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.
Just curious, what did they do in the 70's to change the direction? (I was 5 years old)
Brat!
But Artest doesn't blame anyone! "Things just happen and you move on." Those punches he threw "just happened." If someone dies at his hands, it will "just happen."
amen to that
Carlisle blew this. There was a heck of a lot of time to intervene and he was nowhere to be found. Carlisle should have
gotten Artest off the scorer's table and sent him back to the locker room before the fan threw the beer. It seems like Artest was on that scorer's table for an eternity before the fan threw the beer.
Carlisle wasn't a leader and all of Indiana is paying for that lack of leadership.
Laura Ingraham's hilarious coverage of the interview, along with yours, well governsleast, the rest of us don't even need to pollute our minds by watching this stuff.
The problem is the video substantiates what the observer wants it to. I believe it shows him to be a punk thug who deserves to be banned from the sport.
His "audience" think is shows a man who will not be dissed [disrespected] no matter what it costs him. In other words a HERO.
Leftist idealogues have bred this culture and IMHO 'never the twain shall meet'.
Get the spelling right. It's "Tru Warier."
Imagine that - not following the daily brouhaha of the trash pop culture! There oughta be a law against that!
Ah! Mutton dressed as lamb! (I love old expressions, and I seldom get a chance to use that one!)
35 years ago...25 years ago...three years ago...it just goes to show how it's been happening over a long period of time. NBA, NHL, heck in Philadelphia (Broad Street Bullies) the city had to set up a COURT in the STADIUM to try the volume of arrests associated with each Eagles football game.
Talk about sad. Fans have become even more obnoxious than ever. Read 1955 Rocket Richard riots in Montreal and it doesn't seem to have changed much has it?
I saw the interview and it was clear to me that Artest is a total piece of shit! He is a thug who probably cant read or write and will end up in prison where he belongs. Jackie Robinson had it ten times as bad as this punk/thug and never once retaliated. There's your role model.
Even for people who eschew pop culture and try to follow only serious news, I'd say it would have been virtually impossible to have avoided the coverage this past week.
I'm guessing MSBC replayed the Lauer interview.
Unfrotunately, you are correct. We're all up to our knees in sewage!
NittanyLion....unfortunately that is the exact thought I had this morning after seeing this train wreck.
The NBA and professional sports, will get what they deserve, if they keep catering to this "gangsta" thug mentality. The coaches, owner's and the back offices of these teams always fail to take action against these demented players. The Big Business of sports has taken over for good old-fashioned sportsmanship.
They seem to miss the fact that their "HERO" was dissed THREE times by Wallace and the best their "HERO" could do was to attack a drunk fan.
This is not the time to talk about how Wallace is a role model!
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