Posted on 11/23/2004 4:59:48 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
Today scored a major exclusive this morning with the first TV interview of NBA player Ron Artest, who as FReepers who've spent the last week on the other side of the moon might not know, has been suspended for the remainder of the season for charging into the stands and attacking fans.
This is a case in which mere words, even a verbatim transcript, would be insufficient to fully convey the full flavor of the interview.
In a follow-up interview, NBA Players' Union head Billy Hunter acknowledged to Katie that Artest was "not very articulate."
But that does not begin to convey the situation. It is not simply that Artest is incapable of clearly expressing his thoughts. It's that his thoughts are so deeply detached from reality. I can only conclude that he suffers from a significant learning disability, a severe psychological disorder, or more likely, some combination of the two.
For in all his words and emotions, it was clear that Artest has absolutely no concept of the gravity of the situation or of his role in it.
You'll find below highlights of the interview, conducted by Matt Lauer, but I again stress their inability to fully describe just how detached from reality was Artest.
Let's begin by observing that he never apologized. The closest he came was at the beginning of the interview when he said "I wish it never happened, it wasn't good for anyone." But wishing something hadn't happened is, of course, a million miles from accepting responsibility for the fact that it did, and from apologizing to those who have been harmed or offended.
Artest then stated that NBA Commissioner "David Stern has been good to me but I don't think the number of games of the suspension [73 - the remainder of the season] is fair."
Why does Artest think the length of the suspension is unfair? Because "I want to help the league improve its image." Right. Just the person anyone would choose as its image-makeover expert - Ron Artest.
Far from admitting that he has become, in the wake of Dennis Rodman's retirement, the #1 face of everything that is wrong with the NBA, Artest tried to portray himself as some kind of good-will ambassador. "I've been working real hard and putting forth a number of positive things."
Artest then actually held up the CD he has been working to produce, the one for which he announced last week that he wanted to take a couple months off from his team to devote himself to. "It's about love," said Artest of the CD.
Artest then tried to make light of his past suspensions for violent behavior. In one of those cases, he had smashed a TV camera while leaving the court. "I need that camera. I paid $100,000 for it [in fines] and didn't get a piece of it." Apparently he thought that humor was the appropriate emotion for the day.
Artest then boasted of the fact that "I never harmed anyone." Makes you wonder what he was trying to do when he was throwing haymakers at fans in the stands?
Asked to explain why he went into the stands, Artest statede: "I was frustrated. The tape speaks for itself."
He continued, describing the situation when he was lying on a table at courtside and was hit by a cup of beer: "It was just like 'wow, a cup and a beer,' it almost hit my eye. It was like 'wow.'"
Lauer: "Did it pop into your mind that 'I've crossed a line'?"
Revealing the extent of his self-delusion, Artest replied:
"I think I'm pretty disciplined. You can answer the questions from the tape."
The camera then zoomed in on the t-shirt he was wearing. It bore the legend "tru warier" [sic] with a crouched basketball player forming the letter 'a'. I wonder which PR genius suggested he go on the show wearing that, or did this flow from Artest's own brilliant mind?
As to what should be the reaction to the incident, Artest, in the depths of his delusion, advised: "I think we just move on. Things happen and you just move on."
Lauer: "What would you say to kids who saw the incident?"
Artest: "They saw disrespect from the crowd and reaction from a frustrated player. I would tell them that sometimes things happen and you just have to move on."
Throughout the interview, Artest wore a smile and a "what-me-worry?" expression. He clearly had no clue as to the seriousness of his actions or the implications for himself or his profession.
Then it was on to Katie's interview of NBA union head Billy Hunter, a former player himself. It seemed clear that, off camera, Hunter had been horrified by what Artest said and how he expressed himself.
Katie tried to call him on it, saying "I watched you during the interview." But Hunter would not admit to what his true reaction had been. Instead, he claimed that Artest had apologized. Katie called him on it: "is that what you heard?"
Backtracking somewhat, Hunter then acknowledged that "obviously he's not very articulate." Hunter asserted that the punishment was "a bit excessive. He should have been required to attend anger management and allowed to come back after the All Star break."
Katie jumped: "But isn't he already in anger management?"
Hunter: "Not really, he's gone through it in the past but not in it now."
It was clear that Katie was shocked and disturbed by what Artest said and how he said it. There was a sense that she and Matt were embarrassed by what they had witnessed.
In any case, the image clearly emerges of a Ron Artest with only the flimsiest connection to reality. A suspension of a year is not long enough if, as is apparently the case, he has no concept gravity of the situation.
