Anyone watch the end of the pacers/pistons game? BIG TIME brawl..... visiting team (pacers) went in the stands after fans to fight (fan thru beer cup on a player after a flagrant foul)..... fans chased players on the court.... awesome footage see sportscenter..... police had to break it up with pepper spray...


can u say LAWSUIT?

Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers got hit with the beer cup... then jumped in the stands and started fighting with the wrong FAN.......

AWESOME FOOTAGE !!!!!!!

just caught it on sportscenter......WOW!

LOL

If you are going to bother to take a flying blind side punch at a guy .... make sure you can knock him down


or at least hit him hard enough he doesnt haul off and whack you one back immediately



pathetic display of street fighting.....

What's really sad is the fact the kids in the arena had to see that. It showed a few kids on the sidelines cryin their eyes out. These kids go to the ball game to catch their favorite players, their heroes, and had to see that ****. Pathetic if you ask me. My 2 cents

kevin

I gotta agree with Kevin. Whatever happened to sportsmanship? Just because the fan was a jerk was no reason to spoil the game for everyone. Kids, for whatever reason, look up to pro athletes (a whole other subject), the athletes need to acknowledge that and act like someone kids should emulate -- or at least adults, not 5-year olds.

This is going to have major repercussions throughout the entire NBA. Very sad...

With the NHL being on strike, and now this, I think it's about time the fans said "no more"....

well the big guy that was a fan punching the players was because one of the players knocked down his kids rushin to fight...... i cant BLAME that fan. If it would of been i would of done the same.

Part of the excitement of Basketball or Baseball games is that you can try to get in the opposing teams players head. PRO "atheletes" know this and are actually coached about this from Jr High all the way thru college to the pro's. Ron Artist never has been professional. He has a record of doing outlandish things. He should take notes from his team-mate Reggie Miller. If anyone remembers Reggie and Spike Lee talkin "crap" in the play-offs a few years ago. Reggie let his GAME do the talking. That shows class to me.

If i was commision I would throw RON ARTEST out of the NBA. Going into the stands after a fan ( he attacked the wrong fan BTW) is totally uncalled for. Security and the police are their to handle these kind of things. I am very disapointed in his actions.

I agree 100%. Violence in sports has got to be stopped. There is no good reason why it should be there in the first place, regardless of it being aimed at fans or fellow players. Sports is just that. A sport. Blatant violence has no place here. Especially when our children look up to these million dollar babies!

Unfortunately fans are at fault. We pay the ridiculous prices to see these games live, allowing the owners to pay ridiculous salaries.

I am thrilled to see the NHL owners standing their ground on salary caps. But unforunately, they are the ones that have the most to lose. Its their pocket book that is going to hurt due to this strike, and the players darn well know it.

I LOVE sports. HUGE fan here! But my respect for the players is quickly diminishing....

Has always been a line I use no matter the sports when a players messes up..."they pay that guy/girl how much money to play a game and they cant even manage to [insert sports action here] that they learned the first day of the game?"

having been watching the game when this even initially occurred, Ron Artest is the cause of the entire situation. The flagrant foul on Ben Wallace with the Pacers in the lead was totally uncalled for. The reaction by the fans was a bit over-zealous but the counter-reaction by Artest and Jackson was unreal.

If you go to ESPN.com u can see it all on video.
here's the print article

Pacers Brawl article...ESPN

Statement from NBA Commissioner David Stern Concerning the Altercation During the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers Game Last Night at The Palace of Auburn Hills
NEW YORK, Nov. 20 -- NBA Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement today:

“The events at last night’s game were shocking, repulsive and inexcusable -- a humiliation for everyone associated with the NBA. This demonstrates why our players must not enter the stands whatever the provocation or poisonous behavior of people attending the games. Our investigation is ongoing and I expect it to be completed by tomorrow evening.

The NBA has taken the following actions, effective immediately:

1. Indiana players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal are suspended indefinitely, the length to be determined upon completion of the investigation.

2. Detroit player Ben Wallace is suspended indefinitely, the length to be determined upon completion of the investigation.

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.”

I just don't get it... if I acted like that at my job, I would be fired. These other players have to know that acting like that isn't going to get them that million dollar paycheck. I think this problem will continue as long as everyone treats these players as gods instead of the humans that they are.

Since when has it stopped them from getting their checks...

Stephen Jackson needs to take some of the money he makes playing basketball and look into some self-defense lessons


my nine year old neice who is a brown belt in tae kwon do would take him down based on what I saw the other night.

Jermaine O’Neal came running and hit one dude in the chin and didnt knock him out. Thats pathetic, those 3 wouldnt stand a chance in any Bar fight i have been in or seen. Steven Jasckson woulda been knocked out the second he swung at me. I could threw all 3 of them a beaten before my beer got hot.... They just lucky it wasnt me with my kids at the game. EVen luckier it was my kids they pushed down or stepped on cause i woulda kicked thier ass and then sued the idiots.

i need a really big red pen to fix the typos in that last one marketing.....

They should just get rid of the NBA and NFL and all that and make computer based sports.

Not even asking...

DUDE that is the dumbest thing i have ever heard... NFL football rocks ass

No, not the NFL. I need the excitment of real people. I also need real men in tight pants bending over (I am morally opposed to the no huddle offense).

