kids with more self control than some of todays spoiled rotten NBA "stars".
The one bozo wanted time off to promote his Rap music. Now he got.
It's just like hockey; nothing will happen.
One can only hope this is the beginning of the end of the NBA.
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