The interview was a disaster for the NBA and for Artest personally, and offered a revealing and troubling insight into the problems of our society at large.
And GLGB says he didn't notice...
First off, its obvious the Union rep is a black guy, though you didn't mention his skin color. How do I know he is black? Because it would cause a firestorm if a white guy said Artest was "not very articulate." Whites can't say stuff like that.
The networks have gone out of their way, it seems, to not mention Artest's childhood. I'd bet a weeks pay he was in a fatherless home while growing up.
And finally, you are both right that he wanted to create controversy with the interview. If he says the right things, apoplgizes, and acts as if he is concerned for fans and the NBA, fewer of those he targets for CD sales will be reached. HE MUST THUG-OUT AT ALL COSTS.
Thanks for the ping/post glgb. Well done again.
While I don't blame all of this on Artest, because the fans deserve a good share of the credit for this mess, he's had a history of problems with his temper, including multiple suspensions. He may be the nicest guy in the world off the court, but that doesn't change the fact he went WAY over the line Friday night. And for that, I blame the NBA for illicitly supporting this bad boy culture throughout the league.
Bring back normal basketball is right! Remember what it was like in high school? Little guys (relatively) in little shorts playing their hearts out. No tattoos. No bleached hair. At the end of the game you'd have a sore throat from cheering for every basket.
Thanks RR. I agree with Laura, though I wouldn't be too tough on Hunter. His heart seems to be in the right place, and he's in a tough position because he is essentially the paid employee of the players. His paid role is to defend them. But he clearly seemed to be signalling that he knows there's a serious problem.
WHat an embarassment to a sport. Basketball is an art form, not jungleball. This is turning into a gladiator sport made of prima donas. IMHO it started with Spreewell...who should have gone to jail and been suspended from the sport.
I know several fine, mature, articulate gentlemen who also play at the highest levels in basketball. It's a real shame to see the NBA take the whole sport down the tube.
I agree. The active promotion of thug culture has spoiled pro basketball, and it is also seeping into pro football. It is something the NBA should be forced to confront and correct.
Oh please come off of that insulting trash! Ron Artest is a violent punk with the intelligence of a rock. How in the heck did he EVER get into St. Johns?? Were you proud of your idol when he laid on that table grabbing his crotch and calling an opposing player a 'b1tch'? If you are proud of that then you are part of the problem. You make excuses so that you can go on enjoying what you want. What about all the kids in the arena that night? Are you expecting them to accept that this is the way things are and they should just move on? No, pal, not happening this time. Everyone saw exactly what Ron Artest IS really about. He was caught on tape being who he was.
Did we have this violence 30 years ago before being invaded by these super athletes. No we didn't. The same goes for football and baseball. Its time to get real about the problem that no one wants to talk about isn't it?
The liberal media at work again...
Don't put professional wrestling in the same category as the NBA.
WWF matches have to be tightly choreographed so that nobody gets seriously injured. The wrestlers must NOT be subject to uncontrolled actual (as opposed to staged) anger, lest they actually injure somebody. WWF wrestlers are high-class entertainer/athletes.
I doubt any NBA player would be considered stable enough for WWF
I wonder how much Prozac he consumed?
Katie's last question was good: "Do you think this incident was caused by the stolen Presidential election this year? Wasn't Bush responsible for this outrage?"
I salute you and your sacrifices to protect me and my family and if sports are your anchor right now that is fine.
May God protect you and all our fighting forces.
Thanks for your report governs.
While I am not a basketball fan (I dread March madness because I live in the heart of ACC country), I am pretty appalled at what I saw on the Today show this morning.
If the NBA truly wanted to "send a message", they should have banned Artest for life. Just like US Figure Skating did with Tonya Harding. It was more important to US Figure Skating to stop that behavior than it was to allow Harding to continue to skate who, at the time was, an
exceptionally talented skater. Yeah, I know skating and basketball aren't comparable, but how their sanctioning organizations deal with bad behavior are worlds apart.
It is a shame that people like Artest are going to be idolized by many people while people like Cal Ripken don't get nearly the recognition they deserve.
The past few minutes, Laura has been comparing Artest to the other professional victim Bill Clinton, especially his ranting threats to Peter Jennings last week.
You guys will hate to admit it, but there is more traditional team play in five minutes of a WNBA game than in the whole NBA season.
Hey, I'll admit it. I was trying to be helpful to MinuteGal with that WNBA comment.
Yeah, until I read that post I had no idea that Ron is really just a misunderstood, insecure guy.....
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