BTW, something needs to launch soon. The longtermers are great financially, but leave little to discuss on the board. Hence, topics like this, cars, sigs and other such chat.

I dont like sports. It doesn't seem productive

Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday as the NBA came down hard on three members of the Indiana Pacers for fighting with fans when a melee broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons.

Overall, nine players from the teams were banned for 143 games, including some of the harshest penalties the league ever issued. Artest is the first player to be suspended for nearly an entire season for a fight during a game.

Indiana's Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games and Jermaine O'Neal for 25. Detroit's Ben Wallace -- whose shove of Artest after a foul led to the 5-minute fracas -- drew a six-game ban, while Pacers guard Anthony Johnson got five games.

Four players were suspended for a game apiece: Indiana's Reggie Miller, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman.

All of the suspensions are without pay.

NBA's Longest Suspensions
Games Player and Team Reason and Year
72 Ron Artest, Pacers Fought with fans at Detroit, 2004
68 Latrell Sprewell, Warriors "Physically assaulted" coach, 1997
30 Stephen Jackson Fought with fans at Detroit, 2004
26 Kermit Washington, Lakers Punched Rudy Tomjanovich, 1977
25 Jermaine O'Neal, Pacers Fought with fans at Detroit, 2004
11 Dennis Rodman, Bulls Kicked courtside TV photographer, 1997
10 Vernon Maxwell, Rockets Hit fan in stands, 1995

Good, I can't stand Artest. I hope his Cd flops as well.

He wanted time off to work on it and now he has almost a full year...

Suspension is stupid. They should all be fired just like any other employee would if they assulted customers. At least they dont get paid..

guaranteed contracts...

these are skilled players, can't just replace a ron artest with a nobody.

Their contracts don't have any exceptions in them? Like beating up audience members or coaches?

I doubt they thought someone would jump in the crowd and start beating people up

That no huddle comment is funny to me for some reason.... LMAO

Artest and I went to the same college but only exchanged words of "hello" throughout that time. It's obvious he is troubled. I don't in no way defend his actions but a part of me can't help but feel sorry for him b/c mentally, he has a real screw loose imo. As for the others who got suspended, oh well.

One would hope that along with the suspension Artest has some other specifics to go along with that punishment...such as ANGER MANAGEMENT courses!!

Never have I seen a player in any sport - hockey even - go after someone with such intensity. Artest literally RAN OVER 3 people to get to that young man (can you say 'set for life'). The shot of the older man in the dark suit by the scorer/announcer table getting trounced and then shoved under the table by Artest is so blantantly violent its beyond words.

well they Banned Pete Rose from Baseball for just betting or gambling on it. That in no way shape or form hurt baseball as much as Ron Artest actions hurt NBA basketball.

People already think NBA players are overpaid babies. Sprewell of the Minesota Timberwolves was quoted this year ( he earning 12 mil this year alone) of saying about him needing a new conract, he said " I have a family to feed" ......

Ron Artest got just what he wanted TIME OFF to promote his RAP ALBUM.... I SAY BAN HIM FROM NBA. THE rest of the season suspension is not enough.

That STeven JAckson fellow got off easy with just 30 games. He was throwing "haymakers" at fans, he should of gotten the same as Ron Artest.

Todd Bertuzzi's indefinite, sucker-punch (Steve Moore) suspension [inspired a Swiss-nix for Todd]. The Canucks' ace goes on trial for assault on Jan. 17 in B.C. provincial court.

Ya'll remember Todd Bertuzzi right? Mr. Hockey who decided that he needed to teach Steve Moore a lesson and put the man basically out of the game.

Wonder how many assualt charges Artest and Jackson will find themselves facing? Let alone the number of personally filed lawsuits from the people who Artest, Jackson, et al stomped over to get into the stands.

Can you say "need a loan to cover legal fees" ???

I heard about that last night. How ridiculous!

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Two fans sued the Indiana Pacers and players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal on Tuesday, contending they were injured in the brawl at the end of the Pistons-Pacers game.

Lawyers for John Ackerman and William Paulson filed suits in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, seeking unspecified damages.

Ackerman, a 67-year-old retired auto worker, says he was hit by O’Neal and then by a chair that a fan hurled into the crowd. His suit also names Palace Sports & Entertainment Inc., which operates the Pistons’ arena.

“He was knocked unconscious by the chair,” said Todd Weglarz, who along with lawyer Geoffrey Fieger represents the men. “The next thing he recalls is being helped into a wheelchair.”

Police released a copy of a videotape Tuesday showing a man who investigators believe threw the chair, and they asked the public to help identify him.

Fieger, a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is known for representing high-profile clients such as assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.

Paulson, 26, says he was punched by Jackson and assaulted by Artest. Weglarz said Paulson’s family has had Pistons season tickets for about 25 years.

Paulson, who works in real estate, and Ackerman have been diagnosed with concussions from the brawl, Weglarz said.

The NBA suspended Artest for the season, Jackson for 30 games and O’Neal for 25.

We all knew it was just a matter of time before the lawsuits started....

Its basketball. I ambsolutely HATE basketball.

To play in the NBA:
You must..

Have a criminal record.
Be convicted of molestation.
Have 50 tattoos.
Lack athleticism but be 7 feet tall.

Basketball is a joke.....